T-Mobile has already rolled out two plans and instituted at least four price hikes this year. But the carrier isn't done yet. While the pricing for the rumored upcoming T-Mix plan is mostly in line with the current Experience 2.0 offerings, customers will be getting less in return.
A trap
Good luck if you go for the Standard variant. | Image by The Mobile Report
With a limited number of picks, most lines on a typical account will likely not qualify for phone deals. Customers will have to choose between benefits that were previously included. Seeking Alphaviews the move as a price hike.
Who is going to use the picks on your account?
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Going a step further than Verizon
Verizon doesn't bundle digital extras with its base plans, but it doesn't restrict access to phone deals, either. T-Mobile appears to be removing smartphone deals from half the lines.
The system is also rigid, giving customers a short window every quarter to allocate picks to perks. So if you damage your handset before the quarter is up, you won't be eligible for a new phone unless you happen to have reserved extra perks.
If you choose a higher-tier plan and get your whole family on T-Mobile just to hoard picks, only to end up not using them, T-Mobile saves even more money.
A three-year commitment
With Experience 2.0, T-Mobile extended the installment period from two years to three years. The same will be true for T-Mix, tying subscribers to T-Mobile for longer. Since the discounts will be spread out over a longer period, the monthly cost of offering subsidies will also go down.
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Fewer discounts spread over three years mean T-Mobile might have reduced its spending on subsidies by a third compared with last year. Some rough number crunching suggests these measures could boost profits by up to $4 billion a year.
Broken promises
When T-Mobile and Sprint were merging, District Judge Victor Marrero said he "couldn't imagine they'd be so bold" as to raise rates after the acquisition was approved. T-Mobile has hiked rates directly and indirectly numerous times since then.
Roughly a year ago, there were hopes of a price war. But far from rolling out competitive pricing, T-Mobilekeeps finding new ways to increase prices.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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