Until recently, humans believed that the DNA of identical twins is one hundred percent alike. They were thought to be so similar that, except for parents, no one could instantly tell them apart. But new research has brought to light some interesting facts. Experts believe that an average of 5 percent of genetic mutations in identical twins occur early in development, and by adulthood, the genomes of identical twins can be 25 percent different from one another.
Mint Mobile and T-Mobile are like a set of identical twin sisters who have the same genetic material at their core (the 4G and 5G networks of T-Mobile). But over the years, genetic mutations (innovations in plans, pricing, and perks), have set them apart. So, let’s compare Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile to discover the variances between these two sister cellular network providers.
Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator that was launched in 2016 in Costa Mesa, California. Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile’s 4G and 5G LTE towers to offer nationwide coverage to its customers. In 2019, Hollywood A-lister, Ryan Reynolds, became the co-owner of Mint Mobile with its founder David Glickman, both of whom serve on the board of directors. Ryan Reynolds is responsible for the marketing division, whereas Glickman handles the operations.
Mint Mobile wireless customers can choose between fixed and unlimited mobile data plans to get countrywide 5G coverage at the lowest possible rates. Mint Mobile is a digitally native company. It exists entirely online. There are no physical stores or offices for Mint Mobile. Everything, including ordering your Mint Mobile SIM/ eSIM card, bill payments, service updates, and cancellations is done on its official website. You can also use the Mint Mobile app for Android and Apple phones to manage your account and services. By being a digital-only cellular network provider, Mint Mobile can significantly reduce its operational costs and offer plans thrice as cheap as its competitors.
Subscribers of Mint Mobile can enjoy up to 35 GB of high-speed 5G data, and unlimited calls and texts to any network within the country. Mint Mobile is a no-contract wireless service. However, you can choose to pay upfront for the first 3, 6, or 12 months, depending on your preferred bulk payment plan.
Mint Mobile phone plans start at just $15 per month, and you can add up to 5 lines on your Mint Mobile Family plans to save $5 per month, per line.
Pros
- Affordable phone plans
- Fixed and Unlimited mobile data
- Uses T-Mobile’s 5G network
- 4G and 5G coverage is available nationwide
- International calling to over 60 countries
- Family plans are available at discounted rates
Cons
- Data deprioritization during network congestion
- 5GB data cap for hotspot usage
- International roaming is not available
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has the fastest and largest 5G network in the United States. According to the Ookla speed tests conducted in 2022, T-Mobile was delivering 5G data at the speed of 1000 megabits per second in 45 states of the USA. Currently, T-Mobile is conducting experiments to combine three channels of mid-band spectrum and achieve speeds up to 3 Gbps (3000 Mbps) on its 5G network. However, customers will need 5G and 5G+ compatible smartphones and devices to experience the supreme speeds of T-Mobile data.
T-Mobile offers a wider range of fixed and unlimited data plans. You can get up to 100 GB of blazing-fast 5G data on its Magenta and Magenta Max plans, or start with basic connectivity outside through its Connect plans. T-Mobile’s 5G coverage is available in 90 percent of the country. By the end of 2022, T-Mobile had reached a record high of 113.6 million customers for its prepaid and postpaid wireless phone plans. All 12 plans of T-Mobile come with unlimited calls and texts, international roaming, up to 40 GB of hotspot allowance, and free calls to Canada and Mexico.
You can add up to 5 lines on your T-Mobile Unlimited plans to get discounts of up to $50 per month, per line. T-Mobile also provides discounted plans to senior citizens, military personnel, veterans, and first responders like nurses, teachers, and firemen.
When you switch to T-Mobile phone plans, you get the assurance of world-class customer service. T-Mobile is the Nation’s No.1 Mobile Network Operator for Best Customer Care. So, you can rest assured that throughout your service tenure, you will be in safe hands.
Pros
- Fastest 5G network in the country
- Fixed and Unlimited data plans
- Free calls and texts to Canada and Mexico
- International roaming is available
- Family plans at discounted rates
- Uses its own network throughout the country
- World-class customer service
Cons
- Plans are comparatively expensive
- Unlimited plans have soft data caps
- Data caps on high-speed hotspot usage
Service Comparison – Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile
Even though Mint Mobile and T-Mobile use the same 4G and 5G wireless networks to transmit cellular coverage, there is a marked difference between their plans, prices, and perks. MVNOs like Mint Mobile and Spectrum Mobile, purchase bandwidths from the Big Three licensed operators; AT&T Wireless, Verizon 5G, and T-Mobile. Under their independent administration, phone plans are curated to offer comparatively lower rates and greater benefits. MVNOs cushion themselves from the cost of constructing and maintaining LTE towers. Lower operational costs allow them to make their plans more cost-effective for their customers.
In the table below, we have compared Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile wireless service to give you an overview of the two cellular network providers. So, here is what is in store for you.
| Comparison | Mint Mobile | T-Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price Range | $15.00 to $30.00 per month | $10.00 to $85.00 per month |
| No. of Plans | 4 | 12 |
| Contracts | Not required | Not required |
| 5G Data Coverage | Nationwide | Nationwide |
| International Options | Available | Available |
| Discounts & Promos | Available | Available |
| 5G Speeds | Up to 1000 Mbps | Up to 1000 Mbps |
| Mobile Hotspots | Up to 5 GB of data | Up to 40 GB data at 5G speed |
| Calls and Texts | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Customer Service | 4.2 out of 5 stars | 4.5 out of 5 stars |
| Best For | Budget-conscious users | Heavy data users |
| Contact Provider | Call Now | Call Now |
Plans & Pricing – Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile
Mint Mobile believes in providing clutter-free service. It has streamlined T-Mobile’s cellular service to offer just four prepaid plans with limited and unlimited data. The well-designed Mint Mobile plans include unlimited talk time and texting within the country. You also get free calls to Canada and Mexico, a hotspot allowance of up to 5 GB, and superior 5G data coverage at zero additional charges.
Mint Mobile’s fixed data plans come with soft data caps, saving you from the hassle of paying data overage charges. When you exceed the 5G data limit on your Mint Mobile Limited plans, your speeds are reduced to 3G until the next billing cycle. In other words, with Mint Mobile plans you only pay for what you actually use.
Mint Mobile Fixed and Unlimited Plans
At a starting price of $15 per month, you can get up to 35 GB of high-speed, 5G data with unlimited calls and texts, countrywide. The price of your Mint Mobile plan will increase by $5.00 per month after 3 months of service. You can avoid price hikes by making an upfront bulk payment for 12 months.
| Promo Price | Regular Price | Mobile Data | Calls & Texts |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00/ month | $20.00/mo. | 4 GB | Unlimited, countrywide |
| $20.00/ month | $25.00/mo. | 10 GB | Unlimited, countrywide |
| $25.00/ month | $35.00/mo. | 15 GB | Unlimited, countrywide |
| $30.00/ month | $35.00/mo. | Unlimited* | Unlimited, countrywide |
Mint Mobile Family Plans
The more, the merrier! Mint Mobile Family plans to offer big savings and bigger fun. You can add up to 5 friends and family members to your account and pay as low as $15 per month per line. The Mint Family plans can be customized to your liking. You can mix and match individual plans to give every member that data limit they prefer. For example, you and your partner can both be on 10 GB plans while your three children can select the 4 GB, 15 GB, and Unlimited plans, respectively, based on their 5G data usage outside of the home.
| Price for 5 Lines | Price per Line | Data | Talk & Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| $75.00/ month | $15.00/mo. | 4 GB | Unlimited, countrywide |
| $100.00/ month | $20.00/mo. | 10 GB | Unlimited, countrywide |
| $125.00/ month | $25.00/mo. | 15 GB | Unlimited, countrywide |
| $150.00/ month | $30.00/mo. | Unlimited | Unlimited, countrywide |
T-Mobile Connect Plans
T-Mobile’s prepaid phone plans include the Connect range. T-Mobile Connect offers some of the most affordable prepaid plans with fixed data and unlimited calling and texting to any network within the country. At a starting price of just $10 per month, T-Mobile Connect customers get up to 12 GB of premium data. T-Mobile Connect plans are ideal for handphone users who are looking for basic connectivity on the go. With 12 GB of data, you can surf the web for 144 hours, stream 2400 songs, and watch 24 hours of videos in SD quality.
| Price | Data | Calls & Texts | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00/ month | 1 GB | 1000 mins and sms | Call Now |
| $15.00/ month | 3.5 GB | Unlimited | Call Now |
| $25.00/ month | 6.5 GB | Unlimited | Call Now |
| $35.00/ month | 12 GB | Unlimited | Call Now |
T-Mobile Unlimited Phone Plans
T-Mobile Unlimited phone plans are perfect for non-stop connectivity. At a starting price of $60 per line, subscribers get up to 100 GB of data at 5G speed, unlimited calls and texts nationwide, and free calls to Canada and Mexico. All the T-Mobile Unlimited plans come with exciting perks like free access to Paramount+ and Netflix for a year, contract-free service, up to 40 GB of hotspot data, a year-long membership of AAA, and unlimited data at 3G speed.
And as if all of that was not enough, T-Mobile also gives you a full in-flight connection at zero additional charges. You can add a maximum of 5 lines to your T-Mobile Unlimited plan and get discounts of up to $50 per month.
| Plan | Price | Mobile Data | Calls & Texts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $60.00/ month | 50 GB of 5G data | Unlimited, nationwide |
| Magenta | $70.00/ month | 100 GB of 5G data | Unlimited, nationwide |
| Magenta Max | $85.00/ month | Unlimited 5G data | Unlimited, nationwide |
T-Mobile Unlimited 55+ Plans
T-Mobile gives a special discount to senior citizens who are over 55 years of age. They get the same benefits at almost half the price. T-Mobile Unlimited 55+ plans come with a cute add-on. All the T-Mobile Unlimited 55+ customers get “free stuff every week.” So, celebrate getting old because T-Mobile is throwing the fanciest party on the block for the elderly.
| Plan | Price | Data | Talk & Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials 55+ | $27.50/ month | 50 GB of 5G data | Unlimited, nationwide |
| Magenta 55+ | $35.00/ month | 100 GB of 5G data | Unlimited, nationwide |
| Magenta Max 55+ | $45.00/ month | Unlimited 5G data | Unlimited, nationwide |
T-Mobile Plans for Military, Veterans & First Responders
How can T-Mobile forget those who put their lives on the line for our collective safety and well-being? T-Mobile offers its thanks to military personnel, war veterans, and first responders with discounted unlimited data plans. The unsung heroes of our nation and their family members get $50 off on their T-Mobile Magenta and Magenta Max plans as a reminder that every minute of their service is valued.
| Plan | Price | Data | Talk & Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magenta | $25.00/ month | 100 GB of 5G data | Unlimited, nationwide |
| Magenta Max | $35.00/ month | Unlimited 5G data | Unlimited, nationwide |
Additional Fees
T-Mobile and Mint Mobile have soft data caps on their limited data plans. Once you surpass the 5G data allowance on your fixed data plan, your internet speed will be automatically reduced to 3G. You will not be charged for data overage, and neither is your cellular service suspended. You can continue to browse, stream, and share at 3G speed.
Activation Fees
All first-time customers of T-Mobile phone service are required to pay an activation fee of $35 for their SIM card and set-up. It is better to purchase the SIM from a physical T-Mobile store rather than ordering it online. Often, the SIM cards are not compatible with older versions of smartphones, so an on-ground customer service staff can help you enable those complicated features and ensure that your 5G service is up and running.
On the other hand, Mint Mobile customers do not have to worry about paying a one-time activation fee. Mint Mobile covers all the expenses of shipping a free SIM card to its customers’ homes. Or you can help the provider by signing up for an eSIM. The only downside is that it may take longer than expected to create an online Mint Mobile account and get the ball rolling.
Taxes & Surcharges
Most of the taxes and surcharges are levied by the state and federal governments. In other words, these additional costs are unavoidable, and they can spike your mobile bill by $2.00 for Mint Mobile and $4.00 for T-Mobile.
Special Features – Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile
It is the smallest of details that make a huge difference when it comes down to purchasing decisions. We got down to the nitty-gritty of Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile plans, only to realize that the special features of T-Mobile weighed heavier than Mint Mobile.
International Coverage
T-Mobile promises exceptional international coverage on all its Unlimited plans. To begin with, you enjoy free calling and texting to Canada and Mexico because “treat thy neighbor as thyself”. Secondly, you can use your T-Mobile data and balance to stay connected from any part of the world. Upon exiting the USA, your T-Mobile international roaming service automatically gets activated, allowing you to send and receive calls/ messages while abroad. Last but not least, you can send unlimited texts at standard SMS rates to over 240 countries because love knows no borders!
Hotspot Allowance
Don’t you hate it when you are out on the road, all your work files are in your laptop on the back seat, and your manager calls you to email him the report asap? What an ‘Aaagh! Moment’ to start the day. Fret not because both T-Mobile and Mint Mobile allow you to use your 5G data as a hotspot for other devices. You can connect your laptop to your 5G mobile data and email as many files as are needed to keep your manager at bay.
