Which is the best carrier in the US?

Which is the best carrier?
Which is the best carrier? We find out.

Carriers are often believed to be the villains that stand between you and your phone's true powers. These evil carriers nickel and dime you until you're paying extravagant rates for a service that barely works in your area. But is it possible you're just on the wrong one?

There's just no denying that all carriers were definitely not created equal. Depending on what you're looking for in a service, you could be seriously swayed to a new carrier.

But remember, the United States is a big place, so it's important to check out your carrier's coverage maps and any location-specific intel that might help you make the right choice. What works in Hawaii may not work in New York.

Carrier

Carrier criteria

Thankfully, certain mileage is invariable - things like a service's price, their selection, and their general call quality and coverage. These things can make or break a service provider, and to no surprise, are not mastered by any one carrier.

Increasingly, it's Verizon vs AT&T in the ring for the heavyweight championship. They have the best phones and the best service, but it comes at a price (and that price is an actual monetary one).

Meanwhile in the lightweight ring, T-Mobile and Sprint have some compelling offers, a handful of good-to-great phones, but neither have LTE or the best coverage.

If it all sounds a bit confusing, that's because it is. But rest assured, we'll answer the hard questions and make sure you have choose the best carrier in the US for the best phone in the US.

Online Editor

Nic is a former Online Editor at TechRadar in San Francisco. He started as a games journalist before becoming an editor at Mac|Life magazine. He holds a degree in English Literature and English Writing from Whitworth University.