MetroPCS and T-Mobile are two of the top players in the U.S. wireless industry. Each provides well-defined services with distinct differentiating factors. T-Mobile’s extensive coverage across 5G and 4G LTE networks offers plans with unlimited data options. In contrast, MetroPCS’ budget plans offer cost-effective mobile solutions suitable for those on tight budgets.
Comparing MetroPCS and T-Mobile requires considering several key elements, including network coverage, plan options, and pricing. Though both brands use T-Mobile’s network infrastructure, T-Mobile typically provides more expansive plans, including unlimited data options as well as higher-tier plans such as Go5G Plus services. In comparison, MetroPCS stands out by providing competitive prices and value plans with attractive monthly plans that cater to lower budgets.
The choice between T-Mobile and MetroPCS should ultimately come down to personal preferences and priorities. MetroPCS could provide the right option for those valuing comprehensive network coverage, advanced plan features, and flexibility over budget-friendliness and reliable coverage options.
Let’s break down the two providers to give you the full picture!
MetroPCS vs. T-Mobile: Side-by-Side Comparison
| MetroPCS | T-Mobile | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Plans | Costs less than T-Mobile | Offers a single unlimited data plan, add-ons available for HD streaming and international calling |
| Plan Selection | Offers four plans, including unlimited data | Offers a lone plan with unlimited data and a variation for seniors |
| Network Coverage | Uses T-Mobile’s LTE network, with T-Mobile having the fastest network speeds | Offers priority to T-Mobile customers on its network |
| Customer Service | Ranked 7th in customer support among carriers | Offers a full range of customer support options and helpful phone representatives |
| Phone Selection | Offers 34 phones, with many budget-priced options | Offers 31 phones, including the latest flagships from major manufacturers |
| Extras and Perks | Offers Data Maximizer feature and music streaming on some plans | Offers weekly giveaways, appealing international travel plan, and Netflix subscription for multi-line subscribers |
MetroPCS vs. T-Mobile: What’s the Difference?
Although T-Mobile owns MetroPCS, both brands differ when it comes to pricing, plan features, customer service, and overall customer experience. Let’s break down their key differences.
Monthly Plans and Pricing
In comparison to T-Mobile, MetroPCS’ plans tend to be more cost-effective for individuals. Their unlimited data plan costs only $50 a month, that’s $20 cheaper than T-Mobile’s equivalent plan. However, MetroPCS’ $50 plan imposes certain restrictions. Video streaming is limited to 480p resolution and tethering is prohibited.
MetroPCS’ $60 unlimited plan offers customers an alternative. This plan offers 10GB of LTE hotspot data but still imposes restrictions on video streaming. An additional $10 fee must be paid per month in order to enable video streaming.
T-Mobile provides one plan called T-Mobile One that offers unlimited data for $70 a month. T-Mobile plans feature additional benefits, including the option of adding HD video streaming and 10GB of 4G hotspot data for a $10 monthly package. They also introduced an unlimited plan tailored specifically to seniors aged 55 years or over that provides two lines with unlimited data at a $60 monthly cost.
MetroPCS offers discounts for additional lines in family plans, with each additional line costing $30 regardless of plan type. This means a family of four would pay $140 monthly for unlimited data services from MetroPCS.
MetroPCS’ family plans offer more significant savings (particularly those that include unlimited data) compared to T-Mobile’s, with two lines costing $100 and four costing $160 with unlimited data plans. Therefore, MetroPCS provides more significant discounts on family plans, especially higher-priced options like their unlimited plans.
Customer Service
Customer service should be an essential factor when deciding between MetroPCS and T-Mobile. MetroPCS has made significant strides toward meeting T-Mobile’s standards. However, further progress needs to be made for MetroPCS to match them.
MetroPCS offers 24-hour phone support. However, their menus can be difficult to navigate, and accurate information may only sometimes be readily available. Social media interactions such as queries posted to Twitter or Facebook may take time for responses, which could prove frustrating for customers who prefer instantaneous support via instant messaging platforms such as MetroPCS’ lack of an online chat feature for customer support.
T-Mobile excels in customer service, being named runner-up in recent wireless carrier customer support surveys. They provide various customer support channels, including online chat and responsive social media channels. T-Mobile representatives are known for being helpful and friendly. The only minor drawback is that certain website support material may sometimes take time to access.
T-Mobile outshines MetroPCS’s customer service experience with its more comprehensive offerings and customer care coverage.
Phone Selection
MetroPCS and T-Mobile differ significantly when it comes to phone selection. T-Mobile provides a more comprehensive selection, offering 31 models from popular manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, and Apple. In contrast to this, MetroPCS offers 34 devices and far fewer high-end smartphones.
MetroPCS stands out as the perfect option for budget shoppers, offering 25 devices for under $200 and many special offers for less than $100. Customers seeking the newest high-end smartphones like the iPhone 8 may be disappointed to learn that MetroPCS only carries earlier models from Apple.
MetroPCS does offer top flagship phones like the Galaxy S8, though customers must purchase it outright as there is no installment pricing option available through MetroPCS.
T-Mobile provides more high-end devices and an extensive selection of smartphones from their preferred brands, providing customers with more options when searching for the latest smartphones from this provider. T-Mobile provides several budget-conscious options, including its $150 Revvl device, which customers can pay off over 24 months with $6 monthly installments.
T-Mobile’s pricing plans for high-end devices are also more flexible, offering installment plans on flagship phones — an invaluable benefit to customers looking for more manageable payment plans.
