ZDNET’s key takeaways
- T- Mobile’s new T-Mix plans allow customers to customize their phone plan’s benefits.
- T-Mix plans will launch in November, though no date has been announced
- Customers can pick from Netflix, Apple TV, ESPN, and more, spending their “picks” every 90 days.
T-Mobile’s phone plans just got a facelift, and now it’s easier than ever to pick and choose the benefits you want. Announced on October 26, T-Mobile’s T-Mix is replacing the old Mobile Experience plans. The three new T-Mix plans are postpaid phone contracts with a core set of features and multiple “Picks” options that can be interchanged to add benefits, streaming services, gaming subscriptions, and device financing.
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These new plans aren’t available yet (they launch in early November, though T-Mobile hasn’t confirmed a specific date). Existing T-Mobile Experience 2.0 plans will not be available to new customers, but current customers on those plans will be allowed to maintain them.
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T-Mobile’s new offerings let customers pick and choose which perks they want, rather than having specific benefits tied to certain plan tiers. T-Mobile’s previous Experience plan options provided fixed benefits, much like plans from Verizon and other carriers. This means that some customers had to level up (and pay more) to get exactly the perks they wanted, like Hulu or Netflix access, while other customers didn’t have an option to select a benefit that best fit them if they didn’t want the entire tier of services.
To compete in today’s market, carriers must be more adaptable than ever to retain their customer base. It’s not just about phone discounts, preorders, or the flashiest family plans anymore. Customers want to tailor carrier services in ways that save them the most, and T-Mobile is delivering.
T-Mobile says T-Mix offers no fixed bundles or wasted benefits, and offers customers the freedom to choose how the value built into a wireless plan works for them.
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Comparing the T-Mix plans
T-Mobile’s plans will maintain a one-plan-fits-all policy for accounts with numerous lines. Individual family members won’t be able to maintain their own plan; rather, everyone must agree on a T-Mix base plan to begin with. Customers can select from Standard, More, and Loaded plans.
The plans still offer clear differences.
The Standard plan offers 50GB of high-speed 5G data, unlimited hotspot data at 3G speeds, unlimited international data while traveling in Canada and Mexico at 2G speeds, unlimited texting in more than 215 countries, and up to 480p streaming resolution.
The More plan offers unlimited data, 60GB of high-speed hotspot data, 15GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, up to 5GB of high-speed data when traveling internationally, and up to 4K streaming resolution.
The Loaded plan includes data, up to 250GB of hotspot data, 30GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, up to 15GB high-speed data when traveling, and up to 4K streaming resolution. The Loaded plan also allows customers to connect a cellular-enabled device (add a smartwatch or tablet) for only $5 per item.
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Generally, all plans include unlimited texting in more than 215 countries, long-distance calling at $0.50 per minute, and T-Mobile’s Basic Scam Shield service. Financing is also comparable across plans. You can choose to finance a new phone using T-Mobile’s Classic 24-month term or the recently introduced Flex 36-month commitment.
Pricing for the Standard plan, with no fees or taxes, starts at $55 for a single line or $85 for two lines. Three lines cost $100, and each additional line costs $15. There is a 12-line maximum for each T-Mobile account. The More and Loaded plans will cost more per line, which you can compare in the chart above.
How to get free streaming perks
T-Mobile’s new Picks option gives you the ability to activate perks you’ll actually use, but there are a few things to note. There’s a certain number of picks you get on your account, and a strict timeline for changing them.
Picks operate like a form of currency, with different perks being assigned a pick value. Two picks can get you an Apple Music subscription or Google AI Pro, while one pick can nab you Netflix with ads. The most premium benefits cost three or four picks and are for services like ESPN Unlimited and Netflix without ads.
It’s important to note that you’re at the mercy of T-Mobile’s business partners, and these perks can change over time.
Thankfully, you can choose internal T-Mobile picks too. T-Satellite can be activated with one pick, for example. You can also skip your perks to get discounts on a new device, which could cost between one and three picks, though this option automatically sets yo up with the Flex 36-month financing terms.
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Here’s how I’d use my one pick if I enrolled in the $55 one-line standard plan. According to T-Mobile, I can use one pick every 90 days as a benefit. Through June 2027, Apple TV is only worth one pick. That’s what I’d spend it on first, so I could enjoy shows like The Servant, Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, and more, without paying more than $55 for my one line.
The number of picks you get depends on the plan and how many lines it includes, though picks can be pooled for everyone’s benefit. Not using your picks won’t lower the sticker price of your plan, and you can’t pay to add benefits, either. Your picks still remain separate from other T-Mobile promotions.
The caveats
As noted above, not using your picks doesn’t result in a discount on your plan. It’s just a missed opportunity. Picks can only be switched every 90 calendar days. That’s when customers should change their benefits to fit their next three months. However, if you want to change your pick before the next pick window opens, you could add select picks, like streaming, for a fee.
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You also always have the option to move up your plan to one with more picks at any time. T-Mobile-specific picks, like activating T-Satellite, are also not subject to the 90-day time limitations and can be activated whenever, as long as it’s available in your plan.