Changes afoot at T-Mobile; smartphones to require data plans, family messaging rate hike
There has been quite a bit of movement recently as far as T-Mobile’s plans are concerned and if you haven’t been keeping your eye on the ball, you probably missed something. For the most part, T-Mo has added plans and options that are pretty favorable for subscribers but word just came in from one of our ninjas regarding a few more upcoming changes some might not be happy about. The first concerns smartphone users: We know that all you BGR fans out there obviously have data plans but there are plenty of people who enjoy the enhanced functionality of a smartphone who haven’t yet embraced mobile data services. Unfortunately, those people are in for a bit of a disappointment — some time in June T-Mobile will begin requiring that all smartphones (new activations / upgrades) have a data plan. This new requirement will not apply to the BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Pearl Flip, Samsung Behold or Samsung Memoir. Next up, messaging addicts: Also beginning some time in June, T-Mobile’s Unlimited Domestic Messages for Families will jump from $19.95 per month to $24.99 per month. It’s still a pretty sweet deal of course, just not quite as sweet as it used to be.
wow you guys are easily misdirected lol
watch ou demand a prom contest for a date with her
Either way you look at it, the devices that TRUELY need a data package are the Android devices and the Sidekicks. A lot of people choose the Blackberry Curve series, and full keyboard Windows Mobile phones because they choose to do a lot of texting (which is fine). In my book, that means have more message phones, and this will be less of a problem.
I don’t see what the big deal is, at least T-Mobile users can still sign up for a cheap flip phone and just pop the SIM into an unlocked BlackBerry with ease. As a VZW user, I don’t have that option; they will not activate a smartphone on their network without a data plan.
If you have the old plans it will be “grandfathered” so you wont pay more..now for data that is if you do CHOOSE to upgrade or sign up after June then you will have to get internet…i sell tmo and i think its stupid when little 11 year old kids get a bb and not the internet just because they want a bb…att and verizon both doing the same…i would never go to sprint after what i see them do to their customers no wonder why they are bleeding 1.5ish million customers a quarter…
guess i wont be getting a new contract
I have the old $4.99 tzone plan. If I was to buy tmobile’s branded touch pro 2 from someone other than tmobile. Would I still be able to browse the internet, check email with my tzone plan? or will I see a webpage asking me to subscribe to the data plan?
It would be nice to get more details about what they mean by “required” data plans.
Last weekend you could get the Blackberry 8900 for free with a 2 year contract from Amazon. All the resellers (e.g. Wirefly) require you to sign-up for the data plan when ordering the phone. In the past you could sign-up and if you didn’t have a MIR you could cancel the data plan the same day (not sure if you get the prorated money for the service back). When I called this weekend about the Amazon promo they told me I had to keep the data plan for 6 months. With the Blackberry unlimited + 400 text plan this came to $150 per phone extra. So if this is what the article above is talking about then that is already in place today. Now if they are saying you need to sign-up for 2 years then that is a deal breaker. Why should I pay $450 extra ($650 for 24m) to get a new phone? They are basically hiding the new phone cost in the data plan. And that is on top of calling plan. $50 unlimited data/text/phone from Boost mobile is sounding much more attractive now.
I’m in the same position with AT&T. I’ve got 1500 minutes for $42/month & $15 unlimited internet….
If I try to upgade they’ll let me keep my voice plan, but I’ll have to switch to the $30/month internet. If they actually ever look at what type of phone I have they’ll make me pay $30/month any way. So my only option is a GREAT deal elsewhere and give up the lower price for better service, or un-locked phones!
Brian,
I have been a loyal Tmobile customer for 6 years. I am out of contract and looking at other carriers plans. I was thinking about staying with Tmobile and getting the Touch Pro 2 until everyone started swithing to LTE.
With Tmobile changing their data plans their prices will be higher than sprint, just a few dollars cheaper than AT&T and Verizon. If Tmobile dosen’t get their 3G network expanded quickly they will be loosing customers quckely by forcing them onto their (slow) edge network while other wireless providers are offering 3g with 4g soon to follow.
Those incoming calls are not free. The caller is paying through the nose.
I still don’t think this is right. Again, Tmobile isn’t losing money! They are profitable. As far as the subsidy on phones goes we need to keep in mind that while they are picking up the cost of part of the phone (in exchange for a 2 year contract) they are not paying retail for the phones! That $500 MSRP phone is probably costing them less than half direct through RIMM or whomever and we pay what….$100 or $200 for a new service activation? That doesn’t fly with me.
