EvenMorePlus
Latest
T-Mobile cancels Even More Plus unlimited plan on eve of launch?
Just when we thought T-Mobile was about to rock the world by offering bring-your-own-phone customers an insanely cheap unlimited plan, we're hearing that the company has strangled the $60 unlimited version of Even More Plus in the crib -- TmoNews snagged a supposed internal communique that claims the plan was canceled at the last minute. We just reached out to T-Mobile ourselves, however, and were told the reality is nothing of the sort: T-Mobile did not officially announce any rate plans yesterday, and the company doesn't comment on rumors or speculation. Today, T-Mobile officially announced a new, single-line unlimited plan that is available starting today for just $79.99 per month, with an Even More plan and a two-year contract. In other words, T-Mobile says it never sent out the previous press release (also originally obtained by TmoNews) at all. We're not sure who's telling the truth here, but either way, one thing's for certain -- there still won't be an $60 unlimited Even More Plus plan starting tomorrow morning. You're more than welcome to dry your tears with the $80 on-contract plan right now, though. PR after the break.
T-Mobile unlimited plans coming April 13th with a catch
If you've been waiting for T-Mobile to introduce unlimited plans that include everything, it's time to do the happy dance! It looks like everyone's favorite magenta carrier will be adding "Truly Unlimited Data + Talk + Text" plans to its lineup on April 13th. According to the leaked screenshots, Even More customers (who purchase a subsidized phone and agree to a two-year contract) will be able to choose a $79 plan, while Event More Plus customers (who bring a compatible device and are commitment free) will benefit from a $59 plan. There's a catch, however: T-Mobile will throttle data speeds until the next billing cycle if data usage exceeds 2GB. Also, this offer only appears to apply to individual customer plans, not to family plans. So go ahead, celebrate -- just keep an eye on that data cap, OK?
T-Mobile drops the official word on Even More Plus: gone from the website, still available elsewhere
We're happy to finally be closing the loop on T-Mobile's Even More Plus situation -- and the story ends on a happy note, which is nice. As we said yesterday, the carrier's contract-free discounted plans aren't going away, but you'll no longer be able to select any of them from the website. Why? Well, the claim is that they want to "simplify and streamline our customers' online purchase experience," and to be fair, we can understand how the average potential subscriber coming to T-Mobile for the first time would have no clue how to differentiate between the two without some assistance. From here on out, if you want to avoid the contracts on postpaid, you'll need to call into telesales, visit a corporate-owned store, or head over to "select national retail partners and select dealers," though we don't know which ones have been green-lighted at this point. Follow the break for T-Mobile's full, official Q&A on the situation.
T-Mobile keeping Even More Plus around, but not online
Remember how we said yesterday a customer service rep told us T-Mobile was in the process of "sneaking away" its discounted, no-contract Even More Plus plans for full-price hardware? So yeah, the good news is that the plans apparently aren't going away -- but the bad news is that the carrier is trying to make them a little harder to get to. Clicking through to the individual plan listing only shows Even More listings now with no mention of Even More Plus whatsoever; instead, you'll notice that there's a teaser on the screen saying that you can "visit a T-Mobile store for no annual contract rate plans, and more." We're not sure if they're doing this in an effort to simplify what the user sees online -- that is, to make sure they're not overcome with choices -- or if they'd like to limit the number of users considering Even More Plus by making it hard to find and hard to buy, but either way, we're not fans of the new system. We're waiting on an official comment from T-Mobile -- we'll post it just as soon as we have it. Update: Commenter omega1202 notes that he can still see Even More Plus plans when he logs into his account online, so not all hope is lost for existing customers.
