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This brief is a head-to-head comparison between MetroPCS and Cricket.
When shopping for the right cellular service provider, there are several things that you should take into account. These include coverage area, the cost of the plan, available perks, and the number of retail stores depending on your location.
You should have an overview of the type of devices that each provider has and allow you to use via their platform and if there are any discounts when you sign up for multiple lines instead of a single line.
Table of Contents
MetroPCS vs. Cricket: Overview
What is Metro PCS?
Metro PCS is an American prepaid wireless service provider owned by T-mobile. It was established in 1994 as General Wireless Inc., but its services started in 2002.
In 2012 there was an agreement between Metro PCS and T-Mobile USA thus renaming it to Metro by T-Mobile. The merger resulted in an additional 9 million subscribers added to T-Mobile that had already had about a 32million subscribers. Metro by T-Mobile provides high speeds wireless services and comes with unlimited data plans.
Pros and cons of Metro PCS
Pros
- It offers superfast 5G coverage in the US with satisfactory service to most of its users.
- The plans are cheap and affordable. For instance, they offer cheap plans as low as $40 per month with no annual contract.
- They have a variety of promotions that run all year round.
- The services are great especially with high coverage areas across the USA.
- Fast internet in the cities
- Affordable prices
Cons
- Consistent poor customer service. Clients have to call severally before their issues are resolved.
- They have poor quality phones and they lack security. Issues include overheating and defective gadgets.
- Internet is only accessible through Wi-Fi. Thus you cannot access the internet unless you are connected to Wi-Fi.
Cricket Wireless
Cricket wireless is one of the Biggest Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in the country with stores almost everywhere in the cities.
The company is also praised for its healthy marketing budget and chances to save money all year round. The company is currently owned by AT&T and sells phone services on AT&Tโs network.
However, I have to state that Cricket is not the cheapest MVNOโs in the market today, but it has a reliable network and a bunch of benefits that you should know.
Cricket Wireless Pros and Cons
Pros
- It uses AT&T coverage
- Has some affordable plans
- Low prices compared to some of the competitors
- International calling and texting
- 5G is available
- Large selection of phones
Cons
- Interest rate financing
- Speed limits on most plans
- Poor customer care
MetroPCS vs. Cricket: Coverage
Since its inception, MetroPCS was available in very few parts of the United States. However, with time there has been an increase in coverage. This was after its merger with T-Mobile and changed the name to Metro by T-Mobile in 2018.
Thus it runs on T-Mobileโs network and depends on its towers to enhance coverage. Their customers can access their national wide 5G coverage.
Cricket on the other hand uses the AT&T network to provide services to the market. What this means is that it has the same coverage as AT&T.
Given that AT&T and T-Mobile are giants in terms of coverage, thereโs little difference between the two carriers in terms of coverage. However, Cricket proves to have better coverage.
Plans and pricing
MetroPCS provides several plans and has add-on services that do not have annual contracts. They have four plans that include two with data caps and two that have unlimited data plans.
The unlimited plans start at $50 per month for a single line. The prices per line however drop after additional use to your plan.
They have other special offers that you get once you switch from another carrier. When using Amazon prime, it is more expensive and starts at $60 for a single line per month.
You can access add-on services to your plan that include additional data international service as well as robocall blocking.
Payment can be made online or in-store. For instance, if you make your payment in-store, a small service fee is applied regardless of the payment method.
Cricket has four plans that you can choose from. You can actually get Cricketโs plans for a single line or choose to save money with the Family plans that can take up to five lines. The 2GB plan costs $30 every month for a single line and $150 per month for five lines.
In terms of plans and prices, Cricket wireless beats MetroPCS. This is mainly because they have affordable plans and chances to save further with Family Plans.
Phone options
Metro by T-Mobile gives you two options. You can bring your own phone or purchase a compatible GSM device from the carrier. However, your phone should be compatible and you can check it using the phoneโs IMEI number.
You have to visit their shop physically to buy a phone. Most of the gadgets you see online are some of the samples that Metro by T-Mobile offers.
Just like MetroPCS, Cricket provides some of the best Phone deals that you can purchase from the website. In this regard, itโs a tie between the two companies.
Data Speed
Every web browsing is effective with high data speed. MetroPCS has been tested a couple of times. The average download speed was 18.8Mbps with an average upload speed of 1113Mbops.
This is a decent speed especially when you are streaming videos from streaming services such as Netflix or YouTube. Cricket Wireless on the other hand has relatively lower data speeds. MetroPCS has the best data speed.
