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T-Mobile is one of the biggest wireless carriers in the U.S. that offers a variety of smartphones and plans. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly phone, a high-end flagship, or something in between, T-Mobile has you covered. Almost all smartphones that made it to our collection of the best smartphones in 2022 were available to purchase via T-Mobile in the US, and we expect that to continue this year too. We're still waiting for the first batch of 2023 smartphones to arrive on the market, but you can check out our collection of the best T-Mobile phones below to find some good options to consider right now. Let's dive in!
Best overall phone: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra is right around the corner, but we doubt if that's going to take away the incredible value the current Galaxy S22 flagship brings to the table. So if you're in the market to buy a new smartphone, then we recommend checking out the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which sits on the top of this particular collection as one of the best T-Mobile phones overall. It combines the best of both the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Note series to offer a power-packed device with the best specs and features. It also comes with the S Pen to unlock a plethora of productivity tools that are unmatched in the Android space.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra borrows its design elements from some existing Samsung phones. It has the basic fit and finish of the Galaxy Note 20, but it also looks a lot like the Galaxy S21 Ultra from last year. It's built like a tank and Samsung has left no stone unturned when it comes to durability. The Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with Gorilla Glass Victus Plus and uses Armor Aluminum metal frames to hold everything together.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra's big 6.8-inch 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED panel is easily one of its highlight features. It doesn't get as bright as the iPhone 14 Pro's display, but it gets brighter than most other smartphone screens on the market right now. It's also one of the best AMOLED panels out there with vibrant colors and crisp visuals.
Moving on to the optics, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is known to have the most versatile camera system out there right now. The main 108MP camera sensor runs the show alongside a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3X optical zoom, and a 10MP telephoto periscope lens with 10X optical zoom. You also get a 40MP front camera for selfies and video calling. All these camera sensors come together to capture some impressive photos and videos. You can check out all the camera samples and also learn more about these cameras in our Galaxy S22 Ultra review.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset in the US, and it can connect to T-Mobile's 5G network without a hitch. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 isn't the most powerful chipset out there right now, but it's capable of handling all the day-to-day workloads without any issues. Some other noteworthy features of the phone include an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, a massive 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W charging, and more.
T-Mobile is currently offering some good deals for the Galaxy S22 Ultra. You can get up to $800 off with a new line on Magenta MAX. Additionally, you can also get up to $400 when you trade in an eligible device on a qualifying rate plan. It's available to purchase in Phantom Black, Burgundy, and Green colors, and you can choose between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage variants. You can also choose to pay for the phone in full or finance it for 24 months to get up to $800 off with a new Magenta MAX line.
You can also consider checking out the Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22 Plus, both of which are slightly smaller, and toned-down versions of the Ultra phone. You won't get all the top-tier features with these two devices, but they get all the basics right for the asking price.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is simply the most complete smartphone offering the best screen, a versatile camera system, the best SoC in Android, and a stylus too.
Alternate best: Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple's new iPhone 14 Pro is easily one of the best smartphones we've seen this year. It may not look a lot different from its predecessor, but there are quite a few changes this year. In fact, the Pro models are packed with some awesome features this year, making them stand out from the regular iPhone 14 models. From an updated SoC to an improved "Pro" camera system, there's a lot to like about the iPhone 14 Pro, and it deserves a spot in this collection as one of the best T-Mobile phones you can buy right now.
One of the biggest changes to the Pro models this year is the cutout. The notch on top of the display has been replaced by a pill-shaped cutout. Apple is using some software tricks to turn this particular cutout into an interactive element on the screen. It's called Dynamic Island, and it's exclusive to just the Pro models for now. This particular cutout/interactive software element isn't going to change the way you use the iPhone, but it brings a nice flair of useful glanceable info to the main screen.
Also new to the iPhone 14 Pro is the new "Pro" camera system. The main camera now has a larger sensor and a faster aperture. It's also a higher 48MP sensor that uses pixel binning to produce 12MP shots. We've already tested the new camera and added a bunch of samples to our iPhone 14 Pro Max review, so be sure to check it out. Apple has also improved the video recording capabilities of the iPhone 14 Pro. In addition to an improved cinematic mode, there's also a new Action mode that helps you capture stabilized footage of moving objects.
