T-Mobile is remixing its phone plans again, and this time it’s more substantial than adding a “2.0” to the names. Announced today, the T-Mobile Experience plans are being replaced by T-Mix, a new trio of postpaid phone plans with a core set of features and a plethora of “Picks” options that can be mixed and matched to add perks like video services, gaming subscriptions and even device financing.
The T-Mix plans will launch in early November, but the carrier hasn’t shared a specific date. T-Mobile’s existing Experience 2.0 plans will go away as options for new customers, though existing customers can stay on their plans.
“T-Mobile and [other carriers] have really built a ‘good/better/best’ world” where customers choose prepackaged plans, said Allan Samson, T-Mobile chief marketing officer, during a call with CNET. “We’re going to blow that whole thing up, and you get to individually curate every experience you want.”
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Much like with Verizon’s current plans, T-Mobile’s new offerings let customers pick and choose the perks they want rather than reserving some perks for certain plan tiers, as it had with its former Experience plan options. If you wanted a perk such as Hulu streaming, you had to pay up for the pricier Experience Beyond 2.0 plan. Conversely, even if you picked the Beyond plan for another reason, like unlimited mobile hotspot data, you still got Hulu whether you watched it or not.
Each of the new T-Mix plans includes a core set of high-speed data, hotspot data, video streaming speeds and international options. On top of that – and the feature that gives T-Mix its name – is a selection of Picks, which work like a type of currency to choose perks like streaming services, game passes, and services like DoorDash or T-Satellite. Picks can also go toward financing a new phone.
Mix and math: Three core plans
Despite the modular nature of Picks, T-Mobile is still sticking with its one-plan-fits-all policy for accounts with multiple lines. Unlike Verizon and AT&T, where each family member can have their own plan, everyone needs to agree on which T-Mix base to start from: Standard, More and Loaded.
The Standard plan includes 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 (SD) streaming resolution.
The More plan includes unlimited high-speed data, up to 60GB of high-speed hotspot data (which drops down to an unlimited amount at 3G speeds), 15GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico (then unlimited at 256Kbps), up to 5GB of high-speed data when traveling internationally (then unlimited at 256Kbps) and up to 4K (UHD) streaming resolution.
The Loaded plan also includes unlimited high-speed data, up to 250GB of hotspot data (then unlimited at 3G speeds), 30GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico (then unlimited at 256Kbps), up to 15GB high-speed data when traveling (and down to 256Kbps unlimited after reaching that cap) and up to 4K (UHD) streaming resolution. On the Loaded plan, you can also connect a cellular-enabled device, such as a smartwatch or tablet, for $5 an item.
| Standard | More | Loaded | |
| Cost: 1 line (AutoPay) | $55 | $75 | $95 |
| Cost: 4 lines (AutoPay) | $115 | $180 | $240 |
| Picks (lines 1-4) | 1/2/3/4 | 2/4/6/7 | 3/6/9/11 |
| High-Speed Data | 50GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Hotspot Data | Unlimited 3G | 60GB high speed then unlimited 3G | 250GB high speed then unlimited 3G |
| Canada/Mexico Data | Unlimited 2G | 15GB high speed then unlimited 256Kbps | 30GB high speed then unlimited 256Kbps |
| International Data | Unlimited texting in 215+ countries | 5GB high speed then unlimited 256Kbps | 15GB high speed then unlimited 256Kbps |
| Streaming Resolution | 480p (SD) | Up to 4K (UHD) | Up to 4K (UHD) |
All plans include unlimited texting when traveling in more than 215 countries, long-distance calling at $0.50 a minute and T-Mobile’s Basic Scam Shield service.
For each plan, 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 (with AutoPay and not including taxes and fees) for the Standard plan starts at $55 for a single line, jumps to $85 for two lines (or $42.50 a line) and then increases to $100 for three lines (or $33.33 a line). Additional lines cost $15 more apiece.
The More plan starts at $75 for one line, then goes to $130 for two lines and $155 for three lines. Additional lines add $25 each to the monthly cost.
The Loaded plan is $95 for a single line, $160 for two lines and $200 for three lines. Adding more Loaded lines costs $40 each.
An account can have up to 12 lines.
T-Mix-a-lot: How Picks work
One advantage of T-Mobile’s now-old Experience plans was the simplicity of knowing that if you moved up to a higher tier such as Experience Beyond, you’d get a specific set of additional perks.
Picks gives you the flexibility to only activate perks you’ll actually use, but working out which to opt for is a bit complex. With Picks, there are two components at play: How many Picks you get on your account, and when you can change them. It sounds low-key chaotic on the surface, but it will start to make more sense, I promise.
T-Mobile assigns a Pick value to the perks it’s offering. For example, one Pick could get you Netflix Standard with ads or the DashPass service by DoorDash. If you want an Apple Music Individual or Google AI Pro subscription, that would use two Picks.
Higher-tier offerings such as Netflix Standard and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate are three Picks each, while Netflix Premium and ESPN Unlimited are four Picks.
Those are all services offered by T-Mobile partners, and can change over time (more on this in a moment).
T-Mobile also has its own Picks services. T-Satellite can be activated with one Pick, and so can the company’s new Optimized Video Calling service, which gives video calls a higher data priority for better quality.
If you’re looking to buy a new phone, you could get one for between one and three Picks depending on the device — in other words, you can forgo fancy add-on perks to get discounts on a new handset. Phone picks automatically inherit the Flex 36-month financing term.
To give Picks a real-world analogy, picture a restaurant buffet. You’re given a plate that’s sized based on how many Picks are available to your account. A Standard plan with one line would have the smallest plate (one Pick), while a Loaded plan with four lines would have a much larger plate (11 Picks).
The Picks on an account can be pooled depending on the group’s needs. A family of four on the Loaded plan, for example, might decide to get Netflix Premium to watch movies without ads (4 Picks), DashPass to save money on food deliveries (1 Pick), Xbox Game Pass Premium (2 Picks) and Pandora Plus (1 Pick) for entertainment and then a new phone for Mom (3 Picks).
The number of Picks you get depends on the plan and how many lines it includes. Not using a Pick doesn’t lower the plan price, and you’re not able to pay more for extra Picks (like adding a Verizon perk, for example) aside from moving to a more expensive plan.
Also, Picks are separate from the company’s perks such as T-Mobile Tuesdays promotions, discounts on hotels and rental cars, Delta premium in-flight drinks and MLB TV.
How Picks are timed
The next Picks component is timing. Every 90 calendar days, you can switch your Picks. Did you burn through all the shows you wanted to watch on Hulu? At the next Picks window, you can switch it for another option, or dump some 1- and 2-value Picks and pool them to get a new phone.
If you’re in the middle of the schedule and want to pick up Netflix to see what everyone is talking about in season four of The Diplomat, you can do that by canceling an existing Pick service and adding the streaming service for a fee, which Samson said would be in the $10 to $15 range. Or, at any time you can move up to a plan with more Picks (such as from More to Loaded).
The exceptions to that timing are T-Mobile’s Picks; you could turn on T-Satellite if you know you’re going remote backpacking, as long as a Pick is available in your plan.