T-Mobile’s new $150 family plan with unlimited data on 4 lines

A month after AT&T announced its unprecedented low prices for family plans, T-Mobile has stepped up with an even sweeter deal.

T-Mobile beats AT&T by $30 a month

T-Mobile is now offering $150 a month for four lines of unlimited text, talk and data. After the first four lines, each extra person will be $30 a month. So this could be a great solution for small businesses too. But note this well: You’ll need a relatively newer phone to take advantage of this offer.

AT&T, meanwhile, announced in January that you could get unlimited talk, text and data on four lines for $180 — with a big caveat. You have to get home TV service from their wholly owned subsidiary DirectTV at a separate monthly charge.

So both offers could be great options for families. But what if you’re just an individual paying for your own phone? Well, you might consider this option…

Ring Plus may be good for individuals

Historically, I’ve talked about Republic Wireless and their great rate plans starting at $10 a month as a base. Great offer, right?

But Ring Plus has both free plans (1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 500 MB) and paid plans like the Rivera for $12.99 with unlimited talk, text and 1 GB of data a month. That’s a great deal for people who don’t use a whole lot of data. Check them out!

Read more: Clark’s review of Republic Wireless

Apple accepts cracked iPhones…

Meanwhile, Apple is trying to be more customer friendly to keep customers in the fold. So now they’re allowing broken trade-ins for iPhones.

The Apple Store Reuse and Recycle iPhone trade-in program used to have strict guidelines for what old iPhones they would take in. The buttons had to be functioning, and the screen could not be cracked. Now, the terms have loosened a bit as Apple hopes that this new initiative will lead to more phone upgrades.

Read more: Trade in your old electronics for cash

9to5Mac reported Thursday that those with an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s can bring in their iPhones with damaged buttons, displays and screens within reason. An iPhone 5s can get you an extra $50, a 6 can go for $200 and a 6 plus can get you up to $250.

…but tries to restrict repairs

Finally, thousands of iPhone 6 users claim they have been left holding almost worthless phones because Apple’s latest operating system will reportedly permanently disable the handset if it detects that a repair has been carried out by a non-Apple technician.

If you’re seeing ‘Error 53’ on your phone, it means Apple is trying to force you to do any repairs with them rather than going to a third-party shop.

So Apple again proves itself to be a mixed bag. You’ve got both the good and the bad when it comes to this super-popular technology company!