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T-Mobile USA to Carry iPhone Beginning April 12th, Using New 'Uncarrier' Payment Plan

Tuesday March 26, 2013 8:48 am PDT by Jordan Golson
TmobileT-Mobile, the only major U.S. cellular carrier to not sell the iPhone, will begin carrying the device on April 12th. The carrier will sell the phone under its new 'Uncarrier' policies as T-Mobile attempts to differentiate itself from other cellular networks with new 'customer-friendly' rate plans.

New iPhone customers will be able to purchase the 16GB iPhone 5 for $100 down, plus 24 monthly payments of $20. After the payments are finished, customers will see their monthly bills drop. On traditional subsidized plans from AT&T or Verizon, users pay $199 up front, and then see a subsidy payment invisibly built into their monthly plans. However, if the customer goes longer than two years without purchasing a new phone, the carrier continues to collect subsidy repayments as pure profit.
"This is an important day for people who love their iPhone but can’t stand the pain other carriers put them through to own one," said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile USA. "We feel their pain. I’ve felt the pain. So we’re rewriting the rules of wireless to provide a radically simple, affordable iPhone 5 experience — on an extremely powerful network."
Notably, T-Mobile says it will be the only U.S. carrier to support the 'Wideband Audio' feature of the iPhone 5, calling it 'HD Voice'.

T-Mobile is also offering the iPhone 4S for $70 down and $20 per month for 24 months, and the iPhone 4 for $15 down and $15 per month for 24 months.

The carrier will charge a base rate of $50 per month for unlimited talk, text and 3G data, plus 500MB of 4G data. Customers can add 2GB of 4G data for $10/month per line, or $20/month for unlimited 4G. Additional lines have a base rate of $30/month for the first, and $10/month for each additional. The company officially rolled out 4G LTE service today in Baltimore; Houston; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Phoenix; San Jose, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.

Customers can pre-order the iPhone 5 beginning April 5.

[ 331 comments ]


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Avatar
mbh
78 months ago

This question has been lingering for a while.

Sign up with the payment plan, cancel 1 month later. obviously T-Mobile would expect you to either return the phone, or pay the full unsubsidized value (reduced by the amount already paid) of the device.

Isn't that a "contract" ?


It is, but it is separate from the service. Once the phone is paid for, you don't have that part of the payment anymore. With other companies your bill doesn't go down once the phone subsidy is paid off.
Rating: 14 Votes
Avatar
DipDog3
78 months ago

Let's see... $20/month (iPhone) + $50/month (base rate) + $20/month (unlimited data) = $90/month for one line.

I pay $100 for Verizon and 2GB of Data. I would rather pay $10 more a month for a far more grown out LTE network that Verizon offers.


You are comparing cost of Unlimited Data to Limited Data on Verizon at a higher cost and you still want Verizon... :confused::confused::confused::confused:
Rating: 12 Votes
Avatar
Radio
78 months ago
Tmobile CEO says to "stop the bull #%*#"

Awesome
Rating: 9 Votes
Avatar
TheRealTVGuy
78 months ago
$70.00 a month sounds a lot better than $120!

Does this include tethering?

I LOVE the fact that after you've paid the subsidy, YOU JUST PAY FOR SERVICE! I told the AT&T guy that I've been a customer 2 years, my subsidy was paid and that I wanted to see my rate drop. He just laughed.

Here in Central Florida T-Mobile is great. Will visual voicemail and all the other features work now?

And How much for a 32GB iPhone 5?
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
jman240
78 months ago

Let's see... $20/month (iPhone) + $50/month (base rate) + $20/month (unlimited data) = $90/month for one line.

I pay $100 for Verizon and 2GB of Data. I would rather pay $10 more a month for a far more grown out LTE network that Verizon offers.


Except you don't have to pay the extra "$20/month (unlimited data)" because the base plan includes unlimited 3G data and 500mb of 4G (Im guessing LTE) data, that "$20/month (unlimited data)" is for 4G data, sure, it may be a must have for you but if you don't need it or want parents to have smart phones and know they'll never use it then it would just be the $70, until you've paid off the phone or if you bring your own phone then its $50.

Family plan with 5 phones, just using the base 3G data is $110/mo as long as you already own the phones.
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
DipDog3
78 months ago
I really want to switch now!

Too bad I still have a year left on my AT&T contact...

I guess I could cancel my contract and sell my iPhone 5 to pay for the termination fee???
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
spazzcat
78 months ago

I really want to switch now!

Too bad I still have a year left on my AT&T contact...

I guess I could cancel my contract and sell my iPhone 5 to pay for the termination fee???


I would check with people in your area that have TM first. In some areas they make ATT look like a 5 star provider.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
Neokiller309
78 months ago

This question has been lingering for a while.

Sign up with the payment plan, cancel 1 month later. obviously T-Mobile would expect you to either return the phone, or pay the full unsubsidized value (reduced by the amount already paid) of the device.

Isn't that a "contract" ?


Yes. But you don't have to sign it to get the phone. You can purchase the phone upfront if you would like.

It is unlike other carriers in the fact that if you cancel early, You are still paying off only your phone. Not like other carriers where you are then forced to continue paying their ridiculous plan prices.

What you are doing is financing the phone. Expecting them to want reimbursement for their loan (The phone) Is no different than trying to cancel a credit card with a balance on it.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
Illuminated
78 months ago

Yes but you need to pay $20/month for the iPhone as well so it costs $90/month until your iPhone is payed off, then it's $70/month.


You're missing a key point. So it's $100 down, then you pay $50 a month for unlimited text, talk, and 3G data, plus 500mb of 4G data. Plus you have to pay $20 a month for the phone itself. So it is only $70 a month. Where are you getting $90 a month?:confused:
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
jman240
78 months ago

I mean, I pay like $210 a moth for 3 lines with ATT.......


Ok. 3 Lines on Tmob starts at $90/mo

If you don't already own the phones or don't want to buy them outright then add on $30-$60 to that.

The data add ons are only for high speed 4G, you get 3G (2G) unlimited data with the base Tmob plans...
Rating: 3 Votes

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