Since T-Mobile started to rebrand themselves with their Un-carrier initiative back in March of 2013, I started to take notice on how they were shifting their strategy and showing the world that even a huge telecom company can be disruptive.
One thing in particular was how travel friendly they became with regard to the technologies they leveraged to create amazing value for their customers. This post will go into detail on some of the Un-carrier's best features and product offerings – which eventually convinced me to switch over to them as my primary carrier.
By the way... I couldn't be happier.
Everything mentioned here (unless noted) refers to the $80 dollar a month Individual Simple Choice Plan.
P.S. There's no affiliate program linked to this post and I wasn't paid to write a word. As someone who loves traveling and technology... everything mentioned below are simply amazing product offerings that I think every wireless company should put into place – it just so happens that T-Mobile is already offering it all. As a disclaimer, I do own stock in the company.
The Best T-Mobile Perks for Travel
Unlimited International Data and SMS/MMS
My absolute favorite T-Mobile travel perk. Remember hearing stories of international phone bills being $1000+ or having to pay a stupid amount of money for 125MB of data? Get this... T-Mobile gives you FREE AND UNLIMITED INTERNATIONAL DATA.
T-Mobile gives you unlimited 2G data (128 kbps) when you travel internationally. The full list of countries can be found here, but it covers practically every country I would think about traveling to.
You might be saying - well 2G data (128 kbps) is frustratingly slow! Well... it is! But for use of Maps, Yelping, emails, and background uploads - you're golden. If you're streaming videos on YouTube while your outside you should recheck your travel values! Save that for the Airbnb/hotel room.
All texting (SMS and MMS) is free as well! Even to international numbers! (Plus, for the iOS users, you don't even have to shut your iMessage off since that's data anyways!)
WiFi Calling (Domestic and International)
WiFi Calling is a relatively new technology that makes any internet connection your "cell tower". Different from say FaceTime or Skype (which requires users to have usernames and/or specific software), this technology allows you to make and receive phone calls just as you normally would from your regular phone number – just by being on a WiFi network connected to the internet. No extra steps required.
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T-Mobile wifi with 1 bar of cell service, but Full wifi Calling. [/caption] This is great for both domestic and international use. Imagine being in a basement with no cell service or in a coffee shop while you're abroad – if you have an internet connection you'll be able to make FREE cellphone calls from your number to any U.S. number. (International calls are extra, but more on that below) This is amazing! AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint all have WiFi calling in the pipeline - but T-Mobile beat them to it.
Also worth noting is that your phone needs to be WiFi Calling capable. You can see the full list here, but know that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the first iOS devices to allow WiFi Calling. If you're on an older phone, it might be time for an upgrade!
Check out the video in the "Free Top of The Line Internet Router" section below for a video about WiFi calling from everyone's favorite product explainer.
Free InFlight GoGo Texting
Recently T-Mobile announced a partnership with GoGo In Flight internet to allow for free inflight texting - which is pretty nice if you want to send text and MMS in flight without having to pay any GoGo fees! Check out the screen shots for how to access it while you're in the air.
Great International Calling Rates
Actual cell phone calls are practically the only thing you have to pay for while traveling abroad. If you make a call while roaming in another country, calls start at 20 cents a minute - I'd stick to WiFi Calling if you could!
If you make frequent calls to other countries from the US, they offer a monthly $10/$15 plan that includes unlimited international calling (Lower price is for landlines while the higher price is for cellular lines as well). With these plans you can make unlimited calls to any country listed here - and it's for all of them so you don't have to pick and choose!
If you have that plan while you're abroad, your WiFI calling to international numbers are free, otherwise WiFI calls start at 20 cents a minute.
One SIM Card and Being Reachable
One thing I hate about getting international SIM cards is the fact that it makes it much harder for my friends and family to reach me. My phone number would change and I'd have to give that out (often not knowing what that number is until the last minute) - not to mention friends worry about texting international numbers and having to relink my iMessage to that number – all and all it's not very simple.
With T-Mobile, my phone number stays the same. I don't have to fiddle with my AppleID. I'm just set from the moment I land!`
Unlocked GSM Phones
For those that simply need an international SIM card for one reason or another, T-Mobile makes it easy to install. Since all T-Mobile phones are unlocked, I can just pop in any SIM card I want and it'll work. No need to manually unlock a phone, call my carrier, or have to worry about a CDMA phone (I'm talking about you Verizon!) that may not work as well in the country that you're visiting.
Everyday Domestic T-Mobile Perks
This section focuses more on added value that you get while having T-Mobile while in the states.
Fastest LTE in Most Cities
T-Mobile has been pouring a ton of money into their infrastructure and it's been paying off . I've see 30 down in both NYC and SF. Don't believe me? Here's a recent CNET article.
If you're in rural parts of America, you might be out of luck as the biggest downside to T-Mobile is their coverage in these types of areas.
HD Voice
T-Mobile is one of the first carriers to have enabled "HD Voice". The video below pretty much somes it up. The best way to some it up is that if you've ever used FaceTime audio with someone - it's the same quality but it's associated directly with your phone number rather than a third party application that needs a username. Currently AT&T and Verizon are still working on it.
Here's a pretty accurate depiction of the differences.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGiz-bMsKI&w=854&h=480]
Unlimited Domestic Data and 5GB of Tethering
One of the best parts about T-Mobile's data offerings is that it is truly unlimited. Any sort of data caps you see are associated with faster speeds. If there's LTE in my area, I don't even care to join any coffeeshop/business WiFi networks since my data speeds are probably way faster using just cellular data!
Oh, and T-Mobile throws in 5GB of LTE tethering as well. Anything after that... still free but slower.
Free Top of The Line Internet Router
This one is for the tech geeks out there... T-Mobile gives you a free 802.11AC Router! That's a $100 dollar value for free. Trust me when I say it blows any other router away - including Airport Extremes (that's coming from an Apple fanboy too). Fast internet from your ISP is one thing, but you need the right router to be able to maximize your bandwidth to all your devices in your house. Here's a little writeup from CNET that goes a bit more in depth.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWjwl8H5_qc&w=854&h=480]
Free Music Streaming
T-Mobile offers unlimited "fast" streaming of your music, which is great since I've got gigabytes of music that I don't want taking up space on my device.
This is as nice perk for anyone who's not on the unlimited plan. The cheaper T-Mobile plans still offer unlimited internet, they just cap your fast internet after a certain point. You can see the full list of eligible music services here.
A Great Price Point
Did I mention you get all this for $80 dollar a month? (~$92 after taxes)
Summary
I've been a T-Mobile member since September 2014 and the iPhone 6 was the reason I switched over. Why? It was the first Apple device that allowed for the combination of WiFi Calling, HD Voice, and AC WiFi networking. Now that there was a phone that could take advantage of all these great features, it was a no brainer!
So that's why I love T-Mobile! The service is great, that travel benefits are unbelievable (literally - people never believe the free international data part!), and they tend to be on the forefront of implementing the latest telecom technology (like HD Voice and WiFi Calling) – all for a relatively low monthly price. Hope you guys enjoyed this review!
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