Let’s face it, Elon Musk isn’t exactly known for playing it safe. The tech mogul thrives on disruption, and his recent post about free X Premium features was no exception.
The post itself was brief and cryptic, sparking a flurry of online speculation.
We can hear you saying “How nice”, and you may even think that you can benefit from it. But when we do the math, the result is quite “funny”.
Free X Premium features post launched a thousand calculations
The post itself is deceptively short.
It’s snappy, it’s got that casual Musk-esque flair, but there’s some interesting number-crunching to do if you want to grasp the potential impact.
But by the numbers, it is not exactly a windfall.
We know that there were 4 accounts sporting over 5,000 subscribers last month. Another 8, including those same 4, have over 2,500 subscribers.
Let’s do the math:
- Premium tier: 4 accounts will save $10 per month. That’s a collective savings of about $40 monthly.
Premium+ tier: Also 4 accounts, and these users are saving $20 per month. That’s a total of $80 in monthly savings.
All in all, this move from Musk translates to around $120 in total monthly savings for this very niche set of accounts – including his own if he was paying for it in the first place.
The numbers are so open to question that if you doubt the authenticity of the post, here is Elon Musk’s Free X Premium features post:
Going forward, all 𝕏 accounts with over 2500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free and accounts with over 5000 will get Premium+ for free
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2024
So… a revolution or a ripple?
Let’s be honest, this move is hardly going to shift the dynamics of social media. It’s a small gesture with a very limited scope. However, knowing Musk, it’s entirely possible that there’s a larger plan in motion.
Could this be the start of a more accessible X experience? Could it change how people see the value of subscribing? These questions, for now, linger unanswered.
X Premium vs free X
Here’s a breakdown of how X Premium differs from the standard free experience, along with the features you get in each tier:
The free version of X provides the core social media experience:
- Posting and interaction: You can post regular updates, images, and videos, interact with others through replies, likes, and retweets
- Following: Follow accounts of interest and see their content in your feed
- Search: Use the search function to find specific content, accounts, or hashtags
- Direct messaging: Send private messages to other users
X Premium offers a suite of additional features intended to enhance your experience and offer more control:
X Premium (Basic tier)
- Edit posts: Fix typos or make changes to a post after it has been published
- Upload longer media: Share longer videos and higher-resolution images
- Bookmarking: Save posts to revisit later for easy reference
- Reader mode: View threads in a clean, distraction-free format
X Premium+
- All the features of X Premium (Basic tier)
- Blue verified checkmark: This mark next to your username signals account authenticity
- Priority ranking: Your content is given a slight boost in visibility within feeds and replies
- Longer posts: Create extended posts beyond the standard character limit
- Custom app icons and themes: Personalize the look of your X app
- Fewer ads: See a reduced number of ads in your feed
Beyond the numbers
Regardless of whether the free X Premium features are a one-off generosity or part of a wider strategy, it’s another reminder that Musk is constantly tinkering with his platforms. This move might seem minor, but it could be the hint of more significant updates to come.
Whether beneficial or not is a whole different debate, we hope that you are among the lucky eight people to try out Grok AI for free.
Featured image credit: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash
