Best T-Mobile phone plans: Prepaid and postpaid plans for new and existing customers
T-Mobile, the third-largest mobile carrier in the US, currently has a better standing than ever thanks to the fairly recent conclusion of its long-time coming merger with Sprint. With the combined forces of the two carriers, T-Mobile in 2023 is a rather competitive carrier that can easily sway you with its decent coverage and aggressive plan pricing. Verizon and AT&T surely feel the heat coming from the Magenta carrier!
But which one should you choose if you're eyeing Team Magenta? That's definitely the question that looms over just about anyone who's pondering to switch carrier in 2023. And due to the sheer quantity of plans, options, and perks, it's easy to get lost in all the available plans. Okay, that's an overstatement on our part, but in any case, you could probably benefit from all the essential features of each plan neatly laid out ahead of you, including our recommendations as to which plan to pick.
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Let's explore the best T-Mobile plans and which one you should choose.
- T-Mobile phone plan types
- Best T-Mobile Phone plans for individuals
- Best T-Mobile Prepaid phone plans
- Best T-Mobile Phone plans for families
- Best T-Mobile Phone plans for seniors
- Best T-Mobile Business plans
- Can I bring an unlocked device to T-Mobile?
- What kind of customer support does T-Mobile provide to its customers?
- Does T-Mobile have good coverage?
T-Mobile phone plan types
Just as the rest of the carriers in the US, T-Mobile has both prepaid and unlimited postpaid plans. The difference between those is that prepaid plans usually include less perks and might face some stricter restrictions, whereas postpaid plans allow you to save by combining a few lines on a single account and also benefit from lots of perks, like free streaming services, discounts on devices bought at the carrier, faster connection speeds, and so much more. However, these usually have lots of credit and eligibility checks, while prepaid plans are much more lax.
Best T-Mobile Phone plans for individuals
All regular T-Mobile plans include unlimited 5G and LTE data, nation-wide 5G coverage, dedicated customer care, unlimited text and talk, exclusive perks, and advanced scam-blocking protection.
T-Mobile has four main plans in the roster: Magenta MAX, the most premium one; the middle-tier Magenta one that could be its most appealing plan; and finally, the affordable Essentials one that lacks many perks of the pricier plans; finally, there's the Base Essentials plan, which has very low-cost monthly payments going for it if you're using up to two lines, but also not much else in terms of features. At the same time, the Magenta MAX and Magenta plans also offer special discounts for military and veterans, first responders, and seniors.
| T-MOBILE PLAN | MAGENTA MAX | MAGENTA | ESSENTIALS | BASE ESSENTIALS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price for 1 line | $85 | $70 | $60 | $45 |
| Price for 2 lines | $140 | $120 | $90 | $80 |
| Price for 3 lines | $140 | $120 | $90 | $100 |
| Price for 4 lines | $170 | $140 | $105 | $120 |
| High-speed 5G access (Premium Data) | Unlimited | 100GB fast data, then slower speed | 50GB fast data, then slower speed | 20GB fast data, then slower speeds |
| Regular 5G access (Nation-wide 5G) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hotspot | 40GB fast, then 3G speeds | 5GB fast, then 3G speeds | Unlimited 3G hotspot | Unlimited 3G hotspot |
| Media streaming quality | 4K UHD | SD 480p | SD 480p | SD 480p |
| Other perks | Netflix (Standard, 2 screens), Apple TV+, Paramount+ (1-year subscription) | Netflix (Basic, 1 screen only), Apple TV+ (6-month subscription), Paramount+ (1-year subscription) | Paramount+ (1-year subscription) | Paramount (1-year subscription) |
| Wi-Fi Calling | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Unlimited talk, text, international texting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unlimited talk and text for direct communications between 2 people, charges may apply for o |
So, which plan to get if you're looking to open a single line? If you're heavy into streaming and could enjoy a basic netflix subscription for the remainder of your service, Apple TV+ for 6 months, and Paramount+ for a year, not to mention the 100GB of high-speed 5G data, then the regular Magenta plan could be a very decent pick for you. It comes with just 5GB of high-speed 5G hotspot, but otherwise, the features you get are worth the relatively high monthly price.
