T-Mobile's controversial T-Mix plans have officially launched with a last-minute 'Saver' surprise
It seems that you can actually pick from four different T-Mobile T-Mix plans starting today instead of the three originally announced, with the final addition not including any "Picks."
T-Mobile's ambitious new plans are now available for both new and existing subscribers. | Image by T-Mobile
Embroiled in controversy and widely criticized for causing unnecessary confusion without providing clear benefits for new and existing subscribers over older (and simpler) plans before it was even officially detailed last week, the T-Mix program seems to have gone live on the "Un-carrier's" website overnight.
That means you can now "build your perfect plan" however you want, which somewhat surprisingly starts with choosing between Loaded, More, Standard, and Saver (?!) varieties of the T-Mix recipe.
T-Mix Saver is obviously the cheapest and most limited option
- Unlimited talk, text, and data;
- 50GB of "premium" data;
- Unlimited 3G hotspot;
- Unlimited talk, text, and data at up to 128Kbps in Canada and Mexico;
- Unlimited text in 215+ countries and destinations;
- Unlimited international texting from home;
- T-Mobile Travel;
- Scam Shield.
At first glance, that may not seem like such a modest plan. But the big thing that's missing from an otherwise robust list of benefits is actually the central marketing point of the entire T-Mix program.
That's right, you get zero "Picks" on the T-Mix Saver plan, which means you won't have the chance to draft the next Cooper Flagg add things like Apple TV, Netflix (Standard with ads), Pandora Plus, YouTube Premium Lite, and perhaps most notably, T-Satellite access.
Those are all perks available for one Pick (each), which is what you currently get on a T-Mix Standard plan that starts at $55 a month. But the T-Mix Saver option is only $30 a month for one line... when you transfer your number from a different operator, which sounds like a very intriguing deal given that T-Satellite is worth just $10 a month and Apple TV is currently the most valuable 1 Pick benefit, at $15 a month.
For two lines of T-Mix Saver service, you're looking at paying a grand total of $65 a month, which also represents a nice discount over the $85 monthly cost of a comparable T-Mix Standard plan with two included Picks.
What should you choose if you want more bang for your buck?
If you think you can afford it, the T-Mix More plan is clearly significantly better than the T-Mix Standard option, not only including an additional Pick per line but also taking care of all your "premium" data needs without limits while bumping the video streaming quality up from SD to 4K UHD and covering 60 gigs of high-speed mobile hotspot data as well.
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Naturally, that considerably raises the price too, from $55 a month to $75 for a single line, from $85 to $130 for two lines, and from $100 to $180 for four lines. That's right, the T-Mix Standard option seems ideal for folks on tight budgets who need four lines of service this holiday season, especially with the T-Mix Saver plan capped off at two lines.
As for the T-Mix Loaded option, that's clearly perfect for a very specific type of user... who wants to have everything on a single account. Priced at $95 a month for one line, $160 for two, $200 for three, and $240 for four, this plan includes three Picks (per line), as well as 250 gigs (!!!) of high-speed mobile hotspot a month.
Are these plans as bad as some people say?
My colleague Johanna Romero certainly doesn't think so, and after spending a few minutes trying to understand the perks-mixing system and doing a few (basic) math calculations, I actually disagree with many of the Reddit haters as well.
This new plan setup gives off heavy Verizon myPlan vibes. For a self-proclaimed 'Un-carrier', T-Mobile has officially become the most expensive of the Big Three.
xjp888 on Reddit, November 5
Yes, some older T-Mobile plans were a lot better, more convenient, and easier to wrap your head around, but unfortunately, everything has gotten more expensive in the mobile industry (and not only there) over the last couple of years or so.
With that in mind and today's unusually discreet T-Mix Saver launch, I don't think T-Mobile is going to make you overspend compared to the competition on its most basic new plan while the costlier options look like they will deliver both enough value and an unrivaled level of freedom that ultimately justifies their prices.
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