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T-Mobile to Stop Offering 200MB of Free Data for New iPad Owners

Monday May 8, 2017 11:43 am PDT by Juli Clover
When T-Mobile first began offering cellular iPads in the fall of 2013, the company included a plan that provided customers with 200MB of free LTE data each month for the life of the tablet, a promotion that is now coming to an end.

As noted by TmoNews, T-Mobile has updated its Free Data for Life support page to note that the program is no longer available for new activations as of May 7, 2017. Customers who signed up for Free Data for Life on or before May 6, 2017, are able to keep the 200MB data plan with their current iPads so long as they continue to be T-Mobile subscribers.


T-Mobile's free data plan has always been tied to a specific device rather than an account, so when upgrading to a new iPad, customers who use Free Data for Life will not be able to keep the data plan. Going forward, no new tablets that are released will be eligible for the program.
Important: As of May 7, 2017, Free Data for Life is no longer available for new activations. If you signed up for FDFL on or before May 6, 2017, you can keep it with your current tablet as long as you own and use your tablet with T-Mobile.
Free Data for Life was originally introduced as one of T-Mobile's Un-carrier initiatives, and T-Mobile was the only company to offer a free data plan for iPads.

T-Mobile currently offers just one data plan, T-Mobile One, with unlimited data. T-Mobile One customers can add a tablet to their plans for $20 per month.

Tag: T-Mobile
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zorinlynx
32 months ago

200mb was nothing anyway.. Just a way for Legere to brag.


It came in handy sometimes, though.

At one point there was a huge storm that knocked out power and Internet, along with AT&T cellular service.

On a hunch I grabbed my iPad which has that 200MB SIM in it and turned on cellular, and it worked. Was able to tell folks we were okay.

As an emergency communication method, those 200MB free data SIMs are good to have around. They also work in iPhones, though from the sound of it you won't be able to move them between devices anymore. :(
Rating: 14 Votes
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anthonysjennings
32 months ago

200mb was nothing anyway.. Just a way for Legere to brag.

Speak for yourself. With T-Mobile's free (200mb of) data every month, coupled with a free data SIM from FreedomPop both installed in a 9.7" iPad Pro (with embedded SIM) gave me just enough free data every month that actually buying iPad data began to seem weird.

And as for the article suggesting there is only one data plan available for cellular iPads, readers please know there are still many monthly and day/weekly passes available from T-Mobile in the iPad, including the high value 5gb/150 days daily plan for $10. Literally who else sells 5 gigs of mobile data and let you use it over the course of five months (or until it runs out, whichever comes first)?
Rating: 10 Votes
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Zaft
32 months ago
200mb was nothing anyway.. Just a way for Legere to brag.
Rating: 8 Votes
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barkomatic
32 months ago

200mb was nothing anyway.. Just a way for Legere to brag.


It wasn't a lot, but just enough to locate an iPad using your iPhone.
Rating: 7 Votes
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jrholt
32 months ago


When T-Mobile first began offering cellular iPads in the fall of 2013, the company included a plan ('https://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/22/t-mobile-launches-cellular-ipads-with-free-200-mb-data/') that provided customers with 200MB of free LTE data each month for the life of the tablet, a promotion that is now coming to an end.


It's not like you had to buy the iPad through T-Mobile or otherwise be a T-Mobile customer either. I have an iPad Air 2 with cellular capability that I initially had on a $10/mo Verizon plan. Once I realized I barely used it outside of Wi-Fi, I switched to the Free T-Mobile 200MB data plan and never looked back. It's been awesome. Glad to see I'm being grandfathered in.
Rating: 3 Votes
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cmckenica
32 months ago
This actually helped me locate my stolen iPad 2 a few years back. Someone tried to sell it at a local pawn shop and when they turned it on I got a ping from Find My iPhone and was able to get it back with help from local authorities.
Sad to see this go. Even though it's a small plan, it's very useful.
Rating: 3 Votes
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bradbomb
32 months ago

As the other poster said it doesn't even matter. If you have an iPad with LTE you have some kind of a plan. didn't consider foreigners but this was offered by TM USA to anybody with an iPad bought out outside of the USA?


Like others have said, speak for yourself. The only plan I have on my current two iPads (iPad 4 & iPad Pro 12.9") is the free 200mb plan. I bought my iPads with LTE on the "just in case" idea that if there was a situation that I needed it, it was there. I have not bought a regular plan on any of my iPads. I wouldn't utilize the LTE enough to justify the regular monthly cost.
Rating: 3 Votes
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Plutonius
32 months ago

I mean, how many people that aren't already on T-Mobile chose the 200mb plan, right?


I did and I'm sure there are plenty of others.
[doublepost=1494274401][/doublepost]

Guess it is time to find a plan B then.


Why ? Reading the article, it sounds like if you were getting the free data before May 7th, you will continue to get it.
Rating: 3 Votes
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zone23
32 months ago
Not sure if some of you read the same words as I did but if you have it, its not going away. No free data on a NEW activation. Chill. You just wont be able to use it on your next iPad. Its for the life of that device.
Rating: 2 Votes
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bluespark
32 months ago
I love this data plan and am sorry to see it go. Much of the time, this plan gave me the non-wifi data I needed. When it didn't, this plan was the reason I purchased my extra data from T-Mobile.
Rating: 2 Votes

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