GoKawiilWe compare phone plans from two of the biggest carriers in the US. Jeffrey Hazelwood/CNET
If you’re thinking about switching your phone service to a new plan or a new carrier entirely, T-Mobile and Verizon have plans that work for nearly everyone. But which one to choose? Phone plans can be confusing, so I’m here to compare these two heavyweight carriers in terms of specs (like 5G speed and hotspot data), cost and perks (like streaming services).
T-Mobile and Verizon aren’t the only carriers, but their being among the biggest players means you’re likely looking at them first before checking out smaller providers or prepaid options (many of which are owned by T-Mobile, Verizon and the third major company, AT&T).
Both carriers have navigated obstacles this year. T-Mobile recently forced customers on old plans to switch to new ones, and suffered an outage that prompted it to offer credits to affected customers. Verizon had a widespread and lengthy outage in January, which may be what is prompting you to investigate alternatives. While every carrier suffers from service outages, that one was especially impactful, and the causes were never revealed.
T-Mobile
Last year, T-Mobile nabbed the title of Best Mobile Network in the US by Ookla, and it wrapped the calendar by being named the best carrier for network quality by J.D. Power. What’s notable here is that both of those titles used to be dominated by Verizon.
Joseph Maldonado/CNET T-Mobile Pros & Cons T-Mobile's 5G network is generally robust and has broad coverage
5-year price guarantee on its higher-tier plans
T-Satellite service in places without signal
T-Mobile Tuesdays and Magenta rewards program Taxes and fees are added on top of plan prices
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