T-Mobile

T-Mobile adds 11 more music streaming services to its ‘Music Freedom’ initiative

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 4, 2017

T-Mobile has been on a roll lately with its brazen approach, and despite how some may balk over what seemingly violates the spirit of net neutrality, the overall consensus from the public seems to be positive.

Last month, T-Mobile announced its Binge On program, which allows users to stream pre-approved video services without it counting against their data. The Binge On program is essentially the evolution of its Music Freedom program, which T-Mobile started last year.

Music Freedom, like Binge On, will allow T-Mobile's Simple Choice customers to stream pre-approved music services without it counting against data. Many of the big players, such as Apple Music and Spotify, are already there, but T-Mobile isn't resting on its laurels.

Today, it announced that it's adding 11 additional music streaming services to Music Freedom, and many of them aren't widely known.

T-Mobile and Verizon are offering free data for existing customers

Matthew Miller ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

With Black Friday coming later this week, the various carriers are unveiling their plans for the big sale. While the big four (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon) all have various deals, only T-Mobile and Verizon have really good offerings for existing customers, including free data.

Verizon is offering existing customers an additional 1 GB of data for two billing cycles, while T-Mobile is giving all customers unlimited data for three whole months. These deals start on different dates, so head into the story to see how to get them and where.

T-Mobile is increasing data caps, but there are a few catches

Matthew Miller ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

When T-Mobile introduced Binge On yesterday, they also announced that new data limits would come for customers. However, with that also came a few changes to some areas of their offerings, including pricing and Data Stash.

Under T-Mobile's old system, the data plans were 1 GB, 3 GB, 5 GB, and unlimited data, priced at $50, $60, $70, and $80 respectively. The new plans announced yesterday are 2 GB, 6 GB, and 10 GB, with the unlimited plan sticking around as well. But the prices have been increased for the 6 GB and higher plans, which will now cost $65, $80, and $95 respectively, along with other changes.

T-Mobile will let you stream Netflix and other video services without using data, but there’s a catch

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 10, 2015

T-Mobile just took the cover off of its latest Uncarrier initiative, Binge On, which will allow customers who pay for at least 3GB of data to stream Netflix, ESPN, Hulu, HBO Now, Sling, and other popular video streaming services without it counting against monthly data usage.

If that sounds a bit crazy, then we're right there with you. T-Mobile has done similar things with music streaming already, but video is a whole different animal altogether.

But unsurprisingly, there is one small catch. T-Mobile will essentially cap the maximum quality of the video streams participating in its plan through what it calls "optimization". Basically, it's reducing the amount of bandwidth used for videos, which will result in at least some quality degradation for most modern smartphones.

T-Mobile’s new 4G LTE CellSpot launches Wednesday, free for Simple Choice customers

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 6, 2017

Wireless carrier T-Mobile today introduced a new home device designed to provide a strong, reliable wireless 4G LTE signal for customers with or without an indoor cellular signal.

Dubbed the LTE CellSpot, the device requires availability of T-Mobile's wireless spectrum, but can also work in certain areas without cellular signal.

The CellSpot is launching Wednesday, November 4, and will be provided at no charge to T-Mobile's Simple Choice postpaid customers for as long as they’re with T-Mobile.

T-Mobile now offering iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 with JUMP! On Demand leasing program

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 28, 2015

According to wireless carrier T-Mobile Thursday, qualified customers can now pick up Apple's iPad Air 2 or the fourth-generation iPad mini by taking advantage of the company's 18-month leasing program, called JUMP! On Demand.

The baseline iPad Air 2 configuration with sixteen gigabytes of storage is available with $0 down and eighteen installments at $26 per month. The entry-level 16GB iPad mini 4 starts at $22 per month with $0 due upfront. Both devices are LTE models.

T-Mobile: trade in your old iPhone 6 and get iPhone 6s for as low as $5 per month

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 23, 2015

T-Mobile's outspoken CEO John Legere confirmed today on Twitter that his company will be offering an iPhone 6s beginning Friday for as low as $5, $10 or $15 per month, depending on the model being purchased and older iPhone traded in, through its JUMP! On Demand device upgrade program. The lowest $5 per month pricing entails an iPhone 6 trade in, while buying a new iPhone 6s for $10 per month requires trading in your iPhone 5s.

