Now that T-Mobile is no longer the feisty underdog that keeps profits low to gain market share from the Verizon vs AT&T rivalry at the top that casts wider rural networks, it is time for a real comparison that will set things straight when it comes to the T-Mobile vs Verizon coverage, download speeds, phone choices, and plan prices.
With the acquisition of Sprint and some clever marketing, T-Mobile grew to become the second largest US carrier with 128 million subscribers after Verizon with its 157 million subs, so it is now an AT&T vs T-Mobile fight in the trenches, with Ma Bell as the underdog. The reason that Verizon is still way ahead of the Un-carrier's subs must be that its network is better, while T-Mobile is no longer cheaper, but, still, there are reasons to switch both ways.
Verizon
Largest, most stable network with the best rural coverage
Competitive prices
More hotspot data
Rich collection of streaming services as plan perks, including HBO
Richer choice of phones to pick from
T-Mobile
Leader in next-gen 5G network coverage
More limited total coverage
No longer offering the cheapest family plans
Pricing and Plans Comparison
Cheapest 5G plan on Verizon: Welcome unlimited, priced from $30 per line for four lines, throttling any time
Cheapest 5G plan on T-Mobile: Essentials, priced from $25 per line for four lines, 50GB premium data
T-Mobile has an advantage before Verizon when it comes to base prices for a 5G family plan, as it guarantees 50GB of data at full speeds. When it comes to overall 5G plan prices, however, Verizon is cheaper than T-Mobile for all but the 3-line configuration, and offers more mobile hotspot data per line than T-Mobile.
Verizon vs T-Mobile 5G plan prices
Verizon Unlimited Ultimate
T-Mobile Go5G Next
1 line
$90
$100
2 lines
$160
$170
3 lines
$195
$180
4 lines
$220
$225
Throttling
No
No
Freebies
Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for $10/mo. Netflix & Max for $10/mo International talk, text & 10GB data in 210+ cuntries Both new and existing customers eligible to receive the best current in-market smartphone offer with trade-in. Up to $540 BYID promo credit Unlimited talk and text Unlimited premium data
Apple TV+, Netflix Standard with ads, and Hulu with ads Upgrade-ready every year Watch & tablet lines just $5/month Full-flight texting and Wi-Fi with streaming where available 15GB high-speed data in Canada and Mexico 50GB high-speed mobile hotspot data Unlimited talk and text Unlimited premium data
Video streaming
1080p
4K
Hotspot (per line)
60GB
50GB
*All prices are after Auto Pay and w/ paperless billing, include unlimited talk&text in the US
Verizon is still the leader in cell phone signal coverage, with about 56% of the US covered according to the FCC, compared to 43% for T-Mobile.
Verizon vs T-Mobile US coverage (percentage) | Image credit – FCC
As you can see from the coverage map here, Verizon covers everything that T-Mobile's violet color does, and then some, where its pinkish coverage hue is the only game in town. Or the village, as its rural towers spread signal far and wide, whereas T-Mobile is mainly strong in the cities and on highways, rather than rural areas.
Verizon vs T-Mobile coverage map | Image credit – FCC
When it comes to basic 5G coverage at the low bands, T-Mobile is way ahead of Verizon with 36% coverage against Verizon's 9%. The same fourfold advantage it holds in the faster mid-band 5G deployment, with 25% coverage against Verizon's 6%.
Network Performance
T-Mobile offers the widest 5G network, while Verizon has better 4G/LTE download speeds and 5G network reliability. The 5G network bands where T-Mobile has wider coverage, however, offer little in terms of download speed advantages compared to Verizon's steady 4G LTE network, and even the fastest speeds are of little comfort if you don't have cell phone signal, so we'll have to call this round for Verizon.
Despite its way more limited 5G coverage, Verizon pulled ahead in the 5G speed and reliability section for the first half of the year, according to RootMetrics, while T-Mobile retained the 5G availability crown.
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Verizon is the US 5G network reliability champion | Image credit – RootMetrics
According to Ookla's Speedtest methodology, however, T-Mobile still maintains the fastest median download speeds over its 5G network, though Verizon is catching up fast, where its 5G is available.
T-Mobile still offers the fastest 5G download speed | Image credit – Ookla
In short, while Verizon may be behind in terms of 5G network deployment, it makes up with a more robust and reliable overall network, at least for now.
It used to be that T-Mobile, as a GSM carrier, had a richer phone selection than Verizon, whose CDMA technology was a bit of an odd bird among US carriers. It required dedicated modems and band filters, making phones on Verizon incompatible with GSM carriers. Big Red was also the first to connect a phone to its commercial 5G network, but bet on the ultrafast mmWave 5G technology with low penetration rate and phone makers had to account for its shenanigans with special editions that carry mmWave antennas.
Now that Qualcomm's Snapdragon modems in handsets like Apple's iPhones or Samsung Galaxy support most pertinent connectivity technologies and 4G/5G bands, Verizon has expanded its roster of phones to the point where it offers more than twice the choice available on T-Mobile.
T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Who Has Better Features and Perks
Traditionally, T-Mobile spices up its plans with more perks and features, but now the offerings are nearly identical. Granted, T-Mobile throws in Apple TV+ streaming for free, while Verizon charges $10 for Netflix and Max after six months, but it offers the two most popular streaming services without ads.
Verizon also offers a larger mobile hotspot allotment and free calling as well as data when travelling internationally, all included in its premium unlimited plan pricing. The T-Mobile advantage is in the lower priced tier of plans that are $5 cheaper per line and offer guaranteed premium connectivity, so if you don't need perks other than data, and T-Mobile has good coverage in your area, it is the way to go.
Customer service
According to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Study, T-Mobile scoops up the customer service award for the 14th time in a row, with a score of 840 and a segment average of 826.
Wireless providers are very dialed into the advantages of first contact problem resolution. They are supplying their customer service agents with improved call center systems, further assisting fast resolutions and increasing brand image, customer relations and customer experience. As half of wireless customers are using phone support, optimization of these systems not only brings an increase of satisfaction, but also a huge return on investment.
Carl Lepper, senior director of technology, media and telecom at J.D. Power
Verizon is a connectivity behemoth whose business customer service has been praised, but still T-Mobile ranks highest in the large enterprise segment with a score of 753, while Verizon Wireless ranks second with 739 points. Ditto for the small business segment, but Verizon Wireless ranks highest in the medium business segment with a score of 714 against T-Mobile's 709-point score.
T-Mobile or Verizon: Which Carrier Should You Choose?
Given that T-Mobile is no longer the cheapest carrier as its plan prices are nearly identical to those of Verizon, we'd advise those who are looking for a new carrier to pick Verizon. Granted, T-Mobile offers the fastest median 5G download speeds, where available, but Verizon has the more robust and reliable network overall, and sometimes having coverage, any coverage, matters more than blazing fast download speeds.
The Verizon vs T-Mobile plan price and freebies difference is now largely non-existent, and about the only scenarios to pick T-Mobile before Verizon would be if its has better coverage in your particular area, or at places you travel the most, as well as if you are looking for a specific phone that is not available on Verizon, which are few and far between now.
For all other intents and purposes, despite the marketing bombast, T-Mobile still gives way to Verizon's network in terms of coverage, and is no longer the underdog when it comes to plan pricing.
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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