T-Mobile quietly kills off Even More Plus plans, suggests going prepaid instead? (update: still available if you call)
We've just heard that T-Mobile very quietly deep-sixed its Even More Plus plans as of the 13th of this month -- and sure enough, if you browse the site, you'll find that any mention of them has been wiped from the shopping pages. As a refresher, Even More Plus was T-Mobile's way for anyone bringing their own hardware (or wishing to pay full price for new hardware) to get a discount on the monthly plan and avoid a contract, but it seems the plans were either not popular enough or too popular for comfort; unfortunately, we're not sure which. In their place, the carrier is apparently recommending customers go with a prepaid plan -- but that's not quite the same thing since there's no unlimited data option... and, well, they're prepaid instead of postpaid. We've reached out to T-Mobile for comment -- we'll let you know when we have more. [Thanks, Mitchell] Update: We just spoke to a customer service rep who said that they're "making some changes" and "sneaking away" the Even More Plus plans, but for the moment, they're still available -- you just need to call in to get them or speak to a store rep.
T-Mobile officially unveils $99 Even More, $79 Even More Plus plans and equipment installment option
Right on schedule with the whispers, T-Mobile lifted the veil off of its new price plan tier structure, Even More and Even More Plus, and from the looks of it all those leaks were pretty much spot-on. The traditional Even More plan is a two-year commitment and discounted phone, with unlimited individual prices starting at $59 per month and going up to $99 if you want unlimited messaging and text, too. Even More Plus scrapes the device discount but offers unlimited individual prices at $49 for voice / $79 for everything. It looks like the only major differentiator is the subsidized handset, but here's where the numbers don't add up: even with the steep $350 discount on myTouch 3G, factoring in that $20 premium would pay for the phone during the 18th month, leaving six months and $120 of extra payments left that have no obvious justification to us. Additionally the FlexPay / equipment installment plan is now available, letting you break up the cost of your phone into interest-free monthly bills. It seems Even More's subsidized phones are offered over four installments (e.g. $37 per month for the $150 MyTouch 3G) while Even More Plus' is two installments (e.g. $25 per month for the same device at the $500 full price). Our initial takeaway from the price tiers is that T-Mobile is doing what it can to drive its consumers away from the traditional and over to the non-traditional (for US, at least) Even More Plus plan, but hey, we're not gonna argue over a beneficial contract-free plan, even if monthly phone payments keep us paying the company for at least 20 months. So T-Mo, any other Project Dark surprises in the cards? Inquiring minds want to know. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
T-Mobile's Project Dark: $99.99 unlimited on Even More, $79.99 on Even More Plus?
The details of T-Mobile's mysterious Project Dark definitely seem to be congealing around retooled handset billing and a set of new plans, and it looks like TmoNews might have the first word here on the all-important subject of plan pricing. Even More Plus, which would be contract-free and offer new handset FlexPay over four installments, is apparently tracking for a $79.99 all-you-can-eat package, $69.99 with 1,000 voice minutes, or $49.99 with unlimited voice and no data. Even More meanwhile, which basically amounts to new contract plan branding with traditional hardware subsidies, will come in at $99.99 for unlimited everything (mirroring Sprint's pricing) or $59.99 for unlimited voice alone. It seems strange that the contract pricing is higher than the prepaid, especially since Even More Plus apparently won't offer any hardware subsidies whatsoever, but we're sure we're going to find out how this all shakes out soon enough. Follow the break for another shot of the pricing grids.
T-Mobile's Project Dark includes option for buying phones in monthly installments?
Still no confirmation on any all-you-can-eat data plans, but Boy Genius Report has some convincing screens that seem to reveal some other precepts of T-Mobile's enigmatic (and purportedly company-saving) Project Dark. Two new plans have emerged, Even More and Even More Plus. The former is the traditional two-year contract, along with options to do data only and get a subsidized phone. Even More Plus doesn't require a contract, going month-to-monthly instead, and subsequently the phone is full price. However, what's gonna be interesting to see is the FlexPay option, which allows you to pay for a device in monthly installments instead of upfront, a plan we've seen before in markets like Germany and Japan. In the example above, a $400 G1 on the non-contractual Even More Plus plan is divvied out to an initial $170 payment and 19 subsequent installments of $12.10, or $33.33 over three months after the related upfront cost. It's no game-changer on its own, but it's certainly an intriguing prospect that's gonna make some (initially) cash-strapped individuals very happy to be able to walk out with a decent Android device. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
