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FreedomPop launches a cheap phone to go with its free SIM
Well, this is unexpected. FreedomPop has unveiled its own Android phone today, for the darn-cheap-but-not-quite-free price of £59. The new FreedomPop V7 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 2,100mAh battery. Not the best components, but respectable ones given the asking price. From the front it looks like a typical low-end handset, with less than stellar bezels and three capacitive touch buttons underneath the display. Flip the phone over, however, and you'll find a slick aluminium frame and what looks like a skateboard-style grip tape finish on the back -- we're getting some serious OnePlus One vibes here.
FreedomPop's free unlimited WhatsApp SIM comes to the UK
FreedomPop is famed for its free, barebones mobile plan, and for its next trick, the operator is mixing up the formula a little bit. Following a similar launch in the US, the provider's new WhatsApp SIM has come to the UK, offering 200MB of data, 100 minutes and unlimited WhatsApp messaging each month completely free.
FreedomPop offers unlimited WhatsApp chats in over 30 countries
Don't want to pay a fortune for mobile service, but can't stand the thought of being unable to message your friends? FreedomPop thinks it can help. The sometimes-free carrier has launched an offer that gives you free, unlimited WhatsApp messaging in over 30 countries, including the US. And yes, that includes when you travel -- it should be that much easier to let the folks back home know how you're doing. In a chat with VentureBeat, the company says that there's "really no reason" you need to pay for voice or text in the modern era. This is just taking a logical step, he argues albeit an odd one when WhatsApp isn't nearly as popular in the US as it is elsewhere.
FreedomPop SIM serves up 10GB of data for £10 per month
Mobile provider FreedomPop is best known for its Basic 200 tariff, which gives users 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of 4G data each month absolutely free. The company balances the books by way of overage charges and various paid, bolt-on features, as well as offering premium plans on 30-day contracts. And the latest of these is nothing short of bonkers. FreedomPop's currently offering a SIM-only tariff with unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 10GB of data each month for a mere £10 per month.
FreedomPop's apps put free minutes and texts on any device
FreedomPop's basic SIM-only service offers 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of data each month absolutely free. While that's technically true, FreedomPop effectively relies on data alone, with calling and messaging handled through a standalone app, not your smartphone's native dialer. And now, where you get that data from is by the by, as FreedomPop has opened up its iOS and Android apps to everyone, regardless of what's scrawled on their SIM. A couple hundred minutes and texts might seem redundant in the FaceTime/Hangouts/WhatsApp era, but having a virtual number means you'll have no trouble calling your nan's landline, because she doesn't have Viber, does she?
Three's new pay-as-you-go SIM offers 200MB free data each month
This week, Three added a new pay-as-you-go SIM tariff to its existing contract-free options, and it comes with a rather alluring perk. The Data Reward SIM costs £10 and includes 1GB of data to make use of during your first month, but that's not the interesting part. Provided you register the SIM at three.co.uk/freedata, you'll receive 200MB of data every month for absolutely nothing, and better yet, you don't even need to top it up to keep claiming that free allowance.
FreedomPop's latest free SIM plan includes international data
FreedomPop made a name for itself on the back of its free, no-frills mobile plans. Having honed its services in the US, FreedomPop headed across the pond to set up shop in the UK last September, but evidently that's not sated its desire to travel. Today, the provider is launching a new roaming SIM in both the US and the UK that will let customers use free data abroad for the first time.
A week with FreedomPop in the UK: You can't argue with free
Between the four main carriers and numerous tier-two operators in the UK, we're spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a mobile network. And yet, we've now got another new player to consider that does things a little differently. FreedomPop's mobile service launched towards the end of September (it's already established in the US), with its main attraction being a completely free, barebones tariff. Though it sounds too good to be true, the "Basic 200" plan gives you 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of 4G data each month, gratis. So... what's the catch? Well, there isn't one really, as long as you stay within those allowances. FreedomPop does intend to make money, of course, through overage charges, value-added services and its paid SIM-only plans. While many of you may well be awaiting delivery of a FreedomPop SIM, I managed to take the service for a test drive last week, and this is how I fared.
FreedomPop is building a 'WiFi-first' smartphone with Intel
Budget carrier FeedomPop has signed a deal with Intel that will see it introduce a "WiFi-first" smartphone next year. The phone will use Intel's low-cost "SoFIA" Atom x3 processors and leverage WiFi hotspots wherever possible instead of mobile data, even for things like texting and calling. The phone will "seamlessly" switch between WiFi and cellular networks with no discernible difference to the user, and when it does connect to cellular it'll apparently be free. FreedomPop already offers a similar service -- its big selling point is that calls and texts are sent via mobile data or WiFi rather than traditional means -- but this will be the first phone purpose-built for its virtual network.
