The soap opera that is AT&T vs. T-Mobile continues, as AT&T announced a new deal that offers both new and existing customers $100 in credit if they add a new line.

"Want another reason to be an AT&T customer? How about $100? Beginning today, all new customers and existing AT&T customers will receive a $100 bill credit for each new smartphone, tablet, feature phone, mobile hotspot or Wireless Home Phone line of service they add to the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network," reads an AT&T press release.

The offer runs until March and, in order to qualify, customers must remain in good standing with the nation's second largest wireless network for 45 days. The credit will then be applied over three billing cycles.

Although not directly aimed at T-Mobile, the move marks an increased level of tension between the two carriers. T-Mobile has repeatedly targeted only AT&T in its ads, and the carrier also recently announced a tantalizing offer of its own: switch over from AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint and T-Mobile will pay up to $350 of the early termination fees.

Cheap Shot?

The AT&T offer was announced just one day after T-Mobile released a fake press release aimed at AT&T. Titled "T-Mobile and Americans Everywhere Celebrating As AT&T Dismantles Death Star, Joins Un-carrier Revolution," the press release refers to AT&T as an "ex-rival" and the "dark side," invoking imagery from Star Wars, a franchise that explicitly espouses the battle between good and evil.

An excerpt from the press release:

"Wow. I mean ... wow," breathed John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. "I guess we all have moments of doubt. You know? Like, can the darkness ever be defeated? But that they've singled us out in this way is just so affirming. I guess we must be doing something right. I mean, if AT&T can change, it feels like anything's possible.

"It's kind of like that scene where Darth Vader's lying there and Luke helps take off his helmet," Legere continued, "and you see that, okay, sure, Darth Vader's pretty ugly, but he's human after all."

Oh, and let's not forget how Legere tried to crash AT&T's CES party and was promptly thrown out.

Who's Winning?

At this point, AT&T remains the nation's second largest carrier with 110 million subscribers, while T-Mobile sits at the bottom of the big four with approximately 45 million subscribers. Even if the proposed T-Mobile and Sprint merger ends up going through, the combined total of the new wireless network would be around 100 million, leaving it behind both Verizon and AT&T.

Those numbers, however, don't tell the whole story.

AT&T's LTE network is far larger, and as Forbes points out, the gap between AT&T's LTE network and Verizon's (which covers around 90 percent of the U.S. population) is steadily narrowing. T-Mobile, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the LTE market, and lags far behind in the category.

But it's T-Mobile's UnCarrier strategy that began in 2013 that has made the carrier the lovable dark horse of the mobile market. With eccentric CEO Legere at the helm, T-Mobile has added an impressive 4.4 million customers in 2013, including 869,000 postpaid additions in Q4 2013. By comparison, AT&T garnered only 566,000 postpaid additions in Q4 2013.

T-Mobile's UnCarrier strategy involves elements such as eliminating contracts and offering customers an option to upgrade their devices more frequently than usual.

Which one of the carriers do you prefer? AT&T or T-Mobile? Let us know which one and why in the comments section below.