Know It All Nev

On Demand Reviews – 2021

Category: T-Mobile

Tons of T-Cell subscribers simply received a free yr of Apple TV+

Nifty Nev
Apple, apple tv, Home Theater, Mobile, Movies & TV, streaming video services, T-Mobile |

If you’re a T-Mobile subscriber on one of the company’s Magenta or Magenta Max unlimited data plans, you’re going to be getting access to Apple TV+ for free, for a whole year, starting August 25. Unlike some other bonus offers, this one isn’t just being used as a way to lure new subscribers to T-Mobile (though clearly, it could do that as well).
T-Mobile customers on the company’s Magenta 55+, Magenta Military, Magenta First Responders, Sprint Unlimited Plus, Sprint Premium, and T-Mobile for Small Business Customers plans all get in on the free Apple TV+ action. Better yet, it doesn’t matter if you’re currently on a free trial for Apple TV+ or if you’re already paying for the streaming video service. Those in the midst of a free trial will see their trial period extended by 12 months, while paid plans will be put on a payment holiday for the duration of the free year.
It’s not the first time T-Mobile has provided special offers on streaming services for its customers. Previous and ongoing programs include Netflix on Us, plus discounts on YouTube TV and Philo.
What’s curious about the Apple TV+ freebie for T-Mobile is that it’s not tied to Apple hardware. In the past, Apple itself has given away a year’s worth of Apple TV+ to anyone who purchases a new Apple device, although these trial periods have been getting shorter recently. That has always made sense: Apple TV+ doesn’t have the catalog size to compete with Netflix, Disney+, or Amazon Prime Video, so using it as a small perk when you buy an Apple product kills two birds with one stone — you sell some hardware and you give people an easy and free way to check out what Apple TV+ has to offer.
But the T-Mobile offer isn’t tied to hardware sales, which could mean that Apple is looking for additional ways to ramp up its subscriber base. The company doesn’t share how many subscribers Apple TV+ has (it gets lumped into Apple’s total universe of services subscribers, which was recently pegged at more than 700 million), but a report released at the beginning of 2021 suggests that a majority of those folks (62%) are on some kind of unpaid trial. The report also said that 29% of those free-trial members had no plans to start paying when their trial period had ended.
This suggests that it’s now a numbers game. The more free trials Apple can give away, the more folks will stick around and start paying the current $5 per month subscription for Apple TV+. Apple’s service may never overcome the massive lead held by the big players, but it has a unique — if relatively small — lineup of movies and shows. If titles like Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, and For All Mankind are going to become must-see shows (and thus a reason to subscribe). Apple is going to need more folks telling their friends and family members how good they are. Giving millions of T-Mobile customers free access to the service seems like a pretty good way to make that happen.

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T cellular says 48 million individuals counting current cyberattack

Nifty Nev
data breach, Mobile, News, T-Mobile |

T-Mobile has released more details regarding what it’s describing as a “highly sophisticated cyberattack” on its computer systems that it learned of last week.
In a statement sent to Digital Trends late Tuesday evening, the company said its initial investigations confirmed that 7.8 million current T-Mobile postpaid customers are affected, as well as just over 40 million former or prospective customers who had previously applied for credit with T-Mobile.
The company said that there’s currently no indication that the data contained in the accessed files included any customer credit or debit card information. Nor does it believe hackers accessed any phone numbers, account numbers, PINs, or passwords.
However, it said that some of the data accessed by the hackers did include customers’ first and last names, date of birth, Social Security number, and drivers license/ID information.
It also said that around 850,000 active T-Mobile prepaid customer names, phone numbers, and account PINs were also exposed in the breach. “We have already proactively reset all of the PINs on these accounts to help protect these customers, and we will be notifying accordingly right away,” the company said, adding, “No Metro by T-Mobile, former Sprint prepaid, or Boost customers had their names or PINs exposed.”
The Washington-based mobile giant said that as a result of its initial findings, it is taking “immediate steps to help protect all of the individuals who may be at risk from this cyberattack.”
Those affected will be contacted “shortly” with advice on what action to take. For example, some T-Mobile postpaid customers will be told to change their PIN, though it said this particular precaution was being taken “despite the fact that we have no knowledge that any postpaid account PINs were compromised.”
Those impacted will also be offered two years of free identity protection services with McAfee’s ID Theft Protection Service, along with other safeguards to help reduce the chances of succumbing to a crime perpetrated by those who attempt to use the stolen data for nefarious purposes.
The hack is a major blow to T-Mobile, which has suffered several other similar attacks affecting its customers in the last three years alone. The most recent breach came to light earlier this week when a hacker was spotted spotted trying to sell stolen T-Mobile data on an underground forum. The seller claimed to be in possession of data belonging to 100 million T-Mobile customers, though the company’s initial findings suggest fewer current customers have been impacted.
“We take our customers’ protection very seriously and we will continue to work around the clock on this forensic investigation to ensure we are taking care of our customers in light of this malicious attack,” T-Mobile said on Tuesday, adding that its investigation is ongoing.

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