T-mobile's new plans are every geek's dream

[Jnbs]

It is just amazing that one will be able to pay as little as 78 dollars (2.5GB and then throttle + price per device) for an HTC 8X or a L810, then when "Catwalk" comes to a T-mobile one will trade in and get the newer device and so on with the newer and newer pho es .. It is in my opinion a HUGE improvement over other carriers.. I myself will think about getting a BB10 and then trade it in for catwalk (Nokia yay!!). As long as t-mobile gets the most popular devices it will be awesome..

 

[theefman]

As long as t-mobile gets the most popular devices it will be awesome..

Thats where the problem is, I'm pretty sure at&t or even Verizon will get the best WP devices while Tmo gets the low end stuff like the 521 (Catwalk is just a rumour, like the Tmo L900 last year). I still plan to switch to them but I know I will be importing my devices from Europe or Canada unless I want to buy an android or iphone uke: :eck:

 

[Keith Wallace]

I didn't read in-depth about these plans, but I think you might be wrong. The example given was with the Galaxy S III, where you would pay $70 for the device, then agree to pay $20/month for 2 years to pay off the phone (meaning the phone's cost overall would actually be $550). If you were to get a different device during that 2-year stretch, I imagine that they'd tack a second $20 on for that device as well, no? That means you're paying for 2 phones while using one. It might be nice to get that quick upgrade option, but it might cost you more in the long run.

It's hard to say what the prices of future phones will be, but let's just go with this example:

--Get a $70/month plan.
--Get a Galaxy S III for $70, plus $20/month.
--Plan is now $90/month
--Get a Galaxy S 4 in a few months for $125 (guessing that the S III was set at $70 because it's old, and the S 4 is selling for $250 at AT&T, so $125 sounds logical), plus $20/month.
--Plan is now $110/month.

In that scenario, you'd end up paying $550 for the Galaxy S III and $605 for the Galaxy S 4 in the long run, plus your bill overall might be higher than what an individual plan might be with AT&T (depending on the route you went). Is that REALLY better than just buying a Lumia 920 off-contract for $450 through AT&T? I know that the monthly payment structure is more manageable than dropping $450 on a whim, but isn't that what a savings account is for?

 

[eshy]

It is just amazing that one will be able to pay as little as 78 dollars

WTF are you paying now that 80$ looks cheap to you???


I'm currently on T-Mobile's 30$ monthly prepaid plan. I get 100 minutes, unlimited texts (I think) and 5GB of data at full speed. That makes replacing your phone once a year cost the same as doing it every two years on AT&T or Verizon.

When I was with Sprint, I paid 80$ after taxes for unlimited everything (that's with the high NYC taxes too) and got the subsidized phone too.


Don't get me wrong, I'm all for buying unlocked phones instead of subsidized phones. It does end up costing a lot less. but not being able to pick a plan that's cheaper than 80$/month if you want more than 500MB of data means you're now paying full price for the phone and you're not saving too much on your monthly plan

 

[eshy]

It's hard to say what the prices of future phones will be, but let's just go with this example:

--Get a $70/month plan.
--Get a Galaxy S III for $70, plus $20/month.
--Plan is now $90/month
--Get a Galaxy S 4 in a few months for $125 (guessing that the S III was set at $70 because it's old, and the S 4 is selling for $250 at AT&T, so $125 sounds logical), plus $20/month.
--Plan is now $110/month.

In that scenario, you'd end up paying $550 for the Galaxy S III and $605 for the Galaxy S 4 in the long run, plus your bill overall might be higher than what an individual plan might be with AT&T (depending on the route you went). Is that REALLY better than just buying a Lumia 920 off-contract for $450 through AT&T? I know that the monthly payment structure is more manageable than dropping $450 on a whim, but isn't that what a savings account is for?

If you're going to upgrade phones that often, you will probably sell your old phones and make that difference back.

You're also concentrating on the pay full price vs payments. It doesn't matter, you still pay the same for the phone (for example, the Lumia 810 is 360$ one payment, or 15$ monthly for two years) so it's more like financing your purchase.

If you buy the Lumia 920 off contract for 450$, you still pay the same price for the plan, you're just not locked in for two years (of course, the phone itself is locked in) but your monthly cost is the same and you just spend 350-400$ more to not be locked in to a contract. With unlocked phones, the idea is to pay less for the monthly plan.


