If you are attempting to figure out which phone company to go within your area, then there’s quite a bit you should consider. You should look into the price, coverage area, customer satisfaction, and incentive plans. To help you make that decision, today we’ll be talking about two popular service providers: MetroPCS and Verizon. In the end, hopefully, you will be able to choose the one that’s best for you.
We’ll briefly summarize the high and low points of each company and their service plans before we get into a more detailed breakdown.
MetroPCS
- Has a limited coverage area as compared to Verizon
- They offer cheaper plans in some instances
- Their incentives, like Amazon Prime and Google One storage, are enough to entice some consumers
- You get 480p for streaming data regardless of which plan you get with them
- Their unlimited data plans consistently get rave reviews from consumers
Verizon
- Many regard their prepaid plans as the best for individuals
- As the second-largest communications network in the US, they have better coverage
- They serve rural areas particularly well
- They are leading the way with the implementation of their 5G network
- Their plans are often a little pricier than those of their competitors
- Their customer service is regarded as some of the best in the communications market
The History of MetroPCS
MetroPCS recently took on the name Metro by T-Mobile. It is a prepaid brand that is owned by T-Mobile US. It was founded in 1994 as General Wireless Inc, by Malcolm Lorang and Roger D. Linquist. In February of 2005, they had about 1.5 million subscribers, operating in markets like San Francisco, Sarasota, Sacramento, and Atlanta.
In 2013, they took part in a reverse merger with T-Mobile. The combined company would come to be known as simply T-Mobile US. They started being traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2015, the MetroPCS CDMA network was dismantled. Customers were brought over to the company’s LTE network.
In September of 2018, a major rebranding effort took place. The company, now called Metro by T-Mobile, introduced unlimited plans with bundled features to entice new customers. Some of those features are Google One storage and Amazon Prime subscriptions. As of 2018, the company had increased its reach to approximately 100 nationwide markets.
The History of Verizon
As for Verizon, it was founded as the Bell Atlantic Corporation back in 1983. Verizon Wireless is a subsidiary of the Verizon parent company. After AT&T, it is the second-largest wireless communications provider operating in America. The last subscriber count was 118.7 million people, and there’s reason to believe that number will increase in the coming year.
Headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, it operates a national 4G LTE network. This network covers about 98% of the US population. It offers mobile phone services through many different devices, which is part of this provider’s general appeal. It’s LTE in Rural America program was explicitly designed to bring service to underserved parts of the country.
In 2015, Verizon announced that they would be implementing a 5G network that would bring faster and more reliable service to the country at large. This fifth-generation network is currently being implemented, and that’s a significant selling point as Verizon courts new customers heading into 2020.
Comparing Coverage Between Verizon and MetroPCS
One of the most vital factors when you look at what service plan to get is how the companies compare when it comes to coverage. That is going to be true depending on what part of the country in which you live. Some companies are catered toward more populated areas specifically, while others have put an emphasis on serving rural sections of the US.
We already mentioned that Verizon has a program called Rural America that caters to underserved, less populated parts of the US. If that sounds like you, then you are probably going to do better with them than with MetroPCS. With the second largest network in America, it’s hard to beat Verizon, and MetroPCS can’t measure up.
Pricing for MetroPCS and Verizon
Pricing for different phone plans is also going to come into play as you choose between these two. Verizon probably provides the best overall prepaid plan when you look at what’s out there. They have one where you get 16GB of data for $45 a month. It’s nice to go the prepaid route because you know exactly what your bill is going to be every time.
16GB of data is a lot when you consider that some other plans only offer 8. This seems to make Verizon the frontrunner in this area as well, though MetroPCS isn’t far behind in this regard. They have a 10GB plan for $40 a month, and maybe that lower price is going to convince some shoppers to go with them instead. $5 a month is not a huge difference, but if you’re on a budget, every little bit matters. That $40 a month includes all applicable fees and taxes.
Deals from Both Providers
If you want an unlimited plan and you’re willing to pay more for it, you can look into a couple from MetroPCS that offer substantial perks. You get Google One as part of their $50 a month plan, and that means 100GB of cloud storage. If you like to store photos, videos, and music on your phone, this might win you over.
MetroPCS also has a $60 unlimited plan where you get 15GB of LTE hotspot data. Although video streaming is limited to 480p, you will get that Google One storage and also a membership to Amazon Prime, which comes with its collection of shows and movies, including original content. In some cases, if you switch over to them from another provider, then you can also get either a free phone or an extremely discounted one.
Verizon has an unlimited plan for $70 that comes with 3G hotspot data. You get streaming video at 480p, like with MetroPCS, but you can lower your monthly payment to $65 a month if you sign up with the autopay feature, which some individuals find convenient. You can also get a year of Disney+ with some of their plans if you sign up now.
Limitations for MetroPCS and Verizon
We already mentioned that both of these services only allow you to stream video at 480p. What this means is that if you’re going to use your phone to watch movies, TV, or play video games, then the images are not going to be as crystal-clear as you might expect from a 1080p television, for example. However, this issue seems to be a wash, as you run into this problem with both services.
Compatible Phones
You shouldn’t be worried about which devices you’d care to use for either of these services. MetroPCS and Verizon both allow you to use iPhones and Androids, as well as several lesser-known phones.
If you want to find out about a specific phone that you have, then you can head to either of their websites. In all probability, though, if you have a recent iteration of a smartphone by one of the better-known companies, then you shouldn’t run into any problems.
Customer Service
Both MetroPCS and Verizon seem to have excellent customer service, but it’s Verizon that may have the edge there. It’s somewhat unusual to have a company of their size that’s willing to provide the personal touch. Many customers that frequent online message boards, though, feel that the path to satisfaction with Verizon when they are experiencing a billing or a service issue is more straightforward than with other phone companies. They can get in contact with customer service reps with a simple phone call, Live Chat on the website, or go into a Verizon store around the country and find a friendly reception.
Although MetroPCS can help you out in all of these ways as well, because they don’t serve as much of the country, there are going to be areas where you won’t be able to find one of their brick-and-mortar locations. That could be problematic if you feel like you need to speak to someone face-to-face about a billing issue or some other concern.
In Summation: Which One of These Services is for You?
It doesn’t seem as though either Verizon or MetroPCS is a bad option for you, regardless of whether you want to go with a cheaper prepaid plan or a pricier unlimited data one. With Verizon, you’re going to get a bigger network that covers more of the country. You’ll get the 5G coverage that is currently in the process of being implemented, which will probably lead to faster and clearer service as we enter 2020. You get excellent customer service and competitive prices as well.
With MetroPCS, not as much of the country is covered, but you might be able to save a little money, depending on what type of plan makes sense to you. The incentives like Amazon Prime and Google One storage with the unlimited data premium plans might be what convinces you to go with them over their competitors.
Think carefully about which of these companies make more sense for you. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, it’s probably going to be a single factor, like price, coverage area, or perks that most influences your decision.
