Best Metro by T-Mobile phones in 2024

Metro by T-Mobile can be great value for those looking for unlimited data on the T-Mobile network with full 5G support. As you might expect for a T-Mobile carrier, just about any of the best Android phones will work fine, though a model with support for all of T-Mobile’s 5G bands will give you the best results. T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage in the country, so if you want its best speeds, you’ll want a phone that supports it.

Luckily, there are plenty of options, whether you’re looking for something cheap with enough power for basic apps and messaging or something with the latest and greatest SoC available. You might even qualify for extra savings if the phone you want is available from Metro’s store.

Upgrade to 5G with Metro by T-Mobile

The Google Pixel 8 Pro is a solid pick for any carrier, but it’s an excellent choice for prepaid options like Metro. This phone, while expensive, supports the 5G bands for most carriers in the U.S., making it a great phone to bring with you to another carrier if you find a better deal on data. Google has packed this phone with a 6.7-inch OLED display supporting refresh rates up to 120Hz and a peak brightness of 2400 nits.

The camera system is one of the best ever fit to a phone with a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide camera. Working with Google’s excellent camera app, these cameras produce some of the best photos of any phone you can buy. It has a fairly large battery at 5050mAh with up to 30W charging, so you should easily make it to the end of the day.

Google has promised seven years of OS, security, and feature updates, so you can keep using this phone for years without fail.

Samsung’s Galaxy S phone series has been an easy choice for years with good hardware quality, top-shelf specs, and yearly updates. The Galaxy S24 series is one of the best yet, boasting the ultra-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 12GB of RAM, fast charging, and some of the best phone cameras, as long as you’re in good lighting. The display is a 6.7-inch AMOLED with up to 120Hz and plenty of brightness for daylight viewing at up to 2600 nits.

The camera system is a strong point for this phone, with a large 50MP main sensor, a 10MP 3x telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. Unfortunately, we experienced some blurry images in low light in our review, though the overall camera results were very good. The phone has a large 4900mAh battery that can easily make it to the end of the day with 45W fast charging.

This phone works great on most carriers, including Metro by T-Mobile, so you should have no trouble using it, even with an unlocked model. This phone supports all of T-Mobile’s 5G bands including mmWave, so you should get the best speeds no matter where you are.

The Pixel 8 is smaller and lighter than the Pixel 8 Pro, making it easier to use with one hand and slip into a pocket. Despite its smaller size, it’s still powered by the Tensor G3 SoC, though the RAM has been reduced to 8GB. Still, this phone has plenty of power to muscle its way through Android 14. The screen, while smaller, is still excellent with up to 2000 nits of peak brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The camera system is mostly the same as the Pixel 8 Pro, but it’s missing the telephoto camera. It has the main 50MP camera, which is what most users take pictures on anyway, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The battery size is decent at 4575mAh, though we’d like to see faster charging than the 27W supported here.

Overall, the Pixel 8 averages out to be one of the best Android phones money can buy, and with seven years of software updates promised, it should last quite a long time as well. T-Mobile’s 5G bands are supported, so you can get the best speeds from Metro’s unlimited plans.

The Google Pixel 7a is a midrange version of Google’s mainline Pixel 7 series, and it borrows a lot of tech from it. For one, the device has the still decently powerful Tensor G2 SoC with 8GB of RAM under the hood. It also has a 90Hz 6.1-inch OLED display. Although it’s not the best OLED panel we’ve seen, it still looks nice from the right angle. The phone launched with Android 13, but an update to Android 14 is already available.

This phone has a main 64MP camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera, with the former kicking out some truly great photos. While the sensor isn’t quite as good as the full Pixel 7, its images are still vibrant and clean. Even low-light shots look good on this phone, thanks in no small part to Google’s software.

The Pixel 7a is a great phone for the price, and with support for most of T-Mobile’s 5G bands, it’s a great pick for a Metro by T-Mobile plan. Google promised five years of updates for this phone, so it still has a few years before the updates stop coming.

