T-Mobile led the way in bundling mobile and entertainment services together, but now competitors like Verizon are doing the same to incentivize their subscribers to stick around. With that in mind, T-Mobile is trying to sweeten the pot a bit more with the addition of free Apple TV Plus. The new perk will be available starting August 31st for customers on the company’s Magenta Max plan.
Thankfully for T-Mobile customers, gaining Apple’s service doesn’t mean giving up Netflix. The carrier will continue to offer its long-running “Netflix on us” deal, which similarly provides free streaming access for as long as you’re a T-Mobile customer. Just keep in mind that the Netflix perk is limited to the basic, standard definition tier for most plans unless you’re on a multi-line Magenta Max plan. Whereas with Apple TV Plus, you’ll get full 4K streaming even on a single-line Max plan.
T-Mobile had previously been offering a free year of Apple TV Plus on many eligible T-Mobile and Sprint plans. But since access will be ongoing for Max customers, that promotion will be halved to six months for other plans like the standard Magenta tier. Aside from Apple TV Plus and Netflix, T-Mobile also offers a free year of Paramount Plus, plus monthly discounts on YouTube TV and Philo TV, both of which are $10 off for one year.
While it won’t give you Netflix or Apple TV Plus, Verizon’s big counter to T-Mobile is the inclusion of the Disney bundle — including Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus — on its 5G Get More and 5G Play More unlimited plans. Verizon also offers Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, and other incentives depending on the plan.
Both T-Mobile and Verizon are now providing widespread 5G coverage and speedy performance, according to PCMag’s latest tests. AT&T is lagging behind somewhat in urban areas, but that could level out over the next couple years. With mobile data speeds starting to get so similar between all of them, these entertainment and streaming bonuses might swing customers to one carrier or the other. AT&T doesn’t seem interested in pursuing the same strategy, however. Following the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, the carrier stopped including complimentary HBO Max with its plans.
Last week, T-Mobile and SpaceX revealed their plan to bring satellite connectivity to mobile phones in 2023. The goal of “Coverage Above and Beyond” is to eliminate signal dead zones and provide enough data throughput for sending texts and messages in regions where it’s not currently possible. T-Mobile has said that “the vast majority of smartphones already on T-Mobile’s network will be compatible with the new service.”
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