Ultimate T-Mobile Speed Test: Magenta Plus vs Essentials vs Prepaid vs Metro vs Mint!

[@StetsonDoggett]

Get 3 months of ExpressVPN FREE when you sign up for their 12-month plan - www.expressvpn.com/stetson Mint Mobile is also offering a deal, get 3 months free when you buy a 3-month plan - mint-mobile.58dp.net/c/300828/447970/7915 *TIMESTAMPS* 00:00 - Intro 00:11 - What T-Mobile Tells You 1:28 - Cell Phone Plans & Smartphones Used 2:13 - T-Mobile LTE Speed Test (Individually Run) 3:22 - T-Mobile LTE Speed Test (Simultaneously Run) 4:33 - How T-Mobile Divides Speeds Between Plans 6:17 - T-Mobile 5G Speed Test (Individually Run) 6:57 - T-Mobile 5G Speed Test (Simultaneously Run) 7:40 - Fast.com Video Streaming Test 8:50 - HD Video Pass Add Ons 9:29 - Video Streaming Performance Test 10:28 - HD vs SD Netflix Streaming Test 12:13 - 1080p KZbin Video Streaming Test 13:07 - VPN HD Video Streaming Test 14:09 - Hotspot Speeds & Performance Test 16:22 - Heavy Data User (50GB+) Deprioritized Speed Test 18:08 - T-Mobile QCI Values 19:15 - T-Mobile is Wrong and Essentials Isn’t Worth It 20:53 - Share this with your T-Mobile friends!

[@andykwok22]

why you talk about total wireless

[@carlabujen1778]

I didn't know that you had to manually enable HD streaming in your T-mobile plan if you had magenta plus. Well now I could stream in HD, so thanks for adding that in the video.

[@ittbelitt8409]

I’m on iPhone mini and turn that hd on and still has trouble loading KZbin videos at 1080p!! Good service too LTE or 5G

[@warrendixon4897]

This video was exceptionally professional, detailed and informative. Well done, Stetson!

[@_w_w_]

Great video! Glad you did an as perfect of a test as possible. I've long argued Mint gets deprioritized speed. I had Mint as personal phone and native T-Mo for a work phone, and I could NOT get any usable data on Mint in high-traffic areas like airports or sport venues. Awesome job!

[@codyzhu5461]

Do this with AT&T!! Some people say AT&T unlimited elite has higher priority over the other plans before deprioritization.

[@antoinegeorge4287]

AT&T is the best with data management

[@steveyjay8657]

That's what I want to see

[@InsaneFire10YT]

This shows how underrated tmobile prepaid is, thanks for the vid!

[@jamievsjamie8377]

Right. T-Mobile also says you can remove the "Data Maximizer"

[@ccarta192]

I knew it... I switched from prepaid to post paid and noticed my speed had indeed slowed down!! WTF?

[@jSyndeoMusic]

Hot dang, I’d never heard of this channel or the other one that discussed T-Mobile speed tiers, but I literally just came to this video from that one. Wild!

[@samyboulos4642]

Thanks to this video, I switched from Essentials to Prepaid, saved some money and got better speed. Can't thank you enough :)

[@samyboulos4642]

Too bad I was paying more for T-Mobile Essentials for about a year and getting less speed than Prepaid. This is so unfair. I thought that all postpaid plans are higher priority over prepaid.

[@SayAhh]

@@samyboulos4642 Better late than never. Also check frequently as plans, prices and speeds might always change with or without notice.

[@kanehi]

Thanks for the comparison. I have the Essentials plan and it’s adequate for our use. There are three of us on this plan with 60gb shared data. Yes the video is at a lower resolution but in a smart phone it’s fine. Hotspot has limited speed also but I rarely use it. Essential is the cheapest plan and texting and social media is what we mostly use it with. The best thing about data plans is it’s included when you travel abroad

[@jmg999]

This was really, really helpful. Thank you for this deep-dive comparison model to help us understanding the pros and cons of each plan. I'd been having a difficult time deciding between Mint Mobile and a T-Mobile prepaid or Magenta Plus plan. The prepaid plan was looking really attractive, but I had questions that you very adeptly answered. I'm now a new subscriber, and I'm looking forward to watching more of your content! Again, thank you for your in-depth analysis of these plans.

[@afogs]

A VZW pre/post paid, visible and us mobile is much needed since i’m looking to switching!! Great job on this video!