A lot of people don't upgrade their phones every two years, they think about that 200$ as an unnecessary expense. they end up paying a lot more for the phone because AT&T and Verizon don't come to you at the end of the two years and say, hey, you paid for the phone, let's reduce your plan by 20$. With this T-Mobile model, after you're done paying for the phone, your monthly costs go down. If some other GSM carrier offers you a better deal, you can just jump ship. you'll still have to pay T-Mobile for the phone, but not for the actual plan. That's the benefit

Of course, it makes even more sense with the prepaid plans, which are much cheaper

 

[Keith Wallace]

I ran through this in a comment elsewhere already. However, I joke woke up in the middle of the night/morning (almost 5 AM here), so I might skip something in here. If you're using an AT&T individual plan, you can get 450 minutes for $40/month. Texting is $10/month. Data starts at $20/month. For me, I can live on those things VERY easily, as could most people. The 450 minutes includes free mobile-to-mobile, so you're unlikely to break that 450, unless you're a frequent caller of landlines. Personally, I can't think of any time I've topped 100 minutes on AT&T, let alone 450. I already operate on having my cellular data off on my Lumia 920. It's easy to pin a tile to the setting, and flip it on once or twice I week, when I actually need it. I probably use 50-100 MB in a month, as I'm almost ALWAYS in WiFi.

All of this leads to a $70/month bill. With that T-Mobile plan, the cheapest plan is, what, $75/month? As I might have mentioned before, I'm basing that on the (possibly-wrong) information Yahoo offered up. They said it was $90/month for unlimited everything. They ten said the lowest data plan was $5, and the largest was $20, meaning if $90 includes unlimited data, the lowest plan would be $15 than $90/month, or $75/month. In that scenario, assuming that Yahoo gave me the correct information, the T-Mobile plan is $5 more per month. You also get the Galaxy S III (it was he phone in their example, IDK what the others are priced at as a result) for $70, while a Lumia 920 would be $100 on AT&T. So, for an extra $30 for the device up-front, I'd save $5/month and get a device I preferred, plus a cellular service that gets better coverage in most places (or at least has a wider national coverage).

After that two years, the T-Mobile contract would drop to $55/month, but you might want a new phone by then. By the end of 2 years, the T-Mobile plan would cost $120 more than the AT&T one, while saving you $30 on a phone, meaning $90 more when all is said and done. This is the scenario I would operate under, though I'm not sure if it's a commonplace one--being more than capable of surviving with 450 minutes and 300 MB of data on AT&T or unlimited minutes and 200 MB of data on T-Mobile.

I just think that the cost difference will ultimately be negligible for most, unless you're a big-time talker outside of the mobile-to-mobile area, such as with a business. Even then, I'd rather pay the maybe $5-10/month more on AT&T to get better coverage and superior phone choices. Correct me on any of that if I am wrong, just working on the knowledge I was given.

 

[Flagz]

It is just amazing that one will be able to pay as little as 78 dollars (2.5GB and then throttle + price per device) for an HTC 8X or a L810, then when "Catwalk" comes to a T-mobile one will trade in and get the newer device and so on with the newer and newer pho es .. It is in my opinion a HUGE improvement over other carriers.. I myself will think about getting a BB10 and then trade it in for catwalk (Nokia yay!!). As long as t-mobile gets the most popular devices it will be awesome..

I pay 50 a month with phone flat out on CC so barely additional cost for me. Unlimited no throttle unlimited text.

 

[Jnbs]

WTF are you paying now that 80$ looks cheap to you???


I'm currently on T-Mobile's 30$ monthly prepaid plan. I get 100 minutes, unlimited texts (I think) and 5GB of data at full speed. That makes replacing your phone once a year cost the same as doing it every two years on AT&T or Verizon.

When I was with Sprint, I paid 80$ after taxes for unlimited everything (that's with the high NYC taxes too) and got the subsidized phone too.


Don't get me wrong, I'm all for buying unlocked phones instead of subsidized phones. It does end up costing a lot less. but not being able to pick a plan that's cheaper than 80$/month if you want more than 500MB of data means you're now paying full price for the phone and you're not saving too much on your monthly plan

ohh I am in the same boat as you paying $30 per month on T-mobile.. I am comparing the price with other VZW and AT&T plans.. Oh btw the upgrade system works like this according to a rep.. You get the GS3 right now and after that you pay $80 every month until the device pays off. However, if you want a GS4 you trade in the device and according to its state they will give you a value.. If the value fulfills the rest of the payment you just pay the $125 or whatever they want upfront and then you keep paying $80 per month. The benefit here is to change devices (upgrade) whenever you wan without having to pay full price, but financing it and giving a bit out your pocket every time.. Ohh and I also agree with you unlocked phones are the way to go.. But for people who want the latest and greatest all the time it will reduce their cost at least upfront..