On the silicon side, Apple is using an A16 Bionic chip to power the new Pro models. It's currently the most powerful mobile chipset on the market which outperforms anything available on the Android side. Some other noteworthy features of the iPhone 14 Pro include a new always-on display feature, peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits outdoors, and more. There are some mixed opinions when it comes to the battery life of the smaller iPhone 14 Pro model, so you might want to spend an additional $100 to get the Pro Max model for better battery life.
Apple hasn't increased the charging speed to catch up with Android phone makers. This means you're still limited to a maximum of just 25W charging speed. It supports MagSafe and Qi wireless charging too, but you'll have to bring your own chargers in each case.
T-Mobile is carrying all four colors of the iPhone 14 Pro, and you can choose between 128GB, 256GB, 521GB, and 1TB storage. The carrier is offering a couple of interesting deals with the iPhone 14 Pro including up to $500 off a trade-in deal. You can also get up to $700 off a second iPhone 14 or iPhone 13 series device via 24 monthly bill credits.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
The iPhone 14 Pro features an Always-On Display, Dynamic Island, a new 48MP camera, and more.
Best Android experience: Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google's new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are undoubtedly the most refined Pixel phones yet, and they're easily one of our favorite Android phones to come out in 2022. While the regular Pixel 7 offers the most bang for your buck, the Pro model is the one we recommend for most users who are looking to get the absolute best Android experience. One of the main differences between the two phones is the physical size and a couple of other key specs including a bigger battery, a higher refresh rate display, and more. The overall experience of using both phones is going to remain largely the same, but the Pixel 7 Pro is just a tad premium as it represents Google's best smartphone hardware to date.
The Pixel 7 Pro shares a lot of similarities to the last year's Pixel 6 Pro when it comes to design. The new Pixel phones also have a camera bar at the back that across the body of the phone horizontally. Google has covered the camera bar with aluminum this time on the Pixel 7 Pro, and it blends nicely into the side rails of the phone for a seamless look and feel. The Pixel 7 Pro is available to purchase in Obsidian, Snow, and Hazel colorways, and they'll have a contrasting tint on the camera bar for a clean dual-tone look.
The Pixel 7 Pro sports a 6.7-inch panel with support for up to 120Hz refresh rate. Just like the last year's model, the display on the Pixel 7 Pro also has curved edges on the sides, so keep that in mind. The curved edges aren't necessarily a deal-breaker because they're more subtle this time around compared to what we saw in the outgoing model. Internally, the Pixel 7 Pro is powered by the new Tensor G2 chip, which the company is using to power smart software features such as audio message transcriptions, Photo Unblur, and more. It's these smart features that make the Pixel 7 Pro better than popular flagships out there.
Cameras, as you probably already know, are a big part of the Pixels, and this year's Pro model has a pretty versatile setup. In addition to the main wide and the secondary ultrawide cameras found on the regular Pixel 7, the Pro model also brings a telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom. It also takes advantage of the Super Res Zoom image-processing algorithms to get you sharper images even while you're shooting with 30X zoom. Google has also added some other neat camera features to offer a well-rounded experience overall.
All things considered, the Pixel 7 Pro is easily one of the best Android phones you can buy right now. It may not be the fastest phone out there, but it handles everything else in a typical Google fashion to offer a fun Android experience coupled with premium hardware. T-Mobile is offering some deals on the Pixel 7 Pro right now, so be sure to hit the link in the box below to check them out.
Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Pixel 7 Pro is Google's best phone ever, with a refined, premium design and Google's second-generation silicon — plus awesome cameras, as usual.
Best value for money: Google Pixel 6a
We already have our eyes set on the Pixel 7a, but that's not expected to arrive anytime soon. While there are some great budget smartphones available, if you're looking to pick up a good Android smartphone on a budget, then we'd like you to consider the Google Pixel 6a. You can literally get a free unit of Pixel 6a from T-Mobile by opting for a new line, which is a fantastic deal if you don't mind sticking with T-Mobile for 24 months. The phone itself offers great value, even at its full $449 asking price in the U.S.
One of the best things about the Google Pixel 6a is that it brings a lot of great features Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro features at an affordable price. The Pixel 6a, for instance, is powered by the same Google Tensor SoC as the other two phones in the series. It's a highly capable chipset that can keep up with more powerful silicon from the likes of Qualcomm, Apple, and more. Google's Tensor chip also prioritizes machine learning and AI to offer some smart features.
The Google Pixel 6a, as you can see, also brings the same design as the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. It features the same camera visor at the back that runs across the body of the phone. You can also have a two-tone finish with some fun colorways like Charcoal, Sage, and Chalk. All these interesting design elements make the Pixel 6a stand out in the sea of mid-range phones on the market. It's definitely a more premium-looking device that we would recommend in a heartbeat over a bunch of similar-looking budget phones.
