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Carrier Cheaper service than T-Mobile?

Tig Bitties

Tig Bitties

macrumors 603
Original poster
So I've been with T-Mobile a long time, prob 15 years or so, there's 4 of us, we all use Google Pixel phones, which I buy outright or through Google direct, never from T-Mobile.

But the monthly bill seems a bit high lately, we average around $160 to $180 a month for all 4 lines, which I think is pretty darn high, any recommendations for cheaper but still good network in the U.S.?
 
Second the US Mobile call out. Unlimited Starter is $25/m w/ taxes + fees included... and you can use any network you want. Got 3 lines + companion watch. Been very happy with the service for a little over a year now.
 
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If you are with a carrier for 15 years you must have no complaint about the coverage. To find a cheaper rate, you must know what you need and don't need. Start by figuring out what data amount do you require.
 
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robvalentine said:
I pay £12(ish) (17.38USD) for 70gb in the UK, US prices are mental. If I downgraded from Three UK to o2, I'd pay £8...
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I know people paying single line rates at Verizon - $75/mo for cellular 😛. (You get a bit of a discount if you can do a family plan with 4 or more lines (brings it down to $45/mo)).
 
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Mint Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile both run great Black Friday deals. They are both T-Mobile service.
Visible also runs those holiday specials, but I find it much slower and spottier coverage than regular VZW for some reason.

Of course with these MVNOs, you are getting no savings on your devices. But it sounds like you are okay paying full price for devices.

I currently have two lines on Mint which I paid $180 ea for the entire year of unlimited service. My only gripe with Mint is if you do eSIM and switch it more than a few times a year, they start charging you $3 per a swap and eventually won't sell you any more eSIMs, leaving you stuck on whatever device you were using. This won't affect 99% of people, but I am a frequent phone buyer and ran into some limits last year that pissed me off.
 
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BigMcGuire said:
I know people paying single line rates at Verizon - $75/mo for cellular 😛. (You get a bit of a discount if you can do a family plan with 4 or more lines (brings it down to $45/mo)).
Click to expand...

But we should keep in mind that the monthly service rate includes enough add-in $ to cover the "free" or "discounted" phones that they offer to customers. That's probably $25/mo. And to cover the added costs to provide service over a much larger geographic area than the UK. That might be another $10/mo to $20/mo (total guess). And as you hinted at, the single-line rates are higher to subsidize the lower rates for families and multi-line accounts (as a single-line user I say "boo!! hiss!!").

This is where the MVNOs and flanker brands can be helpful. US Mobile, Tello, Visible, Mint, etc. Lower monthly service rates, but customers will often need to purchase their own phones elsewhere or with minimal discounts from the carrier. You might also get slower speeds than you'd get directly from the actual/physical carrier.
 
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Tig Bitties said:
So I've been with T-Mobile a long time, prob 15 years or so, there's 4 of us, we all use Google Pixel phones, which I buy outright or through Google direct, never from T-Mobile.

But the monthly bill seems a bit high lately, we average around $160 to $180 a month for all 4 lines, which I think is pretty darn high, any recommendations for cheaper but still good network in the U.S.?
Click to expand...
Hmm, i have 4 lines on ours as well but i pay $122 for all 4. All phones are paid for. 3 Pixels and a iPhone.
I also been w T-Mobile a long time. Wanna say since 2006? Somewhere around then.
I got one of those plans where it was $120 or something for 4 lines, unlimited everything. Not sure whats different about your coverage and plan.
 
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skriefal said:
But we should keep in mind that the monthly service rate includes enough add-in $ to cover the "free" or "discounted" phones that they offer to customers. That's probably $25/mo. And to cover the added costs to provide service over a much larger geographic area than the UK. That might be another $10/mo to $20/mo (total guess). And as you hinted at, the single-line rates are higher to subsidize the lower rates for families and multi-line accounts (as a single-line user I say "boo!! hiss!!").

This is where the MVNOs and flanker brands can be helpful. US Mobile, Tello, Visible, Mint, etc. Lower monthly service rates, but customers will often need to purchase their own phones elsewhere or with minimal discounts from the carrier. You might also get slower speeds than you'd get directly from the actual/physical carrier.
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1781363966477.png

Without phone payment. For a single line. Does offer trade in credit but a phone will add $20 more a month. Lol
 
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Might help if you mention your specific plan. An example is the legacy Magenta plan. That's an old plan but folks like you can be grandfathered in. If you had it and switched to a new T-Mobile plan, it would have gone up a lot. There is no reason to have changed plans if you buy your own phones.

Take a look at the data aspect of your bill. First, does is have unlimited data? (The legacy Magenta plan does.) If not, has somebody in your family increased their usage? If so, there might be a simple solution. Music plans, for example, can spike usage while out for a walk or run away from home wifi. The solution might be to download playlists so one can listen without using cellular data. The added benefit is one can create a list that helps to maintain a specific walk or run pace.

Edit: also make sure everybody has their phones set up to minimize cellular. For example turn on wifi calling for home usage.

Edit 2: Also, check whether anybody on the plan has traveled outside the US. The legacy Magenta plan has a nice travel feature if you limit your usage, like mostly text. But it's more expensive if you want full coverage outside the US. For that, better to get a local esim at a much lower cost.
 
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BigMcGuire said:
Without phone payment. For a single line. Does offer trade in credit but a phone will add $20 more a month. Lol
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Yep. But they're still charging more (hidden in the base plan rate) to apply towards future discounted phone upgrades that subscribers might want from them. This isn't too troubling for those who will use the discounted or free phones that the carrier provides, but can be annoying for those (like me) who prefer to use phones purchased elsewhere.

