Just over a year ago I first discovered and started using the free mobile internet from a service called FreedomPop. That’s right – FREE mobile internet.
So how does their service work and what’s the catch? You buy a mobile hotspot from FreedomPop’s site, and from then on you get anywhere from 500MB to 1GB of free mobile 4G data every month. It’s as simple as that.
If you want more mobile data than the free plan, they have extremely affordable data plans that are much cheaper than what you’d find elsewhere. You can also purchase other add-ons to your plan. The catch? There really isn’t one that I can find so far. I’ve been using it for well over a year now and it just works great!
So far I’ve bought three separate FreedomPop mobile data devices.
Two of the devices are mobile hotspots, while one is a USB device you plug into your laptop. All three have worked quite well for me, although my go-to device is the Overdrive Pro these days.
When I heard that FreedomPop was going to be releasing a new service, a free cell phone service, I was excited and knew I would have to give it a try. Who knows, maybe it would be good enough for a low voice and data user like me to cancel my pre-paid cell phone and cut one more cost out of my family budget!
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Free Phone Service Launched – In Beta
In October 2013 the free FreedomPop cell phone service launched in beta with a limited number of phones released. Most or all of the phones are refurbished Sprint phones, since FreedomPop is a MVNO on the Sprint network.
The basics of the service are this. You buy a phone from FreedomPop, and select a plan for your phone. The basic level of service is free and includes 200 minutes of talk time, 500 texts and 500MB of mobile data.
So how is FreedomPop able to offer free cell phone service? Their service doesn’t route phone calls through the cell phone networks like most traditional carriers. Instead, voice calls are routed through mobile data networks, which is cheaper for FreedomPop. In theory the end user shouldn’t really notice the difference.
Available Phones
When I first looked into the service, the only phone FreedomPop had available was the HTC EVO Design 4G. Those phones quickly sold out and it was no longer available.
They then launched another phone for the service, the HTC EVO 4G, which is the one that I ended up buying in November. Here is a look at the phone that I bought:
- CPU Speed: 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 QSD8650
- Memory ROM: 440 MB internal storage, plus 8 GB card included
- Camera: 8+ megapixel auto-focus, LED flash, brightness control, face detection, spot metering
- Connectivity: Bluetooth® v2.1 with A2DP, WiFi 802.11 b/g, WiMAX plus EVDO Rev. A, MicroUSB v2
- Battery: Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery
The phones have had limited availability, and you can never be sure if they’ll have any in stock, so check their site here if you’re interested.
After waiting about a month to receive the phone after shipping, kitting and firmware update delays, I finally received it a week or so ago. Here’s a quick look at the unboxing of the HTC EVO 4G that I received in the mail.
Check out a full gallery of the HTC EVO 4G that i received in the mail here: HTC EVO 4G Gallery
You can also bring your own device to the service if you already have one of the approved phones. Just go to the homepage and then click on the “Bring Your Own Phone” link to check if your phone’s MEID is eligible. If it is, you can then activate your phone for free cell service!
Activating your existing phone could be a cheaper way of getting service without buying a phone from FreedomPop. Currently supported phones as far as I can tell seem to be the HTC EVO 4G, HTC EVO 3D and possibly Samsung Galaxy S II. That could change as time goes on, however.
Phone Plans
So what are the plans that are currently available on the FreedomPop service? It starts with the free service and goes up from there.
- 100% FREE Plan: With the basic plan you get 200 voice minutes, 500 texts and 500MB of 4G data for no monthly cost.
- $10.99/month: This plan gives you unlimited talk and texts, as well as 500MB of data.
- $19.99/month: This plan gives you unlimited talk and texts, as well as 1GB of data.
- $24.99/month: This plan gives you unlimited talk and texts, as well as 2GB of data.
- $29.99/month: This plan gives you unlimited talk and texts, as well as 3GB of data.
- $34.99/month: This plan gives you unlimited talk and texts, as well as 4GB of data.
- $29.99/month: This plan gives you unlimited talk and texts, as well as unlimited data, although at reduced speeds after 2GB.
There are also other add-ons to service that you can purchase as well. Among them are voicemail ($2.49/month), data rollover ($3.99), usage alerts ($1.99).
My Experience With FreedomPop Cell Service… So Far
I’ve only had the FreedomPop cell phone service using my new HTC EVO 4G for about a week and a half now. So far my experience has been decidedly mixed.
In talking with some folks at FreedomPop I was reminded that this was still a beta service, working out some of the kinks. I found that to be the case when I got my phone. Not only did it take over a month to receive my phone due to supply issues, it was also delayed because the phone’s software was updated a couple of times to fix bugs they had found.
When I got my phone there were still plenty of bugs, however. Activating the phone went smoothly and I was up and running in no time. Once I started making phone calls, however, the phone started having problems. The phone calls were choppy and staticky, and in my first 5-6 phone calls I didn’t have a single one that was completed satisfactorily. I was also having problems with the FreedomPop messaging app which was constantly crashing and at least twice lost several text messages that I had received.
After complaining to support, I was told that they had just updated their messaging app on the Google Play store (the app on the phone that makes calls/texts possible), and after updating the app all of a sudden my phone has started working as it should.
I’ve completed 5-6 phone calls since then that have gone through just fine and have had good voice quality. The messaging app hasn’t been crashing constantly either. So for now, the service is working as advertised.
UPDATE: I’ve been using the phone for several weeks now and since the app update mentioned above it has been working pretty well. I’ve been using this Freedom Phone as my main phone and despite a couple of hiccups here and there where the app crashed, it has otherwise been very stable and I’ve been making phone calls and texts with no real issues beyond a slight delay at times. As it continues to get better, I am getting closer and closer to considering dropping my other pre-paid mobile phone in favor of this free option.
Conclusion
The FreedomPop cell phone service definitely promises to be a great way for folks to save money on their wireless cell phone bills. I was excited to try the service, and after a few hiccups it seems to be working relatively well for me.
While the phone service is still in beta, I’m not 100% ready to cancel my old pre-paid cell phone, but I’m willing to give FreedomPop cell service a try. As the product goes through iterations and updates, I’m sure it will become more stable, and even more of an alternative to traditional (expensive) cell phone service.
Sign Up For FreedomPop Free Cell Phone Service Here
Have you tried out FreedomPop cell service? Have questions about how it works? Tell us about it in the comments!
| Moble Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) | Mobile Network | Minimum Plan Price | Free Tethering | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Mobile | T-Mobile | $5 (Unlimited Text - No Talk, No Data) $10 (300 Min Talk & Unlimited Text - 1GB Data) Discounts if prepaid for 3 months. | Yes | Review |
| Tello | T-Mobile | $5 (100 Min Talk & Unlimited Text - No Data) | Yes | Review |
| Twigby | Verizon Wireless | $15 (Unlimited Talk, Text, 2GB high-speed data) | Yes | Review |
| Ting | T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless | $9 (100 Min Talk & No Text - No Data) | Yes | Review |
| Red Pocket Mobile | Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile US | $10 (500 Min Talk & 500 Text - 500 MB Data) | Yes | |
| Republic Wireless | T-Mobile | $15 (Unlimited Talk & Text - No Data) | Yes | Review |
| Mint Mobile | T-Mobile | $15 (Unlimited Talk & Text - 3GB Data) If prepaid for 1 year. Prepay in 3,6, 12 month increments. Buy 3 Months, Get 3 Free) | Yes | Review |
| Unreal Mobile | AT&T | $15 (Unlimited Talk & Text - 3GB Data). Prepay in 3,6, 12 month increments. | Yes | Review |
| TracFone | Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile US | $15 (200 Min Talk & 500 Text - 500 MB Data) If put on auto-renew save 5%. | No | |
| Google FI | T-Mobile | $20 (Unlimited Talk & Text - No Data) | Yes | |
| Total by Verizon | Verizon Wireless | $23.70 (Unlimited Talk & Text - No Data) $25 without auto-pay. | Yes | |
| Cricket Wireless | AT&T | $25 (Unlimited Talk & Text - No Data) | No | |
| Boost | T-Mobile | $35 (Unlimited Talk & Text - 3GB Data) | No | |
| Straight Talk Wireless | Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile US | $35 (Unlimited Talk & Text - 2GB Data) | No | |
| Visible | Verizon | $40 (Unlimited Talk & Text - Unlimited Data) | Yes | Review |
Thanks for all of the great info. Please update when you’ve had a chance to use it for a few months!
