Is T-Mobile Go5G really better than Magenta, or just more expensive?

Recently I redid our T-Mobile guide to reflect the new plans introduced by T-Mobile. I have to admit I was a bit confused by just how little the new plans seemed to offer. One of the things we previously loved about T-Mobile was the simplicity of its plans. It was easy to pick the right plan as the differences between Essentials, Magenta, and Magenta Max were fairly noticeable. That all changed with the introduction of Go5G.

Although Essentials is clearly the most basic tier, it’s less clear if Go5G sits above Magenta or not. The answer really depends on what you’re looking for. Let’s take a closer look in this quick Go5G vs Magenta comparison.

Looking at the table, you’ll notice Magenta and Go5G have much in common. They both have unlimited talk, text, and 100GB of premium data. Extras like Netflix Basic and a 6-month Apple TV+ trial remain the same. Really 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 allotment jump from 5GB to 10GB.

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

Are there any other differences between the two? Actually, there is a little bit.

Marketing materials would have you believe that one advantage to Go5G is that you only have to spread device payments over two years if you decide to go with user financing in what it is calling 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 already offers this, and so does the Essentials plan! Even T-Mobile Prepaid plans offer two-year financing with approved credit.

At first blush, this seems mostly like a marketing gimmick aimed at new customers considering switching from another carrier. And it mostly is. That said, their press release also says this:

“New and existing 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 the Un-carrier.”

You might think, “I can already trade in my phone in two years and get a good deal with a trade-in since I have the Forever Upgrade.” The thing is, unless you’re grandfathered in, T-Mobile actually has stopped offering this feature with its plans. That means after two years, you can still finance a new phone, but you might not be guaranteed a promotional rate on your next upgrade. At least from the wording here, those with Go5G Plus won’t have to worry about promotional rates that only apply to new customers or for those adding a new line.

Of course, you could always upgrade to Go5G Plus later when you run into that issue. As for three-year contracts? At least for now, it seems T-Mobile won’t be introducing such a change. Could they ever? Typically T-mobile likes to set itself apart from the competition by doing the opposite, so we don’t think so. But you never know.

So who wins the Go5G vs Magenta battle? At least for now, we’d recommend sticking to Magenta or Magenta Max unless you really care about the extra hotspot data. It’s just not worth the extra cost for very little tangible differences. Still, we’d also keep our ear to the ground as changes could be not too far off in the future.