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T-Mobile is one of the Major phone providers here in the US. It is actually the current leader on the 5G network in terms of coverage. And with one of the best T-Mobile compatible phones, you can enjoy consistent data speeds of up to 1Gbps (1000+Mbps).
Of course, T-Mobile has one of the easiest phone compatibility policies, starting with the adoption of the GSM protocol. It is the reason international phones can pass the online compatibility checker, where Verizon (CDMA) tends to fail.
But even when a phone passes the T-Mobile compatibility checker, it doesn’t mean you’ll get to enjoy your cell service. A mobile device MUST have the right network and carrier technology to work efficiently.
What are the best Phones Compatible with T-Mobile 5G?
In this guide, I’ve put together everything relevant you should know about T-Mobile compatible phones with 5G support. It covers some tips to help you choose the right phone, the type of phone you can use with T-Mobile, plus examples of phone brands to consider.
Before we come to all that, the top 5 best examples of phone brands compatible with T-Mobile 5G are:
Best Overall: T-Mobile (branded) Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Features a super-fast A15 Bionic (5nm) chip, physical SIM + eSIM, cellular connectivity at 5G mmWave, latest WiFi 6 (802.11ax) standard, Built-in NFC chip for digital payments, compatible with Wireless chargers, & a rugged IP68-rated design
Best of Design: Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G Phone
Features a high-performance Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) chip, a wide 6.7-inch 120Hz display, physical SIM + eSIM, 5G mmWave connectivity, compatible with WiFi 6 (802.11ax), built-in NFC, Wireless charging, & record videos in 4K & slow-motion mode @ 9660fps
Best of Budget: Fully Unlocked Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G
Features a superfast Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 (4 nm) chip, a wide 6.6-inch 120Hz display, built-in Stylus, NFC sensor, up to 5G (c-band) Ultra-Capacity, compatible with WiFi 5 (802.11ac), & expandable memory with MicroSD card
Best of Upgrade: Unlocked Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max IP68-Rated Titanium Phone
Features the fastest Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) processor, Dual eSIM, wide 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD display, up to 5G mmWave connectivity, compatible with latest WiFi 6e, built-in NFC sensor, supports wireless charging, & a rugged IP68-rated titanium build
Best of Deals: T-Mobile (Locked) Google Pixel 8 Pro eSIM Phone
Features a high-performance Google Tensor G3 (4 nm) chip, physical SIM + eSIM, 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ OLED display, integrated NFC chip, wireless charging, up to 5G mmWave connectivity, latest WiFi 6e/ 7 triband, & a rugged IP68-rated design
Crucial Tips when Looking for T-Mobile Compatible Phones
T-Mobile as a Major Network
T-Mobile is a Major Carrier with its own cell towers. The carrier distributes its network on frequency bands 2, 5, 4*, 12*, 66, and 71* for 4G LTE. Then, 5G connectivity on band N71 (low-band) and N41 (c-band), N258, N260, & N261 for Ultra Capacity.
Tip: * marks the primary frequency bands of T-Mobile. Make sure your phone has at least one of the bands to pass the T-Mobile compatibility checker and to make the most of the GSM network.
T-Mobile has eSIM Activation
T-Mobile supports eSIM activation, which means you can get your service running without waiting for the physical SIM kit. It also means you can get dual-SIM functionality on phones with a single physical SIM slot, like iPhones.
Tip: T-Mobile has eSIM activation on both iPhones and Android phones. If possible, get a phone with a built-in eSIM, as you may need it either here in the country or abroad.
T-Mobile offers Prioritized Data
T-Mobile phone plans have prioritized data (high priority during network congestion) for postpaid customers. If on the T-Mobile prepaid, most of the phone plans have deprioritized data (low priority during network congestion). It is only a few prepaid phone plans have prioritized data of 50GB cap, then unlimited deprioritized.
T-Mobile has Fast Data Speeds
On the answers of why you should switch from Verizon to T-Mobile, we see the pair has fast data speeds. The T-Mobile data speed on 5G Ultra Capacity (UC) can achieve up to 1100+Mbps, around 500Mbps for most people.
If it’s a busy day, T-Mobile 5G data speed often peaks around 100 – 300Mbps. It is still fast browsing data compared to 70Mbps or less on 4G LTE.
Tip: If possible, get a phone compatible with T-Mobile on 5G Ultra-Capacity. The data speeds remain fast enough even during network congestion.
