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T-Mobile Essentials Plan

T-Mobile Essentials is T-Mobile’s entry-level unlimited data plan.

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T-Mobile Essentials Plan Details

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T-Mobile Essentials: Who is It Good For?

T-Mobile Essentials caters to users who are comfortable having their cellular data deprioritized (i.e., temporarily slowed down) when the network is busy, rarely need to use their device as a mobile hotspot, and aren’t looking to bundle their wireless plan with any add-ons like video streaming services other perks.

T-Mobile Essentials Plan Price

T-Mobile Essentials boasts an attractive price point, particularly for the generous allocation of deprioritized data compared to industry competitors offering similar plans, such as AT&T and Verizon. For those interested in multiple lines, T-Mobile includes multi-line discounts with this plan.

However, unlike more premium unlimited T-Mobile plans, T-Mobile Essentials doesn't include taxes and fees in its upfront price, which can add between 10-12% to the total cost.

T-Mobile Essentials Data

As the name suggests, T-Mobile Essentials doesn’t offer a lot of extras. But what it lacks in bells and whistles, it makes up for with its generous deprioritized data. While deprioritized data is subject to slowdowns during high-traffic times, average users who don’t engage in heavy-data activities don’t tend to even notice the difference between deprioritized and premium data.

Where T-Mobile Essentials is more true to its name is in its limited hotspot data allocation.

T-Mobile Essentials Add-Ons and Perks

T-Mobile Essentials doesn’t include perks or add-ons like video streaming services or other subscriptions.

Pros and Cons of T-Mobile Essentials

Pros

  • Competitive features for its price
  • Good for unlimited talk and text
  • 5G and 4G LTE coverage on T-Mobile's own network

Cons

  • At 3G speeds, your data will be noticeably slower than normal Wi-Fi
  • Multi-line pricing is more attractive than single-line, meaning single-line users may get less value

T-Mobile Essentials FAQs

Q: What is the T-Mobile Essentials plan?

A: T-Mobile Essentials is T-Mobile's entry-level unlimited plan, offering a generous allocation of deprioritized data for those who don’t need a lot of hotspot data or extra perks.

Q: Is the T-Mobile Essentials plan worth it?

A: The T-Mobile Essentials plan is worth it if you want to save money on your plan by opting for deprioritized data instead of premium data and limiting your hotspot usage.

Q: What is the T-Mobile Essentials Saver plan?

A: For a slightly lower cost, T-Mobile Essentials Saver provides users with everything that T-Mobile Essentials does except for phone device promotions.

Where It Fits in the T-Mobile Lineup

T-Mobile Essentials is T-Mobile’s entry-level unlimited data plan offering, just one step up from T-Mobile Essentials Saver. It sits below T-Mobile Go5G, T-Mobile Go5G Plus, and T-Mobile Go5G Next plans.

The Bottom Line

All major wireless service providers, including T-Mobile, offer a range of unlimited data plans. With so many cell phone plans to choose from, selecting the right one can be tricky.

Still not sure if T-Mobile Essentials is right for you? That’s where our free, unbiased Plan Finder below can help. Just answer a few quick questions and we’ll tell you our top picks based on your needs.

We search thousands of plan features from all the top carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Spectrum Mobile, UScellular, and Xfinity Mobile to find the best deals on cell phone plans that meet your criteria.

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Price
$
60
/mo for 1 line account
Taxes and fees included
Taxes and fees not included
Features (included in the price)
Premium Data
None
Deprioritized Data
50GB
5G or 4G Hotspot
Unlimited 3G (slow)
Video Streaming
SD
Perks
  • T-Mobile Tuesdays
n/a
International and Travel
  • Unlimited talk, text, and data at 2G speeds in Mexico and Canada.
  • Unlimited texting in 210+ countries.
n/a
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for you?
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Other T-Mobile Unlimited Plans

T-Mobile
Essentials Saver
$
50
/mo/1 line
Taxes and fees are included
Taxes and fees are not included
  • Premium Data:
    None
  • Deprioritized Data:
    50GB
  • 5G or LTE Hotspot:
    Unlimited 3G (slow)
Plan Details
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T-Mobile
Go5G Next
$
100
/mo/1 line
Taxes and fees are included
Taxes and fees are not included
  • Premium Data:
    Unlimited
  • Deprioritized Data:
    Unlimited
  • 5G or LTE Hotspot:
    50GB LTE/5G
Plan Details
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T-Mobile
Go5G Plus
$
90
/mo/1 line
Taxes and fees are included
Taxes and fees are not included
  • Premium Data:
    Unlimited
  • Deprioritized Data:
    Unlimited
  • 5G or LTE Hotspot:
    50GB LTE/5G
Plan Details
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T-Mobile
Go5G
$
75
/mo/1 line
Taxes and fees are included
Taxes and fees are not included
  • Premium Data:
    100GB
  • Deprioritized Data:
    Unlimited
  • 5G or LTE Hotspot:
    15GB LTE/5G
Plan Details
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