What Are T-Mobile Plans?
As one of the largest providers in the country, T-Mobile covers a huge chunk of the U.S. communications market. The company uses a mix of affordable mobile plans, offer enticing perks, and gives consumers access to cutting-edge internet capability.
T-Mobile offers a number of plan options designed to fit your needs, and that variety has led to a level of success that only a few other providers can compete with.
How Do T-Mobile Plans Work?
T-Mobile plans are split into two categories: prepaid and postpaid. Postpaid plans can be purchased for phones, tablets, or even wearable devices such as smartwatches.
Unlimited plans are priced monthly and provide unlimited talk and text at a base level, with options to upgrade data, connection speed, and many other features by purchasing higher-tier plans.
With a prepaid plan, you’ll purchase a set amount of minutes that you can reload at your own pace. Contrary to popular belief, prepaid plans can also be unlimited, but all services are paid for upfront before the start of the month.
If you use a small amount of data each month and don’t want to pay for anything you won’t use, T-Mobile also offers pay-by-minute options.
What’s the Best T-Mobile Plan? How Much Does It Cost?
T-Mobile has several plans that are best suited for you depending on what you need. With this in mind, there is no definitive “best” plan, as it all comes down to your individual preferences. To help you find the best T-Mobile plan, we’ll answer a few of the most asked questions below.
How Much Is a Standard T-Mobile Plan?
The basic plan T-Mobile offers is the standard Essentials plan. This comes with unlimited talk and text, unlimited 4G and 5G LTE data, standard definition streaming, and 50GB of premium data.
The Essentials plan costs $60 per month for a single line, but that number goes down the more lines are added to the plan.
Are T-Mobile Plans Prepaid?
T-Mobile has a wide variety of postpaid and prepaid plans. The Prepaid ONE plan allows for unlimited talk and text for $50 a month, with options to upgrade if desired.
The Simply Prepaid plan offers 10Gb of high-speed data per month with no contract and unlimited talk and text.
The company also offers a prepaid internet option for at-home use and a 3-week tourist plan that provides short-term prepaid coverage.
Finally, the Pay For What You Need plan is the most typical prepaid option, which gives you the option to pay for your services by the minute.
Does T-Mobile Have a $30 Plan?
The pricing of T-Mobile plans depends on the number of lines you add. The Essentials plan costs $60 for a single line but the price goes down to $30 per line if you have three lines in your plan. If you are interested in paying for five lines, the upgraded Magenta plan with Netflix basic is only $32 per month.
Can You Switch T-Mobile Plans?
If you already have T-Mobile but are interested in switching plans, you can do this through the provider’s website or the mobile app.
How To Switch T-Mobile Plans?
You can view your plan on either platform by viewing your account information, and if you want to change it, it is as easy as following these steps:
For the website:
- Log in to your My T-Mobile account.
- Click ‘account’ and then click ‘plan.’
- Click ‘Manage my plan.’
- Follow the instructions to change your plan.
The process is mostly the same from the app:
- Open the T-Mobile app, and login.
- Tap ACCOUNT.
- Tap Plan and usage details >.
- Scroll down and tap Manage my plan.
- Compare plans by selecting different options in the Choose this plan drop down.
- Once you've compared plans and made your selection tap Select plan.
T-Mobile encourages customers to upgrade their plans by offering a wide variety of deals and perks for those who choose high-tier options, and so the process of changing your plan is very simple on both a computer and a mobile device.
T-Mobile FAQs
Is an AT&T Mobile Plan Better Than T-mobile?
At&T is the world’s largest telecommunications company as well as one of the oldest in the United States. It has achieved this status through incomparable longevity and a widespread, accessible network. However, as technology advances, the younger T-Mobile quickly catches up to its fellow tech giant. In terms of 5G capability, T-Mobile has more coverage, while AT&T remains the most commonly used provider in the country.
As far as pricing goes, the two companies are fairly comparable. While the Essentials plan for T-Mobile is $60 for one line, the similar Unlimited Starter plan from AT&T is slightly more expensive at $65. However, the Unlimited Starter plan also provides extra security features and a subscription to Google Stadia, a cloud gaming service.
The deciding factor here will be which perks you are more interested in. Many of T-Mobile’s plans offer Netflix, one of the most popular streaming services today. AT&T offers access to Google Stadia and HBO Max, both of which are early platforms looking to grow in the coming years. Your preference in streaming services will likely be the deciding factor here. Whichever you prefer may very well inform which company to go with .
When Does T-mobile Plan to Release 5G Mmwave?
AT&T employs multiple different types of 5G, but it has been continuously building up its usage of 5G mMwave in urban areas. A lot of T-Mobile’s 5G coverage comes in sub6 coverage, which refers to frequencies below six GHz built to be sustainable over long distances. mMwave, on the other hand, can only be used in densely populated areas due to its minimal reach.
Representatives of T-Mobile have stated that, unlike Verizon, T-Mobile does not plan to focus primarily on mMwave for 5G.
What T-Mobile Plans Include Netflix?
The Magenta plans offer Netflix packages. With the regular Magenta plan, you get the basic Netflix package with standard definition streaming for those with two or more lines.
On the Magenta Max plan, you get these features with only one line, while adding lines gives you access to the standard Netflix package with high-definition streaming. These plans cost $40 and $47 respectively for plans with three lines.
What T-Mobile Plans Are Eligible for Ebb?
While T-Mobile was compatible with the Emergency Broadband Program (EBB), that program is no longer effective. The EBB was a program that assisted families who struggled to afford internet during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, people can apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program by visiting Metro by T-Mobile.
What to Do Next?
If you are enticed by the prices of T-Mobile’s unlimited plans and think the perks that come with those plans are worth the money, T-Mobile might be the way to go when setting up your internet provider. Whether it’s price, perks, streaming services, or coverage, consider comparing carriers and plans by what’s most important to you to make sure you get the most value for your buck.
Don’t feel like comparing options yourself? We’ll do it for you! Plan Navigator evaluates your current plan, your budget, your data usage, and more to find the perfect plan for your needs at the best price for free!
Sources:
US largest wireless carriers 2021 | Statista
Find the right plan for you | T-Mobile Support
Compare our best Plans | T-Mobile
Manage your plan | T-Mobile Support
AT&T Inc. (T) Company Profile, News, Rankings | Fortune