However, Google has cut some corners on the Pixel 6a to keep the price low. The lack of a high refresh rate panel is probably the one that sticks out the most. The Pixel 6a only features a 60Hz display, which makes it a little less exciting than some other phones that come with 90Hz or even 120Hz refresh rate in the budget space. It has some redeeming qualities for being an OLED panel like accurate colors, higher peak brightness, and more, so it's not necessarily a terrible smartphone display.
The camera on the Google Pixel 6a also makes it arguably the best camera phone in its segment. Google is using a relatively old sensor on the Pixel 6a, but it has managed to do wonders with its software prowess. It definitely captures better photos than almost all the other phones at its price point. It also packs a relatively big 4,410 mAh battery which should be enough to last you through an entire day with moderate usage. Some other noteworthy features of the phone include an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, Google's best-in-class software support, and more.
The Google Pixel 6a can be had for free if you choose to get a new line from T-Mobile for 24 months. But even at its full $449 asking price, the Pixel 6a stands as a better option overall compared to a lot of other similarly priced phones.
Google Pixel 6a
The Google Pixel 6a keeps many of what made the Pixel 6 so great, at a lower price point.
Alternate best value: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G has earned our recommendation many times in the past and rightfully so. It's easily one of the best mid-range phones in the U.S. that offers a lot of value for your money. It costs the same as Google's affordable Pixel, and it's a solid alternative that fixes a lot of issues that we have with the Pixel 6a. The Galaxy A53 5G also works well with the T-Mobile network in the US, meaning it's good to be a part of this collection too.
One of the best things about the Galaxy A53 5G is its display. We're looking at a 6.5-inch 120Hz Samsung Super AMOLED panel, which is better than the Pixel 6a's 60Hz OLED panel. And as we mentioned in our Galaxy A53 5G review, it's a typical Samsung AMOLED panel with vibrant colors, inky blacks, and high peak brightness. Also, the 120Hz refresh rate makes it a superior option in a market that's flooded with budget phones with a basic display.
Another thing we like about the Galaxy A53 5G is its design. The phone looks very basic overall, but we like how the camera bump looks at the back. The camera island, as you can see, eases and melts into the rest of the phone's back. It looks very similar to the back design of the OPPO Find X5 Pro. The overall fit and finish of the Galaxy A53 5G are also great for the price. It's also worth highlighting that the Galaxy A53 5G comes with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance along with a microSD card slot for expandable storage.
Moving over to the optics, the Galaxy A53 sports a triple camera setup which includes a 64MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide, and a pair of 5MP sensors for macro and depth in the main system. These may not be the best camera sensors to work with, but we managed to capture some pretty good shots. You can learn more about the camera and find more samples in our review (linked earlier in this section), so be sure to check it out. The selfies are handled by a 32MP front camera, which is pretty good for selfies and video calling.
Lastly, it's also worth noting that the Galaxy A53 5G comes with Samsung's incredible software support. The company is promising up to four years of Android updates and up to five years of security updates for the Galaxy A53 5G, making it better than a lot of other phones in this segment. So if you want to buy a phone that'll continue to stay relevant for a long time with the latest software, then you buy the Galaxy A53 5G.
This particular phone works well with the T-Mobile network in the US, and it's also readily available to purchase right now. You can either choose to pay the full price for it or get it financed for 24 months with T-Mobile's monthly finance service.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
The Galaxy A53 offers a modern design, large screen and battery at an affordable price
Also great: TCL Stylus 5G
The TCL Stylus 5G is one of the more exciting phones on this list. It's the cheapest budget phone on this list, yet it brings a stylus to the mix to help you do more things on a smartphone. As we mentioned in our TCL Stylus 5G review, it's a good budget phone that offers great value for its $258 asking price in the US. It works very well on T-Mobile, which means it's also a good addition to this collection of the best T-Mobile phones.
One of the best things about the TCL Stylus 5G is the stylus. The phone also has a space to store the stylus in it, unlike some other phones that make you carry them separately like an accessory. It's a passive stylus though, meaning it doesn't have a battery, and it doesn't rely on Bluetooth to function. We found that it works well with the phone and has minimal latency while writing and taking notes. And just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the TCL Stylus 5G also lets you start a quick note without first unlocking the phone.
