Readers' Choice 2023: The Best Mobile Phone and Service Providers in North America

pcmag.com:

With 5G networks, you can enjoy broadband-style internet download speeds when you're on the go, streaming your favorite shows, participating in video conferencing, and more. All the major carriers in the US and Canada have upgraded their networks to 5G, but not all mobile networks are built alike, nor do all mobile service providers—whether major carriers or smaller companies—provide the same pricing or level of customer service.

If you haven't bought a new phone in a few years, you're likely stuck on an older, slower network. Now is a good time to upgrade and take advantage of this new generation of mobile connectivity.

In this month's PCMag Readers' Choice Award survey, we asked our audience to rate mobile providers (carriers) as well as phone manufacturers, to get their take on that endless debate: Android versus Apple iOS. Read on to see what they recommend. Our survey includes multiple satisfaction categories. There are 12 in the chart below; you can use the arrows in the chart to page through the results.

The Google Fi service (which uses T-Mobile and UScellular's networks) is a clear favorite among our survey respondents. Just make sure you have an Android phone. iPhone users are welcome, but they won't get 5G connectivity (at least for now; that might change with the release of iOS 16.4)(Opens in a new window). Android users, particularly Google Pixel owners, should be pleased.

If you want 5G speeds and use an iPhone, your best option is Consumer Cellular. The service, which uses AT&T or T-Mobile network access, wins our Readers' Choice Award for the ninth time in 10 years.

For those who are more comfortable sticking with one of the major carriers—which own and operate their own towers—the clear winner is T-Mobi