If you're with Verizon, you're on the most awarded network
In the latest report, Verizon keeps its streak alive, earning the title of America's Most Awarded Brand for Network Quality for the 35th time in a row in J.D. Power's 2025 US Wireless Network Quality Study – Volume 2. That is not just a trophy wall – it is practically a museum exhibit at this point and Verizon i s definitely not being subtle about it.
– Joe Russo, EVP & President, Global Network and Technology, Verizon , July 23, 2025 Verizon also boasts that it crushed the RootMetrics 1H 2025 study, earning top honors for Best 5G Network, Fastest 5G and Most Reliable 5G. Not only that – it won the Overall RootScore Award for best performance in 110 out of 125 cities tested, way ahead of both T-Mobile and AT&T.
But that doesn't mean AT&T and T-Mobile are slacking. AT&T actually took home the national Overall RootScore Award for 1H 2025. The carrier also cleaned up at the state level, winning or sharing top honors in 35 states, just edging out Verizon 's 32 and blowing past T-Mobile 's 2. AT&T also claimed the Reliability RootScore Award in 34 states, one more than Verizon and 33 more than T-Mobile . In total, AT&T walked away with 288 State RootScore Awards and upped its metro performance, too.
T-Mobile , meanwhile, kept its title as the speed king in cities. It remains the only carrier to hit median download speeds of 100 Mbps or more in all 125 tested markets. Even more impressive: it topped 200 Mbps in 123 of them and hit 500 Mbps in 23 cities. It also earned the top award for Highest 5G Availability – so if raw speed and reach are your priorities, this is it.
So yeah – this isn't a one-horse race. Each of the big three US carriers has its strengths and all of them are pushing each other to improve. In fact, J.D. Power's own study shows the race is now closer than ever when it comes to overall network quality and coverage.
Still, studies and awards are great, but the 'best' carrier really comes down to what works for you. Whether you are after lightning-fast 5G speeds, strong coverage in rural areas or just the right mix of perks and pricing, it is all about finding the plan that fits your lifestyle.
Do you care more about ultra-fast 5G in the city? Then T-Mobile is probably your pick. Need rock-solid coverage across the country? Verizon is tough to beat. Or maybe AT&T 's balance of reliability and performance in your area hits the sweet spot.And whatever you are looking for, feel free to also check out our carrier guides and comparisons to help you figure out which network fits you best:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GSM Arena
an hour ago
- GSM Arena
Deals: Samsung Galaxy Z foldables now available, S25 Ultra and S25 Edge discounted
The wait is over, Samsung's next generation of foldables is now available. That means the end of the pre-order perks, but you can still get some extras. Right now, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 are available with $200 Amazon Gift Cards (no more free storage upgrade, though). We have a detailed review if you want to do a deep dive before committing. If you decide to get one, you may want to also grab a case to protect your shiny new foldable. The Z Fold7 case no longer holds an S Pen (remember: support was removed), but it does have a grip. It's available in transparent and gray. The Z Flip7 cases offer a stylish leather option (Kindsuit) or a more playful look (Flip Suit). Of course, this year Samsung offers the more affordable Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 FE, which starts at $200 less than the premium Z Flip7, though this is with less memory. Also note that the Amazon Gift Card is only $100, which closes the gap between the two models even further. It has exactly zero discount at the moment, but the Motorola Razr 2025 is still $260 cheaper than the FE (if we look at the 256GB models). The chipset has noticeably less performance, but Motorola was ahead of the curve on cover screen size (3.6' vs. 3.4') and battery capacity (4,500mAh vs. 4,000mAh), so the vanilla Razr is worth a look if you are considering the Z Flip7 FE. Just maybe wait a week or two for discounts to come back. Motorola Razr 2025 Read our review 8/256GB - $700 at Amazon US By the way, the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 and Galaxy Watch8 Classic also went on open sale this week. The vanilla model is the thinnest Galaxy Watch yet and comes in two sizes (40mm and 44mm) with and without 4G. The Watch8 Classic is still the only option for a rotating bezel – this one comes only in one size (46mm), but you do get a choice between 4G and Bluetooth. Note: the Watch8 is $50 off, but you need to grab the discount code. The Classic has a $100 Gift Card attached to it instead. Putting foldables and watches aside, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is still the best camera phone from Samsung this year and the only new phone with S Pen support. And it is currently running a solid discount. The slim and light Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is cheaper than the Ultra, but aside from physical dimensions, it doesn't compare favorably to it. Still, a display of this size is impossible to find on a phone this light anywhere else. For a cheaper option, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is back on sale. But wait – did you hear that the Samsung Galaxy A56 is finally available in the US after an inexplicably long delay? You can get a $50 discount with a coupon, which is the only thing keeping it in the game – even with that discount, the S24 FE may be the better value for money. The A56 also has the Motorola Edge (2025) to worry about. This phone has a good quality 6.7' 10-bit 1220p+ OLED display, an IP69 rating a 50+10+50MP camera with a 3x telephoto and a high-resolution ultra-wide and a 5,200mAh battery with both fast wired charging (68W) and wireless too (15W). Motorola Edge (2025) $110 off 8/256GB - $440 at Amazon US Finally, the Nothing Phone (3) still offers a free storage upgrade from 12/256GB to 16/512GB. Have you gotten used to its kooky look yet? We may get a commission from qualifying sales.
