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Priced at $100 a month and up, T-Mobile's freshly unveiled Go5G Next plan is... clearly not for everyone. But the most power users of power users are likely to be attracted by the possibility of easily upgrading their phones every 12 months without (technically) paying anything, and if you're part of that elite and affluent group of people, you're probably extremely excited for tomorrow's actual launch of this... interesting new offer.
Unfortunately, as much as the "Un-carrier" used to pride itself on including all taxes and fees in the upfront costs of its plans, hidden expenses and convoluted terms and conditions are becoming a bigger and bigger problem for more and more T-Mo customers.
What's the catch?
Case in point, existing subscribers looking to "upgrade" their accounts to Go5G Next service for the privilege of upgrading to a new mobile device every year rather than once every two or three years. In addition to the "standard" surcharge of your change, which Magenta included in a neat and fairly easy-to-understand chart found below, a previously undisclosed monthly fee will apparently also apply to your account.
The discovery was made by the always resourceful and well-informed folks over at The Mobile Report after studying various internal documents, and unless T-Mobile changes its mind at the last minute, we expect to see this stipulation buried deep inside the new plan's official terms and conditions starting August 24.
In a nutshell, it looks like a switch from your current plan to the Go5G Next option will add 10 bucks to your monthly bill for every "previous discounted/free line" on your account. Free lines, of course, are T-Mo's thing and one of the big reasons why many customers stuck with the operator through thick and thin over the last few years, ignoring multiple security mishaps, massive outages, and rising prices.
These promotions were so frequent and easy to claim that we wouldn't be surprised if there are T-Mobile subscribers around with four, five, or six free lines on their accounts, in which case their monthly costs could go up by a lot with a Go5G Next switch.
It gets worse
Even if you've only taken advantage of the carrier's practically permanent "third line on us" deal, you probably wouldn't have liked to see said line go up from $0 to $10 a month without warning, so consider this your unofficial word of caution. And yes, the hike will apply in those cases too, which is totally and utterly uncool.
On the bright side, Insider discounts will apparently be accepted on the Go5G Next plan (if you can get them), which is definitely a good thing, and the same goes for the plan's First Responders, 55+, and Military tiers, which exist and will of course be available at reduced rates that are unfortunately still unknown.
For most new and existing T-Mobile customers, Go5G Next service will cost $100 a month for one line, $170 for two, $180 for three, and $225 for four (with Autopay), including all the features and benefits of the not-so-old Go5G Plus option, as well as the added yearly smartphone upgrading perk.
Said perk will cost you nothing... extra as long as you've paid off half of the phone you're looking to ditch, and yes, you will even be eligible for said handset's full trade-in benefits (as long as it's in good working condition, presumably). That's clearly an enticing proposition for some people, but you'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth the monthly costs. Both the ones officially detailed by T-Mobile and unofficially revealed today.
Galaxy S24+ with T-Mobile and trade-in: save $600
Get the Galaxy S24+ with a subscription to T-Mobile via Samsung.com, and you can save up to $1,000 with a trade-in from participating carriers (this includes T-Mobile.) Alternatively, choose Samsung's trade-in option to save up to $600 on the S24+.
Galaxy S23 is up to $535 off with T-Mobile and a trade-in
Alternatively, you can trade in a suitable phone and sign up to T-Mobile through Samsung.com to save up to $535 on the Galaxy S23. Extra savings are available via Samsung's Offer Programs.
Save up to $1,050 on Z Flip 5 with T-Mobile at Samsung
Currently, you can get the Z Flip 5 with a subscription to T-Mobile through the official Samsung store at up to $1,050 off, including a $50 instant Samsung Credit with your selected carrier. As you might have guessed, the deal requires a trade-in.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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