{"id":419,"date":"2026-10-23T14:57:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T03:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uxrobot.ai\/ux-audits\/?p=419"},"modified":"2026-10-23T14:57:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T03:57:39","slug":"t-mobile-vs-us-mobile-vs-mint-iphone-17-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uxrobot.ai\/ux-audits\/t-mobile-vs-us-mobile-vs-mint-iphone-17-switch\/","title":{"rendered":"We tried to switch carriers with a new iPhone 17 at T-Mobile, US Mobile and Mint. T-Mobile showed three prices for one phone."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n

Independent outside-in audit<\/p>\n \n \n

UX Robot followed one customer journey on T-Mobile\u2019s website on a phone, then ran the same journey on US Mobile and Mint, on 22 October 2026. Our test browser could not complete the journey on Verizon or AT&T, the rivals we chose first, so the comparison uses two carriers it could. We are not affiliated with any of them, and we did not use their analytics. This is a review of one public journey on one day, not a judgment on their networks or their plans.<\/p>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n \n
\n
\n 3<\/span>\n Monthly prices T-Mobile showed for the same iPhone 17 on one order: $0.00, $25.84 and $2.78.<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n $110.84<\/span>\n A month in T-Mobile\u2019s cart, plus taxes and fees it never priced, after asking for a ZIP code to show them.<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 5\/7<\/span>\n Stages of the journey where Mint did better than T-Mobile.<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 57%<\/span>\n Of real phone visits to T-Mobile\u2019s iPhone 17 page waited longer than half a second for a tap to respond.<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n 01 \/ User story<\/span>\n

As a customer switching carriers, I want to choose a new iPhone 17 on an unlimited plan for one line and see what I will pay each month and today, so that I can compare carriers before I switch.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

\n 02 \/ Test task<\/span>\n

One new line, an iPhone 17 with 256GB, an unlimited plan and no trade-in. Starting from each carrier\u2019s home page: choose the phone and the plan, put them in the cart and continue until the cart shows the monthly cost, what is due today, and the taxes, fees and one-time charges.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

\n 03 \/ Start pages<\/span>\n

The home pages of T-Mobile<\/a>, US Mobile<\/a> and Mint Mobile<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

\n 04 \/ Safe stopping point<\/span>\n

Before a credit check, entering personal details, signing in, creating an account or paying.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

\n 05 \/ Conditions<\/span>\n

United States websites in Chrome on a 390 \u00d7 844 phone screen, as a new customer who is not signed in. Two in three Chrome visits to T-Mobile\u2019s home page come from a phone (23 September to 20 October 2026), so we tested on one. T-Mobile\u2019s journey also tried its menu and its own search.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

\n 06 \/ Tested<\/span>\n

22 October 2026, by a UX Robot run: the journey on all three websites, WCAG 2.2 A and AA checks, usability checks and search checks on all 16 T-Mobile pages reached, and Chrome UX Report speed data.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n \n

The 30-second result<\/p>\n \n \n

Mint keeps one price from the phone to the cart. T-Mobile changes it, then leaves out the taxes.<\/h2>\n \n \n

Mint sells the iPhone 17 as one bundle, $929 for the phone and $180 for a year of Unlimited, and that price never moves on the way to its cart. T-Mobile is easier to start: a \u201cBuy a new phone\u201d shortcut on its home page and a search that finds the iPhone 17 first, which neither rival offers on a phone. But its iPhone costs $0.00, $25.84 or $2.78 a month depending on the page, the switching flow forgets the phone you chose, declining protection takes two answers, and the cart still says \u201c+ taxes & fees\u201d after asking for a ZIP code \u201cto show taxes for your area\u201d. US Mobile does not sell the iPhone 17 at all. And Mint is not perfect: its checkout lists \u201cTaxes & Surcharges $0.00\u201d before it knows your address.<\/p>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n \n
\n Stage by stage<\/span>\n \n \n \n
Who did each stage of the journey best<\/caption>\n
Stage<\/th>T-Mobile<\/th>US Mobile<\/th>Mint<\/th><\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n
01 First screen<\/th>Better<\/span><\/td>Behind<\/span><\/td>Behind<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n
02 Finding the iPhone 17<\/th>Mixed<\/span><\/td>Not sold<\/span><\/td>Better<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n
03 The iPhone\u2019s price<\/th>Behind<\/span><\/td>No iPhone 17<\/td>Better<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n
04 Choosing the plan<\/th>Mixed<\/span><\/td>Similar<\/span><\/td>Better<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n
05 Keeping your choices<\/th>Behind<\/span><\/td>No iPhone 17<\/td>Better<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n
06 Protection and extras<\/th>Behind<\/span><\/td>No iPhone 17<\/td>Better<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n
07 Cart and total<\/th>Mixed<\/span><\/td>No cart<\/td>Mixed<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n
Site search<\/th>Better<\/span><\/td>None on a phone<\/span><\/td>None<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n
Whole-website speed<\/th>Slowest<\/span><\/td>Fastest<\/span><\/td>Close<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n