The End of Sprint as We Know It

Sprint is over. Done. Kaput. Starting probably in June, Sprint will be folded into the "New T-Mobile," a mega-carrier that will combine the T-Mobile and Sprint networks. 

This doesn't mean you should bail out of Sprint right now. New T-Mobile will probably maintain your affordable Sprint service plan as it transitions you over to the new network during the course of the next year. Now is a good time for Sprint subscribers to re-up their phones, in fact, as older Sprint phones won't perform so well on the new-style network.

The most important new technology to know is VoLTE, voice over 4G. New T-Mobile is going to have a lot of 4G capacity and very little 2G capacity, so if you want to make calls, 4G is the way to go. If you have a Galaxy S8 series or iPhone 8 series or later, you're good, but earlier phones may not be covered. Here's Sprint's current list of VoLTE-compatible phones.

Beyond that, you want your phone to work on T-Mobile's band 12 and 71 4G networks, which not all older Sprint phones do. All of the phones in this roundup support those frequency bands, which will give you a smooth transition over to the New T-Mobile.

For more on the transition, see how Sprint and T-Mobile are merging their networks.

The Best Flip Phones for Sprint

Older Sprint voice phones use Sprint's aged 2G network for voice calls, and while Sprint has said it will support that network in some form until 2021, you want a phone with 4G calling for the best coverage now and in the future. On Sprint, that means the Sonim XP3, a rugged flip phone that will work on both the Sprint and T-Mobile networks.

If you're looking for something lighter or less expensive, hold out for a few months. Your older phone will work until 2021, as I said, and the New T-Mobile is likely to release some new flip phones after the transition.

The Best 5G Phones for Sprint

Sprint subscribers using one of the latest 5G phones will connect to T-Mobile's 5G network, not Sprint's slightly older network (which New T-Mobile is turning off, anyway.) The Samsung Galaxy S20+ has all of the different bands and systems that New T-Mobile intends to use over the next year, so it'll get you the best coverage and speeds.

The OnePlus 8 lacks high-band, but it looks like T-Mobile is less committed to that technology than to the others, so the OnePlus 8 (which Sprint customers can buy unlocked) is a good affordable alternativbe. For more, see our list of the best 5G phones.

If you need more help buying a phone, check out our cell phone product guide for the most recent reviews. While you're at it, take a look at our guides for the best phones on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. And see our Readers' Choice picks for 2020's top mobile carriers.