[@rockvilleraven]

He did one, VZW play more came in first, US Mobile came in second, Verizon prepaid 3rd and Visible 4th.

[@MissShan]

Thanks for such an informative video. I switched from MetroPCS to Mint Mobile. It looks like the MVNO is typically the slowest with prioritization but it still suits my needs. Keep the videos coming!

[@StetsonDoggett]

I use Mint too! Works for my needs and is nice and affordable.

[@BabySonicGT]

@@StetsonDoggett hey is $15/month on mint good???

[@603Madison]

"I only had 4 iPhone 12s". I don't think those words have ever been said prior to this video.

[@charlesstrickland778]

I have T-Mobile Prepaid after 50 GB data sometimes slows down. I have used 80 GB with 8-Days left in the billing cycle. Really a good plan with great service

[@brooksjerald9]

Is the first 50gbs Priority?

[@stere0123]

This video was way more informative than I was expecting, great work!

[@yurguis]

Great video as usual. I currently use Mint which has been great so far, but I need more data than the one Mint can offer, specifically hotspot, and I have considered T-Mobile prepaid. Your video just confirmed how good value prepaid offers.

[@trillboygaming4332]

Id like to see ATT next where you test AT&T Postpaid, AT&T Prepaid, Cricket, and Wing.

[@benw2459]

“I only have 4 iPhone 12s” I have none

[@he_lives_in_apineapple_und9743]

I just purchased the OnePlus Nord N10 and am so far pleased with the 5g speeds. This video was helpful to know. I can't complain about the speeds for what I pay and for coming from a prepaid iphone x on Verizon, I'm happy.

[@paspeedtestingadventures7503]

Excellent video!!!! Very informative!

[@StetsonDoggett]

I appreciate it! Thank you!

[@dereklee2590]

@@StetsonDoggett great video.I remember when I used all the data back them lte but after that it was so slow it wouldn't load anything or watch any videos

[@sidkelly6187]

This is a phenomenal idea and done VERY well! I appreciate the effort you put into this project. Thank you so much!

[@paulfortenberry3201]

Fantastic comparisons, you guys should do this for each of the 3 carriers.. 👌

[@dmite09]

Been waiting for this one 🔥🔥

[@davidlisenby1208]

This man is doing gods work

[@paulfortenberry3201]

Best detailed comparison I've seen thus far..

[@kenweis7913]

I'm just glad that there is a human still left in existence with this much time on there hands

[@KevinHernandez-dm6zg]

I always love watching your videos Stetson. Keep up the good work!!!👍

[@StetsonDoggett]

Thank you, Kevin!

[@Preech.Avangelist777]

This was the best most accurate video I've ever seen in my life I loved every freaking minute of it Thank you so much....blessings

[@FreethinkingSecularist]

Best video on this subject ever! So many answers here. Thanks a whole lot. I already shared this.

[@mitsoulas93]

Mint Mobile is great vfm. Nice vid.

[@gtech66]

Mint Mobile is $30 per month when you prepay for 12 months on a single line. I'm ok with slightly slower speeds to not pay tmobile $70 per month for the same thing.

[@rivkyb7840]

One can do metropcs which runs on T-Mobile

[@MrBrandonbarlow]

I love your content. As a fellow phone and data nerd, I really appreciate your level of detail.

[@JordanLagoFilms]

Great work keep up the amazing cellular content!😋

[@mahammad]

6:57 keep an eye on Mint Mobile, the solid 5G icon turns into transparent 5G icon and Speedtest app shows LTE instead of 5G. I wonder if this is some sort of internal power saving feature by Samsung? When I’m doing something intense like watching KZbin or running a Speedtest on my Note10+ 5G, a solid white 5G icon is displayed but when I do something light such as slowly browse on Twitter/Reddit or if I turn off the screen longer than 30 seconds it displays a transparent 5G icon (meaning 5G is available nearby but due to distance or direction of the mast it’s connected to LTE.) Once again if I go back to a heavy task like watching KZbin or downloading an app the solid 5G icon appears again, it has to be some sort of internal 5G power saving by Samsung that we can’t toggle off, right?

[@StetsonDoggett]

Wow, super keen eye, Mahammad! I can’t believe I missed that. I’m honestly unsure about your question. It could be a power saving option from Samsung, or it could be something else.

