T-Mobile has been a big pain for the incumbent top carriers, AT&T and Verizon, over the past few years. This is due to its departure from the stifling contract-laden past plans, a boost in 5G deployment (thanks to its purchase of Sprint), and its valuable 2.5GHz spectrum. T-Mobile has managed to keep its foot on the gas with other updates like new plans, simplified pricing, and easy-to-understand discounts that have kept the carrier competitive as Verizon has started to decrease the gap in mid-band 5G coverage.
Verizon hasn’t been sitting still either, with the carrier rushing to expand its mid-band 5G network to reach a competitive state with T-Mobile. While it’s caught up in many urban and suburban areas, it still falls short in terms of pure coverage. Even so, Verizon has remained nimble with big discounts for customers willing to sign up, and a new set of plans that simplifies pricing and incentivizes customers to add more of their monthly subscription payments to their Verizon bill.
By far, 5G is T-Mobile’s biggest advantage over Verizon. T-Mobile took the lead in 5G coverage, and its egalitarian approach has allowed the cheapest postpaid and prepaid plans to access the full 5G network and its fastest bands. Verizon, on the other hand, splits its 5G network into two tiers: 5G and 5G Ultra Wideband. Verizon’s top plans get the full-fat Ultra Wideband 5G network, which includes mid-band spectrum, while its cheaper plans are capped to just standard 5G speeds, which are more like LTE speeds.
T-Mobile’s plans are a bit more traditional with more premium data, hotspot data, and streaming services heaped on as the price of the plan increases. The carrier’s top two plans, for example, come with Apple TV and Netflix bundled in. Verizon’s plans, on the other hand, allow you to add streaming services, or other plan add-ons like perks at a flat $10 per month. This allows you to add only the services you actually plan to use, and you can save on your bill a bit if you don’t want any.
Both carriers offer strong international support with roaming in over 200 countries on either carrier’s top plans. T-Mobile stands out a bit with free in-flight Wi-Fi on multiple airlines, so you can keep messaging and browsing on the way to your destination. Still, it’s nice that either carrier is an option if you find yourself leaving the country frequently.
One thing both of these carriers have in common is 5G home internet and both offer discounts if you’re already a customer. At T-Mobile, you can get 5G Home Internet for $40 per month with its top three plans and $50 per month with any other plan, while just an internet plan alone is $60. On its top two plans, Verizon similarly offers internet for $25 per month using its fiber network or $35 per month using its 5G or LTE coverage for the internet. With its cheaper Unlimited Welcome plan, you can still get internet service for $40 and $45 respectively. If you have access to Verizon fiber internet, called Fios, it’s the way to go. Fios offers more consistent speeds and lower latency. However, 5G Home Internet from Verizon is likely good enough for most people.
Verizon stands out as the overall pick for folks living in the country with a wider rural LTE footprint, but if you spend most of your time in the city or suburbs, T-Mobile is likely the better choice with a wider overall 5G network and better median performance, according to analysis from Ookla. Keep in mind that the performance in your area depends on a lot of factors, so these median results might not be indicative of your actual performance.
To get an idea of what kind of coverage you can expect, be sure to check T-Mobile and Verizon’s coverage maps to determine the 5G coverage you’ll get. The darker the shade, the faster your speeds should be. To be absolutely sure of the network performance, both carriers offer a free trial if you download the My Verizon app or T-Mobile app from the Play Store. You will need a phone with an available eSIM to use the trial.
When T-Mobile first launched 5G, it was with its low-frequency band n71 spectrum that produced speeds nearer to LTE than the promise of 5G. After that, the carrier completed its purchase of Sprint and gained access to its valuable chunk of 2.5GHz spectrum. Since then, T-Mobile has speedily expanded 5G coverage on this 2.5GHz spectrum, branded as Ultra Capacity 5G, with carrier aggregation making the most of all of T-Mobile’s spectrum. All of this made T-Mobile’s 5G network the largest in the country, while Verizon had to wait multiple painful months to gain access to the 3.7GHz C-band spectrum it won at auction.
After Verizon managed to get its C-band spectrum in hand, it moved quickly to expand coverage in urban and suburban areas. Putting this coverage under the Ultra Wideband umbrella it had been using to describe mmWave 5G. The carrier now covers the majority of the population with its fast 5G coverage and has been steadily making its way to smaller cities and towns across the country.
One thing to keep in mind about coverage is that higher frequencies don’t travel as far as lower frequencies. As a result, T-Mobile’s 2.5GHz spectrum has a natural advantage over Verizon’s 3.7GHz spectrum in terms of coverage, but not in terms of performance once connected.
