Is T-mobile better than Sprint?

This blog post will answer the question, “Is T-mobile better than Sprint?.” It is based on several factors like the basis of network providers, mobile plans, network coverage, data plans, etc. At the end of each category, we will summarise which is a better choice either T- mobile or Sprint.

Is T-mobile better than Sprint?

T-mobile is better than Sprint as far as data speeds and network coverage are considered. In rural areas, both the carriers are not exceptional, but T-mobile has an edge. For international travelers, T-mobile offers some extras than Sprint like free inflight Wi-Fi.

Is Sprint T-Mobile now?

Yes, the Sprint brand has officially been discontinued and is successfully acquired by T-Mobile. If you have network-capable phones then it can take advantage of both CDMA and GSM services. This is possible because of the roaming agreements between T -mobile and Sprint. 

If you have an older Sprint phone which supports only CDMA networks then it will not work properly with T-Mobile’s GSM services. In this case, you need to upgrade the phone device. 

Factors affecting the choice between T-mobile and Sprint

Both the network carriers give unlimited offerings, which are impressive, having some great features and add-ons. You should keep in mind some essential factors while selecting a mobile phone provider. Some important considerations are as follows:

  •  Basics of network providers
  •  Mobile phone plans
  •  Network coverage
  • 3G and 4G download speeds
  •  Perks

Basics of network providers

T-Mobile is the third-largest wireless network provider in the United States. T-Mobile is a German telecommunication industry and it has some investments in other mobile communication industries in the United States

T-Mobile USA has a network sharing agreement with Cingular Wireless, an American mobile operator. Due to this, T- mobile has access to some top markets in the USA.

Key features of T-mobile  

  • Monthly installment plans are offered for T Mobile phones. 
  • More priority is always given to the T-Mobile subscribers on the network over other subscribers. This is a prime important factor in case of network congestion. 
  •  T mobile offers some better additional options, for example, international talk and data add-ons. 
  •  T mobile network provider has an excellent customer service record. 
  • Some extra perks are offered only for T-Mobile subscribers. 

Is T-mobile GSM or CDMA?  

T-mobiles is a GSM network carrier and not a CDMA network carrier.  GSM stands for global system for mobile, and it is second-generation cellular technology. T-mobile is a GSM network carrier used for mobile voice and data services. The term  CDMA stands for code division multiple access.

What is a Sprint mobile?

The Sprint Corporation was an American telecommunication industry. Before the merging Sprint was the fourth-largest cell phone network operator in the United States. The Boost mobile and Open mobile were subsidiaries of the Sprint mobile network. The Sprint brand has officially been discontinued and is successfully acquired by T-Mobile as of August 3, 2020. 

Is Sprint GSM or CDMA?

The older network of Sprint uses CDMA  technology. The Sprint brand has officially been discontinued and is successfully acquired by T-Mobile in April 2020. If you have network-capable phones then it can take advantage of both CDMA and GSM services. This is possible because of the roaming agreements between T -mobile and Sprint. 

Key points

  • If you have an older Sprint phone which supports only CDMA networks then it will not work properly with T-Mobile’s GSM services. In this case, you need to upgrade the phone device. 
  • CDMA (older 3G network) will be retired as of 31st March 2022.
  • LTE network of Sprint will be retired as of 3oth  March 2022.
  • You need to replace the Sprint sim card with a T-mobile sim card.
  • For the voice calls, ensure that VoLTE( Voice over LTE) is enabled.
  • The customers who hold older Sprint devices will not be able to access the CDMA network after 1st January 2022.

Mobile phone plans

T-mobile offers both postpaid and prepaid mobile phone plans. 

T-Mobile plans

Under this category, we will consider the following significant plans

  • Unlimited plans
  • Family plans
  • Prepaid plans

Unlimited plans

It is a plan which gives unlimited text and voice for the entire month. It also includes unlimited data.  But after reaching a specific data limit, the data speed is affected, and it is reduced.  

