T-Mobile's latest phone plan saves you $1,000 over Verizon and AT&T – here's the fine print

T-Mobile is making a move to lure customers from competitors Verizon and AT&T with its new Better Value family plan, available now. The plan starts at $140 a month for three lines, breaking down to about $46 per month per line. 

T-Mobile says this will save you over $1,000 a year compared to similar plans from Verizon and AT&T, in part due to the perks included, like Netflix and Hulu, satellite connectivity, and scam protection, with a five-year price lock.

While the Better Value plan now lives alongside T-Mobile’s other plans, like Experience Beyond and Experience More, the $140/month price is a limited-time deal — the regular price for this new plan will be $155/month. 

Of course, there is some fine print here: To get that $140 per month price, you’ll need to enroll in AutoPay; otherwise, you’ll pay an extra $5 per month per line. The price excludes taxes, surcharges, and fees, including a device connection charge of up to $35 per line. Again, you’ll need to sign up for at least three new lines if you’re switching from another carrier, or at least three lines after five years of tenure on another T-Mobile postpaid plan. 

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Even so, this is a solid deal when you look at what’s included — particularly if you travel frequently or use popular streaming services and want to save on them. With the Better Value plan, you’ll get: 

• A five-year price guarantee
• A phone upgrade every two years, with the same deals offered to new customers
• T-Satellite
• Unlimited premium data
• Unlimited mobile hotspot
• Netflix Standard with Ads
• Hulu with Ads
• Apple TV for an extra $3/month (regular price is $13/month)
• Up to 4K UHD video streaming
• Watch and tablet lines for an extra $5/month
• Unlimited text and 30GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico
• Unlimited text and up to 30GB of high-speed data, then unlimited data at up to 256Kbps in over 215 countries

If you want to make the switch, T-Mobile says it should take only 15 minutes to complete online. If you’ve been paying off a phone through another carrier, the provider will pay off eligible device balances of up to $800 per line, for up to four lines, via a prepaid Mastercard. Find out more about if you’d be eligible on T-Mobile’s website.

Should you sign up for T-Mobile’s Better Value plan?

You might be a good candidate for the Better Value plan if: 

• You were planning to switch carriers anyway.
• You need at least three phone lines on your plan.
• You either already subscribe or want to subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, and/or Apple TV, but don’t want to pay full price.
• You’re a frequent traveler, and can take advantage of the unlimited mobile hotspot and international data.

If you’re already on a T-Mobile plan, particularly a heavily discounted one from years past with a price lock, you’ll want to do the math before switching to make sure this would be worth it for you.

How I rated this deal 

Although the Better Value plan is now a regular part of T-Mobile’s offerings, the carrier states that the $140/month price is a limited-time offer — the regular price is $155/month for three lines. With all of the perks and the added price drop, I rate this deal a solid 4/5.