[@FATHOLLYWOODB123]

Just curious as to why you left Metro out of some of the testing

[@mmq9886]

This is exactly what I wanted to know. Well done you earned a sub 👍🏻

[@StetsonDoggett]

I’m glad you liked it!

[@travisbg44]

Stetson, please do this for ATT and their MVNOs

[@CarGuy11]

Excellent vid! Please include Boom Mobile when you test Att & Verizon.

[@2blkSSs]

You’re videos just keep getting better! Keep up gods work so that we know what’s going on haha

[@weatheronthe8s895]

Here's a fun thing I've noticed. If you use Cloudflare's free WARP service, it will should give you uncapped streaming speeds the same way a VPN does. It may not be perfect, but it's free and it is plenty fast for HD video. Proper VPNs are probably technically a little bit better, but in my experience this works great if you don't feel like paying money for a VPN.

[@SatyenRai]

How did you measure the QCI? I’d like to see where Google Fi stands in comparison.

[@StetsonDoggett]

Google Fi has a QCI value of 6 and has the same network priority as Magenta / Magenta Plus / T-Mobile Prepaid. You have to use the app NetworkSignalGuru on a rooted Android phone.

[@Cruxis_Angel]

Always impressed with how well prepaid performs to post paid but at significantly cheaper cost.

[@StetsonDoggett]

Me too! T-Mobile Prepaid performed a LOT better than I thought it would. In fact, I think it's a better deal than T-Mobile Essentials!

[@wizerdjuice9589]

Damm am still listening to your earlier video now and boom here’s the next

[@Imhere74]

Hey Stetson, thanks a lot man. Nice video. !

[@SINCITYJ]

T-mobile shouldn't throttle your data though especially when streaming as Verizon also does. Love having Verizon for their coverage but I much more prefer my AT&T service for their no throttle network. Thanks for the video 👍

[@ej_tech]

I was actually deciding between Simply Prepaid (10GB with shared hotspot) and Essentials ("Unlimited" with 512kbps hotspot). Looks like we're going with the ironically faster Prepaid.

[@StetsonDoggett]

Ha! That’s funny to hear. Yeah, I was surprised how well T-Mobile Prepaid performed! I think it’s a great option for a lot of people.

[@eijayd2315]

@@StetsonDoggett idk why I am watching this video im Canadian lol. Wish we had a good network system here. Im still over here using 3G cause thats one of the cheapest here. I hope to make the switch to ATLEAST 4G soon

[@darrylwoodbury]

I live in a small town, so I never get throttled speeds even when I use 100+ GB a month. The towers are never congested.

[@catsdgs]

How do you use so much data?

[@mike.camille]

Very good video as always. Thanks Stetson.

[@kazi1]

Great video Stetson! 👍🏻

[@StetsonDoggett]

Thank you!

[@kartemant61591]

Can we get a 2024 update on these speeds?

[@kevace1985]

We need a video like this to include people still in Sprint, either those with the "Unlimited" plans as well as those that might be still on the kickstart plan...like i am.....it'll be interesting to know all that on the Sprint side

[@Simon_Cow]

Tmobile prepaid is most definitely the way to go, I'm paying just $50 monthly on tmobile prepaid unlimited data, I'm currently at 140gb data used this months with no caps and HD video streaming and where I live I get around 260mb down on speed test app and 300+ mgps during midnight hours. Edit 7/24/22.. Tmobile prepaid does not include HD video streaming not even their $60 dollar plan.

[@goddess_hylia_]

Same here but videos on KZbin are limited to 480p and Netflix streaming at 480p

[@Simon_Cow]

@@goddess_hylia_ Exactly! I actually had ended up switching to AT&T prepaid and I'm paying the same $50 monthly with auto pay enabled with unlimited data and no caps and also unlike any of tmobiles prepaid plans Im now getting HD video streaming with att prepaid.

[@ScottSchramm]

Awesome video, thanks for taking the time to put this together. Do you know if there is any difference between "Magenta" and "Magenta Plus"? Also how do those plans compare to "Magenta Unlimited 55" and "Magenta Plus Unlimited 55"?

[@rabidrabbit7853]

This actually fascinating. Don't know why these carrier don't have more transparency.

[@MTTech]

What app did you use to view QCI info?