Customers can take advantage of this offer even if they have already pre-ordered their device with a trade-in. Leggier conformed in another tweet that pre-orders of new iPhones at T-Mobile are up thirty percent versus the previous year.

Breaking down the iPhone 6s model numbers and LTE band capabilities

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 13, 2015

Apple is shipping four different models of iPhone for its yearly refresh. The iPhone 6s sports two models—A1633 and A1688, while the iPhone 6s Plus feature models A1634 and A1687.

Although both iPhones in the 6s and 6s Plus lines are virtually the same, the model numbers differentiate the cellular LTE band capabilities of each phone. Thus, by familiarizing yourself with each model number, you can learn what networks each phone will support.

Why is this important? Say you wanted to order a new iPhone 6s in rose gold. As you might have heard, rose gold is proving to be very popular, and is selling out quicker than some of the other iPhone color options. Rose gold 64GB iPhones designated for T-Mobile and Verizon are now on backorder for 2-3 weeks.

But some rose gold models remain available—for example, some Sprint-designated rose gold models are still shipping on 9/25. By using our knowledge of iPhone model numbers, we might still be able to obtain a rose gold iPhone 6s to use with a provider like T-Mobile or Verizon by purchasing the Sprint model...

T-Mobile announces ‘Lifetime Coverage Guarantee,’ new iPhone 6s promo

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Following Apple's major iPhone 6s event yesterday, T-Mobile on Thursday made some big announcements of its own. In both a YouTube monologue and press release, company CEO John Legere introduced a new 'Lifetime Coverage Guarantee' and iPhone 6s program.

As its name suggests, the Lifetime Coverage Guarantee essentially ensures your happiness with T-Mobile's network. The offer says that if at any point you aren't completely satisfied with the service on your iPhone 6s, you'll get a refund for up to a full month of service.

T-Mobile starts punishing data-hungry customers who conceal their tethering

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 31, 2015

T-Mobile announced today that it will throttle LTE data and speeds for users on unlimited plans who illegally use more data than they bought by concealing their tethering.

A small percentage of T-Mobile customers on unlimited 4G LTE plans have been discovered to be gaming the system in order to make their tethering look like smartphone usage.

T-Mobile's Simple Choice plans offer a set amount of mobile hotspot data (up to seven gigabytes) and include tethering at no extra charge. Making tethering look like smartphone usage allows data-hungry customers to use significantly more 4G LTE tethering than their plan includes, with some people consuming up to two terabytes a month.

Their activities have a “disproportionately negative impact” on other users as these rule-breakers “can compromise the network experience for other T-Mobile customers.” The carrier will now clamp down on those people by starting to throttle their data speeds, especially if the carrier determines that they're misusing their data to access peer-to-peer file sharing networks.

T-Mobile overtakes Sprint to become third largest US carrier

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

It's official. T-Mobile has overtaken Sprint to become the third largest carrier in the United States. During its earnings call on Tuesday, Sprint told investors that it ended its most recent quarter, which ended in June, with 56.8 million customers.

That falls just shy of the 58.9 million subscribers T-Mobile finished with in its most recent quarter, which also ended in June, officially moving the Magenta-colored company into the third largest US carrier spot, behind AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

T-Mobile will let those who buy an iPhone 6 this summer upgrade to upcoming ‘iPhone 6s’ for free

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 28, 2015

Did you purchase your current iPhone 6 for $15 per month through T-Mobile's JUMP! On Demand trade-in program? If so, you'll be automatically eligible for a free upgrade to Apple's 'iPhone 6s'—or whatever it will be called when it's released this fall.

In addition to permitting its Simple Choice customers to listen to their favorite songs on Apple Music without taking a byte of their monthly 4G LTE data, carrier T-Mobile today announced that iPhone customers participating in said upgrade plan will be able to get their hands on Apple's next-gen handset without paying anything to upgrade or increasing their monthly JUMP! On Demand payment.