Best Metro by T-Mobile phones to buy in 2023

If you're considering a phone from Metro by T-Mobile, it's probably because you want to rein on your mobile-related expenses. And the carrier's plans will certainly help with that. But saving money doesn't mean you have to settle for a bad phone. Metro's lineup of devices covers everything from feature phones to Apple's $1,000+ flagships, though you wouldn't find the very best Android phones. 

Galaxy S24+ with T-Mobile and trade-in: save $600

Get the Galaxy S24+ with a subscription to T-Mobile via Samsung.com, and you can save up to $1,000 with a trade-in from participating carriers (this includes T-Mobile.) Alternatively, choose Samsung's trade-in option to save up to $600 on the S24+.

$600 off (60%) Trade-in

$399 ⁹⁹

$999 ⁹⁹

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy S23 is up to $535 off with T-Mobile and a trade-in

Alternatively, you can trade in a suitable phone and sign up to T-Mobile through Samsung.com to save up to $535 on the Galaxy S23. Extra savings are available via Samsung's Offer Programs.

$535 off (76%) Trade-in

$164 ⁹⁹

$699 ⁹⁹

Buy at Samsung

Save up to $1,050 on Z Flip 5 with T-Mobile at Samsung

Currently, you can get the Z Flip 5 with a subscription to T-Mobile through the official Samsung store at up to $1,050 off, including a $50 instant Samsung Credit with your selected carrier. As you might have guessed, the deal requires a trade-in.

$600 off (60%) Trade-in

$399 ⁹⁹

$999 ⁹⁹

Buy at Samsung

• Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max — The best iPhone of 2022.
• Apple iPhone 14 Pro — Best compact phone of 2022.
• Apple iPhone 13 - Best value iPhone right now.
• Samsung Galaxy A54 5G — Excellent value, upper mid-range specs.
• Moto G Play (2023) — Good specs, very affordable pricing.
• Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) — Exceptional value, built-in stylus.
  
  

Which Metro by T-Mobile phone to get? You have to consider a list of things. For example, your ecosystem preferences, your need for certain hardware features, and finally, but likely most importantly, your budget. No matter if you prefer iOS or Android, Metro by T-Mobile has all kinds of devices in store. It also sells both flagships and affordable phones. Let's check out some of the absolute best phones you can get on the carrier. 

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is Apple's undoubtedly best new iPhone, with a Dynamic Island punch-hole, a higher-resolution 48MP camera, a large 6.7-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with a refresh rate of 1-120Hz, and Always-On display feature. The phone includes Apple's latest A16 Bionic CPU, 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM, with storage options ranging between 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and the top-tier 1TB model.

Another major selling point for the iPhone 14 Pro Max might be its camera, which features the all-new 48MP sensor. It has a 1/1.3-inch sensor and employs quad-binning to offer far higher detail and low-light image quality than Apple's previous 12MP cameras. The camera is driven by Apple's Photonic Engine image processing technology. It delivers super-detailed images with exceptional clarity, fantastic dynamics, and stunning colors that really pop, especially in 48MP camera mode.

Some other exciting features of the iPhone 14 Pro Max include emergency satellite connectivity, improved front-facing camera, and an Apple A16 Bionic chipset that will truly remain a top-performer for years to come. Battery life, while not at the levels of the preceding iPhone 13 Pro Max, is still excellent. In our iPhone 14 Pro Max review, we put it "in a very good position to battle it out with any Android counterpart."

In our iPhone 14 Pro review, we called the phone a perfect illustration of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mantra, which makes sense considering that it's a the embodiment of a well-matured product. This excellent new iPhone is a more compact version of the top iPhone 14 Pro Max model, which comes with a larger battery and display, but is also much heavier and unwieldy. 

The 6.1-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with 1-120Hz ProMotion refresh rate has scored an Always-On functionality, a previous exclusive mainstay of Android devices. Another new feature is the Dynamic Island notch, which is widely utilized within the interface. There's also a 2,000-nit peak brightness, but in real-life scenarios, expect a bit less in terms of maximum brightness. 

