What’s the trick? If you still want to trade in credit for a new phone, you may end up with fewer streaming benefits than T-Mobile’s previous plans offered. (Fortunately, existing customers can keep the plans they have.) As with so many other bundling attempts, the savings T-Mobile promises are really just a smokescreen.
What the hell is a ‘Pick’?
T-Mobile
Under T-Mobile’s old plans, its two most expensive tiers included specific streaming benefits. The Experience More plan included Netflix (with ads) and a $10 per month Apple TV credit, while the more expensive Experience Beyond plan added Hulu (also with ads).
Instead, the new T-Mix plans give you options. Each plan comes with a certain number of “Picks” that you can redeem for various streaming or subscription services, and the number of Picks you get depends on your plan and the number of lines:
- Standard plan: One “Pick” per line.
- More plans: Two “Picks” per line, up to seven Picks with four lines.
- Loaded plan: Three “Picks” per line, up to 11 Picks with four lines.
In terms of costs and data allowances, the Standard, Plus, and Loaded plans are roughly equivalent to T-Mobile’s Essentials, Experience More, and Experience Beyond plans, respectively.
As for what those picks give you, it’s complicated, because some perks cost more than others:
- 1 choice: Netflix (with ads), Hulu (with ads), Apple TV (until June 2027), Paramount+ Essential, YouTube Premium Lite, Pandora Plus, DoorDash DashPass, Google AI Plus, SiriusXM All Access (app)
- 2 selections: Apple TV (after June 2027), YouTube Premium, Pandora Premium, Apple Music Individual, Xbox Game Pass Premium, Google AI Pro
- 3 selections: Netflix Standard (no ads), Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
- 4 selections: Netflix Premium, unlimited ESPN
In theory, this all sounds great, especially for families. A family of four on T-Mobile’s Loaded plan, for example, would have enough selections to get ESPN Unlimited, ad-free Netflix, Apple TV, and YouTube Premium, which adds up to a value of up to $81 per month.