T-Mobile Has Free WiFi Calling
T-Mobile offers WiFi calling free of charge. When enabled, WiFi calling allows you to use your phone to call/ text while connected to WiFi. Thus, can be very handy when outside the native coverage or in areas without T-Mobile roaming.
Tip: You will need a phone with a WiFi calling feature before you can use it. A device that supports the latest Wi-Fi standards (WiFi 5 or WiFi 6) will also give you the best Wi-Fi calling experience.
T-Mobile has Unlimited Data with No Cap
T-Mobile is one of the few cell phone services with truly unlimited high-speed data(without cap). As such, you can browse, and stream videos/ movies, and gaming as much as you want without getting throttled. (Throttling is where a carrier reduces your data to lower speeds after hitting the monthly high-speed cap).
Tip: if possible, get a phone that works on T-Mobile 5G Ultra-Capacity to make the most of the unlimited data with no cap.
T-Mobile Has Unlimited Mobile Hotspot
T-Mobile is one of the few phone plans with unlimited mobile hotspots. Many of the phone plans start with capped premium hotspot data before dropping to unlimited 3G speeds.
Premium hotspot data often provides the fastest browsing speeds achievable. If hotspot-ing via the latest WiFi standards, you should get faster data speeds than older protocols.
Tip: A hotspot on 802.11ax (WiFi 6) + 5GHz often has faster data speeds than on 802.11n (WiFi 5) + 2.4GHz. So, if you plan on hotspot-ing a lot, get a phone with hotspot on 802.11ax (WiFi 6) + 5GH.
T-Mobile Has Domestic & International Roaming
T-Mobile offers phone plans with both domestic and international roaming. In international roaming, only Canada and Mexico offer all the functions, including calls, text, and data. But for most destinations and countries, the free international roaming only includes texting and data. Then, you’ll have to purchase call minutes for international roaming at $0.25/minute.
Tip: T-Mobile offers the WiFi calling feature I mentioned both domestically and while abroad. So, a phone with WiFi calling can also be very handy here.
T-Mobile has Free Inflight WiFi
T-Mobile also offers in-flight Wi-Fi with streaming on various airlines- like Alaska Airlines, American, Delta, and United flights. I can’t confirm the type of free T-Mobile WiFi to expect in these airlines. But just like home WiFi, you’ll have the best experience on T-Mobile inflight WiFi with a phone that has the latest connectivity standards.
Tip: Some of the Airlines with T-Mobile inflight WiFi have the latest connectivity technology. A phone with the latest WiFi standards may give you a browsing/ streaming advantage over other users on older protocols.
What Types of T-Mobile Compatible Phones Can I Use on 5G?
As I mentioned in the beginning, you need a phone with the right network and carrier technology to work on T-Mobile. The “right network” is the necessary network frequency band your device needs to connect on 5G and 4G LTE.
Meanwhile, the “right carrier” technology for a phone to work on T-Mobile is where we talk about carrier-locked or carrier-unlocked software. And the three main types of phones compatible with T-Mobile software are:
- T-Mobile branded phones: phones locked on the T-Mobile network are naturally compatible with the service. You can get the branded phones on either T-Mobile online store, physical T-Mobile dealers, or authorized retailers.
- Factory unlocked phones: a factory unlocked phone is basically a device that you get from the manufacturer with no network restrictions. If the device has the right network technology, it should also work on T-Mobile with no issues.
- Carrier-unlocked phones: A carrier-unlocked phone is a phone that was previously locked to a carrier compatible with T-Mobile but is now fully unlocked. The carrier-locked phone must be unlocked on all functions to work on T-Mobile efficiently.
In the list of phones compatible with Mint Mobile, we see you can use a branded T-Mobile phone before unlocking. The result here is from the compatibility of MVNOs with phones locked to their Carrier Network.
However, T-Mobile is a Main Carrier, running on its own cell towers. While you can use T-Mobile-locked phones with its MVNOs, the hack isn’t reversible.
For example, you can use a T-Mobile-locked Revvl phone on Mint Mobile. But you can’t use a phone locked on Mint Mobile with a T-Mobile SIM card.
T-Mobile Phone Compatibility Checker
The easiest way to know your phone is compatible with T-Mobile is by running a compatibility check. You can run a phone compatibility check for T-Mobile online by simply entering the IMEI number in the “Enter IMEI” box. Then, hit the “Check Phone” button.
