We’re diving into the detailed T-Mobile plans comparison and much more.
T-Mobile's is one of the premier postpaid wireless carriers in the United States, sporting its own network, tens of millions of customers, a robust inventory plans, and an assortment of phone deals that meets its customers where they are in terms of what they're willing to spend on their wireless plan.
With so many carriers, plans and plan perks to choose from at so many different price points, most people find it easier to stay with the carrier and plan they decided on when they first got their phone rather than to untangle all of the confusion with what is available in today’s market. Why not let us do the work for you to find out what plan is best for your current lifestyle, even if it means switching carriers?
Before we take a deeper look at the different T-Mobile unlimited data plans and the options available to you, it’s important to note a couple of the key ingredients that differentiate one plan from another. At a high level, there are five things to think about when you’re evaluating plans (before you get to the sticker price of the plan you want):
Unfortunately, just because a plan says “unlimited” doesn’t always mean the data you use is truly unlimited. You should be aware of three different types of data: premium data, deprioritized data and 3G data. Here’s how they’re different:
Premium data: also called priority data or high-speed data, gives you the best 5G or 4G network speed a carrier can deliver wherever you are. With premium data, you’ll get the very best network coverage T-Mobile can deliver without worrying about your speeds and coverage dropping for any reason other than poor signal.
Deprioritized data: also called basic data, means you’ll have access to 5G and 4G network speed like premium data, but if the network gets too congested (too many users on the same network at the same time), you’ll experience temporarily slower data speeds. This can slow your data speeds by up to 30% until the network you’re on frees up, but for most people, this drop in speed is actually unnoticeable.
3G data: also called 600kbps data, means that your data has access only to 3G network speed (or the equivalent). 3G network speed is very slow and most people would recognize it immediately.
Carriers don’t make it easy to know which type of data is available for each plan. The general rule of thumb is that the more premium data a plan offers, the more expensive it will be. The top-of-the-line plans that give you truly unlimited premium data offered by the big three (T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon) are:
Other unlimited data plans offer a mixture of premium data and deprioritized data. Typically that means you’ll have an allotment of premium data (say 25GB each month) and, after your premium data is spent, you’ll get unlimited deprioritized data for the rest of the month. For example, AT&T's Unlimited Extra plan provides 50GB of premium data followed by an unlimited quantity of deprioritized data.
Keep in mind that most wireless customers use less than 10GB of data per month and that the vast majority of people won’t know the difference between premium and deprioritized data.
The cheaper unlimited data plans offer only deprioritized data. For example, Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome plan offers users unlimited deprioritized data 100% of the time. But there are a few unlimited data plans providing an allotment of deprioritized data each month and, if you use up that allotment, the rest of the month you’ll be on unlimited 3G data. For example, Xfinity’s Unlimited plan offers 20GB of deprioritized data, followed by unlimited data at the equivalent of 3G speeds.
Each unlimited data plan is a mixture of either premium data, deprioritized data or 3G data.
Most users could not tell the difference between premium data and deprioritized data. But most users could tell the difference between premium data or deprioritized data and 3G data.
Most users (95%) consume less than 10GB of data per month.
Carriers’ unlimited data plans support different levels of video resolution, from as high as 2160p down to 480p. The top-of-the-line plans (T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus, Verizon’s Unlimited Plus with Feature Bundle and AT&T’s Unlimited Premium) offer users video resolution at the 2160p level. Most lower end unlimited data plans offer users video resolution at the 480p level.
If you use your phone to watch movies (or you are a gamer), you might want to consider a plan that supports video resolution at the 720p level or higher.
For most other users a lower video resolution will be sufficient.
Hotspot data allows consumers to connect a computer or other WiFi capable device to the Internet through their smartphone and their wireless carrier. Most users do not need any hotspot data, but that is changing as more and more people recognize its benefits.
Carriers offer hotspot data at 5G, 4G or 3G speeds. Keep in mind that 3G hotspot data speed is equivalent to “dial up” from the 1990s (and is really not a practical option).
Carriers that offer 5G and 4G hotspot data cap the amount that a user can consume each month. Of course, the more expensive unlimited data plans offer the largest hotspot data allotment.
Since most people don’t use hotspot data very often, it is difficult for them to know what, say, 50GB of hotspot data really means. Typically, 50GB of hotspot data would allow a user to surf the web from their desktop computer (through their phone) for about 100 hours.
All 5G and 4G hotspot data is capped – so you should know how much you’re likely to use a hotspot.
Hotspot at 3G speed is vastly inferior.
While most wireless users do not have a need for a hotspot, it is becoming more popular as people see the benefit of having it as a part of their unlimited data plan.
