Tonight T-Mobile held its big Un-carrier 5.0 event in Seattle, but the gathering ended up being even bigger than we originally anticipated. Not only did John Legere and Co. introduce us to Un-carrier 5.0, they also took the wraps off of Un-carrier 6.0!
First up, we’ve got Un-carrier 5.0 and the iPhone 5s “Test Drive.” As part of its new program, T-Mobile will let customers try an iPhone 5s with unlimited domestic usage for a full 7 days. After the trial is up, customers can return the iPhone to a T-Mobile store and pay nothing for their trial.
So what’s the catch, you ask? Well, there is a bit of fine print worth mentioning. When you sign up for a Test Drive, T-Mobile will place a $699.99 hold on your credit card. If you return the iPhone 5s with a cracked screen or water damage, you’ll need to pony up $100. And if you decide not to return the iPhone at all, you’ll be charged $700 for the unit.
T-Mo’s Un-carrier 5.0 move also includes some big network news. T-Mobile has activated its Wideband LTE network in 16 markets across the U.S., giving those lucky Magenta Army members access to a network with peak download speeds of 150Mbps. The current list of Wideband LTE markets as follows:
- Atlanta, GA
- Birmingham, AL
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Detroit, MI
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Jacksonville, FL
- Los Angeles, CA
- Minneapolis, MN
- Mobile, AL
- Orlando, FL
- Portland, OR
- Seattle, WA
- Tampa, FL
- Upstate, NY
T-Mobile also announced that it has rolled out its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service in 15 U.S. markets. Of course, we’ve got the full list for you:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- Long Island, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- Minneapolis, MN
- New Jersey
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Washington, D.C.
So there’s Un-carrier 5.0. With its iPhone 5s Test Drive and LTE network improvements, there’s goodies included for both new and existing T-Mobile customers. What do you think of T-Mobile’s Un-carrier 5.0 effort?
Sources: T-Mobile (1), (2)