AT A Glance

• Plans start at $75 for unlimited data.
• Strengths: Affordable international coverage.
• Weaknesses: Network strength, limited plan options.

T-Mobile cell phone plans

T-Mobile One gives you unlimited calls, texts and data, but it has a few caveats.

• It limits standard definition video streaming to 480p quality. To stream in HD — 720p or 1080p — you’ll have to purchase a day pass for $3 or spring for T-Mobile One Plus, which costs an extra $15 per month per line.
• Data speeds slow if you use 28GB of data in a month, but few people ever do.
• Mobile hot spot usage is at 3G speeds, which is slower than the 4G LTE speeds you receive on your smartphone. You can upgrade to T-Mobile One Plus International for an additional $25 per month per line to get unlimited mobile hot spot access at 4G LTE speeds.

Another caveat: Most smartphone users don’t need unlimited data. T-Mobile’s new kickback feature is designed with those users in mind. The feature refunds users up to $10 per line for any lines that use less than 2GB in a given month. You need to opt in to get the kickback, and if you regularly qualify for the discount, you can probably find a cheaper plan with another carrier.

T-Mobile One

This is the standard T-Mobile unlimited plan. Activate online, and you can sign up for as many as eight lines on a single plan. You can add more lines by calling T-Mobile. The monthly price per line varies depending on the number of lines in your plan, but most taxes and fees are included. Add-ons such as insurance or monthly phone payments are taxed separately.

T-Mobile includes a $5 per month, per line autopay discount in its advertised price. If you don’t opt for autopay, you won’t receive the discount. The prices listed below don’t include that discount:

• Line 1: $75 per month.
• Line 2: $55 per month.
• Lines 3-8: $25 per month.

» MORE: T-Mobile family cell phone plans

T-Mobile One Plus

T-Mobile’s One Plus plan costs an extra $15 per month, per line and includes the following features not offered by the standard T-Mobile One plan.

• Unlimited HD video streaming.
• Unlimited Wi-Fi on flights with Gogo Wi-Fi.
• Faster international data speeds.

T-Mobile One Plus International

T-Mobile’s One Plus International plan costs an extra $25 per month, per line and includes all of the features of T-Mobile One and One Plus, along with a few extra benefits, including:

• Unlimited calling from the U.S. to landlines in more than 70 countries and mobile numbers in more than 30 countries.
• 4G LTE speeds when using your smartphone as a mobile hot spot.

T-Mobile prepaid plans

T-Mobile also offers four different ways to go prepaid. The carrier’s Simple Choice Prepaid plans mirror its Simple Choice plans, which are being phased out on the postpaid side. You pay a monthly fee for a data package and unlimited calls and texts, but you skip the credit check and contract. You’ll even receive free music and video streaming on select plans and unlimited calls to Canada and Mexico. Simply Prepaid plans are similar, but they don’t include international calling.

» MORE: T-Mobile prepaid cell phone plans

How T-Mobile compares on features

T-Mobile One plans include practically unlimited data, so data-saving features such as free video and music streaming, rollover data and unlimited 2G data aren’t necessary.

» MORE: 3 steps to finding a cheap cell phone plan

The bottom line

T-Mobile’s One plans are a good value if you need unlimited data. The problem? Most people don’t.

Smartphone owners used about 3.7GB of data per month on average in 2015, according to a June 2016 report from Ericsson, a leading maker of mobile network equipment. And unlimited data starts to make financial sense only when you use more than 6GB on an individual plan, or if you collectively use 24GB between four lines on a family plan.

Another weak point? T-Mobile’s network. Although it has made strides in this area, it still doesn’t match the national strength of Verizon or AT&T.

Updated Jan. 25, 2017.

RATINGS METHODOLOGY

For cell phone carriers, NerdWallet’s overall rating is a weighted average of each subcategory: price, customer service, coverage and features. We considered features such as whether you’re able to bring your own phone, overage charges and international calling options, among others. We looked at Consumer Reports and J.D. Power to get an average customer service satisfaction rating.

Source: www.nerdwallet.com