 

[anon(5335877)]

I ran through this in a comment elsewhere already. However, I joke woke up in the middle of the night/morning (almost 5 AM here), so I might skip something in here. If you're using an AT&T individual plan, you can get 450 minutes for $40/month. Texting is $10/month. Data starts at $20/month. For me, I can live on those things VERY easily, as could most people. The 450 minutes includes free mobile-to-mobile, so you're unlikely to break that 450, unless you're a frequent caller of landlines. Personally, I can't think of any time I've topped 100 minutes on AT&T, let alone 450. I already operate on having my cellular data off on my Lumia 920. It's easy to pin a tile to the setting, and flip it on once or twice I week, when I actually need it. I probably use 50-100 MB in a month, as I'm almost ALWAYS in WiFi.

All of this leads to a $70/month bill. With that T-Mobile plan, the cheapest plan is, what, $75/month? As I might have mentioned before, I'm basing that on the (possibly-wrong) information Yahoo offered up. They said it was $90/month for unlimited everything. They ten said the lowest data plan was $5, and the largest was $20, meaning if $90 includes unlimited data, the lowest plan would be $15 than $90/month, or $75/month. In that scenario, assuming that Yahoo gave me the correct information, the T-Mobile plan is $5 more per month. You also get the Galaxy S III (it was he phone in their example, IDK what the others are priced at as a result) for $70, while a Lumia 920 would be $100 on AT&T. So, for an extra $30 for the device up-front, I'd save $5/month and get a device I preferred, plus a cellular service that gets better coverage in most places (or at least has a wider national coverage).

After that two years, the T-Mobile contract would drop to $55/month, but you might want a new phone by then. By the end of 2 years, the T-Mobile plan would cost $120 more than the AT&T one, while saving you $30 on a phone, meaning $90 more when all is said and done. This is the scenario I would operate under, though I'm not sure if it's a commonplace one--being more than capable of surviving with 450 minutes and 300 MB of data on AT&T or unlimited minutes and 200 MB of data on T-Mobile.

I just think that the cost difference will ultimately be negligible for most, unless you're a big-time talker outside of the mobile-to-mobile area, such as with a business. Even then, I'd rather pay the maybe $5-10/month more on AT&T to get better coverage and superior phone choices. Correct me on any of that if I am wrong, just working on the knowledge I was given.

When did unlimited texts become $10 a month? It shows up as $20 for me on the AT&T site.

Lowest T-Mobile data plan is not $5. It's free. $50 a month for unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 500MB of data included. I think you're looking at the old T-Mobile plans since you mentioned 200MB of data.

Math:

T-Mobile:
Plan - $50/month * 24 months = $1200
Most High-End Phones - $99 up front + $20/month * 24 months = $579
Total - $1779

AT&T:
Plan - [$40 (450 min) + $20 (unlimited text) + $20 (300MB)] * 24 months = $1920
Phone - $99 for Lumia 920
Total - $2019

That's with the Lumia 920 at $99. If you want an iPhone 5, AT&T becomes $100 more expensive because the iPhone rarely sells for less than it's $199 MSRP. Exception is T-Mobile where it follows the $99 + $20 * 24 months pattern for a total of $579. Cheaper than Apple's full unlocked iPhone price of $649. Also, remember than T-Mobile is no contract just like the prepaid plans I mention below. However, if you finance your device you still have to pay off the remaining balance. After that, the phone will be yours and can be unlocked. If you'd like, you can also trade it back in to T-Mobile and that'll help reduce your remaining balance.

But if you're really interested in saving money there are better options, as long as you're willing to put up with some negatives like poor customer service or no roaming.

Prepaid Alternatives:

Net10 (AT&T network, might have roaming):
Plan - $50/month (unlimited talk, text, 1.5GB data) * 24 = $1200
Phone - Lumia 920 from AT&T $450, Unlocked iPhone 5 16GB $650
Total - $1650-$1850
Cons - Poor customer service.