Call and text Performance
Metro runs on the T-Mobile network. Thus you have to make sure you have a strong T-Mobile network connection before switching.
It may be very ineffective if you travel to an area that has no coverage. This may lead to you not accessing any texts or calls until you get connected. Otherwise while in an area with the proper network you can access text and calls fully without any challenge.
Since Cricket gets its network from AT&T, there are few chances that the network quality will be compromised. AT&T is one of the best Internet Providers in the American Market.
However, there are chances of deprioritization and data limitation especially when you bypass your monthly limit. This is not news because both AT&T and T-Mobile prioritize their customers during high seasons.
MetroPCs vs. Cricket: Features
There are optional features that you will come across when you acquire Metro by T-Mobile (Metro PCS). MetroPCS has plans that include international calls to dozens of countries which include Canada and Mexico with various data packages.
They have an option to receive Caller Tunes that allow setting up songs for your friend and family. They can listen to a song when they make a call to you as they wait for you to answer.
It has a security feature that includes Name ID, Scam ID, and Scam Block. The Name ID blocks call from anonymous callers, unknown numbers. Scam block informs you when you are receiving a scam call.
MetroPCS vs. Cricket: Main competitors
If these two companies still donโt meet the threshold of all the qualities you want from an MVNO, then there are several other alternative providers that you can go for.
As a matter of fact, Cricket and MetroPCS are not the only wireless providers in the country.
Republic Wireless
Republic Wireless is the overall winner when it comes to cell phone plans. It is a prepaid cell phone company that is currently using Sprint and T-Mobileโs Network.
It has some of the cheapest prices and unlimited data plans around. It is one of the best carriers for people that want cheap and unlimited talk and text plans.
I know you might be wondering what is unique about Republic wireless and what makes it a winner in this category. The first thing is that Republic wireless has a technology they refer to as Adaptive Coverage. This technology automatically blends the calls and texts over the available Wi-Fi and cellular data networks.
FreedomPop
Freedom Pop is another reliable wireless provider that runs on the Sprint network. It offers a free cell phone plan. Now, whatโs the catch with the free plan?
As you all know, you will get 200 Minutes of Talk, 500 Text Messages, and 200Mbs per month. Their 1GB and 2GB high-speed plans are the cheapest in the market lately.
However, it has some common issues such as spotty coverage and slower speeds. There are also no unlimited plans and no international calling.
Tello
Tello is one of the less popular MVNOs in the country. This wireless provider uses Sprint Network and has some amazing deals.
Its main selling point is the Build Own Plan feature. This feature ensures that you can choose your own monthly choice of texts, data, and calls.
The company also offers predefined plans which get expensive as you get higher data allowances. This company can be a good choice for people that frequently call other countries such as Canada and Mexico.
Ting
Ting uses T-Mobile and Sprint Network. The fact that it uses a network from two companies means that they usually have the best connectivity plan in the country.
You can trust that Ting will have the best connection in the country regardless of where you are. Ting might not match the price of some of the competitors but they offer a credit to cancel your current contract. The company gives you a credit of $75 which helps cancel your current contract.
Which is better MetroPCS or Cricket?
Cricket is praised for its coverage mainly because itโs owned by one of the biggest carriers in the country. Cricket is owned by AT&T while MetroPCS is owned and operated by T-Mobile.
This means that the coverage for the two carriers is okay. However, AT&T has better coverage when compared to T-Mobile. But the T-Mobile coverage has improved over the years.
FAQs
Is MetroPCS the same as Cricket?
No, these two companies get their network from different carriers. Cricket gets coverage from AT&T while MetroPCS gets the network from T-Mobile. This is what brings the slight difference in coverage and reliability.
How good is Cricket wireless coverage?
Cricket gets a network from one of the biggest carriers in the country. However, data speed and the coverage will never be its walk of fame.
The overall service coverage is surprisingly good. Since it uses AT&T, itโs clear that it offers the same coverage as AT&T.
AT&T covers 68% of the countryโs 4G coverage which means that itโs one of the best in terms of coverage and reliability.
Can you switch from Metro to Cricket?
Cricket, T-Mobile, and MetroPCS customers can switch easily from one to the other. However, there are some costs that you are very likely to incur along the way.
Final verdict
Comparing these two companies, it might be very hard to determine which of the two has the best services for your needs.
What this means is that you should consider your personal preferences, your budget, location, and few other factors before you choose.
However, MetroPCS seems like a great choice when it comes to data speeds and coverage. But expect slower speeds at peak times due to deprioritization.
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