Overall, T-Mobile provides more comprehensive options for customers seeking high-end devices, while MetroPCS has more budget-conscious offerings for budget customers.
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International Plans
In terms of international plans, MetroPCS falls behind T-Mobile when it comes to offering appealing international travel plans. T-Mobile provides unlimited texting and data usage in 140 countries at reduced speeds, whereas MetroPCS charges extra for its international services.
T-Mobile offers international services focusing on calls and texting overseas. Data usage can only be utilized within Canada and Mexico for an additional $5 monthly fee. Their $10 World Calling plan adds only 200MB of data for select countries compared to T-Mobile’s more comprehensive international offerings.
T-Mobile stands out from its rivals by offering some of the best international plans available. It provides unlimited texting and data in over 140 countries at reduced speeds as part of its standard plan, making them an excellent option for frequent travelers.
T-Mobile’s Kickback program gives subscribers who use less than 2GB in a month a $10 credit, which makes the program an ideal solution for families where some members don’t require as much data usage. Digits allows subscribers to share their T-Mobile number across devices, while customers with two or more lines can have T-Mobile cover the cost of their $9.95 Netflix subscription.
Overall, T-Mobile provides superior international plans, making it the better option for frequent travelers in search of reliable and cost-effective international roaming options. MetroPCS’ international offerings are more limited and focused more heavily on calls and texting services.
Perks and Extras
MetroPCS and T-Mobile provide subscribers with many attractive bonuses, while MetroPCS stands out with some unique offerings that customers might find appealing.
Data Maximizer from T-Mobile allows subscribers with tiered data plans to extend their data usage further by streaming video at lower resolutions. Customers with the 6GB plan can also stream music from Pandora, iHeartRadio, Apple Music, and Spotify without using up any of their allotted LTE data.
MetroPCS’ perks and extras fall short compared to T-Mobile in terms of offering attractive international travel plans, leaving many potential customers disappointed with this carrier. T-Mobile stands out among major carriers with its signature features being its weekly giveaways to subscribers known as T-Mobile Tuesday and its compelling international travel plan.
Unlimited data subscribers who consume less than 2GB in any given month may qualify for a $10 credit from their carrier through its Kickback program. The Digits program from T-Mobile enables customers to use their T-Mobile number across multiple devices. Subscribers with two or more lines can take advantage of this to have T-Mobile cover the cost of their $9.95 Netflix subscription.
At T-Mobile, subscribers enjoy more extensive extras and benefits that provide more value.
MetroPCS vs. T-Mobile: 12 Must-Know Facts
- MetroPCS’ monthly plans cost less than T-Mobile’s and offer more options.
- MetroPCS offers features to maximize your data allotment and offers more affordable phones than T-Mobile.
- T-Mobile customers enjoy priority on its network, which boasts the fastest connection speeds in the industry.
- T-Mobile excels at customer service compared to MetroPCS, with multiple support options such as online chat and responsive social media pages available to its users.
- MetroPCS utilizes T-Mobile’s LTE network — one of the premier LTE networks available today — as part of their offering.
- MetroPCS customers may experience slower speeds during times of peak network usage; however, the difference in speeds between T-Mobile and MetroPCS remains small.
- T-Mobile provides one plan with unlimited data (its $70 T-Mobile One plan with no contract) while MetroPCS provides four plans, including an unmetered data option for $50 per month.
- MetroPCS’ unlimited data plan costs $20 less each month than that offered by T-Mobile.
- T-Mobile provides superior perks to MetroPCS, including complimentary Netflix subscriptions, weekly giveaways, and an attractive international travel plan.
- MetroPCS’ Data Maximizer feature can stretch your data further by streaming video at lower resolutions, while T-Mobile provides its Digits program so you can use one number across multiple devices.
- T-Mobile provides superior international options than MetroPCS, with unlimited texting and data plans in 140 countries while MetroPCS charges extra for these services.
- MetroPCS provides more cost-effective phones than T-Mobile, with 25 of 34 phones costing under $200.
MetroPCS vs. T-Mobile: Which is Better?
MetroPCS and T-Mobile each possess their own set of advantages for customers, each carrier offering distinct strengths to help meet individual customer needs. Regarding coverage, MetroPCS utilizes T-Mobile’s LTE network, renowned for fast speeds and wide availability. Although network prioritization may limit certain times during peak traffic periods, in practice, the difference in speed between carriers should be minimal.
MetroPCS’ plans offer more choices with more economical rates, making them attractive options for individuals as well as families alike. Their unlimited data plan costs $20 less each month compared to T-Mobile, making MetroPCS an appealing choice. Additional lines also benefit from discounts which result in significant cost savings with unlimited plans from MetroPCS.
T-Mobile stands out in customer service thanks to its comprehensive support offerings and friendly representatives, while MetroPCS still needs some work in this regard to match T-Mobile’s level of support.
MetroPCS stands out in terms of selection by offering more budget-friendly phones priced under $200 than T-Mobile does.
Regarding extra features, T-Mobile stands out with its generous offerings like weekly giveaways and an attractive international travel plan. Meanwhile, MetroPCS boasts features like its Data Maximizer tool to stretch users’ data usage further and the option to stream music without using up LTE data.
MetroPCS might be better if affordability, plan selection, and superior customer service are important criteria. On the other hand, T-Mobile may provide superior service, wider phone selection, and extensive perks, making them the more advantageous option.
MetroPCS and T-Mobile should ultimately be chosen according to individual preferences and priorities. It is wise to carefully assess these factors when making an informed decision between these options.