The T-Mobile compatible phone checker often analyzes your phone’s ID number to ensure it has the necessary network technology. It also determines if the device has any red flags- i.e. reported stolen/ lost, involved in fraud, or blacklisted for non-payment.
Note: a common misconception is that the T-Mobile phone compatibility checker determines if a device is carrier-locked or unlocked. But that’s not true.
You can tell if a phone is carrier-locked or unlocked by inserting a SIM card from another carrier. If it shows “Invalid SIM” or “Enter network unlock code”, the device is locked to the original carrier.
Also, you must have a device IMEI to run a compatibility check. So, you can’t confirm a phone is compatible with T-Mobile if you still don’t have it.
12+ Best T-Mobile Compatible phones with 5G Access
| Type of Network | Type of SIM | ROM & RAM | |
| T-Mobile (branded) Apple iPhone 13 Pro | 5G & 4 LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 256GB, 6GB |
| T-Mobile (branded) Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | 5G & 4 LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 128GB, 6GB |
| Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S21 Android | 5G & 4 LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 256GB, 8GB |
| Fully Unlocked Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G | 5G & 4 LTE | SIM card only | 128GB, 6GB |
| Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Ultra-HD Phone | 4G LTE Only | SIM card only | 256GB, 12GB |
| T-Mobile (branded) Apple iPhone 15 iOS Phone | 5G & 4 LTE | eSIM only | 128GB, 6GB |
| Unlocked Google Pixel 4a 5G w/ eSIM Android | 5G & 4G LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 128GB, 6GB |
| Fully Unlocked Apple iPhone 12 5G-Enabled iOS Phone | 5G & LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 64GB, 4GB |
| Factory-Unlocked Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Full HD+ | 5G & 4G LTE | SIM card only | 128GB, 6GB |
| Unlocked Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max IP68-Rated Titanium Phone | 5G & 4G LTE | eSIM only | 256GB, 8GB |
| Fully Unlocked Google Pixel 3a Android 4G LTE Phone | 4G LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 64GB, 4GB |
| Fully Unlocked Nokia (2780) Flip Feature Phone | 4G LTE | SIM card only | 4GB, 0.5GB |
| T-Mobile (Locked) Google Pixel 8 Pro eSIM Phone | 5G & 4G LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 128GB, 12GB |
| T-Mobile (Unlocked) LG G8 ThinQ LTE Touch Screen Phone | 4G LTE | SIM card only | 128GB, 6GB |
| Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | 5G & 4G LTE | SIM card | 128GB, 8GB |
| Fully Unlocked Motorola G Play 2024 | 4G LTE only | SIM card | 64GB, 4GB |
| Fully Unlocked Sony Xperia 1 IV (XQBC62/B) 5G Phone | 5G & 4 LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 256GB, 12GB |
| T-Mobile (Locked)Apple iPhone 14 Plus eSIM Phone | 5G & 4 LTE | eSIM only | 128GB, 6GB |
| Factory-Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Android | 5G & 4G LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 256GB, 12GB |
| Fully Unlocked Motorola Moto G 5G Phone | 5G & 4G LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 128GB, 4GB |
| Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G Phone | 5G & 4 LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 128GB, 8GB |
| AT&T (Carrier-Unlocked) Apple iPhone SE 3 Phone | 5G & 4G LTE | SIM card + eSIM | 128GB, 4GB |
| AT&T (Carrier-Unlocked) Alcatel SmartFlip 4052R phone | 4G LTE | SIM card only | 4GB, 0.5GB |
| Cricket Wireless (Carrier Unlocked) Icon 5 | 4G LTE | SIM card only | 32GB, 3GB |
In the chart, I’ve included T-Mobile compatible phones that offer LTE-only and up to 5G cellular connectivity. However, I strongly recommend a 5G phone if you wish to make the most of your cell phone service.
The best perk of a 5G-enabled phone over 4G LTE is that it has fast data speeds with low latency. Thus, you get to enjoy seamless gaming, video calling/ conferencing, and others with no lags.
