Best Mint Mobile phones 2024

The best Mint Mobile phones are the devices that can best take advantage of the carrier's vast 5G network (powered by T-Mobile). Luckily, with Mint, compatibility is rarely an issue as long as you have an unlocked phone. 

Mint Mobile is a unique carrier in a few ways. For one, you have to buy your wireless service in 3, 6, or 12-month increments of time, with additional savings the more you buy. Second, Mint Mobile carries (and is compatible with) a wide selection of outstanding smartphones. Below you can find all of the best phones that work with Mint Mobile. Our overall favorite pick is the Google Pixel 8 Pro, thanks to its strong 5G support, solid internal hardware, and an elegant, timeless design.  

At a glance

Best overall

Google Pixel 8 Pro porcelain colorway

Best overall

Reasons to buy

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Incredible cameras with telephoto
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Smooth performance with Google's Tensor G3 chip
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Fabulous new AI features
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Fast and bright AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh
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IP68 dust and water resistance
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Seven years of software support

Reasons to avoid

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Tensor chip still isn't ideal for gaming.
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There's no USB-C display output support

From a checklist, the Google Pixel 8 Pro looks like it could be the best Android phone ever made. The Tensor G3 CPU combined with the intelligent new AI features means this phone, as we note in our review, is arguably the best phone Google has made to date.

The CPU is fast enough for just about anything you can do on your phone today. It also enables Google's AI for photography and puts the Google Assistant at your fingertips at all times. Of course, the phone is running the latest version of Android, Android 14, and is set to receive seven years of updates from Google.

The camera system is likely the Pixel 8 Pro's finest achievement, with multiple cameras, including  and unique AI features like Best Take, Photo Unblur, Magic Editor, and Magic Eraser. It particularly excels in low-light shots, but the cameras overall are impressive.

Best balance

The Violet Samsung Galaxy S23+ held in hand

(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)
Best balance

Reasons to buy

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Gorgeous 6.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display
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Improved battery life
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Upgraded selfie camera
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Durable construction
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Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip

Reasons to avoid

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Not a huge improvement over the S22 Plus
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No memory upgrade

 Of the three phones available in the new Samsung Galaxy S23 series, the S23 Plus is by far the most balanced. The phone comes complete with a vibrant 6.6-inch AMOLED 120Hz display, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, and an upgraded selfie camera. Sure, it’s not a massive upgrade over its predecessor, the S22 Plus, but that phone topped our list of the best Android phones for many months, so we’re glad that Samsung chose refinement over transformation here.

In addition to the specs above, the Galaxy S23 Plus also features a large 4,700mAh battery with wireless charging capabilities, Wi-Fi 6E support, and a durable Gorilla Glass Victus 2 construction. It may not be as ridiculously powerful as its big sibling, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but it’s an excellent choice if you value good old-fashioned bang for the buck. That being said, if you are interested in the other S23 devices, Mint Mobile has you covered.

Best midrange option

The back of the Charcoal Google Pixel 7a

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
Best midrange option

Reasons to buy

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Fantastic camera
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Strong 5G support with Tensor G2
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Great price
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IP67 water and dust resistance

Reasons to avoid

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No headphone jack
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Only 5W wireless charging

The Google Pixel 7a is one of the best values you can get in Android with the powerful Google Tensor CPU, excellent 5G and Wi-Fi support, and plenty of Android updates in the pipeline. As we found in our Google Pixel 7a review, there is no better value Android phone at this price. On the back, you get a familiar camera design delivering great photos thanks to Google's image processing.

You give up a few comforts of the main Pixel 7a for the price tag such as wireless charging beyond 5W, a bit of camera performance, and the high refresh rate display, but many people will be more than happy to with these downgrades. Even so, the 6.1-inch AMOLED display is still sharp and vibrant with HDR10+ support. If you're looking to save some money on your next phone but still want some of the best cameras and great performance, the Pixel 7a may be the right choice.

