“T-Mobile is carrying the iPad for the first time with the release of the new iPad Air, and the company is offering a unique enticement: 200 MB of free data every month,” Peter Cohen reports for iMore.
“People trying to take advantage of the deal on Friday ran into a stumbling block, however: a $10 charge per month surcharge,” Cohen reports. “The CEO now says that’s wrong. ‘The $10 per mo./fee written about today is incorrect. We had an executional mistake that we will make right,’ tweeted T-Mobile CEO John Legere on Friday. Shortly after, he added, ‘Yes. Everyone gets the 200MB of free data. No exceptions. No strings attached.'”
Read more, and see T-Mobile USA’s coverage map, in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The problem with T-Mobile USA remains: Lack of good coverage in too many areas.
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T-Mobile USA’s crazy iPad plans could be a big boost to Apple – October 27, 2013
T-Mobile USA offers Apple iPhone 5c for $0 down, iPhone 5s for $99 down – September 12, 2013
Still need more coverage. Big empty spots along my drive in SE Michigan along M14 which is not exactly the boonies.
The lack of coverage is how and why they can have such good deals, without this problem they could charge more and would. The two facts are not independent.
Jennifer: Thank you for answering my questions.
You: With my first gen iPad I only turn on the Att service when we go vacation but there is no contract. I order the service when we leave just when we need it.
You: T mobiles deal seems like you have to pay $10 a month for absolutely nothing
Jennifer: Based on what you’ve mentioned, I can recommend our iPad Air with the FREE 200MB. It is perfect for a casual data user such as yourself, who checks email, uses the internet occasionally and mostly texts and calls.
You: Thats whited I wanted but its not free its $10 month….lol
Jennifer: The 200MB plan is FREE! While the $10 cost is for the SIM card being active.
You: Right $10 that I wouldn’t have to pay at any of the other carriers
You: just read this
You: “People trying to take advantage of the deal on Friday ran into a stumbling block, however: a $10 charge per month surcharge,” Cohen reports. “The CEO now says that’s wrong. ‘The $10 per mo./fee written about today is incorrect. We had an executional mistake that we will make right,’ tweeted T-Mobile CEO John Legere on Friday. Shortly after, he added, ‘Yes. Everyone gets the 200MB of free data. No exceptions. No strings attached.’”
You: so the $10 is a string
Jennifer: I apologize for the confusion.
They keep shoving the “free 200mb” in your face and hope you go away happy. The $10 per month charge is basically a penalty if you don’t order voice service! I don’t want cell phone service with them. i just want the damn iPad!
This company has turned me off so much, i’m now going wifi only. screw plans, cell companies and all this other garbage.
For a few years now I’ve been using an iPod touch, and I have no problem finding wifi spots all over the place. so go get the wifi only version and tell these cell companies to shove it!
T-MOBILE CEO cleared that up. This is a excellent deal for existing iPad users. Order the SIM online and it’s .99 cents instead of $10. Nice!
I’m getting an iPad Air for Christmas and gonna get the wifi version. Between motels, coffee shops and such and my home wifi, I think I’m good. Don’t need to pay them $10 or Verizon $20. If I’m out and really want it on the web and don’t have wifi available, I’ll just use my iPhones personal hotspot.
I just ordered my SIM card 🙂
The work around for tmobile technical issue is go to tmobile PREPAID plan page, scroll to the bottom and there is an option to get 200mb data free.
Give tmobile a break. No one is perfect .
why would i want to give a multi-billion dollar company a break?
ed you need help for your manic depression.
I picked the wrong week to quit methamphetamines
Surely, it looks like the wrong week to quit smoking, too.
I know don’t call you “Surely.” 😆
My experience with a new Tmobile iPad Air has been a disaster, I’m returning mine. Activation was not working at the Apple Store, even after an Apple specialist called tmobile. I took it home and called their support and they had no idea what I was talking about. It reminded me of the bad old days of wireless service, where you get an endless run around with people that barely speak English. Yuk, tmobile is worse than Sprint!
Of course they had to fix the mistake AFTER I balked at the $10/mo and went WiFi only! 😛
T-Mobile has established their niche… International data.
I took my older iPad 3 into tmobile after transferring my unlimited data plan to my iPad Air. The process went without a hitch. They popped in a SIM card, I launched Safari, a t-mobile page appeared with a simple sign up process that did not require a credit card. I walked out with an activated iPad with free 200 MB per month data, and did not spend a penny. No complaints here.
Fuck you Ive for fucking up iOS 7.
no
I checked T-mobile online and they do not offer the $0 down, monthly payment plan on the iPad air. Do they offer that deal in-store?
T-Mobile seems confused about the meaning of free. Maybe they’re hoping consumers are equally confused. “Free except for this piddly $10 a month charge. That almost like free, isn’t it?” It is no different than AT&T charging $15 a month for 250MB, just AT&T is more up front (Never thought I’d say that out loud!).
When people figure out that the new iPads are carrier agnostic and all they have to do is switch SIM cards to switch carriers, the data pricing fight will be ON! The true genius of SJ.
There is no monthly charge. They don’t even ask for a credit card.
Thanks for carrying. That’s not what I took away from the prior posts ($10/ month for the SIM card being “active”).
Thanks for clarifying. Can’t take your eyes off that auto-correct for a second!
I’d try it, but T-Mobie does’t cover my area. AT&T claims “moderate” coverage which their map’s legend says “may not work inside buildings or cars.” One of the joys of living in the mountains…
TMob’s network is fine if you live in most major metro areas. Outside of those areas coverage gets spotty. For those of is who don’t want to get handcuffed to a contract, TMob’s the best option right now. I didn’t even consider an iPhone until better no-contract prepaid options became available. TMob’s $30 plan has exactly what I was looking for — no contract, generous data and text allowance, without a bunch of voice minutes I won’t use. It’s simple, transparent, and cost effective — something that AT&T and Verizon clearly are not. I will gladly trade that for somewhat spottier coverage.
Yeah I get that MDN has a rather obvious mancrush on Verizon’s coverage, but it comes at a steep cost over the long haul. The free 200MB is a great upselling opportunity for TMob.
Hopefully this will encourage the bigger carriers to gouge their customers less. A step in the right direction.
In the five months I’ve been with T-Mobile, it has been the most pleasant and positive experience I have ever had with a mobile carrier, and I have been with many (Omnipoint, Voicestream, Cingular, Old TDMA AT&T, Sprint, Virgin mobile…). Signing up was effortless and simple, as was porting numbers from various carriers into T-Mobile. When I did have to call, I got a call-centre in America. If I called at night, I’d get Manilla (Philippines), and they were competent, corteous and spoke excellent English. They even discounted my four-line family plan by $10 for the next six months when I wanted to cancel one of the lines (it is for my father-in-law who is overseas six months of the year).
There is only one possible disadvantage to T-Mobile, and it is coverage. If this works for you, you are wasting time and money on all other carriers. When T-Mobile does have coverage, LTE flies (I get 16Mbps down and 8Mbps up). Never had those speed with ANY consistency with any other carrier.