Airvoice Wireless (AT&T network, no roaming):
Plan - $40/month (unlimited talk, text, 500MB data) * 24 = $960
Phone - Lumia 920 from AT&T $450, Unlocked iPhone 5 16GB $650
Total - $1410-$1610
Cons - No roaming

Straight Talk (T-Mobile network, might have roaming)
Plan - $45/month (unlimited talk, text, and data) * 24 = $1080
Phone - Unlocked iPhone 5 16GB $650 4G HSPA+ only in areas where network upgraded (1900Mhz refarmed)
Total - $1730
Cons - Poor customer service, possibly same customer service as Net10. Both are owned by Tracfone. T-Mobile coverage (con for some people)

T-Mobile prepaid (voice and text roaming, no data roaming)
Plan - $30/month (100 minutes, unlimited text, 5GB data, 2G speeds past 5GB) * 24 = $720
Phone - Unlocked iPhone 5 16GB $650 4G HSPA+ only in areas where network upgraded (1900Mhz refarmed)
Total - $1370
Cons - Some people report that T-Mobile prepaid customer service is outsourced, only voice and text roaming, not data. T-Mobile coverage.

 

[Keith Wallace]

I see, thanks for straightening that out. I was thinking $10 for texting because it's $20 for one line, then an additional $10 for the REST of the lines.

One thing I don't know whatsoever with this--how does adding a line work for these T-Mobile plans? Do they have multi-line plans still, as I assume would be the case? What's the price to add on to the initial line's unlimited minutes and texting? Is it something like AT&T, where it's $10/month and a data plan?

 

[anon(5335877)]

I see, thanks for straightening that out. I was thinking $10 for texting because it's $20 for one line, then an additional $10 for the REST of the lines.

One thing I don't know whatsoever with this--how does adding a line work for these T-Mobile plans? Do they have multi-line plans still, as I assume would be the case? What's the price to add on to the initial line's unlimited minutes and texting? Is it something like AT&T, where it's $10/month and a data plan?

For two lines on T-Mobile, it's starts off at $80 a month. Both are unlimited talk and text, and each line has it's own separate 500MB. Every line after the first two are $10/line. Again, same unlimited talk/text, with each line having 500MB. T-Mobile doesn't offer shared data like AT&T and Verizon.

Data add-on's go like this:

$10 - 2GB (2.5GB total, tethering allowed)
$20 - 4GB (4.5GB total, tethering allowed)
$20 - Unlimited (500MB of tethering)
and it keeps increasing by $10 per 2GB until
$60 - 12GB (12.5GB total, tethering allowed)

The data add-ons include the 500MB that you start off with. Any limited data add-on includes mobile hotspot (tethering) if the phone supports it. The unlimited plan only allows for 500MB of tethering since 500MB data allotment was included in the $50 base plan. If you have unlimited data and need more than 500MB for tethering, there's another add-on for that, though it tops out at 4.5GB.

Since each line is separate, they can have separate data add-ons. For example, one line you can just have the 500MB of included data, while another line can add another $10/mo for 2GB of additional data for 2.5GB total.

This chart may help you out. Note that the example for the two-line family plan line assume that both lines choose the same allotment of data, but in the fine print it says each line can choose a different data add-on if desired. Value AAL = Value Add A Line. That's the $10 add a line price for 3rd-5th line.

 

[Keith Wallace]

See, I don't get how they think this to be simpler than the competition. It seems no different--you have an expected rate for whatever you get, and plans come in both individual and family plans, same as everyone else.

 

[palandri]

See, I don't get how they think this to be simpler than the competition. It seems no different--you have an expected rate for whatever you get, and plans come in both individual and family plans, same as everyone else.

Looks simpler to me $100 for two phones with unlimited voice and text and 2.5GB of data for each phone.

 

[anon(5335877)]

See, I don't get how they think this to be simpler than the competition. It seems no different--you have an expected rate for whatever you get, and plans come in both individual and family plans, same as everyone else.

When they say "simple choice" I think they were referring to the unlimited talk and text, as in, you don't need to figure out how many minutes and texts you use each month because all plans are unlimited.

I still think T-Mobile will have to do a very good job of explaining to people why their plans are better than the competition's or else this won't work.

 

[palandri]

When they say "simple choice" I think they were referring to the unlimited talk and text, as in, you don't need to figure out how many minutes and texts you use each month because all plans are unlimited.