If you don't really need any included streaming perks and could do with a lower monthly price, then the Essentials plan, at $60 a month per 1 line, is definitely a great offer. You get 50GB of high-speed data, as well as an unlimited hotspot, albeit at relatively slow 3G speeds. Still, a decent pick for a single plan, though it should be taken into account that upgrading to two or three lines would definitely bring the media cost down. Of course, Unlimited talk and text is ensured with this plan.
Best T-Mobile Prepaid phone plans
If you don't want to be weighed down by contracts, then T-Mobile's prepaid plans are a great fit. There are three offerings of this plan type on T-Mobile. Let's compare them in the table below.
| T-MOBILE PLAN | UNLIMITED PLUS | UNLIMITED | 10GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price for 1 line per month | $60 | $50 | $40 |
| Price for 2 lines per month | $90 | $80 | $70 |
| Price for 3 lines per month | $120 | $110 | $100 |
| Price for 4 lines per month | $150 | $140 | $130 |
| Price for 5 lines per month | $180 | $170 | $160 |
| 5G data | Unlimited | Unlimited | Up to 10GB |
| Deprioritization (slower speeds during network congestion) | Yes, after 50GB of high-speed data | Yes, after 50GB of high-speed data | Yes, after 50GB of high-speed data |
| Hotspot | Up to 10GB high-speed data, then 3G speeds | Unlimited at 3G speed | Capped up to monthly data allowance (10GB) |
| Unlimited talk and text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other perks | Wi-Fi calling, Music Unlimited, Data Maximizer, Caller ID, scam-blocking protection | Wi-Fi calling, Music Unlimited, Data Maximizer, Caller ID, scam-blocking protection | Wi-Fi calling, Music Unlimited, Data Maximizer, Caller ID, scam-blocking protection |
| Optional perks | Talk, text, up to 5GB LTE data in Mexico/Canada (+$5/mo); Stateside international calling (+$15/mo) | Talk, text, up to 5GB LTE data in Mexico/Canada (+$5/mo); Stateside international calling (+$15/mo) | Talk, text, up to 5GB LTE data in Mexico/Canada (+$5/mo); Stateside international calling (+$15/mo) |
The best prepaid plan on T-Mobile's network seems to be the Unlimited one, which has all the perks of the more premium Unlimited Plus one sans the super-fast data hotspot allowance. If a hotspot is not that important to you, this is the plan to get on T-Mobile's network. At the same time, if you insist on getting a prepaid plan but desperately need the hotspot, then you need to get the Unlimited Plus plan.
Best T-Mobile plans for families
At the current prices and perks, it seems like the best plans for families of 3 or more are both Magenta and Prepaid Unlimited Plus. The first one gets you arguably the best value amongst T-Mobile's Unlimited plans, with up to 100GB of premium high-speed data per line, as well as 5GB of 5G hotspot allowance per line. Prepare to pay $140 for four lines, which is an okay price given what's included in this plan.
The prepaid plan comes with unlimited data but will deprioritize heavy users until the end of the billing cycle , and also gets you up to 10GB of high-speed data, as well as other perks. This one will set you back $150 a month for four lines.
The prepaid plan comes with unlimited data but will deprioritize heavy users until the end of the billing cycle , and also gets you up to 10GB of high-speed data, as well as other perks. This one will set you back $150 a month for four lines.
Best T-Mobile Phone plans for seniors
If you're 55 or older, then T-Mobile has not one, not two, but a whole lot of three different plans aimed at users 55 years old and older.
