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lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Original poster
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,721
Boston, MA
Hello Macrumors friends!

First off, I thought there used to be a carrier segment on the page. I can't seem to find it on the mobile website. Apologies if this is not in the appropriate section.

I am trying to help the in laws and their two daughters shop for a new cell phone plan. They've decided on tmobile (apparently it's great in the Ventura county area and so they're going with them after years of Verizon now raising my father in laws rates since he has retired). The question isn't whether or not to do TMO, it's a question about plans.

I recently read four lines for the price of three with 10gb data on each. This comes out to $120 before taxes. The two daughters would be the only ones getting phones. Here come the questions:

JUMP PROGRAM
Do they really allow three upgrades per year? This seems like a rental, which is fine ($15 a month for an iPhone 6 isn't bad), but if you decide to payoff the phone can you keep it? Or is it literally just a rental.

DATA STASH
Not that I expect this to be an issue at all, but the fine print says data stash is available on 3 and 5 gig plans. Are the 10gb plans excluded? I would think not, but what do I know? I haven't been a TMO customer really for nearly a decade.

MUSIC STREAMING
Again, with 10 gigs I don't expect issues, however, are there any limitations to streaming? I imagine the girls would use apple music and google music. Maybe pandora? Does this generally not take from your monthly alotment?

LENGTH OF OFFER
I couldn't see any place that mentioned how long this plan was valid. Since there are no contracts, the worry I guess would be that the price would change, and while I know most companies generally grandfather, this some firms isn't the case when getting a new device. The idea for them is saving money (they're frugal AF lol) and this seems to be the best deal on the market, even better than TMO's own plans with lesser data packages.
 

B.A.T

macrumors 6502a
Oct 16, 2009
861
768
Idaho
Hello Macrumors friends!

First off, I thought there used to be a carrier segment on the page. I can't seem to find it on the mobile website. Apologies if this is not in the appropriate section.

I am trying to help the in laws and their two daughters shop for a new cell phone plan. They've decided on tmobile (apparently it's great in the Ventura county area and so they're going with them after years of Verizon now raising my father in laws rates since he has retired). The question isn't whether or not to do TMO, it's a question about plans.

I recently read four lines for the price of three with 10gb data on each. This comes out to $120 before taxes. The two daughters would be the only ones getting phones. Here come the questions:

JUMP PROGRAM
Do they really allow three upgrades per year? This seems like a rental, which is fine ($15 a month for an iPhone 6 isn't bad), but if you decide to payoff the phone can you keep it? Or is it literally just a rental.

DATA STASH
Not that I expect this to be an issue at all, but the fine print says data stash is available on 3 and 5 gig plans. Are the 10gb plans excluded? I would think not, but what do I know? I haven't been a TMO customer really for nearly a decade.

MUSIC STREAMING
Again, with 10 gigs I don't expect issues, however, are there any limitations to streaming? I imagine the girls would use apple music and google music. Maybe pandora? Does this generally not take from your monthly alotment?

LENGTH OF OFFER
I couldn't see any place that mentioned how long this plan was valid. Since there are no contracts, the worry I guess would be that the price would change, and while I know most companies generally grandfather, this some firms isn't the case when getting a new device. The idea for them is saving money (they're frugal AF lol) and this seems to be the best deal on the market, even better than TMO's own plans with lesser data packages.
I can answer part of your question. Yes data stash is included and yes the music freedom part is included too.

T-Mobile isn't for everybody but if it works for you it is a great deal.
 

bhayes444

macrumors 6502a
Jul 13, 2013
772
292
Hello Macrumors friends!

First off, I thought there used to be a carrier segment on the page. I can't seem to find it on the mobile website. Apologies if this is not in the appropriate section.

I am trying to help the in laws and their two daughters shop for a new cell phone plan. They've decided on tmobile (apparently it's great in the Ventura county area and so they're going with them after years of Verizon now raising my father in laws rates since he has retired). The question isn't whether or not to do TMO, it's a question about plans.