[@RRW359]

Do you know if metro still cuts off hotspot completely after it runs out of data? I've been trying to figure out if the flex plan does or not and I haven't found any official statements about it but the few threads I've seen about it say it's throttled to 600kbps.

[@ruzanpithawala9052]

What app or website did you use to confirm the qci values of the network?

[@rickymac54321]

So glad I have an unlimited Simple Choice plan with no video throttling.

[@seanmhughes]

Actually very impressed with this video. Good job.

[@StetsonDoggett]

Thanks, Sean! Glad you liked it :)

[@JakePimental]

Wow! This video is extremely informative. Nice work! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@StetsonDoggett]

Thank you!

[@svnbit8408]

@@StetsonDoggett thoughts on google fi? I noticed really great lte speeds 70mbps+ pre 15gb. Are they generally lower priority like other mvnos? I'm basically paying 15.00 more per month than t-mobile unlimited right now having only t-mobile service on oneplus 7 pro. (Only reason I stay I'd for the free iPad sim) Thanks

[@StetsonDoggett]

@@svnbit8408 Google Fi gets the same priority as Magenta and T-Mobile Prepaid. QCI 6. However, I personally feel Google Fi's plans are overpriced in today's market. You can find better deals from Ting, Mint, US Mobile, and even T-Mobile Prepaid itself. But if Google Fi works for you, it does get priority data and should have fast speeds.

[@swapnilaryan8847]

Thank you for making this video man

[@LTEAndroid]

Absolutely love this channel !

[@JasonJensenA]

Wow, this is a class act video.. very well done

[@amdphreak]

What is the tool you used to measure QCI?

[@zacharywebb7197]

AT&T next? 👀

[@ReitersBlock]

Great analysis - thank you!

[@ronb435]

Very nice good job , thanks for the podcast

[@thomasmwangi8136]

Was considering switching to Mint from T-Mobile prepaid, now I know that isn't ideal especially for a power user who needs reliable hotspot data. Thanks.

[@rpaulmerrell]

I think it would’ve been need to see how US mobile compares to the other mobile virtual network operator is featured in this video I believe the Verizon set has already been covered in a previous video. I am really enjoying all of these mobile phone plan reviews and appreciate getting a lot of the extra information so as to make the best choice.

[@SayAhh]

Any idea about the QCI value of Tmobile's 55+ plans, military plans and the first responder plans?

[@DeRussellMasina]

Great work sir! Outstanding testing for the people! Things that the carriers should do to highlight their advantages against their competitors but you do just fine!

[@DanPlayzYT]

Do you know what plan the T-Mobile 3 month trial runs on?

[@angelomartinez3381]

Hey bro quick question. For the T-Mobile prepaid plan, which were you using. The 50 or 60 dollar plan? thanks

[@eddykrikorian]

I just tested my streaming bandwidth on fast.com on a tmobile one business plan with one plus add-on and got 120Mbps on 5G!

[@rudee1956]

We'd be lost & confused with out U..!! Awesome job ..😎

[@williamhustonrn6160]

I'm curious what's the difference between my military one plan vs the others. I only get 1.5mb on fast.com

[@StetsonDoggett]

My understanding is Military is just the Magenta plan with a discount. I don’t believe there is any difference in priority.

[@vegan753]

@@StetsonDoggett I believe you have to test out one with the first responders plan. I was reading that they have the best priority. Ofcourse due to their type of job. You would want them to have the best priority available

[@amineBoucherit]

What is the app that shows the Qci? Checked network signal guru but it requires root

[@cristianledesma7482]

I have prepaid and it works pretty Good 👍

[@BestHumanEver1]

I wish this was done on the same kind of phone for all cellphone plan providers.

[@sategllib2191]

Yeah that definitely plays a part

[@E99584]

Anyway to improve mint service in areas? By house speeds are amazing. Near my work speeds are pretty bad. Map says I should have pretty good coverage

[@seouljah760]

I bought the Mint 3+3 free 90$ Unlimited Plan SIMs to test out TMO since they are marketing hard in SW Ohio. I am getting faster speeds than Verizon 4g & 5g that I subscribe for. Depending on where I'm at, 150-200Mbps is normal on 4g with Mint, and 250-350Mbps on 5g. I was actually floored on the 5g speeds. As soon as my pixel 5 hits the 60-day unlock on Verizon, I'm jumping ship for Mint entirely.