Technically, these plans are unlimited, but the fact is that speed gets reduced as you go on using premium data.

T-Mobile provides three unlimited data plans: 

  • Essential unlimited plan
  • Magenta unlimited plan
  • Magenta plus unlimited plan.
PlanPrice per lineUnlimited text and talkPremium dataMobile hotspot dataUnlimited Video streaming
Essential$60Applicable50GBUnlimited at 3GB speedSd streaming
Magenta$70Applicable100GB5GB high-speed dataSd streaming
Magenta plus$85ApplicableUnlimited40GB high-speed dataUp to 4k UHD streaming

Family plans.

T-Mobile network providers give reasonable offers for family plans. If you add lines, then the cost per line will get reduced. For the magenta max family plan, if you add one line, the cost per line will be reduced by $15. If you add more lines, you can bring the cost down to $40 per line. It’s a perfect offer for totally unlimited and high-speed data. Speed up to 30 Mbps or even more can be obtained.

Prepaid plans

T-Mobile offers its prepaid plans. The range of prepaid plans is from $45 to $75 per month. You can avail 4GB of LTE data for  $45 and 10GB of data for $50. At the higher end, T-mobile offers unlimited data plans for $75.

Sprint phone plans

The major unlimited Sprint mobile plans are summarized in the following table.

PLANPRICEDATA CAPHOTSPOTPERKS
Unlimited basic$6050 GB500 MBNA
Unlimited plus$7050 GB50 GBHulu and Tidal
Unlimited premium$80100 GB100 GBHulu, Tidal, Amazon prime membership, Lookout

As far as deprioritization is concerned, T- mobile has an edge. The prices are almost similar But if you want more perks then Sprint will be a better option.

 Network coverage

The 4G network of T-Mobile covers 59% of the country. T-mobile network carrier provides good coverage in city areas and suburbs. The T mobile network average speed is only about 31 Mbps. On average, the T-Mobile network provides much faster 5G speeds compared to its major competitors. If you have a 5G mobile with a T mobile network, you can expect internet speeds of about 85 Mbps. 

The 3G network coverage of T-Mobile is only 21%. The coverage is spotty in some areas. In certain areas, you need to have a handset that will support both CDMA and GSM services. Sprint also has spotty coverage. Historically, Sprint is supposed to be having the worst network coverage.T- mobile network coverage is better than Sprint network.

3G and 4G download speed

The 3G and 4G download speeds of T-mobile are much faster than the Sprint. These speeds are equivalent to the download speeds of the Verizon network. The following table shows the download speed of T-mobile and Sprint.

PARAMETERT-MOBILESPRINT
3G download speed3.46 Mbps 1.46 Mbps 
4G download speed19.42 Mbps 12.02 Mbps 

Perks 

Both the network providers offer extras and perks to their customers. It depends on the phone plan which you have selected.

For T- mobile subscribers

T mobile offers the following parks to their subscribers.

  • On every Tuesday, Magenta and Magenta Plus subscribers are eligible for freebies. It may include movie tickets at discounted prices or free food.
  • For family unlimited plans, if any one of the family members is not using the full data, then T-mobile offers an account credit.
  • T mobile offers a “digits program “, where you can use one number on multiple devices, and subscribers with two or more lines will get a free Netflix subscription. 

For Sprint subscribers

For an unlimited premium plan, Sprint offers the following perks.

  • Hulu
  • Tidal
  • Amazon prime membership
  • Lookout
  • Unlimited data and texting in most of the countries.

Can I bring my sprint phone to T-Mobile? 

Yes, it is possible to bring your sprint phone to T-Mobile. T mobile uses GSM technology and Sprint uses CDMA technology. Most of the new cell phones support both CDMA and GSM services. 

Steps to bring the Sprint phone to T-Mobile 

Use the following steps to bring your phone from Sprint to T-Mobile. 