I still think T-Mobile will have to do a very good job of explaining to people why their plans are better than the competition's or else this won't work.

I think you're right, they need to explain it better and go right after AT&T customers in refarmed areas.

I was just talking out this in the staff forum and I said:

I talked with my neighbor's son tonight. He works at T-Mobile. T-Mobile has been re-farmed in Chicago to cover AT&T 3G data. He told me he signed up 6 AT&T customers today that brought their own phones. He told me they get 5.0 Mbps down and 0.750 Mbps up . AT&T is bound to lose more customers with the new T-Mobile pricing. I really hope this opens AT&T's eyes.

It's real tempting to me. I pay AT&T $178 a month for 700 shared minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB data on one phone and 3GB data on the other. With T-Mobile I would pay $107 with tax (I thnk) that would be a $71 savings every month. We have friends and relatives In Minneapolis, Baltimore and Phoenix and T-Mobile service is fine there and in Chicago. We go to France, but I pick up a local SIM card when I am there.

 

[Jnbs]

I think you're right, they need to explain it better and go right after AT&T customers in refarmed areas.

I was just talking out this in the staff forum and I said:


It's real tempting to me. I pay AT&T $178 a month for 700 shared minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB data on one phone and 3GB data on the other. With T-Mobile I would pay $107 with tax (I thnk) that would be a $71 savings every month. We have friends and relatives In Minneapolis, Baltimore and Phoenix and T-Mobile service is fine there and in Chicago. We go to France, but I pick up a local SIM card when I am there.

Honestly new plans save like around 30-70 dollars per month which actually during lapse of two years become two high end phones bought outright..

 

[FinancialP]

Question

I was under the impression that a lot more of the 1900 bands would suddenly activate after April 12, meaning unlocked AT&T phones would get 3g on Tmobiles network, is this true?

 

[Keith Wallace]

I think you're right, they need to explain it better and go right after AT&T customers in refarmed areas.

It's real tempting to me. I pay AT&T $178 a month for 700 shared minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB data on one phone and 3GB data on the other. With T-Mobile I would pay $107 with tax (I thnk) that would be a $71 savings every month. We have friends and relatives In Minneapolis, Baltimore and Phoenix and T-Mobile service is fine there and in Chicago. We go to France, but I pick up a local SIM card when I am there.

See, I'm not sure if it would be that beneficial to a small group of people. Like I said, I think it would be about $10 more per month for me to have an AT&T plan over a T-Mobile one. That's worth it to me, simply because T-Mobile does a poor job of getting phones I like on their plans, namely the Lumia 920 I use now. I'm fine spending that extra $10/month if it means I don't have to throw out $450 from day one for a phone. If T-Mobile can do a good job of getting flagships from the get-go, they could either grow greatly or convince competitors to switch up their pricing (either to structure it like T-Mobile or to simply lower the cost).

Right now, though, I couldn't convince myself to throw out $450 on a phone, then go to T-Mobile. Maybe when my contract is up in late-2013, I'll consider them, but they'll have to have a flagship Windows Phone device, not a non-LTE 810 and the 8X I have no desire to own.

 

[metalchick719]

I just bit the bullet and switched to the $50 plan tonight. I'm using my Lumia 810, which I got in November and the customer service rep told me I would be paying $61 per month, which is a sweet deal because I was paying $54/55 for only 300 minutes, 500 texts and 200MB of data. Not too bad of a switch as I'm now getting unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of data. Of course, I have to pay the $200 migration fee, but considering how much I'm gaining in this plan and for so little money, I think it's worth it.

 

[peacefulberry]

I think you're right, they need to explain it better and go right after AT&T customers in refarmed areas.

I was just talking out this in the staff forum and I said:


It's real tempting to me. I pay AT&T $178 a month for 700 shared minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB data on one phone and 3GB data on the other. With T-Mobile I would pay $107 with tax (I thnk) that would be a $71 savings every month. We have friends and relatives In Minneapolis, Baltimore and Phoenix and T-Mobile service is fine there and in Chicago. We go to France, but I pick up a local SIM card when I am there.

I believe you are being overcharged for your service from att. With t mobile for $50 each you can get unlimited minutes and messages with 500 Mb of data or for a little bit more you can get 2G of data each. Not only will you save money but you will never have to worry about going over your minutes.

Actually I think 2 lines are $80 for unlimited talk, messaging, and 500 Mb of data, which is awesome!