The new 48MP camera is a landmark for Apple and will undoubtedly be used in multiple upcoming iPhone generations to come. It comes with an improved low-light capability and great image quality, as well as much improved FaceTime front camera. Due to the fact that Apple didn't increase prices over year, expect to pay at least $1000 for an entry-level 128GB model. 

Best value iPhone right now

The iPhone 13, albeit two years old, still offers more than excellent value. The affordable 6.1-inch iPhone comes along with a dual camera setup, consisting of two 12MP cameras. It also has the superb Apple A15 chip that can be also found in the iPhone 14 series and up to this day delivers more than decent performance and battery life. With a solid 3,227mAh battery and fast 18W charging but no charger in the box, the iPhone 13 lasts relatively long. 

Why should you get the iPhone 13? Although it's about to enter the middle of its life cycle, the phone is still an excellent value and doesn't lag behind the newer iPhone 14, but can be yours for much less, making it an excellent buy. 

An argumen can be made that the Galaxy A54 is the Galaxy S23 killer at an unbeatable price. Yes, the Galaxy A54 is an excellent mid-range Samsung phone. While it doesn't exactly carry proper flagship specs, it has unbeatable value. 

What's the hardware? First, we have a sensibly large but still easy to handle 6.42" AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. Then, Samsung has added a triple camera setup, helmed by a 50MP wide-angle unit that is very capable of taking great photos. Oh, and lest we forget the 32MP selfie camera, which will give you very detailed selfies. Add the fast 25W wired charging that matches the Galaxy S23 in prowess, and the $469 price of the phone starts looking like a great deal.

On Metro, the phone is discounted often. If you opt for a new line, Metro will surely have an incentivizing promotion live. At the moment of writing, opening a new line gets you an instant $180 rebate, so the Galaxy A54 5G could be yours for just $289.99. If you bring over your existing number, you can even get it for $229.99.

The Moto G Play (2023) is an extremely affordable phone. At the time of writing, it's available for free on Metro by T-Mobile, regardless whether you opt for a new number or bring your own from another carrier. That's essentially an excellent deal, but is the phone worth it?

While the phone is no flagship by any means, it's got some pretty decent hardware. For example, it comes with a triple camera system, with a 16MP wide camera and a 5MP selfie shooter. The Moto G Play (2023) is powered by the MediaTek Helio G73 chipset; although the phone has just 32GB of internal storage, you can pop in a microSD card of up to 512GB inside to house all of your photos and media. 

With a 5,000mAh battery and an efficient 90Hz 720p display that spans 6.5 inches across, Motorola promises up to three days of battery life on this device, which is superb!

The Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) is an excellent value phone, with a large, 6.8-inch 120Hz display, battery that just lasts, and lasts, and lasts, a triple camera setup, and a rather comfortable stylus that brings a ton of utility to the mix. 

The phone comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, a 6nm endeavor consisting of two Kryo 660 Gold P-cores (ARM Cortex-A78 based) running at 2.2GHz, and six 1.7GHz Kryo 660 Silver E-cores, some 8GB of RAM, and 256Gb of storage, expandable with the help of a microSD card slot. 

At the rear, there's a 50MP main camera, along with an 8MP ultra-wide camera, as well as a 2MP depth sensor used in portrait shots. At the front, a 16MP camera takes care of selfies. 

However, in our Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) review, we admitted that while great, it's priced dangerously close to some dangerous rivals, like the Pixel 6a, iPhone SE (2022), and Galaxy A53 5G. 

Metro has a great phone upgrade program, with phones ranging from entry-level models to proper flagships. In order to get a Metro by T-Mobile free phone upgrade, you need to be an existing Metro customer, visit their website and create an account, opt for an eligible plan, and finally, either purchase a new device or bring your own unlocked phone. The program is not totally free, as you might be charged a fee. Here's what Metro says in its terms of service: "Customers can benefit from our great device promotions, including instant and mail-in rebates, if it's been more than 180 days from their new device purchase. Customers who are within the first 180 days of a new device purchase can still buy a new phone on the same line of service, but at the full retail price."

Currently, you can only get a free phone from Metro by T-Mobile by switching to the carrier and picking one the phones included with the promotion. By purchasing an eligible device you receive an instant rebate off the full retail price of the device, with a one-time activation fee possibly required. Here's what phones are currently part of this offer.: