Google Fi vs Tello:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Google Fi had more branded searches than Tello among prepaid phone carriers in the United States. Google Fi had about 246,000 branded searches, while Tello had 74,000. Google Fi made up 3.2% of all prepaid phone carrier searches we track, and Tello accounted for 0.97%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about prepaid phone carriers, Tello appeared in one of the five answers and Google Fi in none.
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Top prepaid phone carriers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Tello was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Google Fi did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Mint Mobile5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Visible5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
US Mobile3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
T-Mobile Prepaid3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Straight Talk1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Cricket Wireless1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Total Wireless1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Tello1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Boost Mobile0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Google Fi0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about prepaid phone carriers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which prepaid phone carrier should I switch to in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best prepaid phone carriers in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest good phone plan in the US for one person?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“prepaid phone plans”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best prepaid phone plans”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Google Fi or Tello more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Google Fi and Tello by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 prepaid phone carriers we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Google Fi, Tello. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Boost Mobile | Metro by T-Mobile | Straight Talk | Cricket Wireless | Consumer Cellular | Mint Mobile | Total Wireless | US Mobile | Google Fi | T-Mobile Prepaid | Tello | Visible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.4% | 16.3% | 16.3% | 13.3% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 6% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 0.66% | 0.29% |
| Nov 2025 | 25.2% | 13.7% | 16.9% | 13.7% | 6.2% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1% | 0.68% | 0.31% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.2% | 13.7% | 16.8% | 13.7% | 6.2% | 9.2% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.68% | 0.37% |
| Jan 2026 | 23.2% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 12.7% | 7% | 10.4% | 7% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.1% | 0.77% | 0.51% |
| Feb 2026 | 24% | 16% | 16% | 13.1% | 7.2% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.65% |
| Mar 2026 | 26.9% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 12% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.89% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.7% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 12.9% | 7.1% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.78% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 23.5% | 15.7% | 15.7% | 12.8% | 7.1% | 8.6% | 7.1% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.6% | 18.5% | 15.1% | 12.3% | 6.8% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 3% | 3% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 21.7% | 17.8% | 14.5% | 11.9% | 8% | 9.8% | 6.5% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.4% | 17.6% | 14.3% | 11.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.87% |
| Sep 2026 | 19.6% | 16% | 16% | 13.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.97% | 0.97% |
How has the Google Fi and Tello comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Google Fi was ahead of Tello in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Fi’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States moved from 2.7% to 3.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 246K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tello’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States moved from 0.66% to 0.97%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 74K.
How did search popularity change for United States prepaid phone carriers in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Tello in the United States rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 74K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Google Fi’s and Tello’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among prepaid phone carriers
Boost Mobile vs Metro by T-Mobile: compare popularity- Boost Mobile vs Straight Talk: compare popularity
- Boost Mobile vs Cricket Wireless: compare popularity
Boost Mobile vs Consumer Cellular: compare popularity- Metro by T-Mobile vs Straight Talk: compare popularity
- Metro by T-Mobile vs Cricket Wireless: compare popularity
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