T-Mobile Unveils Go5G Next: New Plan Lets You Upgrade Your Phone Yearly, But There’s a Catch

Inno Flores, Tech Times 22 August 2023, 03:08 am

For those who have noticed a gradual increase in the cost of T-Mobile's plans in recent years and were hoping for a new budget-friendly option or a more affordable unlimited service tier, the news unveiled today might not align with those expectations.

(Photo : JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)
A Deutsche Telekom T-Mobile logo hangs under pink umbrellas at the stand of the German telecommunications giant at the 2014 CeBIT computer technology trade fair on March 10, 2014 in Hanover, central Germany.

T-Mobile Launches Go5G Next

T-Mobile has introduced a new offering called the Go5G Next, a yearly phone upgrade plan available for an individual line at $100 per month. According to The Verge, this plan is a premium companion to the previously launched Go5G Plus plan, priced at $90/month, with bi-annual upgrades.

The pricing structure for the Go5G Next, as revealed by T-Mobile, assumes enrollment in automatic payments, offering a separate $5 discount per line. This reduction is distinct from the $5 fee associated with in-store payments.

In terms of its features, the Go5G Next largely mirrors the attributes of its lower-tier counterpart, the "Plus" plan. These features encompass unlimited calls and texts, including Netflix Basic (or Standard for those on family plans), access to Apple TV Plus, unlimited mobile data, and 50GB of broadband-quality mobile hotspot data.

What's the Catch?

However, there's a catch. T-Mobile won't consider you "upgrade-ready" until you've settled at least half of your phone's cost. Otherwise, you'll remain committed to a 24-month contract.

AT&T provides a comparable offer through its AT&T Next Up add-on: by paying an additional $6 per month on top of your installment plan, you can qualify for an upgrade once you've paid off 50 percent of your phone's cost.

Although the $6 monthly fee is an extra expense, it's noteworthy that this is part of a plan that, as indicated on a chart in T-Mobile's announcement, comes at a monthly cost of $15 lower before fees.

Presented as an option diverging from the typical three-year commitments provided by other carriers, this plan contrasts the commonplace notion of a "free" phone, often realized through monthly credits on your account.

Much Expensive Plan

Go5G Next is a program that lets you transition from an older handset to a new one every year, a considerable change from the standard 24-month interval, all at no additional cost.

Of course, the process isn't entirely straightforward. To qualify for your complimentary annual upgrade, you must trade in your current device and ensure it's paid off halfway rather than fully when you opt for the upgrade.

In a separate comparison chart, Phone Arena reported that the "Un-carrier" undertakes the task of contrasting its newly introduced premium plan with the Unlimited Plus from Verizon and AT&T's Unlimited Premium offerings.

While T-Mobile aims to present the Go5G Next plan in the most favorable light, it's undeniable that, at the core, this option emerges as pricier compared to its rivals' top-tier plans, whether you consider one line or extend to four lines.