T-Mobile vs. AT&T: You'll get better coverage with AT&T, but T-Mobile offers cheaper 'premium' data and more perks

T-Mobile vs. AT&T: Coverage

Overall, AT&T has wider coverage than T-Mobile, notably in rural areas. T-Mobile's strength is primarily in populated areas, like cities and larger towns. 

For 5G networks, specifically, T-Mobile scored 68.5% availability, according to network testing site Ookla; AT&T scored 55.8%. T-Mobile has improved its 5G network coverage on highways, which means you should get a T-Mobile signal with a 5G-capable phone while traveling on highways in between populated areas.

Still, T-Mobile users might have difficulty getting a strong signal in smaller towns and villages. While T-Mobile claims it has the fastest 5G network in rural areas, that doesn't mean it has wide rural coverage.

You can check out T-Mobile's and AT&T's LTE and 5G coverage maps below. Note that these maps are from each carrier's website, which isn't always accurate, in our experience. For example, AT&T generally offers better coverage in rural areas. However, during two recent trips to rural New York and Pennsylvania, AT&T service was spotty. 

T-Mobile's coverage map

You can get a closer look at T-Mobile's coverage in specific areas and locations on T-Mobile's website.

AT&T's coverage map

You can get a closer look at AT&T's coverage in specific areas and locations on the AT&T website.

T-Mobile vs. AT&T: Data speeds

Overall, including LTE and 5G networks, T-Mobile delivers faster data speeds than AT&T, according to network testing site, Ookla. 

T-Mobile delivered median speeds of 116.54 Mbps download speeds in Q2 2022, while AT&T is significantly slower at 54.64 Mbs. 

As for 5G data speeds, specifically, T-Mobile's 5G network is significantly faster than AT&T's 5G network, according to Ookla. T-Mobile's 5G network delivers a median speed of 187.33 Mbps, while AT&T's 5G networks deliver a median of 71.54 Mbps. 

T-Mobile vs. AT&T: Is network speed or network coverage more important?

In our experience, coverage is more important than data speeds. 

Faster data speed is pointless if you can't get a signal at home, in your hometown, or in frequented areas. For phone calls and texting, any coverage at all is preferable over no coverage, even if it means slower data on LTE or other types of networks. 

T-Mobile vs. AT&T: "Premium" data vs normal data

T-Mobile and AT&T offer "premium" data, which is full-speed, unthrottled LTE and 5G data that isn't affected by network traffic and congestion. 

Normal, non-premium data can still deliver full speeds, but it's "deprioritized." That means data speeds can be throttled when the carrier's network is experiencing high traffic from heavy data use by lots of people simultaneously, like during peak commuting times. 

T-Mobile offers more premium data in its basic Essentials (50GB) and mid-range Magenta (100GB) plans than AT&T's equivalent Unlimited Starter (no premium data) and Unlimited Extra plans (50GB).

T-Mobile vs AT&T: What if you don't have a 5G phone, or you don't want to use 5G?

If you have an older phone that doesn't support 5G connectivity, T-Mobile and AT&T's plans don't affect usage — you simply wouldn't be making the most of what each carrier offers. 

However, it's not a big deal, either. From our experience, it's not entirely worth upgrading phones purely for 5G connectivity, as LTE still performs well enough for most apps today, and there's no major popular app that requires 5G connectivity. 

And if you actively don't want to connect to a 5G network with a 5G-capable phone — using 5G could affect battery life — you can disable 5G connectivity in your phone's settings.

T-Mobile vs AT&T: Perks

T-Mobile offers significantly more perks than AT&T, like one-year trials or full subscriptions to popular streaming services, and especially with travel and international benefits. These perks greatly increase T-Mobile's value proposition compared to AT&T. However, note that perks are less important if there's no coverage.

T-Mobile Essentials vs. AT&T Unlimited Starter plans

These are the basic unlimited plans from T-Mobile and AT&T. T-Mobile offers better value here with lower monthly costs and 50GB of premium data, while AT&T doesn't include any premium data. T-Mobile also offers more options for international use.

