Update 12/27/21: Available again for 2021 (ht reader PJ)
Update 12/7/20: Available again for 2020.
The Offer
- T-Mobile is offering a 30-day free trial on their service.
To participate, sign up and you’ll receive a pocket-sized hotspot to connect to your current phone to experience a T-Mobile’s best network yet. After 30-days or 30GB of data, whichever comes first, you can return the device to any T-Mobile store or pass it on to a friend.
The Fine Print
- Can be done all online.
- Not available to current T-Mobile customers.
- Who is eligible? Non-T-Mobile customers that have not participated in the trial within the last 6 months. Current T-Mobile for Business, Metro by T-Mobile or customers of T-Mobile partners using the T-Mobile network are not eligible. Once you have participated in the Test Drive, you are not eligible to participate again for 6 months.
- T-Mobile Test Drive participants are limited to one device per household, or if you are representing a business, one device per shipping address.
- Test Drive will work with any smartphone or device that is Wi-Fi capable. To see if your device is Wi-Fi capable, check the specifications of the device.
- Business or personal.
Our Verdict
I’m not sure why they don’t just send out SIM cards to try for 30 days which would be much cheaper for them. I guess they are afraid there’ll be more freeloaders that way versus a hotspot which takes more effort to use.
Either way, it’s a free 30 days of hotspot if that’s useful for someone. And, of course, it’s a nice way to test if T-Mobile service is good in your area/home/office.
Post history:
- 7/21/20: Deal is back again. (Last time was in August 2019.)
I’m currently at 50GB of usage on this, and it’s still going strong. I’m surprised it hasn’t cut me off yet. Anyone know when they will finally pull the plug on me?
Luckily receiving this coincided with my cable internet being disconnected, and I’ve been using it for streaming TV and our computers. It’s perfectly usable for streaming through a roku and basic web browsing at the same time.
Google Fi data sims work fine out of the box with no rooting or work required. At my location the t-mobile sims pegs at 8 Mbps and the google fi 14 Mbps with the hotspot.
Google Fi data sims work fine out of the box with no rooting or work required.
FYI, got mine, it’s not a T9, it’s a newer device. “TMO HOTSPOT HS1 TESTDRIVE BLK KIT”. It looks kind of like the T9, but no LCD, instead there are some LEDs for status. Still appears to be a 4G LTE (and not 5G) device. I found this page, which appears to be this exact device:
https://rotar.tk/t-mobile-mobile-hotspot-tmohs1/
Same. Ordered approx 1/8/22
Are T-Mobile *Prepaid* customers considered eligible or ineligible? Thanks!
Unlock directions for Franklin t9
https://www.reddit.com/r/Calyx/comments/jzgdat/free_unlocked_franklin_t9/
I wonder if a Google Fi data SIM would work in this un-rooted device. My understanding is that Google Fi uses T-Mo cell towers.
i’m assuming no 5G support?
T-Mo says the Franklin hotspot uses their “expanded LTE network” (I assume that means 4G). The WiFi side of the device offers 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals (2.4 by default, 5 can be toggled in the device’s web GUI). With 5GHz WiFi enabled, my kid got 52Mbps down, 5 to 26 Mbps up on a laptop and tablet. Our TMo tower is about 2/3 mile away.
This is odd. I live in NYC and my address does not qualify… Using my legit home address, not a PO Box or anything. May try my country house.
(edit) worked for my home in PA. Actually, this is great bc Verizon sucks there and I am curious to see if T-Mobile is better.
Does anyone know what hotspot they provide for testing? Also does the below mean you can keep the hotspot after the 30 day trial?
“After 30-days or 30GB of data, whichever comes first, you can return the device to any T-Mobile store or pass it on to a friend.”
It’s a custom model. You can keep it but it’s likely only works with a T-mobile SIM card.
It was a Franklin T9 earlier this year and for a while last year. SD has info on how to root it.
I didn’t have to return my device.