T-Mobile introduced its latest 5G smartphone plan Magenta MAX on Monday, and today added new plan options for customers 55 years and older including unlimited premium data and access to 5G.
The new Magenta Max Unlimited 55 plan costs $90 per month for two lines with autopay for unlimited talk, text, data and access to 5G at no extra cost. T-Mobile said the Max 55 data plan comes with speeds that can’t be slowed based on usage. The MAX plan for customers under the age of 55 starts at $85 for a single line.
T-Mobile’s regular Magenta Unlimited 55 costs $20 less than the MAX 55 for two lines, at $35 each (or $70 per month with autopay). Right now, T-Mobile is also offering two free smartphones via 24-month bill credits.
The MAX plan for the 55-plus segment comes with 40GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot data, compared to 3GB on its mid-tier Magenta Unlimited 55 plan. There are added perks like free Netflix, basic for single lines and standard with up to 4K Ultra HD streaming for customers with two lines. 4K UHD streaming also is unlimited on the MAX 55 tier.
RELATED: T-Mobile’s new MAX plan showcases 2.5 GHz
It’s also planning to bump up the number of lines customers on 55+ plans can add to four lines, up from the two currently available.
Taking aim at rivals
T-Mobile set its sights on the 55-plus demographic in 2017 when it introduced a targeted discounted plan. Verizon followed with a data plan of its own in 2018 for customers 55 years and over who living in Florida.
In Wednesday’s announcement, T-Mobile took aim at rivals AT&T and Verizon, dinging the carriers for still limiting their 55-plus offers only to customers in the Sunshine State. T-Mobile’s Unlimited 55 and Max 55 are available to eligible customers across the U.S.
AT&T and Verizon’s respective 55-plus plans in Florida cost $80 per month for two lines.
“Not everyone over 55 lives in Florida,” said Matt Staneff, chief marketing officer at T-Mobile, in a statement. “We’re giving our 55+ customers across the country what they want — newly redesigned unlimited plans that meet their needs, designed and built with them in mind for how they want to use their smartphones while saving money.”
T-Mobile cited AARP data that smartphone adoption among the demographic increased from 70% to 77% in the last two years, with baby boomers growing fastest and spending 30% more time on mobile than the year before.
When T-Mobile debuted the MAX postpaid plan earlier this week, the focus was on what capacity from its mid-band 2.5 GHz deployments for 5G can do for customers.
Staneff told FierceWirelesss: “We’ve reached a point in the deployment of our Ultra Capacity where we feel comfortable being able to launch a plan like this and open it up for everybody. We’re able to start providing incredible value back to consumers” through the amount of data they can get through the new rate plan.