When the iPad Air went on sale, it was discovered that T-Mobile was offering 200MB of free data per month to customers who bought the tablet on its network. What a steal! On top of that, you can walk into T-Mobile and pay $0-down for a 16GB iPad Air. T-Mobile all of a sudden looked like a much more attractive carrier choice.
But if you think you can just walk into a T-Mobile store, pay nothing up front, and walk out with a new iPad and free data plan, you are sadly mistaken.
After T-Mobile briefly (and mistakenly) required new customers to sign up for a $10 “On Demand” plan when selecting the free 200MB option, CNET reached out to clarify some details. Here’s what it boils down to:
- If you aren’t already a T-Mobile wireless subscriber and you want to buy the iPad at $0-down, you’ll need to buy a $20-per-month plan that adds an additional 500MB to the free 200MB.
- If you pay full price for an iPad on T-Mobile, you get the 200MB of free data per month with no strings attached.
So you can’t put $0-down on a new iPad Air and expect to get free data too. Monthly installment payments for the 16GB iPad Air on T-Mobile start at $26.25.
Source: CNET
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
