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Sprint is gone, now what? We take a look at your options
Previously this page told you everything you needed to know about Sprint’s plans. Now the Sprint and T-Mobile merger has been done and dusted for over a year. What does this mean for Sprint? The brand is now officially retired. Sprint customers are automatically being rolled into T-Mobile, and there’s no way to sign up for Sprint service anymore.
Read more: The best cell phone plans for all users
If you were considering a now-retired Sprint plan, your best option is to sign up for T-Mobile. The new T-Mobile will have the same coverage as the old Sprint, in addition to all of T-Mobile’s existing coverage map.
Best T-Mobile plans
Decided to move on to T-Mobile? Here are some of the best post-paid plans from the carrier:
| Essentials | Magenta | Magenta Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost | Essentials Prices per line: $60 for one line $45 for two lines $35 for three lines $30 for four lines $27 for five lines | Magenta Prices per line: $70 for one line $60 for two lines $40 for three lines $35 for four lines $32 for five lines | Magenta Max Prices per line: $85 for one line $70 for two lines $47 for three lines $43 for four lines $40 for five lines |
Unlimited Talk & Text | Essentials Yes | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes |
Unlimited 4G Data | Essentials Yes, but might slow down during congestion after 50GB per month | Magenta Yes, but might slow down during congestion after 100GB per month | Magenta Max Yes, with no speed slowdowns based on usage |
5G data included | Essentials Yes | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes |
Mobile Hotspot | Essentials Unlimited 3G | Magenta 5GB of 4G LTE, then unlimited 3G | Magenta Max 40GB of 4G, then unlimited 3G |
Netflix perk? | Essentials No | Magenta Netflix Basic, one SD screen for two or more accounts | Magenta Max Netflix Basic, one SD screen for one accounts. Netflix Standard, two HD screens for two or more acccounts |
Unlimited video streaming | Essentials SD streaming | Magenta SD streaming | Magenta Max Up to 4K UHD streaming |
55 Plus Plan | Essentials Yes | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes |
Military Plan | Essentials No | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes |
First Responder Plan | Essentials No | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes |
We recommend the T-Mobile Magenta Max plan for most users. The plan gets you unlimited talk, text, and data. There’s no slowdown due to network congestion at any time. You even get 40GB of 4G LTE hotspot data and unlimited 3G as well as international texting and 2G data — not to mention great perks like Netflix. You can learn more about T-Mobile’s plans here.
Who owns T-Mobile now, and how does the merger affect Sprint customers?
Deutsche Telekom is the majority owner of the new T-Mobile, with a controlling interest of around 43%. Sprint’s former owner, Softbank, owns approximately 24%. The rest of the company’s shares are controlled by outside shareholders.
As for what the merger means for Sprint customers, they are being transferred to T-Mobile, and CDMA phone support will be completely phased out over time.
Not interested in switching to T-Mobile?
There are still plenty of options if you were considering one of Sprint’s plans previously or are a former Sprint customer that doesn’t wish to stick with T-Mobile. First, there’s the prepaid carrier Boost, which once was owned by Sprint. It offers a similar service to what Sprint would have given you.
If you are looking for a post-paid carrier, your other choices are US Cellular, AT&T, or Verizon.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your options. Here are a few other guides that will help you with your journey to find the right carrier in the wake of the Sprint merger: