T-Mobile

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.

T-Mobile adds Apple Music to Music Freedom

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 28, 2015

T-Mobile has added Apple Music to the list of supported streaming services for Music Freedom, an initiative which allows subscribers to stream their favorite songs through services like Spotify, Pandora, Rdio and more, over T-Mobile's cellular network and without burning their 4G LTE data.

Hailed as T-Mobile's “last Un-Carrier Amped move of the summer,” Simple Choice customers can now enjoy Apple's streaming music service without worrying about Apple Music cellular data usage counting against their monthly 4G LTE allowance.

T-Mobile unveils 10GB per person family plan

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 30, 2016

T-Mobile's Un-Carrier Amped initiative continues unabated with Tuesday's announcement of a brand new plan which offers families of four a cool ten gigabytes of high-speed 4G LTE data each, in exchange for an average monthly fee of $30 per person.

The way it works is this: two lines get ten gigabytes of data per line for a total of $100 per month ($50 per line), with a third line getting the same 10GB allowance in exchange for $20 per month and a fourth line being offered at no additional charge.

If you do the math quickly in your head, that's a total of $120 per month for four lines, each with 10GB data allowance.

T-Mobile rolls out unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data in Canada and Mexico

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

Deutsche-Telekom owned T-Mobile on Thursday announced another Un-Carrier move in the form of a brand new service, called 'Mobile Without Borders' and available starting July 15 in select Canadian and Mexican markets.

T-Mobile's U.S. business and individual customers with Simple Choice postpaid and prepaid plans will be able send and receive unlimited phone calls, text messages and use 4G LTE data, to and from Mexico and Canada, at no additional cost.

T-Mobile launches JUMP! On Demand letting you upgrade to a new phone three times per year

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 25, 2015

T-Mobile is once again looking to upend the “hopelessly broken wireless industry” with the announcement of a brand new initiative designed to give customers the freedom to upgrade to a brand spanking new handset whenever they like, up to three times a year, with no waiting period or upgrade fees and in exchange for one low monthly phone payment.

The new service, dubbed JUMP! On Demand, was announced during T-Mobile's Un-Carrier Amped event on Thursday.

Customers can trade in their existing phone for a select new device up to three times a year with no waiting period, in return for 18 monthly payments alongside the standard cost of a service plan. JUMP! On Demand launches in select stores beginning this Sunday, June 28.

T-Mobile enforces 21GB soft cap on Simple Choice plans ahead of tomorrow’s Un-Carrier Amped event

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 24, 2015

As reported by the TMoNews blog, Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile, the nation's fourth-largest wireless carrier, has introduced a soft cap on data usage for its Simple Choice customers in the form of 21 gigabytes of high-speed 4G LTE cellular data. Exceeding this monthly allotment won't incur additional charges, but your speed may be throttled during periods of network congestion.

Previously, T-Mobile would specifically throttle only the three percent of its top data-hungry subscribers. With today's change, other users may see their speeds temporarily dropped after exceeding 21 GB of data usage during a billing period.

Cellular Continuity allows for phone calls on iPads even when your iPhone is off

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Last week, it was reported that cellular Continuity would be making its way to iOS 9. The first carrier to support cellular Continuity is T-Mobile, which is unsurprising; it was the first to adopt Wi-Fi calling on iPhone as well.

Cellular Continuity allows you to use the Continuity features that debuted with iOS 8, features such as the ability to answer phone calls destined for your iPhone on Macs and iPads, without needing the involved devices to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

That means that you'll be able to leave your iPhone at home, and still receive phone calls on your iPad or other valid device while away from home and connected to the Internet via cellular or Wi-Fi.

But it goes deeper than that. After testing out this new feature on the iOS 9 beta, the Continuity features appear to be truly bound at the cellular network level. In fact, I could receive phone calls on my iPad while my iPhone was completely turned off. Watch our video demonstration for more insight.