I checked the T-mobile offer where they pay for At&t ETF to switch over to T-mobile. My current At&t plan with 2year contract comes out to $65/2GB data whereas T-mobile would be $60/1GB data + $25 for the phone cost. So what's the advantage of T-mobile over At&t and is T-mobile phone unlocked to use on international travel?
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At&t vs. T-mobile plans
- Thread starter gaanee
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The advantage of T-Mobile is that you will not pay an overage if you go over that 1gb. You simply get throttled to 2G speeds. You can also upgrade your phone or leave T-Mobile at any time as long as the balance on your phone is paid. Your bill will also go down if he balance is paid and you don't buy a new phone. The trade-off is coverage. AT&T still has a better network than T-Mobile in many places.
Unless something is missing... using above numbers, At&t is cheaper compared to T-mo during the period of contract. For me data is not a big concern since most of the time I have wifi around and also I am not looking to upgrade every year. The only reason to switch could be if it's unlocked and monthly rates are cheaper.
Which one? $50/1GB data or $60/3GB data?
And are you on AT&T's MobileShare plan? If so, your $65 bill will increase by $15 when and if you get a new phone with 2-year contract.
Aside from pricing, main differences are:
AT&T advantages:
- Generally better nation wide coverage, especially in rural area
- Corporate discount available (T-Mobile recently discontinued this program)
- Better indoor coverage (T-Mobile has 700 MHz spectrum, but so far, very little build out and virtually no phones support it)
T-Mobile advantages:
- Free 2G data (it's slow, but it's free) and text messaging in over 120 countries
- No contract
- Wi-Fi calling for certain phones (including iPhone 5s when using iOS 8)
- HD Voice calls between T-Mobile phones (AT&T is testing it only in 4 states)
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The current T-Mobile Simple Choice plan for 1 GB of 4G data comes out to $50. The $60 option includes 3 GB of 4G data. Both are throttled unlimited data plans with no overage fees.
The current AT&T Mobile Share plan with 2 GB of data (capped with overage fees) runs $80, with a discounted rate of $65 if you bring your own device or go on their Next upgrade plan.
All of these options include unlimited talk and text.
As mentioned elsewhere, T-Mobile has a less extensive network, so you'll likely find more coverage gaps when you travel outside of metro areas. Also, T-Mobile's signals also have less penetration into large buildings. This issue will be somewhat negated when T-Mobile's wi-fi calling comes to the iPhone with iOS 8.
The T-Mobile phones that you buy from Apple are all unlocked, so you when you go overseas, you can use an international SIM card. The iPhones that you buy from T-Mobile stores require that you sign up for 40 days of service and pay off the phone in full before they'll unlock it.
I believe that AT&T will unlock the phone as long it's paid off. If you pay for an AT&T iPhone in full at an Apple store and request the device-only option, it will come unlocked out of the box.
The current AT&T Mobile Share plan with 2 GB of data (capped with overage fees) runs $80, with a discounted rate of $65 if you bring your own device or go on their Next upgrade plan.
All of these options include unlimited talk and text.
As mentioned elsewhere, T-Mobile has a less extensive network, so you'll likely find more coverage gaps when you travel outside of metro areas. Also, T-Mobile's signals also have less penetration into large buildings. This issue will be somewhat negated when T-Mobile's wi-fi calling comes to the iPhone with iOS 8.
The T-Mobile phones that you buy from Apple are all unlocked, so you when you go overseas, you can use an international SIM card. The iPhones that you buy from T-Mobile stores require that you sign up for 40 days of service and pay off the phone in full before they'll unlock it.
I believe that AT&T will unlock the phone as long it's paid off. If you pay for an AT&T iPhone in full at an Apple store and request the device-only option, it will come unlocked out of the box.
Bottom line:
T-mobile $50 for first line 1GB data (plus throttling) (zero subsidy for phone) plus taxes
T-mobile $60 for first line 3GB (plus throttling) zero subsidy for phone
ATT $65 for first line 2GB data ($15/extra per GB over). No subsidy for phone
The consumer will see ATT is only $5 more expensive at the $65 price point.
Is $5/month extra worth it to stay with ATT? (Most people won't go over their data allotment).
T-mobile $50 for first line 1GB data (plus throttling) (zero subsidy for phone) plus taxes
T-mobile $60 for first line 3GB (plus throttling) zero subsidy for phone
ATT $65 for first line 2GB data ($15/extra per GB over). No subsidy for phone
The consumer will see ATT is only $5 more expensive at the $65 price point.
Is $5/month extra worth it to stay with ATT? (Most people won't go over their data allotment).
T-mobile charges are $50 and $60 for 1 and 3GB. But that's just data, in addition to that, they will charge $25 for the phone cost. So for 3GB plan its $85, which is more than At&t
T-Mobile only charges $25/month for the phone if you opt to finance the phone from them. Otherwise, you can bring your current AT&T phone over to T-Mobile and upgrade the device whenever you want.
If you're grandfathered into a $65 plan that allows for subsidized device upgrades every two years, then the math can work in AT&T's favor if you indeed upgrade your devices on that schedule. But, for anyone not currently with AT&T and looking into their current Mobile Share plans, $65/month is actually what AT&T would charge on a 2 GB plan without the device.
I signed up recently with At&t for mobile share plan which is $40 for 2GB data and $25 for iphone, which looks like its cheaper compared to T-mobile plans. Although the phone is locked and thats why I was looking into T-mo for international travel.