Depending on the type of unlimited plan you choose, you’ll likely get access to added features and perks that are bundled into your unlimited data plan. These might include subscriptions to streaming services like Netflix, international connectivity like being able to make calls and text and have access to the internet while you’re traveling abroad, and, in some cases, odd additions like meal delivery services and data protection services. The most common add-on services are streaming services.
Higher-priced plans from Verizon and T-Mobile include at least one free streaming service. Given the popularity of streaming services, this perk offers a good way for consumers to offset the cost of subscribing to these services a la carte.
For some wireless users, international calling features can also be a very important determinant of finding the right unlimited data plan as a la carte international calling charges can be very expensive.
For some consumers, Add-On Features (especially streaming services) could offer a way to save $10 per month or more.
For business travelers, international calling features could also save significant amounts of money.
Some carriers include taxes and fees in their advertised “top line” price and others do not. Taxes and fees will generally add 10% to the overall cost of your plan if it’s not integrated into the plan’s “top line” price. For example, T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus has a “top line” price of $90/month for a single line, and that price is inclusive of the taxes and fees. Conversely, AT&T’s Unlimited Premium has a top line price of $85/month for a single line plus taxes and fees making the real price more like $94 per line, depending on where you live.
“Top line” advertised price can include or not include taxes and fees. Be aware of this if you are trying to compare plans on an equal basis.
The most important consideration of an unlimited data plan is having the right amount and the right type of data. Everyone wants to feel confident that they will not run out of 5G or 4G data or face unexpected charges from their carrier.
For the vast majority of users, deprioritized data is more than sufficient to provide a high-quality wireless experience. If you’re a gamer or you stream movies on cell phone all the time, then you might opt for an unlimited data plan with an allotment of premium data and one with 720p or higher video resolution.
All the other elements of an unlimited data plan, such as streaming services or hotspot data, are very specific to an individual’s unique needs. So, while they’re important in their own right, they are best thought of as tie-breakers.
T-Mobile has the reputation of having built America’s largest, fastest and most reliable 5G network. With the T-Mobile Price Lock guarantee, they won’t raise the price of your Go5G Plus, Go5G or Essentials rate plan.
T-Mobile’s top two plans, Go5G Plus and Go5G, come with options for the most premium or deprioritized data along with a long list of other plan benefits. T-Mobile also offers two additional, more moderately priced plans, Essentials and Essentials Savings, without premium data and fewer benefits for those seeking a lower monthly cost or have less overall needs from their plan.
Go5G Plus is T-Mobile’s top-tier, truly unlimited plan. It comes with unlimited premium data, 50GB of hotspot data, the best video streaming capacity and the largest number of free or discounted additional benefits and perks. There are also often device promotions that give you a higher value for your trade-in if you choose this plan.
Unlike most other postpaid carriers, T-Mobile includes taxes and fees in the per line pricing of this plan as well as a “Get a third line FREE” promotion for existing single-line or new customers. Add in their Price Lock guarantee and this plan is a win / win / win for customers who frequently use the full spectrum of their entire plan.
Go5G is T-Mobile’s mid-tier unlimited plan. It comes with 100GB of unlimited premium data (far more than most users will consume), unlimited 5G & 4G LTE deprioritized data, 15GB of hotspot data, 720p video streaming and almost the same amount of FREE and discounted additional benefits and perks as with the Go5G Plus plan.
Unlike the other postpaid carriers, T-Mobile includes taxes and fees in the per line pricing of this plan as well as a “Get a third line FREE” promotion for existing single-line or new customers. Add in their Price Lock guarantee and this plan is a win / win / win for customers who don’t need the maximum amount of data available. Keep in mind, you can always upgrade your plan if you find that unlimited premium data is required.
Essentials is T-Mobile’s entry level plan. It comes with 50GB of deprioritized data, unlimited 3G hotspot data, DVD quality (480p) standard video streaming and a fair amount of free and discounted additional benefits.
T-Mobile does not include taxes and fees in the per line pricing of this plan, but the “Get a third line FREE” promotion for existing single-line or new customers and their Price Lock guarantee still apply. If this meets your needs, it is still a great plan as is and remains less expensive than AT&T and Verizon’s entry level plans.
Essentials Savingsis T-Mobile’s value plan. It comes with 20GB of deprioritized data and unlimited 3G hotspot data.
While there aren’t any bells and whistles on this plan, it may be all that you need. It is important to have an option where you don’t have to pay for things that you won’t use. Keep in mind that plan and device promotions will not apply to this plan.
Understanding your plan needs is the best first step. Once you know how much premium, hotspot and streaming data you use on a monthly basis, then you can add in the international and additional benefits you would like in order to compare pricing of the carriers that have the best network reliability in your area. Be sure to look into any additional plan discounts you may be eligible for as well as plan limitations before making a final decision.