Fast forward, other T-Mobile compatible phones you can consider, besides the five I shared in the beginning include:
T-Mobile (branded) Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Features a high-performance A14 Bionic chip, physical SIM + eSIM, rugged IP68-rated design, up to 5G mmWave, compatibility with WiFi 6 (802.11ax), built-in NFC sensor, & support wireless charging
Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S21 Android
Features a fast Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) processor, 6.2-inch 120Hz display, 5G mmWave connectivity, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), built-in NFC sensor, support Samsung DeX, & support wireless charging
T-Mobile (branded) Apple iPhone 15 iOS Phone
Features a super-fast A16 Bionic (4nm) sensor, eSIM-only, 6.1-inch QHD OLED display, up to 5G mmWave, compatible with WiFi 6 (802.11ax), built-in NFC sensor, & support wireless charging
Factory-Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Android
Features the fastest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) processor, physical SIM + eSIM, extra-wide 6.8-inch 120Hz QHD+ display, up to 5G mmWave connectivity, WiFi 6, & rugged IP68-rated titanium design
Unlocked Google Pixel 4a 5G w/ eSIM Android
Features a fast Snapdragon 765G 5G (7 nm) processor, physical SIM + eSIM, up to 5G (c-band) Ultra Capacity, WiFi 5 (802.11ac), 6.2-inch FHD+ OLED display, & built-in NFC sensor
Fully Unlocked Apple iPhone 12 5G-Enabled iOS Phone
Features a high-performance A14 Bionic processor, physical SIM + eSIM, up to 5G mmWave, compatible with WiFi 6 (802.11ax), built-in NFC sensor, & support wireless charging
Factory-Unlocked Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Full HD+
Features a decent Dimensity 6100+ (6 nm) chip, wide 6.5-inch 90Hz display, up to 5G (c-band) Ultra Capacity, compatible with WiFi 5 (802.11ac), built-in NFC sensor, & extendable memory with MicroSD
Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
Features Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) chip, wide 6.5-inch 120Hz display, up to 5G (c-band) Ultra Capacity, compatible with WiFi 6 (802.11ax), built-in NFC sensor, & a rugged IP68-rated build
Fully Unlocked Sony Xperia 1 IV (XQBC62/B) 5G Phone
Features a super-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) chip, physical SIM + eSIM, wide 6.5-inch 120Hz QHD+ OLED display, up to 5G mmWave, compatible with WiFi 6, MicroSD slot, & built-in NFC sensor
T-Mobile (Locked)Apple iPhone 14 Plus eSIM Phone
Features a high-performance A15 Bionic (5 nm) chip, eSIM-only, up to 5G mmWave, compatible with WiFi 6 (802.11ax), built-in NFC sensor, rugged IP68-rated build, & supports wireless charging
Key Takeaway:
The current market has hundreds of brands and thousands of phone models you can use with T-Mobile. As a GSM carrier, T-Mobile has a very friendly compatibility policy. You can even use many phones intended for the international market, something you can’t do with Verizon or AT&T.
When shopping for a phone, though, I’d recommend refraining from pre-owned devices, unless from trusted resellers. If you purchase a pre-owned phone that’s locked to another carrier or has a blacklisted IMEI, it won’t work with T-Mobile.
Common Related Questions:
Will my Google Pixel phone work with T-Mobile?
Yes, a Google Pixel phone can work with T-Mobile, as long it has the necessary network bands. The network bands of T-Mobile include 2, 4*, 5, 12*, 66, & 71* for LTE and N71, N41, N258, N260, & N261 for 5G.
The Google Phone must also be either locked to T-Mobile or fully unlocked to work on T-Mobile LTE or 5G.
Why is my phone not working with a T-Mobile SIM card?
In most cases, a phone may fail to work with a T-Mobile SIM card if:
- Locked to another carrier
- Doesn’t have the necessary LTE or 5G bands
- Have been blacklisted for non-payment or reported stolen/ lost/ fraudulent
Can I use the iPhone 14 with a T-Mobile SIM card?
Unfortunately, you can’t use the iPhone 14 (US Edition) with a T-Mobile SIM card as it doesn’t have a physical slot. The iPhone 14 series for the US market is eSIM-only.
However, the iPhone 14 for the international market has a physical SIM slot and built-in eSIM. While I haven’t tested the device yet, it should work with a T-Mobile SIM card except without the full experience.
Can I use a Verizon phone on T-Mobile?
Unfortunately, No, you can’t use a Verizon phone on T-Mobile while still locked. However, you can use most of the Verizon phones on T-Mobile when unlocked and have the required 4G LTE or 5G network bands.