T-Mobile has been the carrier to 'shake-up' the cellular industry in the past few years. Their April 2020 merger with Sprint has given them greater coverage and spectrum ownership.
Plan Information
T-Mobile Postpaid currently offers a variety of smartphone-based unlimited plans, tiered plans, and data-only plans for hotspots, tablets, and wearables.
We have a Gear Center page dedicated to T-Mobile's Global Plus 15GB smartphone add-on feature (also noted below), which we consider a Top Pick mobile plan.
Data Only Plans
Data Only Plans
In December 2020 T-Mobile launched new data-only plans for hotspots and routers that they refer to as 'Mobile Internet' plans. As of December 15, the plans are not available online, but we have received multiple reports of people being able to activate them in stores and over the phone.
Currently Available Plans:
- 100GB - $50/month **TOP PICK** (Prepaid option also available)
- 30GB - $40/month
- 10GB - $30/month
- 5GB - $20/month
Pricing above is with autopay discount, and no additional taxes charged (TI). There's also a version of the plans available (TE) where taxes are extra.
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: T-Mobile
- Carrier Relationship: Direct
- Plan Types Available: Data Only
- Device Types Permitted: Hotspots, Routers
- Unlimited: No
- High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use: Yes, data caps according to plan
- Throttling: After allotment of high-speed data is used, speeds are reduced to 2G
- Network Management: Always subject during times of congestion; addition reduction if using more than 100GB/month
- Video Streaming Resolution: 480p
- 5G Access: Yes, with a compatible device
- eSIM: No
- Device Purchase Required: No
- Plan Period: Monthly
- International Roaming: 5GB in Canada and Mexico; Unlimited data at up to 128kbps in 210+ countries
- Domestic Roaming: 200MB/month
- Data Roll Over: No
- Overage Charges: None
- Lines permitted per account: Not specified
- Extras:
The fine print in the initial information provided for the 100GB plan stated there will be an additional charge of "up to $40 more per line/month without a qualifying voice line." However we have multiple reports of the $40 surcharge not being charged, and we see no indication of that surcharge on their website.
Tablets **TOP PICK**
Tablets can be activated as stand-alone devices for $60/month (with autopay) or can be added to a Magenta plan for $20/line ($15 for Essentials).
This includes unlimited on-device data with unlimited hotspot/tethering at 3G speeds (600kbps).
Magenta tablet plans include 5G of LTE data in Mexico and Canada followed by 2G speeds (128kbps) and unlimited data at 2G speeds in other countries where T-Mobile has roaming agreements.
Video streams are at DVD quality (480p) unless you add an HD Day Pass or Plus upgrade.
For customers using >50GB/mo., the majority of data usage must be on the tablet. Tablet usage is prioritized over tethering usage, which may result in higher speeds for data used on the tablet.
Wearables
Wearables can be activated as stand-alone devices for $25/month, or can be added to any existing unlimited plan account for $10/line.
Unlimited Smartphone Plans
Unlimited Smartphone Plans
Currently Available Plans:
- Essentials - $60/month
- Magenta - $70/month
- Magenta MAX - $85/month
- Global Plus 15GB - $120/month **TOP PICK**
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: T-Mobile
- Carrier Relationship: Direct
- Plan Types Available: Phone (unlimited talk/text), Tablet
- Device Types Permitted: Phone, Tablets, Wearables
- Tablets can be added for $20/line/month ($15 for Essentials) and receive unlimited on-device data and unlimited 3G speed hotspot use. **TOP PICK**
- Tablets can be added as a singular device on a Magenta plan (no other phone devices on the plan) for $75/month.
- Wearables can be added to any plan for $10/line/month.
- Unlimited: Yes
- High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use:
- Essentials: None at high speed (unlimited at 3G speeds)
- Magenta: 5GB
- Magenta MAX: 40GB
- Magenta with Global Plus 15GB - Unlimited
- Extra high-speed mobile hotspot data can be added to any plan for $10/10GB
- Throttling: None on device
- Network Management:
- Essential Plan: 50GB
- Magenta: 100GB
- Magenta MAX: None
- Video Streaming Resolution:
- Essentials: 480p video resolution (1.5Mbps video throttle). Can add an HD (1080p) day pass for $3.
