In order to connect to T-Mobile’s 5G Nationwide network, you’ll need to buy a 5G-capable phone. T-Mobile carries a wide selection of 5G phones with a variety of prices, specs, and features. T-Mobile’s 5G network covers approximately 37% of the U.S., making it the most widely available 5G network. Before purchasing a T-Mobile 5G phone, you’ll want to check out the T-Mobile coverage map to see if you get good 5G coverage near you.
So which 5G phones are compatible with T-Mobile’s 5G network? Read on and find out.
In this T-Mobile 5G phone article:
- Which T-Mobile 5G phones are available?
- Should you buy a T-Mobile 5G phone?
- Buying a T-Mobile 5G phone
- Pros & cons of buying a T-Mobile 5G phone
- T-Mobile 5G phone plans
Which T-Mobile 5G phones are available?
T-Mobile carries a nice selection of 5G-compatible phones from popular brands, such as Samsung, LG, OnePlus, Apple (the new iPhone 12), and T-Mobile’s very own T-Mobile REVVL 5G. These phones vary in cost, features, and specs, so it’s important to compare various options before buying one. T-Mobile offers 24-month installment plans for all phones, including 5G devices, which can help ease the financial burden of paying one lump sum for a new 5G phone.
Bring your own phone (BYO) to T-Mobile
If T-Mobile doesn’t have the 5G phone you want, you can always purchase a new 5G-compatible phone through a manufacturer or retailer then bring your unlocked 5G smartphone to T-Mobile. Before switching to T-Mobile, you’ll want to check that your 5G phone is compatible with T-Mobile’s 5G network. Conversely, if you buy a 5G-enabled phone through a different carrier, you’ll have to buy it outright (as opposed to on a monthly payment plan) so that it’s unlocked when you bring it to T-Mobile.
Should you buy a T-Mobile 5G phone?
Whether you should buy a T-Mobile 5G phone or not largely depends on whether you have 5G coverage where you live. T-Mobile’s 5G Nationwide network covers just over 30% of the U.S., with near-perfect coverage in Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Portland, Denver, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Columbus, and Memphis, and excellent coverage in many other cities.
Before investing in a T-Mobile 5G phone, you’ll want to check that you get reliable coverage in your area. Click on the T-Mobile coverage map below to view 5G network coverage.
T-Mobile 5G speeds vs. competitors
T-Mobile’s breadth of 5G coverage comes with a cost—T-Mobile’s 5G speeds, albeit faster than 4G LTE, are the slowest of the major networks, clocking in at around 49Mbps. AT&T is just a bit faster with 5G speeds of around 60Mbps but Verizon takes the cake with 5G speeds up to 495Mbps. Of course, Verizon’s 5G network covers less than 11% of the country so those speeds aren’t necessarily useful yet.
And while T-Mobile’s 5G speeds are about five times faster than 4G LTE, it’s still not anything to get too excited about just yet. But in the future, once T-Mobile has successfully combined its network with Sprint’s (due to the merger), its 5G speeds are bound to increase by leaps and bounds.
Compare specs, features, & deals
If you’re a tech lover who can’t wait to get your hands on the newest 5G technology, then you’ll want to compare cost and features to find the best T-Mobile 5G phone for you. Some features you may want to consider include:
- Battery life
- Camera (rear and selfie)
- Video resolution
- Display size
- Price
- Foldable or bendable screen
- Smart assistant
- Storage
Before you buy a new 5G phone, you’ll want to check out the best T-Mobile phone deals. We update these deals every week to reflect T-Mobile’s deal changes, many of which include trade-in phone deals and buy one, get one (BOGO) deals.
Buying a T-Mobile 5G phone
All of T-Mobile’s smartphones, including the 5G-compatible phones, are available for purchase by paying for it upfront (full retail price at checkout) or signing up for a 24-month installment plan. Buying a T-Mobile 5G phone outright means that you must pay the full price of the phone at checkout, which can be extremely pricy, especially when you consider that some 5G phones cost as much as $2,000.
As such, the majority of customers choose to buy their phones on a monthly payment plan so they can break up the full price of the phone into 24 even monthly payments. With T-Mobile’s installment plan, qualified buyers don’t have to put any money down and aren’t subject to interest. One downside to buying a T-Mobile 5G phone on monthly payments is that you don’t own your phone until you make all 24 payments—this effectively locks you into a contract with T-Mobile for 2 years unless you choose to pay off the remaining balance early.
Pros & cons of buying a T-Mobile 5G phone
Pros:
- Access to T-Mobile’s expanding 5G network
- Great 4G LTE network (which 5G phones fall back on if 5G is unavailable)
- T-Mobile 5G phones are some of the sleekest, most sophisticated phones on the market
- All of T-Mobile’s phone plans have 5G access
- All-in pricing on T-Mobile plans
- Great travel and entertainment perks
Cons:
- T-Mobile’s 5G speeds are the slowest of the major networks
- By the time T-Mobile’s 5G speeds increase, there will be better 5G phones
T-Mobile 5G phone plans
If you do decide to buy a T-Mobile 5G phone, you’re in luck—all of T-Mobile’s phone plans give you 5G access, unlike competitors such as Verizon and AT&T, which require customers to sign up for unlimited plans to connect to 5G. This is great news since not everyone needs unlimited data. Make sure you compare all existing plans before signing up for a T-Mobile 5G plan—some things to consider include monthly plan price, data allowance, travel perks, entertainment features, type of plan (prepaid or postpaid), and available discounts (T-Mobile offers military, first responder, and senior discounts).
