T-Mobile's T-Mix plans are now live on the carrier's plan page. Announced Oct. 26 for a November rollout, they rework how T-Mobile hands out benefits. Each tier used to arrive with a fixed set of perks; now every phone line gets a number of selectable "Picks" instead — one on Standard, two on More, three on Loaded. With AutoPay, a single line runs $55, $75 or $95 plus taxes and fees, according to T-Mobile's announcement.
The part T-Mobile hasn't published is the part that matters at checkout. Its benefits page lists the catalog you choose from, including Apple Music, Apple TV, ESPN, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, YouTube Premium and several non-streaming options. Neither that page nor the plan page says how many Picks any single service requires. (Both are live pages with no publication date, checked Nov. 7.) T-Mobile does say different benefits take different numbers of Picks, so shoppers can't assume one Pick equals one subscription. For anyone choosing a tier around specific streaming services, that missing number is the decision.
The prices
Drop AutoPay and one line costs $65 on Standard, $85 on More and $105 on Loaded. The plan page calls these non-introductory prices. AutoPay knocks off $10 per phone line, or $120 across a year, and requires an eligible payment method; the page names a debit card as one. T-Mobile gives no end date for the discount.
Three lines currently show at $100, $155 and $200 with AutoPay, or $130, $185 and $230 without it. That works out to roughly $33.33, $51.67 and $66.67 per line on AutoPay. Moving up a tier on one line costs $20 a month, or $240 a year. On three lines, the jump from Standard to More adds $55 a month, and More to Loaded adds $45. Three lines come with 3, 6 or 9 Picks.
None of those numbers is a bill. T-Mobile charges up to $35 per line to connect a device, so a three-line activation can add up to $105. Surcharges typically run $0.08 to $4.57 per line, and government taxes depend on where you live. The plan page also contradicts itself on one fee: its broadband labels show a $5.49 provider fee, while the legal text beside them lists a $4.49 Regulatory Programs/Telco Recovery Fee for voice lines. The live page never resolves which one applies.
The Pick rules
- Picks have no cash value. They can't be transferred, gifted or refunded, and unused Picks don't carry over to the next quarter.
- Picks spent on partner services can generally be changed in quarterly windows, though T-Mobile says wireless benefits can follow different rules. Variety, reporting Nov. 6, also says subscribers can change their selections every three months.
- Spend Picks on an eligible device promotion and they stay tied up for the whole promotion period. The promotion's usual conditions still apply, which can include a trade-in, port-in, new line or upgrade eligibility. Bigger discounts may take more Picks.
- T-Mobile can change which benefits it offers and how many Picks each one requires. Account changes can reduce your available Picks and affect active benefits or device promotions.
- If you already pay a streaming service directly, T-Mobile says you may need to cancel that subscription yourself to avoid paying twice.
What separates the tiers
Standard includes 50GB of premium data per billing cycle. Use that up and your speeds may slow when the network is congested, until the next cycle starts. Video normally streams at 480p, and hotspot use is unlimited at 3G speeds. More and Loaded both carry unlimited premium data, the option to stream video up to 4K on capable devices, and 60GB or 250GB of high-speed hotspot data. How fast the hotspot runs once those allotments are spent doesn't appear on T-Mobile's pages.
Travel is the other real split. All three plans include texting and low-rate calling in more than 215 countries and destinations. More adds 5GB of high-speed data in those countries plus 15GB in Canada and Mexico. Loaded raises those to 15GB and 30GB. Standard has no comparable high-speed allowance listed.
What's still missing
T-Mix phone lines carry no annual contract and no early-termination fee. They also carry no price guarantee, so these prices can move. And T-Mobile hasn't published enough for anyone to say which tier is the best value: if each service you want costs more than one Pick, stepping up from $55 to $75 or $95 buys less than the extra Picks imply. At checkout, confirm the Pick cost of the benefits you actually want, whether you'd have to cancel a subscription you already pay for, and what taxes, surcharges and connection charges add to the listed price.