In the past, Verizon was a lot more locked down regarding network-compatible phones, but more recently, the carrier has been a lot more open. Even phones you would expect to work best on T-Mobile, like the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R have been added to Verizon’s BYOD system according to reporting from Android Authority. This is good news for Android fans looking for flagship-tier phones made by someone other than Samsung or Google.
Phones that will work best on Verizon’s network should support bands n2, n5, n66, and n77 for low-band and mid-band coverage. Extra speed is available in some cities and venues with mmWave on Verizon using bands n260 and n261. While mmWave is nice to have in a crowded place where the network can become congested for most people, it’s not terribly important as mid-band 5G has plenty of capacity for most of our needs.
If you’re looking to bring your phone to Verizon, you can save on your monthly bill with BYOD credits. Verizon’s more expensive plans enjoy larger bill credits for using your own device, but at least you don’t need to buy a new phone to get the best deals. If you’re ready for a new phone, you can find some solid savings with Verizon’s best plans and a device trade-in. For example, you can get up to $1,000 off (over 36 months) when you trade in a qualifying device for a Galaxy S24 Ultra on Unlimited Ultimate. Those savings decrease to $800 on Unlimited Plus and $400 on Unlimited Welcome.
Similarly, T-Mobile offers trade-in promotions for its top plans, Go5G Plus and Go5G Next. With a high-end phone from the past few years, you can get $1,000 off with 24 bill credits or $500 off for an older or cheaper phone. T-Mobile doesn’t offer BYOD savings like Verizon does, but the carrier will pay off up to $800 owed on a phone to another carrier with a virtual prepaid Mastercard when you switch from Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum, Claro, Xfinity, Liberty, or US Cellular and you bring your number.
T-Mobile does pull ahead again when it comes time to upgrade, with its Go5G Plus plan eligible for full device upgrade savings every two years and Go5G Next eligible every year. It could be worthwhile if you like to have the latest phone in your pocket and don’t mind the extra cost.
One thing to keep in mind about these savings is that they are bill credits and will only apply as long as you meet the terms of the agreement. Mostly, that means you won’t be able to switch to a cheaper plan without losing your credits. It also means that if you want to switch to another carrier, you still owe the remaining balance on that phone, minus the bill credits. T-Mobile’s 24-month payment plans make more sense.
Plans are perhaps the most important aspect when considering a phone carrier. T-Mobile stands apart by including taxes and fees in the price of several of its plans, making it much easier to get an idea of what your bill will actually be. Verizon makes you proceed through the entire checkout process to ascertain how much you’ll be paying in fees. Both carriers have a $35 activation fee for new lines.
One thing to note is that T-Mobile has done away with its Price Lock feature for new customers; it protected customers from price increases as long as they stayed subscribed. Verizon has increased the price of their older plans in the past, so it’s not a stretch to think T-Mobile will do the same in the future. With some distance from the Sprint buyout, T-Mobile has disappointingly continued to erase the “un” from its un-carrier moniker.
Both carriers offer auto-pay discounts and multi-line discounts for families. There are also military, first responder, and senior discounts for each carrier, so if you qualify, don’t forget to add those to your bill.
There are a handful of T-Mobile plans with seven in total, but several of them largely overlap in terms of what they offer the average consumer. The newest plans are called Go5G, Go5G Plus, and Go5G Next. There’s also a budget-oriented Essentials plan for those looking for basic connectivity. Below that, the older Magenta plans are still available, though you don’t get the Price Lock guarantee the plan used to include. Luckily, T-Mobile still includes taxes and fees in the displayed price of all but the Essentials plans.
Beginning with the top plan, Go5G Next, you get unlimited premium data on the T-Mobile 5G network and 50GB of mobile hotspot data. Several streaming perks are also included, like Apple TV+, Netflix Standard with Ads, and Hulu with ads. Streaming is unlocked to full 4K resolution, which means you’ll have no speed limit on streamed content. For international usage, you’ll receive up to 15GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico and up to 5GB in 215+ countries. The headlining feature for this plan is that it’s upgrade-ready every year, so you can get the latest model phone with full savings before you’ve paid off your old one. This plan costs a steep $100 for a single line but $225 for four lines with current promotions.
Taking a step down, Go5G Plus is nearly identical, lacking Hulu and only upgrade-ready every two years. Using a phone for two years is hardly a hardship, so for most people, this plan is worth the savings over Go5G Next. This plan is $10 cheaper for a single line at $90 per month and $185 for four lines.
The standard Go5G plan offers a healthy 100GB of premium data and 15GB of hotspot data. Apple TV+ is limited to just six months, though Netflix with ads is still included. Video streaming resolution is set to 480p by default, but can be unlocked to 720p in your account settings. If you want to get the full features you pay for, make sure to insist they change the setting for you if you’re signing up in-store or do it yourself online later. You get 10GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, with up to 5GB in 11 other countries, and slow, but unlimited, data in 215+ countries. Naturally, this plan lacks the phone upgrade options of the pricier plan, making it a good fit for those who buy their phones unlocked.