I recently read four lines for the price of three with 10gb data on each. This comes out to $120 before taxes. The two daughters would be the only ones getting phones. Here come the questions:

JUMP PROGRAM
Do they really allow three upgrades per year? This seems like a rental, which is fine ($15 a month for an iPhone 6 isn't bad), but if you decide to payoff the phone can you keep it? Or is it literally just a rental.

DATA STASH
Not that I expect this to be an issue at all, but the fine print says data stash is available on 3 and 5 gig plans. Are the 10gb plans excluded? I would think not, but what do I know? I haven't been a TMO customer really for nearly a decade.

MUSIC STREAMING
Again, with 10 gigs I don't expect issues, however, are there any limitations to streaming? I imagine the girls would use apple music and google music. Maybe pandora? Does this generally not take from your monthly alotment?

LENGTH OF OFFER
I couldn't see any place that mentioned how long this plan was valid. Since there are no contracts, the worry I guess would be that the price would change, and while I know most companies generally grandfather, this some firms isn't the case when getting a new device. The idea for them is saving money (they're frugal AF lol) and this seems to be the best deal on the market, even better than TMO's own plans with lesser data packages.
I can answer a bit more of your question. If you pay off the phone it is yours to keep, but after the 18 months at $15/mo you will not have covered the full cost of the phone and will need to pay for the rest, plus the deal is only valid on the 16GB iPhone 6. The music freedom only works on T-Mobile's approved list of providers, of which Apple music and Google music are a part. The list is quite extensive enough to cover most consumers. The plan price usually does not change, and if it gets canceled T-Mobile usually keeps it grandfathered in. However, I do believe that the Terms of Service give them the right to discontinue it at any time...
 

Reno Raines

macrumors 65816
Jul 19, 2015
1,473
777
Data stash and music freedom are still there as it is a simple choice plan. I just switched to this plan this last weekend and love it.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Original poster
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,721
Boston, MA
Appreciate all of the responses. One more question...

I guess one of the daughters may be moving out soon. Can they throw the third sin in an iPad mini and just use the data on it or does it need to be in a smartphone?
 

SC54HI

macrumors member
Mar 7, 2012
67
18
Appreciate all of the responses. One more question...

I guess one of the daughters may be moving out soon. Can they throw the third sin in an iPad mini and just use the data on it or does it need to be in a smartphone?
Just switched from VZW & signed up for this T-Mobile plan yesterday. We have two phone lines, unlimited t/t & 10 gb each, and a hotspot on a third line, with 5 gb of data, all on the SCNA plan. The hotspot can also use Canada/Mexico/International data. We brought over our own iphones 5s & added the prepaid T-Mobile hotspot once the postpaid account was set up. Had gotten the hotspot a week or so ago in order test out T-Mobile around town -- worked well so we switched.

Did this in-store, took about 45 minutes in all. Total estimated bill once things are on cycle will be about $120-125 per month.
 

0000757

macrumors 68040
Dec 16, 2011
3,893
850
JUMP PROGRAM
Do they really allow three upgrades per year? This seems like a rental, which is fine ($15 a month for an iPhone 6 isn't bad), but if you decide to payoff the phone can you keep it? Or is it literally just a rental.

You're talking about Jump On-Demand, which is a little different that Jump. Jump On-Demand is a straight up lease program. You have the phone for 18 months, and at the end of the 18 months you can choose to buy out of the lease and keep the device, OR you can choose to start over your lease on a new device. It also does NOT include phone insurance.

The benefit of Jump On-Demand, is that you truly do get 3 upgrades per year. 3 upgrades per year, at ANY time, with $0 upfront. You can walk in and out with weeks of getting your first phone, and then get the second one. You also cannot pay off the phone early (at least to my knowledge, but I may be wrong on that one).

Jump, however, is a little different. Jump is an EIP (Equipment Installment Plan) that is paid over the course of 24 months. You get less upgrades (I believe after a certain amount of days + a certain amount of the device has been paid off, and there is a down payment), but you can pay up at any time to own the device outright, and at the end of the 24 months it is automatically yours.

