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AT&T vs. T-Mobile: iPhone 18 Pro Max for 5 lines
For 5 lines of iPhone 18 Pro Max over 36 months, T-Mobile's Experience More beats AT&T's Elite 2.0 by $3,627. The monthly plan price is the single biggest driver of that gap. Both sides are backed by confirmed plan pricing.
AT&T (24 months) and T-Mobile (24 months) spread its device credit over fewer than 36 months, so the bill drops partway through.
AT&T
Elite 2.0 · Buy unlocked (Apple financing)
$111.41/mo per person, 5 lines
$20,053 over 36 months · $557.03/mo household
$647.80/mo for 24 months, then $377.15/mo once the device is paid off.
How we calculate thisT-Mobile
Experience More · Buy unlocked (Apple financing)
vs. AT&T unlocked (Apple financing) over 36 months
$91.26/mo per person, 5 lines
$15,629–$16,426 over 36 months · $434.13–$456.28/mo household
$547.05/mo for 24 months, then $276.40/mo once the device is paid off.
- Provider fees unconfirmed
Resolves once T-Mobile's provider fees for your location are confirmed.
$4,833–$5,630 more than your current bill over 36 months — for 5 lines on Experience More
Plus 5 new phones and setup: $6,476, net of trade-in/resale credit.
Plan $46.00/mo + device $54.13/mo + $35.00 upfront − $38.97 cashback
iPhone 18 Pro Max paid over 24 months at 0% APR via Apple Card Monthly Installments, with 3% cashback credited once.
Sales tax on the device (varies by state, typically charged upfront on full MSRP) is not included in the totals above.
We don't have a resale value for a iPhone 16 in this condition yet, so it counts as $0 here.
Plan $46.00/mo + device $54.13/mo + $35.00 upfront − $38.97 cashback
iPhone 18 Pro Max paid over 24 months at 0% APR via Apple Card Monthly Installments, with 3% cashback credited once.
Sales tax on the device (varies by state, typically charged upfront on full MSRP) is not included in the totals above.
We don't have a resale value for a iPhone 16 in this condition yet, so it counts as $0 here.
Plan $46.00/mo + device $54.13/mo + $35.00 upfront − $38.97 cashback
iPhone 18 Pro Max paid over 24 months at 0% APR via Apple Card Monthly Installments, with 3% cashback credited once.
Sales tax on the device (varies by state, typically charged upfront on full MSRP) is not included in the totals above.
We don't have a resale value for a iPhone 16 in this condition yet, so it counts as $0 here.
Plan $46.00/mo + device $54.13/mo + $35.00 upfront − $38.97 cashback
iPhone 18 Pro Max paid over 24 months at 0% APR via Apple Card Monthly Installments, with 3% cashback credited once.
Sales tax on the device (varies by state, typically charged upfront on full MSRP) is not included in the totals above.
We don't have a resale value for a iPhone 16 in this condition yet, so it counts as $0 here.
Plan $46.00/mo + device $54.13/mo + $35.00 upfront − $38.97 cashback
iPhone 18 Pro Max paid over 24 months at 0% APR via Apple Card Monthly Installments, with 3% cashback credited once.
Sales tax on the device (varies by state, typically charged upfront on full MSRP) is not included in the totals above.
We don't have a resale value for a iPhone 16 in this condition yet, so it counts as $0 here.
Data verified September 10, 2026.
AT&T's provider fee: $5.43/line (PA label; varies by state). T-Mobile's provider fee: $4.49/line + $0.36–$4.79/line surcharge that varies by location.
Frequently asked
Which is cheaper for 5 lines of iPhone 18 Pro Max: AT&T or T-Mobile?
T-Mobile's Experience More costs $16,426 over 36 months for 5 lines of iPhone 18 Pro Max, $3,627 less than AT&T's Elite 2.0 at $20,053.
What's the effective monthly cost of iPhone 18 Pro Max on AT&T vs. T-Mobile?
AT&T works out to $557.03/mo and T-Mobile to $456.28/mo, each the 36-month total divided evenly by 36 — not necessarily the bill you'd see in any single month.
Are these AT&T and T-Mobile prices confirmed?
AT&T's total is not yet independently verified, and T-Mobile's is a computed worst/best estimate, pending a promo or fee confirmation. See the confidence badge on each card, and our methodology page, for what that means.