If I add it up all correctly, they will now be priced almost as high as verizon for comparable voice/data services but without the coverage. That just doesn’t make sense for someone who is supposed to be a value provider. I hate to say it but sprint is looking pretty nice right now….you get more for your money AND pay less.
And where would that be? Mars?
I am from Italy, and I can assure you that in the USA, even if I agree that there isn’t that much a choice when it comes to handsets compared to Europe… but it is far cheaper than any prepaid in Europe.
Slow your roll folks before you get your panties in a bunch. The data and messaging plans may be changing but give all the info a chance to come out. The discounts available to customers is going to increase significantly along with the frequency customers will be able to upgrade. So you give up a little and are going to get stuff back in the end. Just wait and have a little patience
About ETF…
About 4 to 5 years ago tops, I used to be with Cingular prior to switching to T-Mobile. I recall having to pay 250 dollars to terminate my contract, with at the time Cingular, because I later recalled my dad signed a two year contract since we added him last. The plan was the following. The contract was under my mom’s for 79.99, then we had 2 added lines for 9.99 each. At one point, our contract expired, however we still added a 4th line for my dad. This makes me assume that he signed a 2 year deal… hence the fees. After not even 1 month, we all switched to T-Mobile and had to pay 250 bucks. Is there something I can do? I assume not, but if anyone knows please tell me.
hm… i’m glad i quit working for t-mobile when i did. this would’ve been bloody hell for me.
@AJ I live in NYC and I been comparing signal service between TMO and ATT and ATT is way better. I guess it depends of where you live.
It starts june 3rd after that u have to get a data plan for some data phones not all also instead of a data plan u have the option of getting unlim txt for1499 for indv. If u are on a ft plan and already have ft unlim txt then you are forced to get a data plan on an upgrade or new activation. Also the 400 text plan is being replaced by 300 for 4.99
You guys all crying about data need to get with the program…why have a smartphone if you’re not going to use the data? Why buy a car if you don’t want the engine? Man some people are cheap. I have a Blackberry Bold on at&t and an iPhone 3G and I wouldn’t ever DREAM of not having data on my smartphones.
@mo money-
some people dont HAVE the money for a data plan…its not being cheap, its living within your means…unless you want people to live outside of their budget again and get in the mess we’re in today
@ mo money
ooohh look at me I have two smartphones w/data on them…im not cheap….even my handles got money.
Obviously you’ve missed my point…which was not to put myself up on a high horse because I have two smartphones. My point is similar to some of the other posters who say they don’t understand why people would get blackberries, palms, winmo phones, etc. without data plans. If people like texting on their phones, they should buy a messaging device. They’ll get much more out of that phone in the long run. I know so many people who get upset with their blackberries because they don’t use them for what they were intended for and it makes them mad. The point is smartphones to have an all in one device, and a lot of people could probably find them very useful in the long run if they approached the data plan more as a why not question rather than a why should I question.
@ dqnny
u sound like a crying baby
i think if ur gonna get a smartphone then u should get it for the features like the data, getting some thingike a blackberry without the data just makes the device only good for making calls and texting, cause if you dont have the data then u cant send or recieve pic messeges and ur phone service drops every so often
Um.. this isn’t a big deal.. Just do what u would normally do. When they ask you what phone you have, give them the imei of an old phone they had back in 2003 or something, so that you won’t be forced to get data. Or fuck it, for new customers, just get the data, then cancel it the same day. What, they gonna cancel your service too if u take the data off.. lmaooo.. Also, so now the 50mb and 100mb plans will be no more and they’ll just have it unlimited with unl-text for 19.99. That’s good!! That’s like having the 5.99 tzones with the 14.99 unl text. Same shit! I’m so glad i have the 5.99 tzones on my smartphone, but if they mess with my account, it’s a rap..
I understand where you’re coming from…at the same time however, one could argue that buying a more expensive phone with no real need for it could be considered “living outside their means” too. As for Anthony, they CANNOT touch your account without your consent, as that violates your contractual agreements with T-Mobile. If they were going to force you into a data plan, it would be because you were purchaing a smartphone from them.
Since you have the $19.95 family messaging plan, the data plan should be $24.99, not the $34.99 plan. If that is not the case, call and have that fixed and request a credit for the difference from the time you added the messaging feature.