Is Go5G worth the extra cost?

Chris Carlon/Android Authority

I recently prepared our T-Mobile guide to reflect the new plans offered by T-Mobile. I must admit that I was confused by how little the new plans had to offer. One of the things we previously liked about T-Mobile was the simplicity of its plans. It was easy to choose the right plan because the differences between Essentials, Magenta, and Magenta Max were rather noticeable. All that changed with the introduction of Go5G.

While the cores are clearly the base layer, it’s unclear whether or not Go5G falls above the purple. The answer really depends on what you’re looking for. Let’s take a closer look in this quick comparison between Go5G and Magenta.

T-Mobile Go5G vs. Magenta

	purple	Go 5G	Magenta Max	Go5G Plus
it costs	purple Prices per line: $70 per line $60 for two lines $47 for three lines $40 for four lines	Go 5G Prices per line: $75 per line $65 for two lines $43 for three lines $39 for four lines	Magenta Max Prices per line: $85 per line $70 for two lines $57 for three lines $50 for four lines	Go5G Plus Prices per line: $90 per line $75 for two lines $50 for three lines $46 for four lines
Unlimited talk and text	purple Yes	Go 5G Yes	Magenta Max Yes	Go5G Plus Yes
Unlimited 4G data	purple Unlimited 5G and 4G LTE with 100GB of premium data	Go 5G Unlimited 5G and 4G LTE with 100GB of premium data	Magenta Max Unlimited 5G and 4G LTE network with unlimited premium data	Go5G Plus Unlimited 5G and 4G LTE network with unlimited premium data
5G data included	purple Yes	Go 5G Yes	Magenta Max Yes	Go5G Plus Yes
wireless network from the phone	purple 5 GB of 4G LTE, then unlimited 3G	Go 5G 15GB of high-speed hotspot data, then unlimited 3G	Magenta Max 40GB of 4G, then unlimited 3G	Go5G Plus 50 GB of hotspot data
Advantages of Netflix?	purple Netflix Basic, one SD screen for two or more accounts	Go 5G Netflix Basic, 1 SD screen	Magenta Max Netflix Basic, 1 SD screen for 1 accounts. Netflix Standard, two screens in HD for two or more accounts	Go5G Plus Netflix Basic, 1 SD screen for 1 accounts. Netflix Standard, two screens in HD for two or more accounts
Advantages of Apple TV?	purple + Apple TV for 6 months free	Go 5G + Apple TV for 6 months free	Magenta Max included	Go5G Plus included
Unlimited video streaming	purple SD streaming	Go 5G SD Streaming	Magenta Max Stream up to 4K UHD	Go5G Plus SD Streaming

Looking at the table, you’ll notice that Magenta and Go5G have a lot in common. Both get unlimited calls and texts and 100GB of premium data. Extras like Netflix Basic and the 6-month trial of Apple TV+ remain the same. In fact the only thing noticeably different is the amount of hotspot data you get. Instead of just 15GB of hotspot data, Go5G gives you 40GB. If you’re visiting Canada or Mexico, you’ll also see your quota increase from 5GB to 10GB.

The same story applies when comparing the Go5G Plus and Magneta Max. You’ll get the same perks and services, but you’ll get 50GB of hotspot data for 40GB on the Max. Those visiting Canada and Mexico will also see a jump from 5GB of data to 15GB.

Are there other differences between the two? In fact, there are few.

New in two parts: Is it more than a marketing gimmick?

Chris Carlon/Android Authority

Marketing materials would have you believe that one advantage of Go5G is that you only have to spread device payments over two years if you decide to go ahead with user financing in what’s called the New in Two offer. That’s better than the three-year installment plans now offered by AT&T and Verizon. The thing is, Magenta actually offers this, and so does the Essentials plan! Even T-Mobile’s prepaid plans offer two years of financing with approved credit.

At first glance, this mostly looks like a marketing gimmick aimed at new customers who are considering switching from another carrier. And it mostly is. However, their press release also says:

“Existing and new customers get the same great deals now…and always in the future – so you never have to worry about missing out. It’s the fair treatment you can always count on from Un-carrier.”

You might think, “I could actually trade in my phone in a couple of years and get a good deal with a trade-in since I’ve had the forever upgrade.” The thing is, unless you’re serious, T-Mobile has already stopped offering this feature with its plans. This means that after two years, you can still finance a new phone, but you may not be guaranteed a promotional price on your next upgrade. At least from the wording here, those with Go5G Plus won’t have to worry about promotional pricing that only applies to new customers or those adding a new line.

Of course, you can always upgrade to Go5G Plus later when you encounter this issue. As for the three-year contracts? At least for now, it looks like T-Mobile won’t be offering such a change. Can they? T-mobile usually likes to set itself apart from the competition by doing the opposite, so we don’t think so. But you never know.

So who will win the Go5G vs Magenta battle? At least for now, we’d recommend sticking with Magenta or Magenta Max unless you’re really interested in extra hotspot data. It’s not worth the extra cost for so few tangible differences. However, we’re also keeping our ears to the ground because changes may not be too far in the future.

Do you think T-Mobile will lose two-year installment plans on its lower plans?

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