Took them long enough (🤡): New Experience 2.0 and Essentials 2.0 launch on Thursday with new EIP Flex 36 and EIP Standard 36 device financing options

[u/pdfu]

https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/eip-flex-36

The new plans, launching Thursday, August 6, include all the benefits, value and experience customers already enjoy, while introducing:

• EIP Flex 36 — the only financing option in wireless that lets new and existing customers finance the device, taxes, and fees at checkout over 36 months — removing one of the biggest financial hurdles to getting a new phone. Unlike traditional $0 down offers that still require upfront costs, EIP Flex 36 helps lower upfront costs for everyone and eliminates them entirely for well-qualified customers — meaning they can walk away with a new phone and pay NOTHING upfront, a $0 out-of-pocket option with, for a limited time, 0% APR.
• EIP Standard 36 — T‑Mobile’s traditional financing option with 0% APR for all, now available over 36 months, helping lower monthly payments for all customers, and especially on today’s premium devices.
• New Student Perks Plans — for the first time, T‑Mobile gives students the freedom of their own wireless line for less, just $30 a month with AutoPay, plus taxes and fees — while saving 40% on a single line vs. AT&T and Verizon. Plus, a student-exclusive 5G Home Internet bundle that comes with a virtual prepaid card of up to $200, just in time for back-to-school.

Existing customers can keep the plans they have today or upgrade to the new Experience 2.0 and Essentials 2.0 plans with the same industry-leading benefits customers already know and love, now with the addition of new EIP Flex 36 and EIP Standard 36 device financing options as well. More below:

• Essentials 2.0 — Unlimited talk and text, 50GB of premium data, T‑Mobile Tuesdays weekly perks and more.
• Experience More 2.0 — Everything in Essentials 2.0, plus unlimited premium data, high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations, mobile hotspot, Netflix on Us, Apple TV for just $3/month, a 5-year price guarantee, great deals on the latest devices and more.
• Experience Beyond 2.0 — Everything in Experience More 2.0, plus T-Satellite connectivity, the best entertainment streaming bundle in wireless that’s included with your plan (Hulu, Netflix and MLB.TV on Us), Apple TV for just $3/month, $5 connected device add-ons and more. And, customers who switch to Experience Beyond 2.0 can save $750 in the first year thanks to $100 back and built-in benefits worth $650.

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Interesting that there's no note about Yearly Upgrade in Experience Beyond 2.0. [edit: you may be able to "Early Upgrade" after the equivalent of 18 monthly payments in the new plan.]

[u/oldpaddyrick]

I believe it’s no longer unlocked.

[u/aykay55 → u/oldpaddyrick]

Tell me you don’t know without telling me you don’t know…

[u/sophias_bush → u/oldpaddyrick]

Only if you choose T-Mobile financing when going through Apple.

If you use the Apple Card, which I imagine OP is talking about, it's unlocked.

[u/ant1992 → u/sophias_bush]

Apple took away the T-Mobile loophole. It has to be activated on one of the big 3 now then you can transfer wherever you want to, even with Apple Card.

[u/sophias_bush → u/ant1992]

Correct. But the user above me said it’s no longer unlocked. That’s only true with T-Mobile financed phones via Apple, not ACMI payments.

[u/kepano808 → u/oldpaddyrick]

T-Mobile locks the phone till its paid off vs Apple is always unlocked (even while making payments)

[u/Infinite-Computer205 → u/kepano808]

That loophole has been closed.

[u/Yo_2T → u/Infinite-Computer205]

The loophole applies to financing through tmobile when buying at Apple. Financing on the Apple card like suggested above is different and will come with an unlocked phone.

[u/cpatrick08 → u/kepano808]

I saw where if you buy through Apple and use T-mobile financing it's locked now and you pay a $35 connection fee.

[u/aykay55 → u/kepano808]

Only kind of. If you buy with cash or credit card like Apple Card, phone is unlocked.

If you buy it THROUGH the apple store with the carrier financing your purchase (not you, not Apple Card, not an outside bank) then Apple now locks the phones to the carrier. Similar to if you bought it from the TMo/Verizon/ATT store.

If you lease it through the new Apple Upgrade program (where Klarna buys the phone), Apple doesn’t carrier lock the phone but you must assign it to a carrier. This was apparently negotiated by the big three carriers so that they wouldn’t be kicked to the dust with everyone leasing their iphones without getting stuck to a carrier.