T-Mobile vs AT&T in 2022

[Bruce_205]

I'm on AT&T right now but thinking of switching to T-Mo. I'm in the state of Arizona. How does t-Mo's service compare - better or worse? I have a Galaxy S9 phone now but might upgrade if I switch so I'd have a 5G phone then.

 

[puppykickr]

I would be very careful.

AT&T has been a tried and true cellular provider, and the system they have used (TDMA) has evolved into the world standard (GSM).

T-Mobile uses fancy ads with famous people to make themselves sound great.
This does not bring a signal to your phone.

Never trust any provider's 'coverage map'.
These are at the very best only a computer generated best guess senario based upon tower placement.

I have both services right now.
I have to maintain ($27 after tax, every 3 months) my AT&T service as my emergency cell service because my T-Mobile service is absolutely horrible and completely unreliable.

Probably the best thing to do is to get a manufacturer (not carrier!) unlocked device so that it has the capability to work with whatever carrier you choose.

That way you can have the device you want, and if it turns out that the service you choose stinks wherever you are, then you can change service providers and still keep your device.

 

[tube517]

If you travel alot or in a smaller town/remote area, get AT&T. If you have a good strong Tmobile signal in your home and work areas and anywhere else you go, get T-Mobile.

I was on a scout camping trip w/my son in the mountains and T-Mobile signal was non existent. The only dads who had a signal were on ATT and Verizon. It sucked because I had to go to the main office of the campground to use their wifi. And that was a hike in itself. I didn't mind but my wife was trying to call me and I got nothing.

I don't travel very much so I'm happy w/T-Mobile and the 5G is strong in my home and work area but T-Mobile is not for everyone.

 

[codezer0]

Really depends where in Arizona you're referring to. Some of the smaller towns are really hard to get a signal.

Me, being mostly in the city, the coverage was basically a wash between the remaining three. The difference is the cost of service; and how willing the carrier is to let me utilize it. To that end, T-Mobile is more forgiving for heavy data use. But as others have said, none of that matters if you can't get a signal where you're at.

 

[puppykickr]

What kills me is that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to T-Mobile signal strength.

I live in a town of ~25,000 people, and the signal is pretty much useless unless I am close enough to a tower to spit on it, regardless if I am indoors or outdoors.

Then I go to a town of only ~5,000 people, cannot even see a freaking tower, and I have 3-4 bars of service down in a basement.

 

[dazedinmi60]

Overall for us T-Mobile Magenta Plan for us with me being over 55 is a great deal. But the service footprint is not as other two.

 

[Bruce_205]

Also, I started looking into Mint Mobile. They are even cheaper and from what I understand they use the T-Mobile network. Any experience with Mint's service?

 

[joe71]

As a professional driver the overall best carrier for service is Verizon. I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon back in 2018. I was in Oklahoma and for nearly five days I had absolutely no coverage accept getting my phone to switch to roaming for thirty seconds
It also didn't help that T-Mobile decided to upgrade a cellphone tower in the area I was in and killed service for several hundred or a few thousand for a day and half.
I had sprint as a house phone probably twenty years ago.
As for At&t there are several rural towns in northern Nevada and Utah that I have gone through where at&t is the primary service

 

[puppykickr]

As a professional driver the overall best carrier for service is Verizon. I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon back in 2018. I was in Oklahoma and for nearly five days I had absolutely no coverage accept getting my phone to switch to roaming for thirty seconds
It also didn't help that T-Mobile decided to upgrade a cellphone tower in the area I was in and killed service for several hundred or a few thousand for a day and half.
I had sprint as a house phone probably twenty years ago.
As for At&t there are several rural towns in northern Nevada and Utah that I have gone through where at&t is the primary service

My ol'lady has a carrier that uses Verizon towers.
But when we travel, I always bring my AT&T phone for 'just in case'.

It actually saved our rear ends when we were in southern Indiana and there was no Verizon coverage at all.
I had Sprint, and now T-Mobile, and neither of those work there either.
Only my AT&T would work.

We go there every year (The Boogie), so we need SOMETHING that works in case we have an issue.

 

[joe71]

My ol'lady has a carrier that uses Verizon towers.
But when we travel, I always bring my AT&T phone for 'just in case'.
When my wife and daughter decide to go on road trips they usually head to, California, utah, or Arizona and their T-Mobile service works fine.
Last month we went for a road trip to northern Nevada and she kept losing coverage with t mobile ( I connected her and the daughter to my Verizon hot spot) we also brought a long my Google Fi phone.
Eventually we got back into TMobile coverage.
So with Verizon, T-Mobile and Google Fi we are pretty much covered anywhere we go



It actually saved our rear ends when we were in southern Indiana and there was no Verizon coverage at all.
I had Sprint, and now T-Mobile, and neither of those work there either.
Only my AT&T would work.

We go there every year (The Boogie), so we need SOMETHING that works in case we have an issue.