Finally, Essentials Saver is T-Mobile’s cheapest single-line postpaid value at $50 for a single line. The nearly identical Essentials plan is a bit cheaper with three lines thanks to a third-line free promotion, and Essentials Saver is once again the better value at four lines thanks to a promotion. These plans come with 50GB of premium data, unlimited hotspot data at 3G speeds, and unlimited 128Kbps data in Mexico and Canada. Video streaming resolution is also locked to 480p on both. Remember, too, that neither Essentials nor Essentials Saver have taxes and fees included, so your bill will be a bit more.
Magenta and Magenta MAX plans are still available though they largely mirror Go5G and Go5G Plus in terms of features. These plans may end up a bit cheaper with certain configurations, but for the most part, choosing one of the newer Go5G plans is ideal.
Verizon’s plans, by comparison, are refreshingly simple. Verizon has three base plans: Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, and Unlimited Ultimate. Verizon doesn’t include taxes and fees in any of its shown prices, so keep in mind you’ll be paying a few dollars more per line when everything is said and done. As mentioned above, Verizon offers discounts for those bringing their own phone to the carrier, as well as auto-pay discounts.
Unlimited Ultimate is Verizon’s top plan and offers full 5G Ultra Wideband access, unlimited premium data, and 60GB of high-speed hotspot data. International data in Mexico and Canada is included with a limit of 2GB of high-speed data per day and up to 10GB per month in 210+ other countries. This plan enjoys Verizon’s best savings on new devices as well as the biggest credits when you bring your own phone, up to $540. Streaming video is unlocked to full 4K when connected to Ultra Wideband 5G, and 1080 when on LTE or nationwide 5G. If you bring a smartwatch or tablet, you can also get 50% off plans for two devices. Unlimited Ultimate starts at $90 per line for a single line and decreases to $55 per line with four.
Unlimited Plus also gets unlimited premium data with a decent 30GB of high-speed hotspot data. International travelers get 2GB per data in Mexico and Canada. You get full access to 5G with Ultra Wideband support, and 720p streaming on nationwide 5G or LTE. Like Unlimited Ultimate, full 4K video streaming is available on Ultra Wideband 5G. You’ll get some savings on new phones, but not as much as the top plan, and BYOD credits are reduced to $360. You also get 50% off on a plan for a connected device.
Unlimited Welcome is the cheapest postpaid plan Verizon offers, with a single-line price of $65 per month. If you bring four lines, that decreases to $30 per line, which is a solid value for families looking to save. Connectivity is limited to nationwide 5G with LTE-like speeds, which, to be fair, is plenty for most people. There’s no hotspot data and video streams are limited to just 480p, which means no HD videos unless you’re on Wi-Fi or download them. BYOD credits are at their lowest with this plan at just up to $180, but still nice to have.
All of these plans are really designed to be used with add-on perks. These perks include streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, Apple One, and more. You can also add other perks, such as a Walmart Plus membership, or plan add-ons like extra hotspot data or travel passes. All of these add-ons cost $10, which means you can save compared to direct subscriptions.
Both carriers offer a tremendous amount of data at fairly high prices. If you’re looking for a bargain, you may be better served by one of the best value data plans instead. Most of those plans still use Verizon or T-Mobile for coverage after all. If you prefer postpaid and the benefits it brings, T-Mobile stands out as a better value for those looking for simple connectivity. T-Mobile offers its full 5G network, including mid-band coverage, in all of its plans, so you don’t have to give up modern 5G tech for savings. T-Mobile also makes it easier to determine what you’ll actually pay by including taxes and fees in its more expensive plans.
For those bringing multiple lines with them, T-Mobile has a promotion on some of its plans offering the third line for free, which makes it the better multiline value. Paired with savings on T-Mobile 5G Home Internet when you have a wireless plan and wider overall 5G coverage, T-Mobile could be your complete internet solution.
On the flip side, Verizon’s latest plans make it a lot more competitive with T-Mobile, especially if you’re interested in some of the add-on perks. If you’re already paying for multiple services Verizon offers, you can save simply by adding them to your Verizon bill since they’re just $10 per month. Unlimited Plus is the sweet spot for most users, with access to the full 5G network, plenty of hotspot data, and solid savings on new devices or the ones you brought with you. Like T-Mobile, you can even save on home internet with Fios or 5G Home Internet for as low as $25 per month.
Maybe if we start telling people the brain is an app they will start using it!