T-Mobile Magenta Max vs. AT&T Unlimited Premium plans

These are T-Mobile's and AT&T's premium unlimited plans. Both offer the same unlimited amount of premium data, and price differences are less pronounced. AT&T offers slightly better international perks here than in its basic and mid-range plans, at least for Latin American countries. However, T-Mobile's international and travel perks are still more comprehensive. 

Which is the best carrier for you: T-Mobile or AT&T?

T-Mobile offers better value with slightly less expensive plans and more premium data in the basic and mid-range plans. If you want unlimited premium data, T-Mobile's Magenta Max is also less expensive than AT&T's Unlimited Premium plan. 

T-Mobile would be a no-brainer if its coverage equaled AT&T's in rural areas. T-Mobile covers more densely populated areas but its rural coverage is more limited than AT&T's. With that in mind, AT&T is the better option if you usually travel outside of densely populated areas. 

As mentioned, the best way to find out whether T-Mobile or AT&T cover your most frequented areas is to ask locals, friends, or family that live there. And you should also ask what carrier they use and whether they're happy with the service. Otherwise, you can also check each carrier's coverage maps, but they're not always accurate.

How easy is it to switch carriers?

Switching carriers should be handled by the carrier you're switching to, and it can be a smooth, easy process, especially if you're bringing over an unlocked phone that's supported by both carriers. If all goes well, you'll receive a SIM card from your new carrier, and your new service should be activated after installing your new SIM card into your phone. Carriers also handle transferring your phone number, too.

However, we've experienced hurdles when switching carriers, like obtaining a special PIN number that's different to your account's PIN number for switching carriers that are hidden in your account, or finding account numbers that can only be obtained by contacting the carrier's customer support — a tedious task for simple information that should be readily available. There can also be obstacles if you want to bring the phone you already own to the new carrier

T-Mobile and AT&T's networks are similar and, in theory, it should be easy to switch between the two. As with switching to and from any carrier, brace for unexpected difficulties. But it's worth a little hassle to get onto the carrier that will serve you the best.

You've picked a carrier, now here are the best phones

Many mid-range and most premium phones released since 2020 come with 5G connectivity, and they'll make the most out of these unlimited data plans from either T-Mobile or AT&T. Just note that some mid-range devices may not connect to the fastest high-band 5G networks.

The iPhone 13 comes recommended as the best phone overall for most people, while Android users should go for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus. Check out why we recommend these phones, as well as our other recommendations for the best phones you can buy in 2022.

Glossary of terms

4G LTE, often simply known as LTE, is a wireless network standard that carriers launched in 2010. It provides fast data speeds, but its limited capacity means it can easily become congested, resulting in slower data speeds. especially in densely populated areas like major cities.

5G is the next generation of cellular networks that carriers are still rolling out, and it's designed to be a major upgrade over LTE. The main benefits of 5G include significantly higher capacity to reduce congestion, faster data speeds, and lower latency.

Faster data speeds let you stream and view higher quality videos, photos, and music. Lower latency means a snappier, quicker experience when browsing the web, loading content in apps, or playing multiplayer games. 

Low-band 5G networks have the longest range of the three bands, but their speeds are only comparable to LTE so far.

Mid-band 5G networks are also known as "C-band," and they have medium range that can deliver faster speeds than LTE.

High-band 5G networks, also known as millimeter wave (mmWave), have incredibly short range, and can easily be blocked by buildings, or even trees. They deliver the fastest speeds that can surpass the average home's internet speed, which is about 224 megabits per second (Mbps), according to Ookla's Speedtest.

Premium data: Premium data is full-speed data that's unaffected by network congestion. Depending on the plan you get, you get a limited amount of premium data. After you've used up your premium data, you still get full-speed data, but your connection gets "deprioritized" and speeds can be throttled down when the carrier's network is congested with high-traffic use.