| T-MOBILE PLAN | MAGENTA MAX 55+ | MAGENTA 55+ | ESSENTIALS 55+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price for 1 line | $45 | $35 | $27.50 |
| Price for 2 lines | $90 | $70 | $55 |
| 5G Access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deprioritization (slower speeds during network congestion) | No | Yes | YesD |
| Hotspot | 40GB of 4G LTE data, then slower speeds | 5GB of 4G LTE data, then slower speeds | 3G data hotspot |
| Media streaming | 4K UHD | SD 480p | SD 480p |
| Unlimited talk and text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other perks | Unlimited in-flight connection, Netflix basic with 1 line, Netflix standard with two lines, Apple TV+, 1-year AAA membership | In-flight connection, Netflix basic, Apple TV+, 1-year AAA memebrship |
Overall, the Magenta MAX 55+ seems to be a great deal altogether, with little restrictions, tons of data allowance, high-quality streaming and very decent perks, like free Netflix, Apple TV+, and more. However, if you don't really need so much high-speed data or don't care about streaming, then the standard Magenta 55+ plan would be a better value. At $35 for a single line and $70 for two lines, with up to 5GB of hotspot and data deprioritization, this seems like the plan that T-Mobile wants to sell to people 55 and older. It's the best value, especially if you don't care about the extra streaming perks.
Best T-Mobile plans for business
Here are T-Mobile's business plans, which offer great flexibility. Here are the main differences between all of these, compared:
| T-MOBILE PLAN | UNLIMITED ULTIMATE+ IPHONE | UNLIMITED ULTIMATE | UNLIMITED ADVANCED | UNLIMITED SELECT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price for 1 line | $95 | $85 | $70 | $60 |
| Price for 2 lines | $160 | $140 | $120 | $90 |
| Price for 3 lines | $160 | $140 | $120 | $90 |
| Price for 4 lines | $200 | $170 | $140 | $105 |
| Price for 5 lines | $240 | $200 | $160 | $120 |
| Price for 6 lines | $300 | $240 | $180 | $150 |
| Price for 7 lines | $350 | $280 | $210 | $175 |
| Price for 8 lines | $400 | $320 | $240 | $200 |
| Price for 9 lines | $450 | $360 | $270 | $225 |
| Price for 10 lines | $500 | $400 | $300 | $250 |
| Price for 11 lines | $550 | $440 | $330 | $275 |
| Price for 12 lines | $600 | $480 | $360 | $300 |
| 5G premium data | Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB fast data, then slower speeds | 50GB fast data, then slower speeds |
| Hotspot | 200GB fast data, then slower speeds | 100GB fast data, then slower speeds | 50GB fast data, then slower speeds | 5GB fast data, then slower speeds |
| Media streaming | Up to 4K UHD | Up to 4K UHD | HD | SD |
| Other perks | Microsoft 365 (1 basic, 1 standard licence), Scam Shield Premium, Unlimited in-flight sessions, international texting and data, Apple Business Essentials, Apple Care+ | Microsoft 365 (1 basic, 1 standard license), Scam Shield Premium, Unlimited full-flight Wi-Fi sessions | Microsoft 365 (2 basic licenses), Scam Shield, 4 full flight Wi-Fi sessions per year | Scam Shield |
T-Mobile has a great selection of business-oriented plans, which could fit a wide selection of use-case scenarios. The best-value one, however, seems to be the Unlimited Advanced plan, which strikes an excellent balance between price and features. With up to 100GB of high-speed data per month per line, this one has seemingly all the essential bells and whistles at a killer price. It also includes two basic subscriptions for Microsoft 365, as well as Scam Shield protections.
Can I bring an unlocked device to T-Mobile?
Yes, T-Mobile allows you to bring your own device on either a prepaid or postpaid plan. Of course, your device has to fulfill a few essential requirements. For one, you have to make sure that your phone is unlocked. Next up, you also need to make sure that said device is actually compatible with the T-Mobile network. Finally, you need to get a compatible SIM card and pick among T-Mobile's plans. You can keep both your personal data and phone number, so that the transition to T-Mobile's network is issue-free.
What kind of customer support does T-Mobile provide to its customers?
T-Mobile's support offers good customer support. You can check the carrier's FAQ for some of the essential issues that customers seem to have with the carrier's services. If you can't resolve your issue with any of the provided materials or inside the T-Mobile app, you can always call 1-800-T-MOBILE for individual customers or 1-866-965-0526 for business inquiries.
Does T-Mobile have good coverage?
T-Mobile reportedly has the second-best coverage in the US, second only to Verizon. It seems that T-Mobile doesn't have really good coverage in Idaho, Oregon, and some parts of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, as well as Washington and northern California. To make sure that you will have good coverage on T-Mobile's network, check the carrier's live coverage map right here.
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