I've used US Mobile previously. And currently use Google Fi with a 50% discount on the monthly service plan rate for 15 months. Very limited phone discounts from these, which is fine by me!

If I was traveling internationally or needed domestic roaming, I might go back to T-Mobile. But it would be hard to accept their current prices for unlimited service especially with them now adding taxes & fees on top of the base plan rate.
 
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I've been with Tracfone since my first Motorola flip phone, ~2015? (now on iPhone SE). Their Indian call center sucks, but once I got autopay set up I haven't had to call them since; for $119/year I'm satisfied (note this is for just one phone).
 
Tig Bitties said:
So I've been with T-Mobile a long time, prob 15 years or so, there's 4 of us, we all use Google Pixel phones, which I buy outright or through Google direct, never from T-Mobile.

But the monthly bill seems a bit high lately, we average around $160 to $180 a month for all 4 lines, which I think is pretty darn high, any recommendations for cheaper but still good network in the U.S.?
Click to expand...
Also have T-Mobile, we have 3 lines on the Go5G Plus plan and pay $123 including tax/fees. I found a helpful in-store rep some years back who gave me an insider hookup 20% off for life code and after that took advantage of a BOGO offer for adding a line. Since it includes Apple TV+, Netflix, and MLB.TV I consider this to be great value.

If (when) they force me to switch plans or remove my insider discount I'm gone. There's no point in going postpaid anymore, imo. I've tried Visible+ and US Mobile, highly recommend either of those if you're going to switch.
 
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Harthag said:
Also have T-Mobile, we have 3 lines on the Go5G Plus plan and pay $123 including tax/fees. I found a helpful in-store rep some years back who gave me an insider hookup 20% off for life code and after that took advantage of a BOGO offer for adding a line. Since it includes Apple TV+, Netflix, and MLB.TV I consider this to be great value.

If (when) they force me to switch plans or remove my insider discount I'm gone. There's no point in going postpaid anymore, imo. I've tried Visible+ and US Mobile, highly recommend either of those if you're going to switch.
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I have had to have backup lines for my work for the last year or two.

I've used Mint, Visible, and US Mobile. They are amazing - and having tested both side by side with Verizon Wireless' Unlimited Ultimate - can't really tell a difference when you're on comparable plans.

And you can REALLY save money if you're good about not using cellular data. ($96/year is crazy (2GB/mo)).
 
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Tig Bitties said:
So I've been with T-Mobile a long time, prob 15 years or so, there's 4 of us, we all use Google Pixel phones, which I buy outright or through Google direct, never from T-Mobile.

But the monthly bill seems a bit high lately, we average around $160 to $180 a month for all 4 lines, which I think is pretty darn high, any recommendations for cheaper but still good network in the U.S.?
Click to expand...
I have been using Mint Mobile in the US for two years and very satisfied. They use T-Mobile towers. I get reliable 5G data, stream YouTube and all that.

I could babble on but just do it and you’ll wonder why you wasted so much on T-Mobile. As an example, though, I've driven all over the East Coast, into Canada (free roaming in Canada) and south as far as Virginia, and the 5G works the whole time, doing my CarPlay navigation and music streaming. The service is solid. The only thing cut-rate is the price and they don't have a bunch of T-Mobile's free features, such as a Netflix discount, and you have to pay about $20 for an International Pass when you travel overseas.

Overseas, I have used it without difficulty in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Israel, Qatar, France, Saint Lucia and Canada.
 
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Alameda said:
Yes. His 25% stake was sold as part of a billion dollar acquisition by T-Mobile, but he is still their spokesperson.
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How cool is that. I really enjoyed his Mint Mobile commercials. They were very effective. lol.

And wow, they upped their limits since I last used them. Very nice. They have really good deals now and then too to keep an eye out for.
1781707394640.jpeg
 
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Re: Verizon Simplicity Plan:

EDIT: Sorry 5 lines.
So I have a Verizon Wireless 5 line plan. We're on Unlimited Plus (3) and Unlimited Ultimate (1).

After everything (taxes/deductions/etc) - it is $340/month for 5 of us. 2 of us are on phone payment plans. Some have perks (music/streaming).

The Simplicity Plan says I can't just change ONE line to the simple plan but all have to switch. And on the warning page it says we will lose $87/mo in monthly discounts in a big warning block. Then it says the new plan will be $270/mo. (I assume before taxes).

Biggest warning - the 2 lines on device payment plans lose their Device Installment discounts from trade in...

I lose my employer discount, loyalty discounts we got recently, etc...

So yeah it is simple but doesn't look to be that much cheaper. Significantly less hotspot too.
 
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BigMcGuire said:
So I have a Verizon Wireless 4 plan. We're on Unlimited Plus (3) and Unlimited Ultimate (1).

After everything (taxes/deductions/etc) - it is $340/month for 4 of us. 2 of us are on phone payment plans. Some have perks (music/streaming).

The Simplicity Plan says I can't just change ONE line to the simple plan but all have to switch. And on the warning page it says we will lose $87/mo in monthly discounts in a big warning block. Then it says the new plan will be $270/mo. (I assume before taxes).

Biggest warning - the 2 lines on device payment plans lose their Device Installment discounts from trade in...

I lose my employer discount, loyalty discounts we got recently, etc...

So yeah it is simple but doesn't look to be that much cheaper. Significantly less hotspot too.
Click to expand...
For four lines, you pay $340/m with discounts? Yi yi yi. That's insane.
 
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