What Is T-Mobile's $25 Plan? What To Know Before You Switch

Whether you want to switch carriers or set up your first contract, finding the right phone plan isn't all it's cracked up to be. Getting the newest smartphone is nice, but studying, evaluating, and comparing the major providers feels — more than anything — like homework. And once you select a carrier, there's a seemingly endless list of plans with an equally confusing array of benefits and add-ons.

T-Mobile has plans like Magenta MAX that promise unlimited data with no small print, a plan focusing on the bare necessities with Essentials, and Go5G, which promises phone freedom, with some of their higher-tier plans costing upwards of $100 per month. Then there's Connect by T-Mobile, the company's line of low-cost, no-frills wireless plans. Initially, it launched early during coronavirus for $15 per month before a rebranding in 2022 and adding more options like T-Mobile's $25 plan.

Now, Connect by T-Mobile has prepaid plans for $10, $15, $25, and $35 a month. However, many people will undoubtedly gravitate toward the $25 per month option, as it isn't the cheapest plan but still affordable compared to a lot of other plans out there. Let's look into whether the $25 plan is worth it, what it includes, and whether it would be worth switching to. 

There is a reason why Connect by T-Mobile is able to offer cellular plans at a fraction of the cost. Every option, whether $10, $15, $25, or $35, Connect is a prepaid plan and requires users to bring their own phone, as T-Mobile will not provide one with the service. 

For the service itself, the $25 plan offers unlimited talk and text virtually anywhere in the United States. It also comes with 8GB of high-speed data, which isn't unlimited. According to the current T-Mobile terms of service, full speeds are available to the data allotment (8GB), but then data access is not available until the start of the next billing cycle. Meaning — if you use more than 8GB of data a month regularly, the $25 plan might not be for you. 

Naturally, the $25 plan isn't going to compare to T-Mobile's more expensive plans, like Go5G or Magenta, but it's still a solid option for someone looking for service on a budget (taxes and fees not included in the price). For $25, you get 480p (DVD quality) video streaming using Data Maximizer, but you can turn the feature off if you'd prefer higher resolutions. 

Just be careful, as that could use up your data quickly. The plan also does not include international roaming, calling, or messaging, working only within the United States. You also may incur extra costs or use more data when doing certain things on your phone, like participating in conference calls or video chats. To sign up, you can visit the T-Mobile site.