T-Mobile brings cheap plans both with and without contract
T-Mobile is bidding to increase its disappointing market share with a new range of cheap service plans. They include a full range of plans for people who don’t want to sign a contract.
The deals are titled Even More and Even More Plus. The former is simply a voice only version of the standard subsidized phone/two-year contract set-up, ranging from $39.99 a month for 500 minutes to $59.99 for unlimited calls.
The Even More Plus options are the more interesting development and are for customers without a phone contract, including those who want to bring an existing handset. The full pricing is at T-Mobile’s site, but in summary, the monthly cost is made up of:
- a basic $29.99 a month for voice only with 500 minutes;
- an extra $10 for 1000 minutes or $20 for unlimited calls; and
- an extra $10 to add unlimited texts or an extra $30 to add unlimited texts and web use.
That means a total of $79.99 for unlimited voice, text and web use, which is certainly extremely competitive for a no-contract deal, and $49.99 for unlimited voice/texts.
While there are no subsidies with the Even More Plus options, customers who want a new handset do become eligible for an installment plan deal. That means that they will pay the full price for the phone, but it will be split into 20 equal monthly installments with no interest charges. The full details of this haven’t been published yet, so it’s unclear if taking up the finance deal commits customers to sticking with the service plan, which would certainly undermine the point of not having a contract.
Clearly these deals aren’t for everyone: if you’re committed to a particular handset or are in an area with poor T-Mobile coverage, they aren’t appropriate. And it may take a bit of work on the back of an envelope to work out whether the no-contract deals work out better value taking into account the lost subsidy on any particular model.
Related Posts:
