Technologies
Best Streaming Service Deals From T-Mobile, Verizon and More
These money-saving deals can help you save on HBO Max, Netflix, Disney Plus, MLB.TV and other streaming services.
In an era of Disney Plus, Netflix, Hulu, Paramount Plus, HBO Max and Peacock, there seem to be nearly as many streaming services as there are days in a month. With subscription prices constantly rising,the cost of signing up for more than one service can quickly rival an old cable bill.
Depending on your cellphone service, however, there could be ways to score discounts on one or more of these options. Some T-Mobile plans can get you a free subscription to Netflix and Apple TV Plus. Verizon offers the Disney Bundle (Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu) with certain plans, while one of Cricket Wireless’ unlimited plans includes ad-supported HBO Max.
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Let’s break down the best streaming service deals that are available now from each carrier.
Read more: Best Streaming Service Deals
Verizon
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Have your sights set on Disney Plus?
Verizon includes the Disney Bundle — subscriptions to Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus that run a combined $15 a month — with its 5G Play More and 5G Get More unlimited plans. Other plans, such as its most affordable Start and Welcome Unlimited plans, have six-month trials of Disney Plus included, but not the bundle.
Verizon allows mixing and matching with most of its unlimited plans, so as long as one line on your account has a Play More or Get More plan, you will be able to get the perk. Note that it is only one Disney subscription per Verizon account, not per individual line.
The deal works for both new and existing Disney Plus subscribers, so if you already have a subscription you can either cancel or, if you have the six-month trial, have the Verizon subscription run first and then have your regular subscription continue after.
It is also worth noting that the Disney Bundle Verizon offers includes ad-free Disney Plus (though Hulu still has ads). Disney’s regular triple play offer starts at $13 per month but has ads for Disney Plus and Hulu. Going ad-free for Disney Plus and Hulu in a triple play with ESPN Plus runs $20 per month.
According to Verizon’s website, both the Disney Bundle and six-month Disney Plus offerings are available until May 17. Verizon didn’t immediately get back to us about whether the deals would be extended past that date or what would happen to those who have already signed up.
Apple
On top of its Disney-related perks, Verizon includes Apple One with its One Unlimited for iPhone plan.
You can’t mix and match One Unlimited for iPhone with other unlimited plans, so all of your phone lines will need to be on the plan if you want the perk. One line gets you Apple One’s individual plan, which includes 50GB per month of iCloud Plus storage plus access to Apple Arcade, Apple Music and Apple TV Plus. Two or more lines get you Apple One’s family plan, which bumps the iCloud Plus storage to 200GB per month and adds the ability to share with up to five other users.
Apple One individual plan runs $17 per month while the family plan costs $23 per month.
You can learn more about what’s required to get Apple One with Verizon on Verizon’s website.
T-Mobile
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T-Mobile, through its Netflix on Us perk, has long offered free Netflix on some of its unlimited plans, including Magenta and its newer Magenta Max option. Older plans, called One and One Plus, also have Netflix included. The version of Netflix you get depends on your plan and how many lines you have.
Currently, any type of Magenta plan will get you Netflix Basic, so long as you have multiple lines. The exception is a Magenta Max plan, where you’re required to have only one line. If you have multiple lines of Magenta Max, you’ll get Netflix Standard instead. The basic version typically runs $10 a month and lets you watch on a single screen at a time. The standard version is the most popular version of Netflix that runs $15.49 a month and allows viewing on two screens. Full details, including what you’d need to pay if you want to upgrade to a higher plan like the 4K-capable Netflix Premium, can be found on T-Mobile’s website.
Note: It’s one Netflix subscription per T-Mobile account, not per individual line.
Sarah Tew/CNET
In addition to Netflix, T-Mobile offers free Apple TV Plus as a perk. The Apple TV Plus deal is available to new and existing T-Mobile customers, but, like the Netflix deal, it varies based on your plan.
It is worth noting that T-Mobile doesn’t let you «mix and match» different plans on a family account, so you can’t have one person be on Magenta Max and get the Netflix and Apple TV Plus perk and then have other lines on cheaper Magenta plans.
A subscription to Apple TV Plus, normally $7 per month, is included with Magenta Max and specialized plans like Magenta Max 55+, Magenta Max Military and Magenta Max First Responder, among other plans. Six months of Apple TV Plus are included with plans such as Magenta, specialized Magenta plans and Sprint ONE. The company lists more eligible plans and how long they get Apple TV Plus on its website.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Are you a baseball fan? MLB.TV costs $150 per year, but customers with T-Mobile, Sprint or Metro by T-Mobile can receive a free one-year subscription to stream Major League Baseball games and events.
The deal kicked off last week just before the start of the 2023 season and runs through April 4 at 4:59 a.m. ET, and customers can redeem the limited-time offer through the T-Mobile Tuesdays app. Bear in mind that you won’t be able to stream live games in your local market with MLB TV, including those on local regional sports networks or games airing on national platforms like ESPN or TBS.
Metro by T-Mobile
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Metro by T-Mobile includes a subscription to Amazon Prime with its heritage $60 rate plan with Amazon, which differs from its regular $60 per month unlimited plan that is currently available online. To get Prime, you need to call Metro by T-Mobile customer service and request it. In addition to two-day free shipping, it also means you’ll have access to Prime Video, for streaming movies and shows like Shotgun Wedding, The Boys and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
In addition to Prime, the plan also includes 100GB of Google One storage and 15GB of mobile hotspot. As its name suggests, Metro by T-Mobile is owned by T-Mobile and runs on its network.
Cricket
Sarah Tew/CNET
Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&T, has added a deal that will bundle a subscription to the ad-supported version of HBO Max with the carrier’s $60-a-month unlimited plan. The streaming service gives you access to all HBO content as well as Max originals such as Peacemaker, The Flight Attendant and Our Flag Means Death.
Note: It’s one HBO Max subscription per Cricket account, not per individual line.
Technologies
RFK Jr. Announces All Americans Need Health Tracking Devices: Here Are the Pros and Cons
The US Health Secretary plans a huge campaign to encourage health wearables: CNET knows exactly the kind of devices he’s talking about, and why accuracy may be a problem.
Many Americans already track health statistics like heart rate and sleep cycles on app-connected accessories. Now the federal government wants to jump in. On June 24, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced «one of the largest HHS campaigns in history» to encourage the use of wearables to track health conditions, a trend CNET has recently covered.
Kennedy is referring to the many different bands, watches and even clothes that use technology to track human vital signs. CNET’s reviewers have spent years testing devices like these, seeing how rings monitor health signs, straps track your heart health and the right devices lead to better sleep.
The latest version of the Apple Watch, for example, has sensors designed to detect heart rate, heart rhythm issues, falls, sleep health, sleep apnea, temperature, breathing rate and more. The newest Oura Ring can track sleep patterns, menstrual cycles, temperature, heart rate and other health details.
«We think that wearables are a key to the MAHA agenda, Making America Healthy Again ,» Kennedy told the Subcommittee on Health during its budget meeting. «My vision is that every American is wearing a wearable within four years … they can see what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates and a number of other metrics as they eat it.»
Kennedy also tweeted that «wearables put the power of health back in the hands of the American people.»
«Wearables,» however, is a broad term encompassing everything from fitness devices that count steps to sleep trackers you wear at night. And consumer devices can’t easily replace monitoring solutions offered by medical professionals.
For example, CNET has covered research indicating that even the best-in-class Apple Watch struggles with accuracy from metrics like steps to heart rate. Another study from California State Polytechnic University has shown that fitness-related Fitbit trackers show high inaccuracies as well. In fact, that research was used in a related Fitbit lawsuit.
Speaking of glucose monitors, Kennedy isn’t the only White House official with an interest in such health sensors. The administration’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, co-founded glucose-monitoring company Levels and sells a monitoring app as well as other wellness products.
Finally, CNET wellness experts remind everyone that wearables aren’t always a good fit. Those suffering from eating disorders or body image issues should always talk to an expert before using wearables, as they can exacerbate certain issues or lead to a unhelpful outlook.
The US Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Technologies
What’s Included in Xbox Game Pass? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Check out the pros and cons of each Game Pass tier, and how much each costs.
Editors’ Note: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers a slew of benefits, including a massive game library, diverse device support and both PC and console games. Nifty features like the ability to play on smart TVs, phones, tablets and PCs — not just consoles — make this a convenient gaming subscription service for a wide range of people. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs less than the price of a new game each month, yet gives access to hundreds of titles, which is why it earned a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. The original article follows.
New AAA video games used to cost $50 apiece, but it’s not unusual to see a similar game cost $70 now. That price might make you pause before you buy the game, but with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you could play a brand-new game, and others, for a fraction of the price.
Microsoft launched Game Pass in 2017, and since then, the gaming service has grown to be one of the best values for gamers. All Game Pass plans offer member discounts for non-Game Pass titles and other perks, but figuring out which plan is right for you can be difficult.
That choice can be especially tough after Microsoft removed its Game Pass Console plan and replaced it with Game Pass Standard. The company also increased the price of Game Pass Ultimate from $17 to $20 a month.
I’ve covered the service in the past, including future releases and whether Game Pass Ultimate will save you money compared with buying single games. And with all the new titles Microsoft announced would be joining the service as Day 1 releases, like the upcoming Doom: The Dark Ages, you might be wondering what the difference is between different Game Pass plans.
Here’s what you need to know about the Game Pass plans so you can decide which one is right for your needs.
Xbox Game Pass tiers
| Game Pass Core | Game Pass PC | Game Pass Standard | Game Pass Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 releases | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| PC games | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Online multiplayer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EA Play | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cloud Gaming | No | Yes (select games via GeForce Now Ultimate) | No | Yes (via Xbox Cloud Gaming and select games via GeForce Now Ultimate) |
| Monthly price | $10 | $12 | $15 | $20 |
For more on Xbox, here’s what was announced at Gamescom, some titles available on Game Pass Ultimate right now and everything to know about that gaming service.
Technologies
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