We also like how TCL built some custom apps that let you take advantage of the stylus on the device. The phone is bundled with Nebo for TCL and MyScript Calculator 2. Nebo, in case you don't know, is a handwriting recognition tool that can transcribe your notes into copyable text. MyScript Calculator 2 is an app that takes your handwritten calculations and computes them for you. Both of these apps worked well during our time with the device.
The TCL Stylus 5G also comes with a 6.81-inch display. It's a simple-looking display with a notch toward the top and a sizable bezel at the bottom. You don't get the darkest blacks, super contrasty colors, or even features like an always-on display with this one, but it's a decent-looking display that's suitable for day-to-day usage. We just wish it was a bit brighter as the 500 nits brightness makes it hard to read in direct sunlight.
As for the internals, the TCL Stylus 5G comes with a Mediatek Dimensity 700 SoC and 4GB of RAM. The performance of the phone is on par with what you'd expect from other phones in this price range. It's not going to win any awards, but it'll get the job done without any issues. The 4,000mAh battery should also comfortably last you for a day without any issues. The phone also comes with four camera sensors at the back which include a 50MP PDAF sensor, 5MP wide-angle sensor, 2MP macro sensor, and 2MP depth sensor.
All things considered, the TCL Stylus 5G is a great phone to consider if you don't mind sticking with T-Mobile. The carrier is literally handing out a free unit of TCL Stylus 5G if you get a new line and stay locked in for 24 months. It's only available in black color and has a single storage option, so keep that in mind.
TCL Stylus 5G
The TCL Stylus 5G is a budget smartphone with a garaged stylus. It also has a nice screen, great software, and a decent camera. It is exactly $258 of smartphone.
Best foldable phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is currently the only folding phone that's readily available in the U.S., which is why it gets our recommendation for the best foldable phone. It also works well with all the major carriers in the U.S. including T-Mobile, so it's a solid addition to this collection of the best T-Mobile phones. T-Mobile also seems to be offering the best deals for this phone in the US right now, which is great because the phone can be quite expensive otherwise.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is largely similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 from last year, and that's mainly because the overall chassis remains more or less the same. Even while holding both phones side-by-side, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two unless you look at the minute details. Even the small changes, however, make the Galaxy Z Fold 4 significantly better to hold and use in real life. The new and upgraded hinge also makes the device feels more premium. It's still not going to be as durable as a traditional phone, but Samsung's foldables have come a long way.
Samsung has also improved the camera system on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 to bring it more in line with other flagship phones on the market. The company has borrowed the main 50MP shooter and the 10MP telephoto lens with 3X optical zoom from its Galaxy S22. It's still using the same 12MP ultra-wide sensor from the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but they all work well together to deliver some really good-looking results overall. We have a lot more camera details and samples in our Galaxy Z Fold 4 review, so be sure to check it out before making a purchase decision.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 also comes with upgraded internals for better performance overall. You get the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor that's backed by 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Samsung has also put more effort into improving the overall software experience of the phone. There's now a persistent taskbar at the bottom of the screen to help you multitask better. The new OneUI software on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is packed with some great features like Flex mode to improve your productivity. You can also use an S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but it's worth mentioning that there's no place to store the stylus within the device. You'll have to carry it separately or buy one of those fancy cases to secure it in place.
T-Mobile is also offering some incredible deals for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in the US. You can get up to $800 off with a new line on Magenta MAX. If not, you can also get up to $400 off when you bring an eligible device to trade in for a new Galaxy Z Fold 4. T-Mobile is carrying the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in Phantom Black, Beige, and Graygreen colors, and you also get to choose between 256GB and 512GB storage variants.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is at once a smartphone and a mini tablet, and Samsung's polished the hardware and software enough that transition is seamless. If you want to flex with your personal device -- this is the phone to get.
There's no shortage of phones that work with T-Mobile in the U.S., but these are the only ones that are worth considering in 2023. From the most expensive Galaxy Z Fold 4 to more budget options like the TCL Stylus 5G, we've managed to put together a healthy list of phones that work with T-Mobile in the US. This is an ever-evolving list that we'll update frequently to add more options that are relevant, so be sure to check back for newer and potentially better phones.
The first batch of 2023 smartphones, as we mentioned earlier, is right around the corner, so be on the lookout for those too. We're already hearing some great things about the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and the OnePlus 11 from the rumor mill, so we expect to add those to this list hopefully soon. Stay tuned!