FreedomPop launches its free mobile plan in the UK
Price is high on the list of considerations when it comes to choosing a new mobile provider, but not so much with FreedomPop. The UK's newest MVNO has launched today, and as promised, offers a completely free SIM-only tariff with 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of 4G data per month (courtesy of Three's network) -- well, it's free after you pay the £7 for SIM delivery and activation, anyway. That might sound a little too good to be true, but FreedomPop has tried and tested its freemium model in the US, with the UK being its first target for international expansion. The company is still in the business of making money, of course, which is where its paid mobile plans and value-added services come in.
Free mobile plans are coming to the UK in July
Sure, mobile plans are getting cheaper by the day, but what if you could enjoy voice, texts and mobile data without having to pay a penny? That's what mobile carrier FreedomPop will offer when it launches in the UK in July. After finding success in the US and announcing its plans to expand almost a year ago, the company has set its sights on this side of the pond, noting that it will provide 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of data free on its very first SIM-only plan. Basic, but perfect for someone who uses their phone sparingly. To further discourage the competition, FreedomPop will also offer free international calling to over 60 countries and allow free calls and texts to anyone on one of its plans.
FreedomPop's free data and voice are now available on tablets
Many people can't really justify buying a cellular-equipped tablet -- why pay for more data when your phone probably does the trick? FreedomPop is undoubtedly aware of that thriftiness, as it just started offering its namesake free service on tablets. Whether you buy one of the carrier's pre-supplied tablets or bring your own, you'll get the same gratis 500MB of LTE data, 500 messages and 200 voice minutes as a phone customer. That may not make sense at first, but FreedomPop reckons that it's important for apps that ask for a phone number. It's much easier to hail an Uber car when you can supply some digits, for example. It could also serve as a backup if your phone's battery dies, or if you're nearing your limits on a capped phone plan.
FreedomPop plans to bring freemium mobile data to Europe and beyond
FreedomPop -- a freemium wireless carrier startup -- has been trying to upend the way people pay for phone service in the US for what seems like ages now. Turns out the US was only part of the plan. The company confirmed today that it's setting its sights abroad with a free data plan currently being tested in Belgium, with launches in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and parts of Asia expected to follow.
$20 FreedomPop 'Unlimited Everything' plan includes 1GB of Sprint LTE, limits
FreedomPop's been signing up customers with the promise of free mobile phone service since last year, but once you're hooked, you'll need to shell out a bit of dough to keep things going. The basic plan, which does in fact come with a $0.00 monthly fee, gets you 200 minutes, 500 text messages and 500 megs of data. Once you reach those caps, you'll pay one cent per minute or 2.5 cents per MB, or you can step up to the new "Unlimited Everything" plan, which will run you $20 monthly for all-you-can-eat voice, text messages and data, with a catch: You'll only get 1GB of LTE, after which you'll drop down to Sprint's 3G network. Assuming you'll consume that gig of data in far less than 30 days, FreedomPop's four LTE smartphones, including three from Samsung and Apple's iPhone 5, may not be the best fit. Still, $20 is a relative steal for unlimited smartphone service, and if you can live with 3G speeds after that first gig is up, FreedomPop's ready to start saving you cash.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for April 29, 2014
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You can now use the iPhone for free, as long as you don't mind old gear
To date, FreedomPop's no-cost phone service has been attached to older Android phones. That's fine for many, but not exactly diverse. Your choices are a little better now that carrier has added iPhone support to its lineup, though. You can get 200 voice minutes, 500 messages and 500MB of data per month on Apple's handset without paying a dime; it costs the equivalent of $5 per month if you need unlimited calls and texting. It sounds great, so what's the catch?
FreedomPop's new smartphone keeps your calls and data private for $189
When surveillance agencies collect large volumes of cellular data, it's easy to understand why you'd want an extra-secure smartphone. Those devices aren't always affordable, though, which is why FreedomPop has launched the Privacy Phone for $189 contract-free. It's ultimately an old Galaxy S II, but its software boasts some strong secrecy measures -- all of its internet-based calls and messages are encrypted, and data goes through a virtual private network (VPN) that masks your identity. Don't count on total security. FreedomPop isn't using more than 128-bit encryption, and VPNs aren't always safe from prying eyes. Still, the Privacy Phone may fit the bill if you're looking for better-than-usual anonymity at a low price.
