T-Mobile Project Dark Rumour Update: Financed Phones, Tiered Unlimited Plans

We’ve heard plenty of rumours about Project Dark lately, including new unlimited plans, 21Mbps HSPA, and new handsets. The latest rumours, courtesy of Boy Genius Report, are whispers of Rent-A-Center style, contract-free unsubsidised phone purchasing and tiered unlimited plans.

Obviously T-mobile is attempting to expand their customer base through Project Dark, and part of the approach is to entice customers who would normally be forced to prepay monthly dues as well as full retail for a device:

“Even More Plus” will give those who would otherwise qualify for FlexPay the option to finance a phone. [...] Our sources tell us that the phones will not be subsidised and so there won’t be contracts for the devices, which means you pay the full retail price over the course of a set amount of time (up to 20 months is what we’re told). Not bad – for a $US500 device over that time is just $US25/month, as an example.

The next step appears to be offering the “Most Affordable Unlimited Rate Plans” in three flavours:

[U]nlimited voice, unlimited voice and text, and unlimited voice/text/data all priced at $US40, $US50 and $US60, respectively.

All unconfirmed rumours, of course, but moves like this could help T-mobile leap up from fourth place in the Great Battle of the Carriers. [Boy Genius Report]