Phone Arena
17 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Churn, baby, churn. AT&T's CEO and CFO reveal what's ailing the carrier
Churn is the metric computed by wireless providers to determine the percentage of customers in a specific category who switched from one carrier to another or gave up wireless service altogether during a given period (usually a quarter). Obviously, the carriers want this number to decline and if it is rising, that's not a good sign. For example, AT&T recently reported its Q2 earnings and announced that during the quarter, it's postpaid phone churn (the most important churn category of all) rose 17 basis points year-over-year from .70% to .87%. The Q2 postpaid phone churn figure takes away some of the positive feelings analysts might have had over AT&T 's announcement that during the second quarter of the year, the carrier added 401,000 net new postpaid phone customers. The higher churn figure comes after AT&T raised the price of its retired unlimited wireless plans. The monthly price was hiked $10 for customers with one line, those with multiple lines are paying $20 more. Earlier this year, the carrier reduced the monthly autopay discount to $5 from $10 for those paying their autopay balance with a debit card. But CEO John Stankey isn't blaming price hikes for AT&T's churn problem. AT&T shares have been hot, rising over 47% over the last year. | Image credit-Yahoo Last week, during an earnings call, Stankey said, "I don't view pricing as being our issue in terms of managing churn. Obviously, every time we take a pricing action, we're cognizant that there's going to be some dislocation that we have been historically pretty good at assessing, modeling and managing. We try to do our pricing in a way where we tie prices to value. So we find places where there's maybe recaptured value that we can price out differently so that the customer feels like it's not just a price increase, but they understand they've gotten something over time or in return for it, where they're less likely to go." -Pascal Desroches, AT&T , CFO So what is causing AT&T 's rising churn issues? Chief Financial Officer Pascal Desroches gave several reasons during the earnings call. He blamed a "competitive environment," a higher percentage of customers coming off financing contracts, and he even threw in President Donald Trump's tariffs as a contributor to AT&T 's sharply higher Q2 postpaid phone churn percentage. Speaking of our president, Desroches said that the administration's deportation of illegal immigration has had a negative impact on AT&T 's business. "If you look at what's gone on in the prepaid market this quarter, I do believe some of that falls through to immigration and some of the dynamics that are occurring there," the CFO said. AT&T 's CEO Stankey, discussing the impact of Trump's tariffs on customer pricing, made it clear that the carrier's customers will end up paying for the higher import taxes. He said, "So I think that if ultimately costs are passed to us from those that we buy handsets from, unfortunately for the customer, we're going to have to come up with some new ways for them to figure out how to digest that increase in pricing." Remember, tariffs are import taxes that are paid on products and goods imported into the U.S. by countries that have tariffs imposed on them. Despite what you might have been told or heard, they are paid by U.S. companies and some are passed along to American consumers. AT&T 's 17 percentage point increase in postpaid phone churn was higher than the 10 point year-over-year hike in T-Mobile's postpaid phone churn. Verizon's churn in the same category was flat. It all indicates that the game of carrier musical chairs continues as consumers chase the latest deals. Another issue that AT&T doesn't seem to address is the carrier's disappointing performance in Ookla's Speedtest Connectivity Report. The latter measured how well the carrier's network performed during the first half of the year and in most categories, AT&T was dead last after T-Mobile and Verizon.
Phone Arena
a day ago
- Phone Arena
Limited-time sale knocks $120 off the Bose QuietComfort Headphones at Amazon
Get the Bose QuietComfort Headphones for $120 off $120 off (34%) The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are a much more attractive pick for music lovers right now. For a limited-time, the headphones are available for $120 off, which is a rare discount you can't find every day. There are multiple colors to choose from. Get yours and save 34%. Buy at Amazon Receive the latest mobile news Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Looking for a premium set of headphones with ANC, quality sound, and a Bose logo for less than $230? Well, now's your chance to buy the QuietComfort Headphones. Right now, these puppies are a massive 34% off at Amazon, delivering more value for Prime Day offered a slightly deeper cut earlier this July, this 34% discount is still one of the best we've seen. After all, Amazon rarely offers discounts over $100 on these high-end wireless Bluetooth headphones Although some users might be put off by their regular retail price of nearly $350, they're definitely an attractive choice right now. For ~$230, you're getting a snug, well-cushioned design with soft ear pads that embrace your ears, while the padded band ensures all-day design, the QuietComfort Headphones offer quality active noise cancellation and excellent passive isolation, meaning you'll hear little to no distractions during commute, travel, or else. Some ultra-high-pitched sounds might occasionally permeate, but they still sound significantly quieter, which is always a for audio quality, you can expect an emphasis on lower frequencies out of the box, which adds extra punch to your music. Mids are fairly wide, though the pumped low-end may make them feel less prominent at times. Vocals, however, come through clear and sparkly, bringing more life to your favorite in extras like wired listening support that lets you enjoy music even when the headphones run out of juice and Bluetooth Multipoint, and you've got a pretty decent option for casual use. Consider also the 24-hour battery life with quick-charging support, and you've got the whole the Bose QuietComfort Headphones sound like a good fit, now's your chance to save $120. Head to Amazon and take advantage of its limited-time promo while it lasts.
