Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Who Would Love TMobile FREE Data for Life? A Geek Daddy Tests out the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone.


Sick of draining your mobile phone plan's data package or always searching for free Wi-Fi when you are on the go?!  I recently took the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet that promises TMobile FREE data online connectivity for the life of the device for a test run through the Detroit Zoo for #CollectiveBias.  The #TabletTrio can keep you connected even when Wi-Fi isn't available by providing access to T-Mobile's advanced 4G/LTE network - when purchasing this tablet you are provided the FREE DATA FOR LIFE plan which consists of 200MB of data usage each month for as long as you own the device.  How often have you found yourself out and about wanting to connect to the Internet but don't want to use up your phone or tablet's data plan, don't have a device that is connected to a data plan (hate to admit it but we didn't have Internet accessibility on our phones until this year), or don't have access to Wi-Fi?  I know for our family that we lose convenient connectivity when we visit grandma and grandpa's house, are at soccer practice, or take a trip to the zoo, among other places.   

The Detroit Zoo doesn't provide free Wi-Fi so we accessed the Internet via T-Mobile's 4G network during our test of the tablet.  I had registered the tablet before our visit and the T-Mobile network instantly recognized, authenticated, and connected the device when I opened up its browser just as if I had been using my smart phone.  The Trio AXS provided a fast and reliable connection throughout our visit both within the indoor exhibits and around the outdoor ones.  We utilized the connectivity to look up some additional information on some of the animals we were viewing, access a tour app hosted by the zoo, upload some pictures we took to the cloud, do some tweeting, double check the closing time, and to look up a restaurant menu in deciding what meal we were going to pick up on the way home for dinner. All of this barely put a dent in our allocated 200 MB of data for the month.



In addition to the great connectivity feature, the Trio Tablet has great features and functionality.  It utilizes the Android operating system which allows for the use of Flash Player applications, includes the Kingsoft Office word processing suite of programs, Movie Studio video editing, and other handy apps.  The tablet is very light weight and portable yet it has a screen size twice the size of most smart phones.  My kids were able to really appreciate viewing images and information on its screen.  The device also has a camera that is easy to use and takes some nice photographs.  The only downside of the device was, that like most smart phone and tablet screens that I'm familiar with, it reflects sunlight and can be difficult to view content on its screen outdoors without being in some shade.


The best feature of the tablet hands down though is its free data package through T-Mobile's 4G nationwide network.  4G is the term used to describe the fourth-generation of wireless service.  When you are utilizing 4G technology wireless service it is supposed to be anywhere from four to ten times faster than currently existing 3G networks.  You don't have to sign-up for a billable T-Mobile plan with this tablet, simply register your device through the device's ConnectMe portal, for free,  to active the service and you get 200MB of data usage each month.  This is a capped program which means that once you reach 200MB for the month you are shut off until the next month.  After you've reached your cap a screen will appear that will offer to sell you an upgraded T-Mobile data plan but there is no obligation to purchase it. There are no worries about billed for going over your data limit and no contracts or service plans you are committed to. There are is no data roaming or tethering with this program either.  Once you purchase the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet just register it to activate it and enjoy using the free 200MBs every month for as long as you own it. Simple as that!


The T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet costs $179.00 and is sold exclusively at Walmart.  Think about that...for under $200 you are purchasing a tablet with guaranteed monthly connectivity for accessing the Internet pretty much anywhere you need to go through a dependable wireless service provider that has a state-of-the-art network for as long as you own device without paying another cent.  That's a great deal!

It's back-to-school time and with that comes a lot of extracurricular activities too.  For our family that means evening dance classes for our daughter and soccer practices for my son plus swimming lessons for them both on the weekends.  Her dance studio doesn't have Wi-Fi, neither does the pool or the soccer fields.  I don't want to drain my data plan on my phone and my other tablet only connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi so if I want to read e-mails, check weather or traffic reports, surf the web, update my blog, or interact via social media I'm out of luck while chauffeuring my kids to their activities and school functions.   This T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet provides parents dependable access to the Internet without breaking the bank.  If you are a parent who knows they are going to be on the go this fall you really should check this device out!


The Trio would also be a good tablet for children.  My 5 year old twins were very capable of using it and it was sturdy enough I wasn't worried they would break it but also light enough that it wasn't to heavy or bulky for them to be uncomfortable carrying it.  Based upon the data limits you also know that your kids won't be using it for video games and watching movies but rather for more productive uses of their time.  Plus the data cap seems like a nice tool to teach them responsibility of managing their time online because they will get cut off if they reach that 200MB limit so they have to weigh that into determining what they want to do online.  So this is a great buy for parents or kids!

In addition to taking the Trio AXS to the zoo, I also took it the park with my kids the other day.  The weather forecasts had been for rain but it had been a sunny day outside.  There's no Wi-Fi access at the park but I was able to keep an eye on the local radar weather maps through the tablet's T-Mobile service.  While it didn't look cloudy I could see rain coming into the radar picture after we'd been there for about an hour so I packed up the kids and headed home.  It down poured a few minutes after we arrived home.  You have to appreciate the convenience of knowing you can take this device with you where ever you go with the assurance you can always be connected when you need to be.


You can do a lot of things with the monthly 200MB though if you want to be playing online games or streaming/downloading movies you most likely will need to upgrade and purchase a T-Mobile data plan.  For parents that are just looking to stay connected and have the convenience of accessing the Internet while out and about you should be just fine with the included free monthly data.

CLICK HERE for more information about the  T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet.

5 comments:

  1. Very cool! I love the WIFI for life idea...I have to check this out for myself ASAP!

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  2. Looks like a neat tablet, especially for the little ones. I would love Wi-Fi for life!

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  3. I have been looking at getting myself a tablet since I keep sneaking off with my husband's all the time! I will have to check this deal out - thanks for sharing!

    Sarah Muennix

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  4. Great idea to take it to the zoo! Looks like a great tab for the price :)

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