  • Unlock your phone. 
  • Check the compatibility of your phone using the IMEI number. 
  • Purchase a new T-Mobile SIM card. 
  • Select a T-Mobile phone plan. 
  • Finally, Insert a new SIM card into your phone. 

Eligibility criteria to unlock Sprint phone 

One can unlock Sprint phone devices, provided that the following criteria are satisfied.

  • You must have purchased the cellular phone from Sprint. 
  • The cell phone should not be reported as blocked or lost.
  •  An account concerned with the Device must be active for a minimum of 40 days. 
  • Any associated service agreement must be fulfilled. For example installation billing agreement, lease agreement, etc.
  •  Depending upon prepaid or postpaid plans, the Device should satisfy all necessary unlock requirements.
  • The device must have SIM unlock capability. 

Below are other T-Mobile articles you may be interested in:

Can I change my phone number on T-mobile?

Can I change my T-mobile number online?

Can I port my number to T-mobile?

Conclusion 

This article explained how T-mobile is better than Sprint. This article outlined the importance of various factors like Mobile phone plans, Network coverage, Phone selection, and Perks.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs): Is T-mobile better than Sprint?

Is it worth switching from Sprint to T-mobile?

T-mobile is better than Sprint as far as data speeds and network coverage are considered. In rural areas, both the carriers are not exceptional, but T-mobile has an edge. For international travelers, T-mobile offers some extras than Sprint like free inflight Wi-Fi.

Can you put a sprint SIM card in an unlocked phone? 

Yes, you can use a Sprint SIM card for a domestically unlocked phone. On the official Sprint website there is a list of all the devices which are compatible with Sprint SIM cards, once unlocked.

What is stored on Sprint SIM?

The Sprint SIM card can store contacts, a few text messages, and some other carrier-related information. Other media files and documents are not stored.

Can I use a Sprint SIM card in T-Mobile phones? 

If the device is unlocked, you can use your sprint SIM card with T-Mobile phones. 

Is Sprint T-Mobile now?

 Yes, the Sprint brand has officially been discontinued and is successfully acquired by T-Mobile as of August 3, 2020. 

How to check IMEI? 

To check the IMEI number of your device following steps are used. 

  • From the Home screen, select Main Menu.
  • Scroll to and select Settings.
  • Scroll to and select Phone Settings.
  • Scroll to and select Phone info.
  • Scroll to and select Version info.
  • Scroll to and view the IMEI.

 You can find the number in your phone’s settings. Here’s

  • Android
    Go to Settings > About Phone, then Status.
  • Windows phone
    Go to Settings > About, then More information.
  • iPhone
    Go to Settings > General, then About.

 Or

On the dial pad screen, press *#06#, and you will see the IMEI. Some phones require you to press the send key after the code.

References:

T-Mobile vs. Sprint Review

Now might be a good time to hop on one of these networks.

https://www.reviews.org/mobile/t-mobile-vs-sprint-cell-phone-plans/#:~:text=There’s%20really%20no%20competition%20when,between%20Sprint%20and%20T%2DMobile.&text=In%20other%20words%2C%20T%2DMobile,two%20companies%20have%20merged%20together.

Sprint vs. T-Mobile: Which Carrier is Better? 11 March 2021

By Chris Holmes WhistleOut

https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/sprint-vs-t-mobile

Sprint vs. T-Mobile Review

T-Mobile has merged with Sprint. Here’s what it means for your devices

First off, don’t worry: Your Sprint phone will continue to work.

Eli Blumenthal headshot

April 2, 2020, 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/t-mobile-has-merged-with-sprint-here’s-what-it-means-for-your-devices/

What the T-Mobile and Sprint Merger Means for You

JULIAN CHOKKATTUGEAR08.31.2020 

https://www.wired.com/story/t-mobile-sprint-merger-guide/

Can Sprint Customers Switch To Tmobile

 Query https://howtodiscuss.com/t/can-sprint-customers-switch-to-tmobile/82179?amp=1