Luke Pensworth
MetroPCS was bought by T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, to serve as the cell giant’s prepaid service. In 2018, the German-owned company rebranded MetroPCS as Metro by T-Mobile.
With the name change came new plans and perks from a few key partners. They now offer new, somewhat pricier tiers of unlimited plans and data, along with the cheaper budget plans MetroPCS was known for. Since it’s still a fairly new switch, we’ll refer to Metro by both MetroPCS and Metro by T-Mobile in this review.
But enough of that – is MetroPCS/Metro by T-Mobile any good? Let’s find out.
Metro Plans, Pricing, and Fees
Is MetroPCS any good? It is for customers in urban areas who need a budget cell plan.
| Plan | Data | Price | View plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2GB | 2GB | $30/mo. | View plans |
| 10GB | 10GB | $40/mo. | View plans |
| Unlimited | Unlimited + 5GB hotspot data | $50/mo. | View plans |
| Unlimited | Unlimited + 15GB hotspot data | $60/mo. | View plans |
So, is MetroPCS good? Well, yeah. It is for customers in urban areas who need a budget cell plan and want to stay on a great network.
Perhaps the best part of Metro’s pricing is that the price that’s advertised is exactly what you pay. All fees and taxes are included in their advertised price. That’s the kind of transparency that customers love.
If you’re looking for a MetroPCS unlimited plan, then you’ll be happy to know that each of the below plans includes unlimited Talk and Text and are billed on a monthly basis. With each plan, not only do you get more data, but you start stepping up the extra features, too – like any other carrier:
- $30 Plan: 2 GB of data per month.
- $40 Plan: 10 GB of data per month and Music Unlimited.
- $50 Plan: MetroPCS Unlimited data, 5 GB of Mobile Hotspot data, and 100 GB of Google One Cloud Storage.
- $60 Plan: MetroPCS Unlimited Data, Amazon Prime, 15 GB of Mobile Hotspot data.
Be aware, no matter which plan you choose, Metro does not allow you to stream video in HD. The best you can get is 480p, which is still DVD quality. This might not take full advantage of newer smartphone screens, but on such a small display, it is still respectable.
Note: Metro doesn’t offer any HD streaming - everything is 480p.
Family Plans
| Plans | 1 line | 2 lines | 3 lines | 4 lines | 5 lines | View plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10GB plan | $40/mo. | $70/mo. | $100/mo. | $130/mo. | $160/mo. | View plans |
| $50 unlimited | $50/mo. | $80/mo. | $110/mo. | $140/mo. | $170/mo. | View plans |
| $60 unlimited | $60/mo. | $90/mo. | $120/mo. | $120/mo. | $150/mo. | View plans |
Every wireless provider worth their salt offers discounts who use more lines. Metro is no different and allows up to four lines per plan.
How Good Are Metro’s Plans?
You get a lot of savings on T-Mobile’s solid network when you go with Metro.
Metro isn’t the cheapest prepaid service out there. They’re more expensive than TPO, Mint, and h2o. However, none of those companies benefit from a network like T-Mobile’s. Once known as the least reliable major network in the United States, T-Mobile has made great strides in that area, particularly in urban areas. Metro benefits greatly from that.
Relative to AT&T or Verizon, the Metro plans offer a ton of savings. For four lines, Metro’s top-tier plan is $40 cheaper than the bottom-tier plans from AT&T and Verizon. That’s a savings of $480 per year. And compared to the top-tier plans from AT&T or Verizon, customers could save more than $1,000 per year with Metro.
Network and Reliability
Where Metro really excels is its urban coverage, where they rely on T-Mobile’s network. But if you like to hit the nature trails, or visit your great-aunt Franny who lives down a gravel road in Arkansas, you may have trouble getting a signal.
T-Mobile’s network still consistently gets great scores when it comes to speed. However, Metro customer should beware of data deprioritization– aka, T-Mobile customers pay more, so they prioritize them. They include the disclaimer, “During congestion, Metro customers may notice reduced speeds vs. T-Mobile customers.”
Want to know if you’ll get coverage in your area? Check the MetroPCS coverage map here.
Metro Phone Selection and Upgrades
| Brands | Sample phones |
|---|---|
| Apple | iPhone 6s, iPhone 8, iPhone Xs, iPhone XR, iPhone Xs, iPhone 8 Plus, etc. |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy S10e, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung Galaxy J7 Star, Samsung Galaxy A6, etc. |
| Others | Moto G Power, LGQ7 Plus, LG Stylo, Alcatel 1X Evolve, ZTE Avid 4, Alcatel GoFlip, Coolpad Defiant, Coolpad Legacy, etc. |
“Well, I don’t want to talk on some no-name brand phone!” you may be saying to yourself. If you want a free phone, you can still get a well-known brand like LG or Samsung, though it won’t be a top-of-the-line model. But if you’re looking for something a little flashier, don’t worry. Metro flexes its T-Mobile muscle in that department. They offer all the new iPhones as well as the Samsung S-series.
A couple of warnings here. First, while Metro’s plans have taxes and fees included, that’s not the case for their phones. You’ll still have to pay sales tax and a $15 activation fee.
Second, upgrading phones through Metro aren’t as simple as swapping a sim card, nor can you buy a Metro phone online. You’ll have to call Metro at 1 (888) 863-8768 or visit a store to switch phones. Fortunately, Metro has more than 1,100 stores nationwide (with a planned 400 more).
Can I Keep My Phone?
Metro phones, as well as T-Mobile, run on a GSM network– the same type of network as AT&T. If you’re switching from AT&T to Metro, it should just be a matter of going to a Metro store and buying one of their SIM cards.
But, if you’re switching from Sprint or Verizon, which use CDMA networks, you may have issues. That being said, many phones are designed to run on both GSM and CDMA networks. You can check your compatibility here.
Metro’s Deals and Promotions
Customer Service
"It stinks."
It stinks. There’s no other way to put it. Truth be told, customer service is hardly the forte of any cell phone company. That’s even more true of prepaid carriers, including Metro.
Metro’s primary form of contact is by phone at 888-863-8768. But, although we had difficulty finding them, Metro does offer a few other forms of contact:
- Dial 611 from your Metro phone
- Twitter: @MetroSupport
- Facebook
- Metro by T-Mobile
PO Box 5119
Carol Stream, IL 60197-5119Mail: First = payments; second = general - Metro by T-Mobile, PO Box 60119, Dallas, TX 75360
- Metro by T-Mobile
One thing Metro doesn’t offer as a form of contact is email. Why? Beats us.
Recap
The Good
- Much cheaper than the big boys: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
- Fast, reliable network in urban areas.
- Nice mix of budget model phones and high-end phones.
The Bad
- Poor coverage in rural areas.
- Lousy customer service (along with most cell phone companies)
- No online purchases. You have to call or go to a store. (Is this 2019 or 1990?)
Metro will likely improve as its parent company, T-Mobile, improves. But don’t expect to ever get great service in rural areas. That’s not T-Mobile’s priority, so Metro customers will suffer in those areas as well. Still, for what they charge compared to what you get, Metro is a solid choice for urbanites.
Want more info on how we think Metro stacks up against other carriers? Check out our best cell phone plans article.