With T-Mobile Unlimited plans, you can use up to 40 GB of data for hotspot sharing. Mint Mobile customers get up to 5 GB of hotspot data allowance on their Unlimited plan.
Freebies and Giveaways
We like to address T-Mobile’s perks as the triple-T (TTT). It is an acronym for Treasure Trove of T-Mobile. There is no better word to describe all the amazing benefits you get when you sign up for T-Mobile’s most popular, Unlimited cellphone plans. We hope that after reading through the list of T-Mobile freebies, you will start to feel that your Unlimited plans are underpriced.
The Treasure Trove of T-Mobile includes:
- An advanced scam-blocking protection plan
- Free weekly giveaways with T-Mobile Tuesdays
- Free access to Netflix, Paramount+, and Apple TV
- Free calls and texts to Canada and Mexico
- Free in-flight connectivity
- Free 1-year membership of AAA
- Wi-Fi calling at no additional charge
- Unlimited texting to over 240 countries at standard rates
In comparison, Mint Mobile gives its customers (coughs*) a free SIM, and as Mint Mavericks explain, that is pretty much all you need from a wireless service provider.
Customer Service – Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile
In the eight years since its inception, Mint Mobile has earned several awards and recognitions for its low-cost monthly phone plans and dedicated customer service. In 2021, American City Business Journals named Mint Mobile as ‘the fastest growing company in America’ and as ‘one of the best places to work at’.
Similarly, in 2022, T-Mobile was declared the ‘second-best cellphone plans provider’ on the U.S. News and World Report website.
But the customer service excellence of Mint Mobile is growing in leaps and bounds. Mint Mobile has a customer satisfaction score of 4.2 out of 5 stars. Customers have praised the staff for their timely assistance and technical knowledge. However, some negative reviews criticized Mint Mobile for being a “faceless” service provider. Dissatisfied customers expressed that they would prefer to talk to Mint store staff rather than spend hours on the helpline and get no resolution.
In contrast, no one can depute T-Mobile’s customer service rating. T-Mobile is the undefeated champion of J.D. Power- U.S. Wireless Customer Care Mobile Network Operator Performance Study for nine years in a row. In 2022 alone, T-Mobile hired 6,000 new Care Experts who were trained for months to deliver uncompromised customer satisfaction to potential and existing subscribers. T-Mobile has an A- rating on the Better Business Bureau, and its customer satisfaction score is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Coverage Area – Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile
T-Mobile has erected around 110,000 LTE towers in the country. It boasts 99 percent coverage on its 4G network and 90 percent coverage on its ultrafast 5G network. Mint Mobile wireless customers can access all the towers of T-Mobile for high-speed data coverage throughout the country. Therefore, the coverage area for Mint Mobile and T-Mobile is the same.
States with 100% Coverage
The following states have 100 percent coverage of T-Mobile and Mint Mobile cellular networks.
| States with 100% Coverage | |||
| Alabama | Iowa | Minnesota | Oklahoma |
| Connecticut | Kansas | Mississippi | Pennsylvania |
| Delaware | Kentucky | Missouri | Rhode Island |
| Florida | Louisiana | New Hampshire | South Carolina |
| Georgia | Maryland | New Jersey | Texas |
| Illinois | Massachusetts | North Carolina | Vermont |
| Indiana | Michigan | Ohio | Virginia |
States with 80% Coverage or Less
The following states have 80 percent coverage or less for T-Mobile and Mint Mobile phone service.
| States with 80% Coverage | |||
| Alaska | Hawaii | Nevada | South Dakota |
| Arizona | Idaho | New Mexico | Tennessee |
| Arkansas | Maine | New York | Utah |
| California | Montana | North Dakota | Washington |
| Colorado | Nebraska | Oregon | West Virginia |
| Wisconsin | Wyoming | ||
Is Mint Mobile Better than T-Mobile?
The answer to this question is not as straightforward as one might expect it to be. The multifaceted nature of this Mint Mobile vs T-Mobile debate has led us to the conclusion that everyone will have their particular set of preferences while selecting a cellular network provider. Mint Mobile has won several accolades for its budget-friendly prepaid wireless plans. It is ideal for basic to moderate connectivity outside of the home.
On the other hand, T-Mobile is a part of the Big Three club. It has the fastest and largest 5G coverage in the nation. Its broad range of fixed and unlimited plans includes special features like free access to Netflix, free membership to AAA, in-flight connectivity, giveaways every Tuesday, and much more. So, regardless of whichever twin you decide to side with, one thing is certain, you will experience 5G like never before.
