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T-Mobile adjusts new unlimited plan due to customer backlash
If you thought the T-Mobile ONE plan drama wouldn’t end so easily, you were right. It seems like every few days we have another affair unfold, either from Sprint administering its own perversion of the term “unlimited” to the EFF protesting that Net Neutrality is being compromised. That’s not good press for the UnCarrier, so today it’s tweaking the new plan in an effort to win our hearts back, or at least simmer the uproar. Only, we’re not sure if the company’s “amping” of T-Mobile ONE alleviates the concerns more than it adds complication.
There will be two improvements: quadrupling the mobile hotspot data speeds and instating a new 24-hour high-definition Day Pass method for streaming HD video. One of the complaints of the original plan was that, while tethering was supported, it was only at painful 2G speeds. That’ll now get a boost, but while “quadrupling” sounds significant, 4x 2G speeds only brings you to 3G (128kbps to 512kbps). Furthermore, T-Mobile didn’t say anything about increasing the 5GB hotspot cap. The new plan still pales in comparison to the current unlimited Simple Choice plan, which gives you 14GB of 4G LTE tethering.
Things get further hokey with the HD Day Pass concept. In the original T-Mobile ONE plan, you wouldn’t get HD video at all. Binge On video quality (max of 480p) would be enforced, unless you paid an extra $25/month to regain HD freedom. T-Mobile isn’t backing on this, but it thinks that giving you the option to pay $3 each day you’d like HD playback on the go is a good compromise. The pass will be active for 24 hours from when you initiate it, and will be available sometime in October.
One last enhancement Magenta introduced is an amped version of the plan called T-Mobile ONE Plus – not unlike Sprint’s move last week with its Unlimited Freedom Premium plan. This is more like what the original plan should have been. You’ll get unlimited 4G LTE hotspot data and unlimited HD Day Passes. Strangely, instead of just getting unlocked HD streaming, you’ll have to toggle it for each 24-hour period. The package also comes with 2x faster data speeds abroad, up to 3G speeds. T-Mobile ONE Plus will be $25/month extra per line.
T-Mobile is also bringing the launch date of T-Mobile ONE forward to Sept. 1st (originally planned for Sept. 6th). Hit up the source link for the official word. Do you think T-Mobile has made the right mends into its poor attempt at a mainstream “unlimited” plan, or is it now more of a convoluted mess? Sound off in the comments below!