Kevin Bostic
A purported internal T-Mobile document leaked to the Internet reveals specifics of the wireless provider's "UNcarrier" plans, which signal a move away from subsidies in favor of cheaper monthly rates.
The document, acquired by TmoNews (via Droid Life), details T-Mobile's forthcoming payment restructuring, which replaces carrier subsidized handsets with lower monthly payments.
Under the new structure, all T-Mobile plans will include unlimited talk and text, and a 500MB allotment of high-speed data. Individual plans will start at $60 per month and top out at $130 per month for 12GB of data. An unlimited data option is available for $90 per month, but lacks tethering.
Family plans will begin at $100 per month for the first two lines, while tacking on 12GB of data raises the fee to $240 per month. Up to three additional lines can be added to the 500MB plan for $20 each, or $90 each for the 12GB option. Two-line family plans with all-you-can-eat data start at $160 per month.
A smartphone mobile hotspot feature is included in all plans except for those with unlimited monthly data. Those customers will be able to purchase 2.5GB and 4.5GB data chunks to put toward tethering for a fee of $10 and $20, respectively.
The move away from subsidies will see customers paying full price for their smartphones but with lower monthly rates, which could save subscribers money in the long run depending on contract length. T-Mobile believes such a move could boost its market share in the American wireless sector by five percent or more.
The "UNcarrier" is expected to go live with its Value Plan only structure on March 24.
While T-Mobile doesn't currently offer Apple's iPhone on contract, the carrier's network does support the device. In a February announcement, the company revealed that more than two million iPhones were in operation on its network, with about 100,000 owners brining over their unlocked Apple devices per month.
T-Mobile announced in December that it had inked a deal to become an Apple partner carrier in the U.S. effective some time this year. Speaking with Reuters in January, T-Mobile CEO John Legere revealed that the company plans to begin selling iPhones sooner rather than later. At the time, Legere said customers could expect the device to arrive at the carrier in "three to four months as opposed to six to nine months."
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Why would I pay full price for an iPhone 5, and then pay a MINIMUM of $60.00 per month (you'd probably have to go with a more costly plan), when I could go to WalMart and get a Straight Talk - capable iPhone 5 for on an interest-free $25.00 payment plan and pay $45.00 a month for UNLIMITED talk, messaging, and data? The Straight Talk iPhone will run on a major carrier's network that works in far more places as well. This is just NOT a very good deal. How about allowing me to get a smart phone and NOT have to buy ANY data plan. I'll use WiFi for data/e-mail on my phone, thank you. I'd rather use an iPad for surfing the web and e-mail anyhow....and I can go month-by-month on that for only $30.00 a month.
They currently have unlimited everything for $70 a month. So they're raising the price to $90 now? That sucks
They currently have unlimited everything for $70 a month. So they're raising the price to $90 now? That sucks
In a stunning display of quality journalism, AI, in its article about T-Mobile's new shift to no-subsidy plans, didn't display the image describing the no-subsidy plans. Instead, they linked to the graphics outlining the "Classic" plans, which are not even going to be available in T-Mobile stores, or on their website. These "Classic" plans are only going to be available at certain retailers which wouldn't sell unsubsidized plans, and are $20 more across the board because, surprise surprise, there's a phone subsidy.
If AI had linked to the leaked graphic describing the actual new no-subsidy plans, you'd see this instead:
So yeah, unlimited is still $70 / month (assuming that the leaked data is correct). It even comes with a small amount of Mobile Hot-Spot data now.
This is a horribly researched article. Those plans say classic on them, not value. The plans detailed in the article do include phone subsidies. The new value plans, which are priced way lower than these, don't.
This article has the wrong plans image. The classic plans will continue to have contract and are for third party dealers (such as Target, Costco, etc). The new uncarrier Value plans are $50 a month for unlimited talk/text/web with 500mb high speed, add $10 for 2gb high speed, or $20 for unlimited high speed. Family plans are $80 for two lines with unlimited everything with 500mb high speed web each, or upgrade to one of the 2gb/unlimited plans as above. Additional lines are $10 each. http://www.tmonews.com/2013/03/new-one-size-fits-all-value-plan-brochures-begin-arriving-in-t-mobile-retail-stores/