T-Mobile
and
Verizon
have
been
offering
free
network
trials
for
a
couple
of
years
at
this
point;
now,
AT&T
has
finally
introduced
a
trial
program
of
its
own.
It’s
a
no-commitment
way
to
give
the
AT&T
network
a
try
while
still
holding
on
to
your
current
carrier,
number,
and
device.
Pretty
cool!
But
you’ll
need
an
unlocked
phone,
which
might
disqualify
a
lot
of
people
who
are
still
paying
off
their
current
device
—
though
the
FCC
is
trying
to
do
something
about
that.
AT&T
calls
its
program
Try
AT&T,
and
at
the
moment,
it’s
iOS
only;
the
carrier’s
blog
post
states
that
Android
support
will
be
introduced
in
2025.
The
trial
makes
use
of
eSIM,
which
allows
you
to
use
a
secondary
line
on
your
phone
without
ditching
your
primary
number.
Likewise,
you’ll
need
an
eSIM-compatible
device
—
iPhone
XR
or
newer
—
to
take
part.
There’s
no
credit
card
or
commitment
required,
you
just
need
to
head
to
the
Try
AT&T
website
or
download
the
myAT&T
app
to
get
started.
The
program
runs
for
30
days
and
includes
100GB
of
data
plus
25GB
of
hotspot
data.
Oh,
and
you
can’t
be
a
current
AT&T
customer,
but
that
one
seems
obvious.
T-Mobile
was
offering
a
trial
program
of
some
sort
long
before
eSIM
was
a
thing:
previously,
the
company
would
give
you
a
free
mobile
hotspot
and
even
loan
you
a
whole
phone
so
you
could
try
its
network.
These
days,
it’s
much
more
straightforward
with
a
3-month
trial
period
initiated
by
downloading
an
app.
Verizon’s
program,
introduced
in
2022,
provides
30
days
free.
AT&T
has
offered
a
network
test
drive
through
its
Cricket
Wireless
brand
for
the
past
couple
of
years,
but
today
marks
the
first
time
you
can
start
a
trial
through
AT&T
proper.
To
take
advantage
of
any
of
these
programs,
you’ll
need
one
important
thing:
an
unlocked
phone.
If
your
phone
is
financed
through
a
carrier
installment
plan
then
it
might
be
locked
to
your
current
carrier.
T-Mobile
and
AT&T
won’t
unlock
a
phone
until
it’s
paid
off;
only
Verizon
will
unlock
a
phone
with
an
outstanding
balance.
It’s
confusing
at
the
very
least,
but
the
FCC
introduced
a
proposal
this
year
to
simplify
things
by
requiring
all
carriers
to
automatically
unlock
a
device
60
days
after
it’s
been
activated.
That
proposal
is
still
a
long
way
from
becoming
law,
but
if
that
does
happen,
then
comparison
shopping
between
carriers
could
become
a
lot
easier.
(Originally posted by Allison Johnson)
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