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FREE T-Mobile Tablet Data Plan for Life - 4G LTE 200MB. iPad Air, Mini Retina, Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab too

+273 Deal Score
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Bring your own tablet [t-mobile.com]
Buy a tablet from T-Mobile cash or free financing for well qualified buyers [t-mobile.com]


iPad Air [t-mobile.com] space gray or silver color. This is the new thin and lighter model announced 10/2013.
  • 16GB $630.00, or $0 down and $26.25 for 24 months
  • 32GB $729.99, or $99 down and $26.25 for 24 months
iPad Mini [t-mobile.com] space gray or silver color. Last year's model, A5 non-Retina version. The new iPad Mini with A7 and Retina won't be available until Apple finishes manufacturing them.
  • 16GB $429.84, or $0 down and $17.91 for 24 months
Google Nexus 7 [t-mobile.com]
  • 32GB $384
Samsung Galaxy Tab2 10.1 [t-mobile.com]
  • 16 GB $456 or $0 down and $19 for 24 months

Notes:
  • $10 SIM starter kit required. Not known yet if you can use a cell phone starter kit on a tablet.
    All are "shipping soon" or "coming soon"

If you're planning to buy a new iPad from the Apple store or apple.com, select the T-Mobile version. It will come preinstalled with the correct T-Mobile sim. I bought one this way. Just turn off wifi, try to browse using Safari, and a simple T-Mobile signup process intervenes. It asks for basic stuff- name, address, email. I selected the free plan, and that was it- TMobile LTE access.









T-Mobile announcement [t-mobile.com]
Oct 23, 2013 press release [corporate-ir.net]
Oct 23, 2013 press release 2 [thomsonone.com]
TMobile FAQ for this program credit to monkeybiz


TMobile UnCarrier 3.0 Initiative. Full launch November 1, 2013. So glad that the DeathStar wasn't able to grab TMobile; how's that for competition?


Deal highlights:
  • 200MB free 4G LTE data every month for life
  • No unlimited 2G data after free data allotment is used, data stops. A screen will be shown allowing a purchase for more data. (Reference 1)
  • No contracts
  • Mobile internet account required on eligible device. Do not need voice account or any other paying relationship. (Reference 4)
  • No domestic roaming, no international roaming
  • You can BYOD (bring your own eligible device). Do not have to buy the tablet from TMobile. Most popular tablets compatible with TMobile's network are eligible. (FAQ and Reference 2 below)
  • iPad Air 16GB - $0 down, 24 payments of $26.25. Available Nov 1.
  • iPad Mini 16GB with Retina - $0 down, 24 payments of $22.08. Available late November.
  • Includes Android tablets Google Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 2 10.1 (Reference 3 below)
  • Existing TMobile Tablet paid plan customers get 200MB added to their paid allotment (Reference 5)

Fine print from tmobile.com webpage announcing this feature [t-mobile.com]:
Limited time offers; subject to change. Taxes and fees additional. Free Starter Data: Avail. every 30 days as long as you have an active Mobile Internet account on eligible device. No roaming. Usage applied first to passes, next to Starter Data, then Mobile Internet allotment. Mobile Internet Service: Credit approval, deposit and $10 SIM starter kit may be required. Partial megabytes rounded up. Full speeds available up to monthly allotment; then slowed to up to 2G speeds for rest of billing cycle. [OP note: the preceding unlimited 2G does not apply to free 200MB customers] Roaming and on-network data allotments differ; see your selected service for details. $10 Voice Discount: Requires one other line of post-paid phone service on the same account. Equipment Installment Plan: Availability and amount of EIP financing subject to credit approval. Down payment & unfinanced portion required at purchase. Balance paid in monthly installments. Must remain on qualifying service in good standing for duration of EIP agreement. If you cancel wireless service, remaining balance on phone/device becomes due. Taxes and late/non-payment fees may apply. Participating locations only. Not available in Wash., D.C.; see participating locations in MD or VA. Example(s) shown reflects the down payment & monthly payments of our most creditworthy customers; amounts for others will vary. Pricing applicable to single device purchase. Device and screen images simulated. Coverage not available in some areas.


Yes, I actually listened to the media concall for you peeps after dinner today! Wink

Reference 1 - October 23, 2013 audio conference announcing feature with TMobile CEO Legere and CMO Sievert [media-server.com] 33:24 and 36:30. The TMobile executables were asked explicitly what happens for free customers when the 200MB runs out. They responded says that for free customers, after the 200MB allotment is used, data stops. A webpage is thrown up to let you buy more at that point. For Simple Choice (paid) customers, they throttle down to 2G unlimited. But not the free customers. Credit to alabbit for bringing this up.
Reference 2 - audio 5:55, 16:20.
Reference 3 - audio 2:54 mentions a list of Apple and android tablets, then mentions free data.
Reference 4 - audio 17:40 "do not need any paying relationship with TMobile at all"
Reference 5 - audio 20:30




I was about to get the new next gen iPad to use with my freedompop, but I'm going for this deal. So far, ATT and Verizon have had to respond to TMobile's disruptive moves. We'll see if they match this one as well.


Thumbnail of TMO, ATT, VZ, and Sprint (credit to Bad_Boy). Additional credit to buglerex and manekineko2.
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Deal
Score
+273
754,441 Views

Community Wiki

Last Edited by gh0stleader May 25, 2016 at 06:47 PM
$5 sim card from BB. Just pop the sim into the tablet and follow activation instructions below!
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/t-mob...Id=8699899


Link to buying Apple tables directly from T-mobile online prepaid store for full price (without financing). No credit check needed since this is from their prepaid store.
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.co...ones/apple

T-mobile FAQ (click on "View More Questions") http://www.t-mobile.com/landing/f...ID=4485850
  • You say customers get 200MB of free data so why do customers have to pay $10 a month?
    Anyone who brings an eligible tablet to T-Mobile or purchases a new tablet outright is entitled to 200 MB of free 4G LTE data every month, regardless if they're a current customer or not. Well-qualified customers with an existing T-Mobile line of service are also entitled to $0 down interest free financing in addition to the free data. Customers who don't currently have a line of service with T-Mobile and want $0 down interest free financing on the purchase of a new tablet will be required to pay $10 a month in order to reduce the risk of fraud. This $10 a month charge is not connected to the free data, rather it is a part of the financing package.
  • After the free 200MB 4G LTE runs out, do you get free unlimited 2G?
    No, please see post #1.
    In a nutshell, for free customers, there is no unlimited 2G after the free data runs out. For paying Simple Choice customers, there is unlimited 2G. But not for free customers.
  • Do I have to be on a plan or a contract in order to get the free data?
    Directly from T-mobile FAQ (click on "View More Questions") http://www.t-mobile.com/landing/f...ID=4485850
    In order to get the 200 MB of free Starter Data, you need to have an active Mobile Internet account with T-Mobile.
    If you are a postpaid customer, you'll need to have an On Demand data plan at minimum which is $0/mo. if you are a voice customer (after $10 line credit).
    If you are a prepaid customer, you'll need to activate a prepaid account. You do not have to a purchase data pass in order to access your free Starter Data. T-Mobile does not require an annual service contract.
  • Is the free Starter Data allocation throttled like other Mobile Internet plans and passes?
    Directly from T-mobile FAQ (click on "View More Questions") http://www.t-mobile.com/landing/f...ID=4485850
    No, the 200 MB Starter Data is capped. This means that once you have used it up, you have three options:
    • Upgrade to a Simple Choice Mobile Internet Plan that gives you more data each month. See our Simple Choice Mobile Internet plans page.
    • Buy an On Demand data pass.
    • Wait until you receive your next allocation of free data.
  • What devices are eligible for the Starter Data promotion?
    Directly from T-mobile FAQ (click on "View More Questions") http://www.t-mobile.com/landing/f...ID=4485850
    Most tablets compatible with T-Mobile's network are eligible. This includes:
    • Tablets previously sold by T-Mobile
    • Tablets currently sold by T-Mobile
    • Tablets that are coming soon to T-Mobile that have been announced
    • Selected tablets that you may have bought for use on another carrier network.
  • Can I get $0 down and free data without being on a Simple Choice monthly plan?
    Yes. Of course, all tablet customers are entitled to the 200MB/month free data for life offer. And if you're a well-qualified voice customer on a Simple Choice plan you're also eligible to get $0 down (EIP) even if you're just on the free data. If you don't have a Simple Choice voice plan you will need to be on a Simple Choice Mobile Internet plan or an On Demand Data plan for your tablet, in order to get $0 down.



I have just set up a new line on my Nexus 7. The process was pretty easy. Pop in the SIM and reboot your device. You have to disable the WiFi and then open a browser on Nexus 7 (I used Chrome). The sign up page appeared automatically when I tried to access a website (any site will work, try going to google and the sign up page will appear). I used the "Micro Sim for Mobile Broadband" from TMobile [t-mobile.com]. ~~~ econsumer

If you are looking for a SIM: ~~~ econsumer

Regular [t-mobile.com]

Micro [t-mobile.com]

Nano [t-mobile.com]

^you do not need mobile broadband specific SIMs. The $0 free SIMs work just fine from SD FP deal.

Common Questions and Answers

Q: Do I need to unlock my iPad first?
A: No, US-sold iPads are factory unlocked

Q: How do I activate the data plan?
A: On an iPad, pop in the new, unactivated T-mo sim card. Turn off wifi. Go to Settings->Cellular and enable cellular, then you should see the "Set up data account" on the same page. Select the $0 on demand plan and $0 additional data. No cc required. You will get an email confirmation about the plan activated and you are getting 200MB starter for free until next month (which will then be renewed).

If you don't see account setup in the cellular settings, just open any URL like google.com and it will take you to the sign up page. If it's still not working, try restarting the iPad.

Q: I have a full-size T-mo SIM card from a while back, can I use it?
A: Yes, as long as it's unactivated and is still valid (each card must be activated by stated date), you can trim it to micro/nano size and use it.

Q: BYOD iPad device+ SIM purchased at store: If I have trouble with activating the 200MB plan, what should do I do?
A: With BYOD iPad air, go to the store and ask for SIM to activate PREPAID account with 200MB free. Give $10+tax cash to make sure they don't signup for any other plan. Once you put the sim into the device, register with a different email address (not previously used or active with TMO plan already). This should work with no issues.
[Note: Problem I had encountered was: I activated a nano SIM at the store without the device with me; When they needed IMEI number the sales associate scanned one of the random device in the inventory (not iPad). This caused problem when I put the SIM in iPad at home and the data plan didn't work. Was on call for 1 hr bouncing between 4 different groups on 11/1 evening. I spent another 2 hours at the store. There is still mass confusions at the store and in 800-customer service center]



ACTIVATION

If you're having trouble activating, here's what worked for me on an iPad 2:

1. With wi-fi on, open http://tmobile.com/connectme in your browser. (This redirected to https://mim.t-mobile.com)
2. Turn off wi-fi.
3. Refresh page over cellular data. A new page with a Connect Me button appears (or something similar). Click that.
4. Following page lists data plan options, including "Plain and Simple - Free Data for Life" -- the 200MB free monthly data plan.
5. Give an email address and password to create your account. No credit card needed.


If you're having problems activating a new sim card in your iPad because you cannot connect to the T-Mobile data network despite your iPad detecting the T-Mobile network:

1. Clear the network settings at Settings/General/Reset/Reset Network Settings.
2. Clear the cookies at Settings/Safari/Clear Cookies and Data.
3. Turn off iPad.
4. Insert new unused sim card.
5. Turn iPad on after 5 minutes.
6. Set wifi to off, set cellular data to on.
7. Go to Settings/Carrier and turn automatic network selection off. Wait until your iPad shows you the options, and tap on T-Mobile.
8. Go to Settings/Cellular Data/APN and check that the APN field is populated. If it is blank, enter epc.tmobile.com for 3G, or fast.t-mobile.com for LTE.
Your iPad should now connect to T-Mobile and allow you to activate the new sim for the promotional free data. If you still can't connect, reboot your iPad once without resetting the network settings. If you still can't reconnect, it's possible that the new sim card is defective.

As many previous posters have already stated, if all you want is just the free monthly 200mb data -- get a new T-mobile sim card and activate it yourself in your tablet! You will bypass any and all monthly fees, account balances, credit checks, customer service upselling, deposits, everything. Activating T-mobile data on your tablet directly from the tablet does not require ANY of your credit or verifiable personal information and you do not have to go to a store.

-BostonQT

Almost any tablet will do, ipads come unlocked, tablet does not have to be LTE can be 3g or better. Reports of ipad 1, 4g non LTE tablets etc...all confirmed working. If you go into a store to get a sim it should be absolutely free you should not have to pay a single penny although some employees will still try to sell you the kit for $10+, and even more will try to tell you there will be a monthly charge or sign you up on a voice or other plan NONE of these actions are required. As soon as you get the SIM you will have free data, you do not have to be a current or former Tmobile customer. It has been confirmed that you do not need a broadband SIM even a phone SIM will also work. If you need a sim you can get it by calling TMOBILE directly 800-TMOBILE ask for the free sim or if price increases .99 c or more or tmobile.com, Best Buy and other stores also sell Tmobile activation kits.

Confirmed working:

Apple Ipad 1st gen 3G
Tmobile Springboard 4G nonLTE
AT&T iPad Mini 1st Gen [4G LTE]
AT&T iPad 3 [4G]
Samsung Galaxy Tab SGH-T849 [3G]
Dell Streak 7 (T-mobile version with Dell Honeycomb 3.2 firmware) [3G] (Wifi hotspot work!!!)

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What will 200mb of data get me? Here's an estimate!


Support Document for list of available devices for free data:

http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-9700 [t-mobile.com]

and here is how to register:
http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-5623
Life is until the device stops functioning or battery goes bad.



This post can be edited by most users to provide up-to-date information about developments of this thread based on user responses, and user findings. Feel free to add, change or remove information shown here as it becomes available. This includes new coupons, rebates, ideas, thread summary, and similar items.

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This post can be edited by most users to provide up-to-date information about developments of this thread based on user responses, and user findings. Feel free to add, change or remove information shown here as it becomes available. This includes new coupons, rebates, ideas, thread summary, and similar items.

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Hard pull when you order the SIM card for free over the phone

1,676 Comments

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Joined Mar 2012
L3: Novice
> bubble2 132 Posts
53 Reputation
truthbuzz
10-22-2013 at 06:36 PM.
10-22-2013 at 06:36 PM.
oh yea? verizon nexus 5 with 2gb free 4g data. details TBA.
Reply
Joined May 2006
L10: Grand Master
> bubble2 26,246 Posts
3,389 Reputation
namlook
10-22-2013 at 06:48 PM.
10-22-2013 at 06:48 PM.
If all you did was read email wouldn't that be more than 200mb / month with the attachments and pictures?
Reply
Joined Jun 2007
L10: Grand Master
> bubble2 8,100 Posts
2,724 Reputation
DrRad
10-22-2013 at 06:53 PM.
10-22-2013 at 06:53 PM.
There is also a $10 discount on auto-renewing data plans if you are a T-Mobile voice customer.
Reply
Joined Oct 2005
L5: Journeyman
> bubble2 974 Posts
99 Reputation
Seththefallen
10-22-2013 at 06:55 PM.
10-22-2013 at 06:55 PM.
Quote from truthbuzz :
oh yea? verizon nexus 5 with 2gb free 4g data. details TBA.

What the hell are you talking about? That's not true at all
Reply
Joined Feb 2007
L9: Master
> bubble2 5,032 Posts
1,044 Reputation
Original Poster
mpkb
10-22-2013 at 06:55 PM.
10-22-2013 at 06:55 PM.
Quote from namlook :
If all you did was read email wouldn't that be more than 200mb / month with the attachments and pictures?
Everyone is different, but I don't think so. I've been using freedompop since the beginning, and am pretty confident regular email and browsing for me will not exceed 200MB. I've never gone over even half my fpop allocation.

The big four cell companies have been offering basic $14.99 data plans for iPad that are around 200 to 250MB for awhile. Maybe these users can chime in on how much they can do without exceeding the limit.
Reply
Last edited by mpkb October 22, 2013 at 06:57 PM.
Joined Aug 2011
L5: Journeyman
> bubble2 864 Posts
183 Reputation
Bootes
10-22-2013 at 06:55 PM.
10-22-2013 at 06:55 PM.
Quote from namlook :
If all you did was read email wouldn't that be more than 200mb / month with the attachments and pictures?
Depends on your email, but probably not. Stay away from videos and use WiFi whenever possible and this is probably good enough for most people.
Reply
Joined Jun 2011
if its Free its for ME!
> bubble2 2,816 Posts
2,363 Reputation
Bad_Boy
10-22-2013 at 06:56 PM.
10-22-2013 at 06:56 PM.
Here is a picture Big Grin
Reply

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Joined Aug 2007
L5: Journeyman
> bubble2 742 Posts
280 Reputation
joeboy
10-22-2013 at 06:58 PM.
10-22-2013 at 06:58 PM.
Quote from namlook :
If all you did was read email wouldn't that be more than 200mb / month with the attachments and pictures?
Depends on your habits. I usually buy the AT&T 250MB/month plan for $15 just to have "emergency backup data" when traveling. And I *usually* have plenty of data left over -> because 90% of the time i'm covered by Wifi, but it's just nice to be able to check email while in the boonies...

if it was your only data connection, or you watch videos, or stream pandora? Yeah, you'll run out. Still, this little gimmick alone will probably save me $50-75/year, so I'll be getting a Tmobile-branded ipad unless AT&T matches...
Reply
Joined Feb 2007
L9: Master
> bubble2 5,032 Posts
1,044 Reputation
Original Poster
mpkb
10-22-2013 at 07:10 PM.
10-22-2013 at 07:10 PM.
Quote from Bad_Boy :
Here is a picture Big Grin
Thanks, added your thumbnail to post #1.
Reply
Joined Mar 2011
L7: Teacher
> bubble2 2,176 Posts
2,324 Reputation
ffly45
10-22-2013 at 07:16 PM.
10-22-2013 at 07:16 PM.
i got at&t gift cards i was gonna use to buy the ipad air.

any ideas on how i can get the t-mo version with that credit (besides craigslist, ebay, etc.)?
Reply
Joined Dec 2008
L15: Baron
> bubble2 7,123 Posts
2,640 Reputation
unlimitedx
10-22-2013 at 07:18 PM.
10-22-2013 at 07:18 PM.
I wonder if this slows down to unlimited 2G after the data allowance has been used.
Reply
Joined May 2007
L6: Expert
> bubble2 1,769 Posts
965 Reputation
coldteadodd
10-22-2013 at 07:20 PM.
10-22-2013 at 07:20 PM.
It will be interesting to find out if this plan can be converted to from other prepaid plans.
Reply
Joined Feb 2010
is PRO
> bubble2 18,955 Posts
4,606 Reputation
Binar
10-22-2013 at 07:23 PM.
10-22-2013 at 07:23 PM.
Quote from joeboy :
Depends on your habits. I usually buy the AT&T 250MB/month plan for $15 just to have "emergency backup data" when traveling. And I *usually* have plenty of data left over -> because 90% of the time i'm covered by Wifi, but it's just nice to be able to check email while in the boonies...

if it was your only data connection, or you watch videos, or stream pandora? Yeah, you'll run out. Still, this little gimmick alone will probably save me $50-75/year, so I'll be getting a Tmobile-branded ipad unless AT&T matches...
I doubt att is going to match FREE
Reply
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