- Magenta: 480p video resolution (1.5Mbps video throttle). Can add an HD (1080p) day pass for $3.
- Magenta MAX: Allows for full 4k UHD resolution video streaming.
- Canada & Mexico: While usage is still unlimited in these countries, video will be throttled down to 480p.
- Global Plus 15GB includes 1080p video streaming around the world.
- 5G Access: Yes, with a compatible device and in an area where 5G service is available
- eSIM: Yes
- Device Purchase Required: No
- Plan Period: Monthly
- International Roaming:
- Plans come with the following international roaming fine print:
- "Not for extended international use; you must reside in the U.S. and primary usage must occur on our network. Device must register on our network before international use. Service may be terminated or restricted for excessive roaming."
- Global Plus 15GB - 15GB high-speed data on device while roaming in a Simple Global country (only 5GB in Canada/Mexico) and 5GB of high-speed tethering usage in Simple Global countries. Additional features include unlimited HD video streaming around the world, and unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi.
- Mobile Without Borders - Canada & Mexico: All T-Mobile Magenta plans can be used anywhere in Mexico & Canada just as if you were at home, including tethering. However, data usage has the following restrictions:
- Essentials: Unlimited 2G (128kbps) tethering data
- Magenta: 5GB high-speed data per month followed by unlimited 2G (128kbps).
- Magenta MAX: 5GB high-speed data per month followed by unlimited 2x 2G (256kbps).
- Simple Global - Rest of the World: T-Mobile Magenta plans include free unlimited international text messaging, reasonable rates for voice, and slow, but unlimited, data in over 210 countries depending on your plan:
- Essentials: No international data (except Canada/Mexico)
- Magenta: Unlimited 2G (128kbps) data.
- Magenta MAX: Unlimited 2x 2G (256kbps) data.
- Day Passes: T-Mobile offers day passes for buckets of high-speed data, then unlimited 2G speed data for 24-hours, 10 days, or 30 day periods in their international roaming countries. A max of 2 day passes per 24-hour period may be purchased.
- Plans come with the following international roaming fine print:
- Domestic Roaming: After 200mb of domestic roaming data usage, T-Mobile cuts off roaming network usage until your next billing cycle, or until you're back in a native area on all plans.
- Data Roll Over: No
- Overage Charges: None
- Lines permitted per account: 10
- 55+ Plans
- Special account pricing is available for those aged 55 or older. Up to 2 lines per account - no mixing and matching of line type under a single account. +20/tablet line on an account.
- Essentials 55 : $40/single line, $50/two lines
- Magenta 55: $55/single line, $70/two lines
- Magenta MAX 55: $90/two lines - a single-line option not available
- Special account pricing is available for those aged 55 or older. Up to 2 lines per account - no mixing and matching of line type under a single account. +20/tablet line on an account.
- Extras:
- Netflix-on-US can provide a free Netflix account depending on your plan:
- Essentials: Not available
- Magenta: Netflix basic account (1 SD screen) included with at 2+ lines
- Magenta MAX: Netflix Basic (1 SD screen) with 1 line on the account. With 2+ lines on the account, Netflix Standard (2 screens) with up to 4K UHD.
- Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi:
- Essentials: None
- Magenta: Unlimited texting and 1 hour per flight of free Gogo Wi-Fi access.
- Magenta Unlimited texting and Wi-Fi.
- T-Mobile Tuesdays
- T-Mobile MONEY
- Netflix-on-US can provide a free Netflix account depending on your plan:
Pricing Grid Comparison
News, Videos & Status
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Learn More About Selecting Cellular Data Plans Explore Our Comparative Pricing Grid
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Finding the right plans for your needs is no easy task - quite simply mobile travelers using cellular data as their primary way online is not how most carriers have designed their plans. Many of us want plans that provide copious amounts of data.
Understanding the different plan terms (like network management, throttling, hotspot data, video resolution) is key to determining if a plan will meet your needs or not. You also need plans that are suitable for use in the device you want to use them in - such as smartphone, mobile hotspot device or cellular embedded router.
To learn more about shopping for dataplans, check out these key guides:
Here's a video going over the 'limits' on so-called 'unlimited' data plans:
But a data plan alone will not keep you online. For more education on assembling a cellular centric mobile internet setup, head on over to our collection of guides to help with selecting gear and your signal enhancing strategy:
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