Best on a budget

The shiny back of the OnePlus Nord N30 5G

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
Best on a budget

Reasons to buy

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Solid 5G support with mid-band
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Large 5,000mAh battery
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Gorgeous 6.72-inch 120Hz display
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Headphone jack and microSD port
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Three years of security updates

Reasons to avoid

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Only one OS update planned
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Camera isn't amazing

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G is a good Android phone with an almost unbelievable price, even when you buy it unlocked.  As the name implies, you get 5G support including mid-band 5G on Mint Mobile. The design has a premium look and feel with its two large camera lenses on the back. Our OnePlus Nord N30 review found that the phone also offers great battery life with some impressively fast charging speeds, especially in this price range.

On the software side, things aren't as bright with the phone shipping with Android 13 and only planned OS update on the books. Even so, not everyone will care about having the absolute latest version of Android so this phone is still a solid option. The 6.72-inch AMOLED display looks great, and even at 120Hz, the Snapdragon 695 in this phone has no trouble keeping up with most apps.

Best small phone

ASUS Zenfone 10 review

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)
Compact and powerful

Reasons to buy

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Compact 5.9-inch AMOLED display at 144Hz
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Large battery at 4,300mAh
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Support for T-Mobile 5G bands
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Great cameras
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IP68 water resistance

Reasons to avoid

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No wireless charging
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Update plan falls short of Samsung or Google

ASUS has been making Android phones for years with the gaming ROG Phones stealing most of the spotlight, but the Zenfone line has been slowly improving in the background. The Zenfone 9 is easily one of the best Android phones money can buy with powerful specs, a unique look, and a restrained size that makes one-handed use a reality. In fact, our Zenfone 10 review called it the only small Android phone worth buying right now.

This phone comes with one of the fastest CPUs available, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and a minimum of 8GB of RAM with a 16GB model available. If you're fine with the 8GB version, as most people should be, you can also pick from five colors: white, black, red, green, and blue.

The phone shipped with Android 13. There is a main 50MP wide camera and a 13MP ultra-wide which both deliver strong results during the day. Low-light shots are also strong with accurate colors and plenty of detail. The main camera also has gimbal stabilization giving this phone a distinct advantage while taking video.

Best for gaming

OnePlus 11 Marble Odyssey hands-on

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
Best for gaming

Reasons to buy

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Fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU
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Great camera performance
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5G support on T-Mobile network
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Smooth 120HZ display
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Fast 80-watt charging

Reasons to avoid

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Auxiliary camera quality isn't as good as the competition
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No IP68 rating on unlocked models

The OnePlus 11 works great on the T-Mobile network with 5G support including mid-band 5G. That means you'll get the full Mint Mobile network and will have plenty of options if you want to change carriers later on. Just make sure to get the U.S. version for the best network compatibility.

Like most other flagships you get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU to power the phone's 6.7-inch AMOLED display at 120Hz. There's a large 5,000mAh battery that's configured as two 2,500mAh batteries allowing for incredible 80-watt SUPERVOOC charging with the included power supply. The phone runs OxygenOS 13 running atop Android 13 with promises for future updates.

Speaking of software, OnePlus boasts about its camera partnership with Hasselblad for the color work on its cameras, and as we found in our OnePlus 11 review, the photo quality was great, with natural colors and tons of versatile filters. In fact, our reviewer says it has the best camera of all the OnePlus phones he's tested to date (and he's used them all!).

Find a phone with plenty of performance for your needs

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If you're using Mint Mobile, you're likely focused on getting great service for less money — and you want a phone that follows the same philosophy. Mint Mobile lets you bring any unlocked phone to its network, so your options are wide open. For the best results on T-Mobile's network, the carrier that owns Mint, you'll want a 5G phone that supports bands n71 and n41. That gives you the best of both worlds for coverage and speed, and luckily, most of the best Android phones you can buy support this network.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro takes all of these requirements to heart with fantastic support for 5G including T-Mobile's fastest 5G bands. Not only that but if it turns out you don't love Mint's service, the Pixel 8 Pro supports the other major carriers as well including C-band 5G. You get Android 14 out of the box and years of software updates so you'll be on the latest builds for years to come.

Samuel Contreras

When Samuel is not writing about networking or 5G at Android Central, he spends most of his time researching computer components and obsessing over what CPU goes into the ultimate Windows 98 computer. It's the Pentium 3.

With contributions from