Tired of Your Mobile Carrier? Try Out the T-Mobile Test Drive.
A risk-free way to try a new network for a month
T-Mobile is not affiliated with this post in any way. This is not an ad, any any purchases mentioned in this article were completed with my own funds. I was not compensated in any way for writing this piece.
My Previous Network
After 10 years with a big name cellular provider, I was looking to change things up. It wasn’t because I was unhappy with my service. By all accounts things were going pretty well before my switch. I had reliable coverage, good call quality, fast unlimited data speeds, and a semi-reliable mobile hotspot for working on the go. But I couldn’t shake this feeling that I needed a switch.
I had been on a family plan since my first phone. Eventually I paid my own way once I started working, but stayed on the plan because we had a good deal.
My fiancée had been subtly hinting for years that she wanted me to ditch the family plan to join a plan with her. Sure, I’d already committed to marrying her, but everyone knows it’s not real until you get a joint mobile data plan.
I’m fairly- though some would say overly- careful when purchasing a new product or service. It’s the way by brain works, I can’t help it. I think it leads me to buy quality products, but my social circle would say it gives me more headaches than necessary.
With my innate cautiousness, the search for a new mobile provider made me nervous. I wanted a way to test a network before I tried it. Luckily, T-Mobile has that option.
How the program works
The T-Mobile Test Drive is fairly simple. You sign up online, and they send a mobile hotspot to use for a month. It comes ready to use out of the box.
You get 30 days or 20 GB of data- whichever comes first. When the 30 days or 20 GB runs out, you can switch to T-Mobile, or simply stop using the hotspot- no return needed.
After signing up, I had the hotspot device in my hands within a few days. T-Mobile had registered the device already. I just had to turn on, connect, and start surfing the web.
The testing experience
To use T-Mobile’s network, connect to the device via Wi-fi. Instructions are in the box. The hotspot gets its data from the T-Mobile network, so you’re connected to cellular network anytime your phone is connected to the hotspot.
This can get confusing. Your phone will tell you it’s connected via Wi-Fi- which it is. But you are not testing a Wi-Fi connection. The source of that Wi-Fi connection is T-Mobile’s network. You are testing their network.
I used the hotspot for about a week to test my daily usage. I frequently pressed the button on the hotspot will to illuminate the screen with 5G, LTE, 3G, or roaming icons. I saw LTE and 5G much more often than I expected.
However, it turns out the data speeds are unreliable.
But don’t fret- the speed on the hotspot is slower than real network. Like I mentioned, T-Mobile sends a pretty cheap hotspot device. The hotspot can’t compete with a modern smartphone. Though the device was cheap, LTE speeds consistently clocked in at 15–35mbps on the hotspot and have only improved now that I’m a full T-Mobile user on iPhone. I’m now getting up to 65 mbps downloads on my iPhone, with an average around 30 mbps.
I ended up switching
If you couldn’t tell already, T-Mobile convinced me to convert with their test drive program. I’m now a happy customer after cutting my phone bill in half without sacrificing- and in some cases improving- my mobile phone experience.
If you’re looking for a change, give T-Mobile a shot.