Folding phones are a great idea, with a compact footprint that makes it easy to stow away in a pocket or handbag, but a massive OLED display when you need it. The Moto Razr (2023) manages to keep its price low and offers plenty of power for most people. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC, which has enough power for most Android apps, including games. The internal display is large at 6.9 inches, and it looks great thanks to a 144Hz OLED panel with up to 1400 nits of brightness.

The cameras are nothing special, with the main 64MP camera taking some nice shots in most situations. There’s also a 32MP ultrawide camera that can be used for macro shots. In low light or scenes with a lot of motion, these cameras can lose some clarity. The 4200mAh battery should have no trouble carrying most people to the end of the day, and when it goes flat, you can top it up with 30W charging.

The phone launched with Android 13 and is expected to get the update to Android 14, but Motorola hasn’t exactly blown us away with its long-term software support. Still, for most people, this phone is a solid choice and looks great in its Summer Lilac and Sage Green colors.

Flagship phones have become so powerful that even midrange phones like the OnePlus 12R have plenty of power for most users. This phone ships with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a powerful SoC, common in last year’s flagship phones, with 8GB or 16GB of RAM.

It also has a beautiful display with a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel running at up to 120Hz. If you’re looking for a phone that looks and feels like it costs more than it does, the OnePlus 12R is the right choice.

When it comes to cameras, you get a main 50MP sensor, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. Compared to the flagship OnePlus 12, these cameras are a step-down but still good for the price of the phone. Where this phone really shines is with its battery. The 5500mAh battery will have no trouble making it to the end of the day, and even if you manage to kill it, you can top it up at up to 100W, 80W with the included brick.

One of Samsung’s cheapest 5G phones, the Galaxy A15 5G is a bit of an overachiever with its large 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s powered by the unremarkable MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ with an octa-core CPU that sips power. In the U.S., you only get 4GB of RAM, so multitasking isn’t this phone’s strength.

The images from the main 50MP camera are good during the day with plenty of light, but it suffers with lower light situations. Luckily, the 13MP selfie camera offers decent photos. The battery is large at 5000mAh but only supports 25W charging, so it takes a while to top up.

With the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023), you have a good idea of what you’re getting based on the previous models. This is a budget phone with a power-sipping Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 Soc, only 4GB of RAM, and Android 13. Luckily, it’s got a solid 6.5-inch IPS LCD running at up to 90Hz, so it’s nice and smooth to use.

The battery for this phone comes in at 5,000mAh, which should easily last all day. Once you’re ready to recharge, however, you’re in for a wait with one 15W wired charging support. The photos from the main 50MP camera are reasonably sharp but can look a little bland next to something like a Pixel.

Get the right phone for your unlimited Metro data

Most of Metro’s plans offer unlimited data, so getting a phone with fast 5G support and enough power for your favorite apps is a must. If you’re looking for a premium model that works on Metro, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of your best bets with great support for the T-Mobile network. The phone is very expensive, but Samsung has committed to seven years of software updates, so you can keep using it for years without fail. With its incredible camera system and S Pen, it’s the ultimate phone for work or play.

The Pixel 8 looks downright restrained compared to the S24 Ultra, but it’s still an excellent phone for most people, especially if you want a smaller phone. Its 6.2-inch display is still large enough to make good use of Android 14, and its main camera is the same as the Pro model, so you can expect excellent photos, too. This phone will get seven years of Pixel updates, so it will be secure and supported as long as you wish to keep using it.

With something like the Pixel 8 Pro, you have support for all of T-Mobile’s 5G bands, so you get great data speeds. One of the best things about getting a Pixel is the software update support, with seven years of security updates and multiple Android version updates. This means that the phone should remain up-to-date. If you want to upgrade in a couple of years, the extended support makes it a great second-hand phone for a family member, or a hand-me-down for a child.