They both operate a little similar, and by the end of it the phone can become yours. On the lease, it's more like T-Mobile's phone and not yours until you buy it outright (but luckily there's no down payment involved), where as on the EIP its yours, you just haven't paid for it completely (and you can pay for it completely at any time).

DATA STASH
Not that I expect this to be an issue at all, but the fine print says data stash is available on 3 and 5 gig plans. Are the 10gb plans excluded? I would think not, but what do I know? I haven't been a TMO customer really for nearly a decade.

It applies to the 10GB plans as well. Data Stash's fine print says its only available on the 3 and 5GB plans, because normally T-Mobile only offers 1,3,5, and unlimited. the 10GB going on now is just a promotion. All data plans (outside of unlimited cause why get data stash on that?) above 1GB will automatically include Data stash.

Again, with 10 gigs I don't expect issues, however, are there any limitations to streaming? I imagine the girls would use apple music and google music. Maybe pandora? Does this generally not take from your monthly alotment?

Music Freedom will mean streaming music from all the MAJOR services (Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Music, Rdio, iHeartRadio, and a LOT more) will not count towards data consumption. However, this is the audio file ONLY. Things such as Music videos (from Apple Music or TIDAL) or anything from a non-music dedicated service (like YouTube) WILL count towards data usage. You can see a list of exactly which services (and their respective apps) are whitelisted (meaning they won't count) right here.

LENGTH OF OFFER
I couldn't see any place that mentioned how long this plan was valid. Since there are no contracts, the worry I guess would be that the price would change, and while I know most companies generally grandfather, this some firms isn't the case when getting a new device. The idea for them is saving money (they're frugal AF lol) and this seems to be the best deal on the market, even better than TMO's own plans with lesser data packages.

T-Mobile has stated that promotions are permanent. Once you are on a promotional plan, you have it until you leave T-Mobile, or choose to make a major change to that line. However, being on a promotional plan does subject you to some there may be a new feature or option announced for free for non promo users, that promo users have to pay for (for example, i'm on a promotional plan where it was 2 lines of unlimited data for $100, and while all the other customers get Mobile without Borders for free, for us its a $10 addon because of our promo).

Appreciate all of the responses. One more question...

I guess one of the daughters may be moving out soon. Can they throw the third sin in an iPad mini and just use the data on it or does it need to be in a smartphone?

I believe to take advantage of the promotion, the first three lines have to be active smartphone lines. You can add on data lines afterwards, however.

Any idea if one of the lines can be used as a "data only" tablet line?

No, but what you could most likely try is taking the SIM card out of the phone and putting in a data enabled tablet. This may or may not work.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Original poster
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,721
Boston, MA
Wow. Much appreciated. That jump on demand seems like a sweet deal. 16gb iPhone 6 for $15 a month. You're basically just laying depreciation in the device, or less. Apparently (based on what a TMO rep told them) it will extend to the next iPhone as well (they are running an iPhone promo). Neat. Wish ATT did something like that.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Original poster
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,721
Boston, MA
In case somebody comes across this thread I figured I would add a few things...

The Jump on deman iPhone deal is a promo right now (implying that the price won't stay static?). Its $14 for a 6 and $19 for a 6 plus per month. 16GB each. If you want to bump to 64 or 128 GB models there is a $99 and $199 deposit, respectively, irregardless of credit score. This is a bummer because it makes this option less appealing. It seems that they've calculate a $5 per month value (difference between a base 6 and 6 plus is $100 and the program sets the plus at $5 more per month), so it would have been nice if they could tack on $5 to each $100 MSRP. Oh well.

My family went ahead and bought the plan and they are happy with it. I am tempted, at these prices, myself, but I had a crappy experience in Boston when I tried the network about a year and a half ago. Hoping to maybe see what they think when they visit for the holidays.
 
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