[@gnhun101]

I'm thinking about switching to Mint. I'm in the Pittsburgh area, so I think I may expect similar performance. Thank you for the heads up.

[@train21]

Wow this literally makes T-Mobile Essentials such a bad plan compared to their prepaid option as prepaid has more priority.

[@StetsonDoggett]

I completely agree. Either get Metro, which actually ends up offering more features at a better price, or upgrade to T-Mobile Prepaid or Magenta for priority network access.

[@train21]

@@StetsonDoggett yep I use TMobile prepaid.

[@knightbrian92]

@@StetsonDoggett I told people they were prioritising prepaid over their postpaid but I was told I didn't know sh*t lol.

[@harishgovindan]

Thanks for the reviews. Quite informative and hands-on! Question 1: when you test the speeds and determine how the date rate gets distributed when running the phones simultaneously, how do you know that the distribution is restricted to the phones under test? There are other users in your area using tmobile services and they may take up some BWs too right? How do you know if it's not shared with them? Ofcourse, they are different lines/families but they are using the same network provider. How did you eliminate this assumption? (If you didn't, can you explain how your results are accurate.) Question 2: I was under the assumption that, hotspots are data that we use as wifi. From the view of the network provider, they are just giving me data (it doesn't make a difference to them, if it's a hotspot data or phone data. It's just data). The user can choose to use it as a hotspot if the device supports it. a. In this case, why is there a limit on the hotspot? b. Is hotspot technically a separate subscription with the network provider aside from data? I know this exists. But I am wondering why. Any idea? (Analogy: This is like water supply. I can use water to cook or bathe. Would Utilities dept charge me differently for cooking water and bathing water? Or place limits on how much I can use for cooking or bathing individually? No. So this is what I am trying to understand regarding phone data and hotspot data)

[@dmite09]

Any idea what the QCI is on the T-Mobile Prepaid 100gb hotspot plan?

[@eDOTrekt]

Hell. All of these are better than my Simple Mobile speeds rn.

[@christopherbeddoe406]

Good thing I don't live in an area where this matters. I'm going to give mint a try next month. Will save me huge if I transfer the whole family over.

[@sg3-h7u]

Awesome and informative video!

[@newagetomboy]

This was very informative thank You 🙏🏾

[@waynehorne2734]

Great info! Thanks for sharing!

[@figgsboson]

Would you happen to know if a grandfathered ONE plus plan is de-prioritized? Its technically the same as Magenta Plus (sans 3g hotspot), but I have less than 1mb/s speeds in a high coverage area where I live

[@StetsonDoggett]

I believe T-Mobile ONE is deprioritized after 50GB of usage.

[@cesarsalgadosalgado2199]

Who has mint mobile here in Chicago is it great or does it have great coverage or service

[@thereeltbell3289]

Hey Stetson, what time of day were these test ran?

[@sheashay17]

You should do an update including Sprint phones now on T-Mobile via the “T-Mobile Experience”. Very curious about what QCI they have!

[@sheashay17]

I’ve heard negative things from those that have done it (Sprint has always been better than T-Mobile in my area so I haven’t switched personally yet) and I’m wondering if it’s deprioritization or just the few unhappy drowning out the satisfied individuals.

[@johnwilliamsoniii3936]

Do you think that T-Mobile Connect would have the same QCI value as T-Mobile prepaid or the MVNO?

[@StetsonDoggett]

T-Mobile Connect has priority data and a QCI of 6.

[@johnwilliamsoniii3936]

@@StetsonDoggett Thanks! Now I can switch and rest easy.

[@AmericanPatriot7581]

What about older plans like TMobile ONE?

[@StetsonDoggett]

I believe those plans have the same high-priority as T-Mobile Magenta.

[@CASHYMUSIC]

Game changing Gems 💯💪

[@warrenandyiching]

Thank you for doing this. I have been a Mint Mobile user for three years now and have been happy because it works and it's cheap. After watching this, I might switch once our 12 month plan is up.

[@petehelme7714]

Would have been interesting to see Google-Fi in here too. I'd assume they be with the other T-Mo MVNO's, but who knows.

[@staceybyerly]

EXCELLENT video Please do all Carriers🤩

[@debopoporhypersaiyanidc6718]

T-Mobile really said Metro is not worth anything. Forget the 35 GB prepaid priority data, you’ll be lucky to pull 10 mbps