FreedomPop lets you save more by paying up front for cheap cellphone service
FreedomPop has been pushing a free phone plan for the masses since last October, but it's tweaked its paid option for users who need more oomph each month. Now you can pay up front for one or two years of service for $80 or $110 respectively (that's as little as $4.58 a month). In exchange, you get unlimited talk and messaging along with 500MB of data over Sprint's dustbin-bound WiMAX network for way less than what some carriers charge for a single month. Oh, and don't worry: that free plan isn't going anywhere. While the price may sound right, FreedomPop's phone lineup hasn't exactly blown any minds. The carrier just added a $169 Samsung Galaxy S II to the mix, but the only way to use something newer is to bring it yourself. Well, that or wait a few months until FreedomPop finally jumps on the LTE phone bandwagon.
A year with FreedomPop: how did it go?
About a year ago, I wrote about FreedomPop's new data service and shortly thereafter signed up for an account. I opted into the Free 500 MB plan, which offers half a gig of data per month, with additional data available at US$20/gigabyte billed in $2 increments. To get that free data, you had to put a "deposit" on a device -- a "deposit" that was really an upfront cost if you continued using the service. (You lose the deposit and the device becomes yours after a certain number of months.) You can think of it as pre-paying for the first year of data, which turned out to be slightly over $100 for me after all was said and done, or about $8/month for the first year of 500 MB allotments. Now a year later, I'm pretty satisfied with what I purchased and I have regularly used the data when I've been out and about. I've routinely connected my data to any number of devices. This is one of the big advantages of going with a router rather than a device-specific solution. It works with laptops, iPads, Kindles and so forth. You do have to remember to charge and manage the tiny puck, so that's one extra thing to carry around. Keeping on top of your data usage is key. In my first write-up, I mentioned how important it was to disable the auto-top-up feature. That feature automatically adds a data purchase after you use 400 MB of bandwidth. What I didn't realize is that even with that feature disabled, after reaching your 500 MB limit, the data doesn't shut off. You simply keep going and get billed $2 per 100 MB. I have a strict rule now for the family -- each time someone uses the FreedomPop router, they must make the iPad forget that network. This ensures that the device doesn't auto-connect and start sucking down data when you think you're using the home network instead. It's a bit of a pain typing in the password for each connection, but far less painful than $20 per inadvertent gigabyte. I don't mind paying the extra cash when I know that I'm intentionally buying that bandwidth. It's doing so by mistake that really stings. (To keep your data flowing, you must always have an active credit card registered with Freedom Pop.) Over the last year, I did run into one strange service issue at one point, which frustrated me, but eventually was resolved. FreedomPop's customer service was slow compared to other tech companies, but it did eventually respond. ("We apologize for the inconvenience, but we were experiencing a bug in our system that is causing an incorrect billing display on your account page.") The company seems to be working on improving its reputation, especially if you look around the reviews and Q/As for its various products on Amazon. For that reason, I feel comfortable cautiously recommending the service. It compares favorably to other freemium options like that offered by T-Mobile, although I have yet to try the T-Mobile plan. (Under T-Mobile, you get 200 MB free per month and then purchase additional data.) The most important thing to consider when evaluating whether these kinds of plans are right for you is how you use your data. Are you a light user who just wants to check email on the go? Or do you intend to heavily browse the web and get work done? Data prices generally go down in unit cost the more you buy. Budget solutions like FreedomPop's 500 MB plan work best for those who need only the lightest levels of connectivity and it's been a very nice perk for me and my family this year.
FreedomPop now lets you bring your own phone, offers $99 HTC Evo 4G
FreedomPop's free cellphone plan is tempting, but we doubt that everyone wants to use one of the carrier's few available handsets. Thankfully, they won't have to. The discount provider has just launched a bring-your-own option that lets anyone with a compatible Sprint phone (CDMA plus LTE or WiMAX) jump on FreedomPop's extra-frugal services. Subscribers who don't yet have a phone are getting a little more choice at the same time; the carrier is simultaneously resurrecting the HTC Evo 4G, which is available for $99 contract-free. You'll still have to live in an area with healthy Sprint coverage for FreedomPop's plans to make sense, but the new option means that you won't have to abandon a favorite device if you're interested in switching.
