T-Mobile will give you unlimited data after 2.5 GB, but it will be throttled to EDGE-like speeds (128 Kbps).
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T-Mobile unveils new plan: 10GB family plan 4 lines for $100 (undercut rivals by $60)
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T-Mobile will give you unlimited data after 2.5 GB, but it will be throttled to EDGE-like speeds (128 Kbps).
If you have another carrier, T-Mobile most definitely wants you to try the test drive. They call it "cheating" on your carrier, or a seven-day fling.
It's more like a two-for-one test drive in that you're trying out T-Mobile's network AND the iPhone 5s (that's why Apple is providing the test drive phones). You just go to their website, fill in your info, they'll put a $700 hold on your credit card, and send the phone out to you. After seven days, you just return it to a T-Mobile store and they'll release the credit hold.
T-Mobile said that they will use the program to highlight the latest and greatest iPhones, so once the iPhone 6 comes out, T-Mobile will presumably start sending those out as the test drive models.
That would be great but I highly doubt it.
Maybe many months after the iphone 6 is out and there's plenty of stock to go around then yes.
Not as soon as it comes out and there's crazy lines everywhere and its backordered for weeks obviously.
They wont be sending those initial limited supply phones to people that just want to do a 7 day test drive.
From how I read that chart, T-Mobile places a soft cap of 2.5 GB per line. It's not shared data. Any line that goes over the soft cap will get throttled, so you don't have to worry about overage charges.
One important point with T-Mobile is that have whitelisted the most popular music streaming services, as well as several speed testing apps. So, if you do a lot of streaming music on Pandora, Spotify, iTunes Radio, and a few others, those will not count against the data allotment.
I typically use about 3-4 GB per month, but more than half of that is music streaming. So, with the way that T-Mobile computes data usage, less than 2 GB would actually count against my monthly data cap on this plan.
But, we don't know the actual number of test drive units that T-Mobile uses, nor what kind of agreement they have with Apple other than getting the test drive phones for free. I know that T-Mobile has targeted 1 million total test drives over 12 months, which works out to less than 100,000 per month. Given that the test drive phones get sent back out after they are returned, T-Mobile could actually run the program with less than 50,000 iPhones at any given point (assuming that each phone is test driven at least twice per month).
CEO John Legere plays fast and loose in his keynotes, so he very well might have misspoken or said something he shouldn't have. But, they did make it sound like they intend to use the program as a promo to prod their customers into upgrading to the latest iPhone model. Given that T-Mobile has the lowest iPhone penetration among the major US carriers and Apple is a partner in this program, the promotional value is greater for both parties than it would be on a different carrier.
That would be nice but like I said my guess is this type of test drive program for the brand new iphone will be available some time after the initial release.
Im willing to make a quick bet with you on that if you're down
I'm sorry T-Mobile. I gave you a solid year. In Phoenix... you are just OK. Lots of times, if I'm indoors, all I get is a lousy "E" on the top of my screen. You can be as cheap as you want...
But I need more reliable service. I want a good signal in the woods when I go camping in Northern AZ.
I am switching to Verizon this week.
But I need more reliable service. I want a good signal in the woods when I go camping in Northern AZ.
I am switching to Verizon this week.
They do refer to their plans often as "unlimited", in that you will never pay an overage fee. But, they also quickly add the "X GB of 4G LTE" disclaimer, so that they can still try to upgrade you to a higher allotment plan. Even on their family plans, they have multiple data tiers up to and including uncapped and unthrottled "unlimited" data.
0.5mbps is not really edge speeds.
Even though slow but still usable and free of overages
Is that the speed the T-moblie throttles you? I've read elsewhere here that they take you down closer to 128kps. I know that AT&T throttles at .5 though.
I wouldn't say that. Many I know who have T-Mobile only have it due to costs. They do complain about the coverage all the time though.
I wouldn't say that. Many I know who have T-Mobile only have it due to costs. They do complain about the coverage all the time though.
Bingo. Most people put up with the abysmal coverage because it's cheap. I don't think people switch to T-Mobile for their coverage. They switch to save money (and get barely working service in return)
Bingo. Most people put up with the abysmal coverage because it's cheap. I don't think people switch to T-Mobile for their coverage. They switch to save money (and get barely working service in return)
Because you've been to every square mile that T-Mobile serves with their 4G/LTE and you can attest to everyone that T-Mobile sucks? Riigght...
I wish they worked better where I am, I would jump on this in a heart beat. I have them for work and they aren't that great at all.
Because you've been to every square mile that T-Mobile serves with their 4G/LTE and you can attest to everyone that T-Mobile sucks? Riigght...
Haha he's always in T-Mobile threads bashing the carrier so simply ignore him!
This plan is perfect for those who do have coverage. My family gets good coverage in Portland and the surrounding cities (Hillsboro, Beaverton, Clackamas) and they haven't complained about service!
Haha he's always in T-Mobile threads bashing the carrier so simply ignore him!
This plan is perfect for those who do have coverage. My family gets good coverage in Portland and the surrounding cities (Hillsboro, Beaverton, Clackamas) and they haven't complained about service!
In the Bay Area, their network is solid in most areas. And just in the 10 months I've had T-Mobile, the LTE coverage has expanded from almost nothing to now covering the majority of the places where I go on a regular basis. Impressive improvement in a very short time.
That's why I think their test drive program is genius marketing. Lots of self-appointed experts out there always talking crap about T-Mobile's network, no matter where someone might live. Letting customers try the network out free of charge (and try the iPhone 5s in the process) cuts through the noise, and lets them decide for themselves.
For some customers, it might confirm that their area still has poor network quality. For others, it might give them the final push needed to switch providers. Either way, it's better information about network quality in someone's own area than anything anyone here can provide.
Yup. They pretty much had to do something like that in order to level the playing field a little bit. But like you said, it's a double edged sword. I think many people will use it and get turned off by the crap signal in certain areas. There's no question that AT&T and Verizon still have a much better network and it's really not even close.
Def agree with you! That's why I still have my line on my family plan with T-Mobile and always checking for improvements!
If the improvements in my area provide any indication, I think it will be a big boon for T-Mobile. AT&T and Verizon no question provide a broader network with rural coverage that T-Mobile can't touch. But, in the metro areas, the gap is not nearly as huge, and that's what the test drive will likely demonstrate in many cases.
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In the Bay Area, they rolled out the LTE service very quickly. When I activated my line last September, I hardly saw any LTE coverage. Now, I see it in the majority of areas I visit regularly.
T-Mobile also whitelists the RootMetrics, Ookla, and other speed testing apps, so I frequently run speed tests while driving or walking or riding transit. I've seen fairly significant improvements over the past year. Because T-Mobile doesn't count these tests against data caps, there's a lot of crowdsourced network speed maps that you can use to check the performance in your area.
Holy cow. Really? You wrote 3 paragraphs of rambling before discovering the thread starting post???
Edge/Jump is a rip. Just buy out right. Pull the bandaid off.
And as for your last sentence, you really DONT have to watch your data. Its incredibly more forgiving.
There are no overages. There are no fees if you slam into and through it 2 days before the bill cycle resets. You just get throttled.
I repriced it now that it's on the website- looks like you have to get 4 lines though to get that deal. And with my two lines if I get a higher data plan it's not much of a deal.
The Edge/Jump plans don't seem like a rip to me- it's interest-free payments, and you only pay for about half the phone before upgrading. And no hassle with buying the unlocked version and then trying to sell on craigslist.
The Edge/Jump plans don't seem like a rip to me- it's interest-free payments, and you only pay for about half the phone before upgrading. And no hassle with buying the unlocked version and then trying to sell on craigslist.