T-Mobile kicked off 2026 with the launch of a new family plan called "Better Value" on January 7th. At first glance, the name sounds promising — but as always, the fine print matters.
What's in the plan: Better Value starts at $140/month for 3 lines. Each additional line up to 8 is $30/month; lines 9–12 run $40/month. The plan includes unlimited data, 30GB of international data (double what T-Mobile's existing Beyond plan offers), free Netflix and Hulu (with ads), and a $10/month option to add home internet backup at 130GB — half what standalone customers pay.
The catch: This is a family-only plan with a minimum of 3 lines — no single-line version exists. New customers switching from a competitor must port in at least 2 numbers. Existing T-Mobile customers? You need at least 5 years of tenure to be eligible. That restriction is designed to keep recent subscribers locked into pricier plans.
New customer sweetener: Anyone porting in from a competitor can snag a free iPhone 17 — no trade-in required — as long as they activate on a new line.
Bottom line: If you're a family of 3+ coming from Verizon or AT&T, this is a genuinely strong deal. But don't overlook MVNOs running on T-Mobile's exact same network. Mint Mobile offers unlimited 5G for $15–$30/month per line, and US Mobile's multi-line bundles can undercut even T-Mobile's promotional pricing. The free phone is enticing, but crunch the 24-month total cost before you sign anything.
→ Compare T-Mobile with all 16 carriers on our plan comparison tool.