Thanks Amanda, I will be doing an update. So far in the last few days it has been working just fine for me, I made several more successful phone calls in the last couple of days. Like I mentioned in the post it wasn’t working at all at first, but when they released an update to their messaging app, things started to work as they should. I’m just hoping that continues so I can start to rely on this phone more – and stop using minutes on my pre-paid phone.
At this point I am switching to Republic Wireless from my FreedomPop phone. I have had it for a few months now and the calling quality and reliability just aren’t there yet. Being able to reliably make and receive calls has become more important to my recently. Before, I hardly made or received calls at all and this service suited me just fine. I have had to make some serious tweaks to my phone to get it to behave reasonably both in battery life as well as in calling. I went back and tried the FP app last week to see if it really had improved and it just doesn’t reliably stay running in the background. It either crashes when a call comes in or it disappears from the background and I never receive a call at all. I believe that the phone is partially to blame as modern apps have gotten to require much more RAM when running and since these phones have such little RAM, they don’t allow apps to run in the background for very long.
I had all sorts of issues with my phone until the last app update, and since then it has been relatively stable. I also had to make some changes to the stock configuration in order to get better battery life, but I’m now able to get through the full day using about 70% of battery – plenty good when I have chargers everywhere I go.
Out of curiosity, which phone are you using – the HTC EVO 4G – or the HTC EVO Design?
Freedom pop coverage map is very limited. http://www.freedompop.com/coverage
I think it kind of depends on where you live. In our area the coverage is actually pretty good. It basically mirrors the Sprint coverage area – so if Sprint coverage is spotty where you are, FreedomPop likely will be as well.
Where they able to give you a local phone number? My experience with Republic Wireless was that they could not give me a local number so all calls from my home phone would be long distance. What has your experience been with Freedompop?
I actually had my choice of numbers. I went through a couple pages of local numbers before I found one I wanted. That was in the Minneapolis area where I am though, I can’t speak to other areas and number availability.
I purchased a new desktop with Win7 (after going through two others with Win8-what a disastrous mess). I had AT&T Uverse fastest internet speed (& unlimited data) at $56.00 a month. I purchased a ‘hub’ from Freedom-pop (total cost $105.00 with shipping and CA taxes). Freedom-pop’s internet 4g for a limited 20GB data amount is $19.00 a month. I could not see any difference in speed and everything works the same (IE: YouTube videos etc.). (FP=$228 a year, Uverse=$672 a year, saving $444 a year). The downside is the 20GB limit per month. You can add more data (10GB=$15.00 a month) or you could even purchase a second hub and have an additional 20GB for another $19.00 a month. The point is the service has been solid (I live in Orange County, CA with great coverage) and fast and a great price.
Ernest, that’s great to hear that the FreedomPop Hub has worked well for you. I think if you’re in a solid 4G area and you don’t do a ton of video streaming/etc – it could be a pretty decent option for many folks.
I hear ya on the Windows 8 machines – I hated mine as well, and downgraded back to Windows 7. I didn’t like it either.
Peter, what do you know about Puretalkusa.com?
There cell phone plan sounds really good for us Seniors that don’t need anything fancy. I think they use ATT towers but am not sure.
There plans start at $5 with rollover minutes.
Please let me know when you find out about this company.
Thanks.
Marilyn, puretalkusa.com sounds OK, but I think plans from other traditional cell providers might still be better (If you don’t want to use a service like FreedomPop). For example if you get the most basic plan with talk and text on Republic Wireless, for example, it will cost only $10/month for unlimited talk/text. puretalkusa.com seemed to be $10/month for limited minutes.
I have TRIED to use FreedomPop for 4 months now..between 2 of us..we have gone through 5 of their phones and always a new issue with each phone they have sent as a replacement, service is full of static (San Diego downtown area), half the people can’t hear me or I hear them…it also calls numbers other than those I dial…and whenever I need tech support – minimum of 30-45 minute wait on hold!!!
Greetings all,
I switched to Freedom Pop in March 2015 and since then I have exchanged several phones. Customer Service at Freedom Pop SUCKS!!!
They put us on hold for over an hour. When they sent me a new phone, it didn’t work either so my husband sent the old phones back to them and bought the more expensive phones. I am still having problem bcuz one of the new phones does NOT charge. I will tell you that these Freedom Pop Customer Service CANNOT do their job correctly. I am also thinking of switching to a new company.
PX
I also got a beta phone in November last year. It was the end of February before I used it. It worked rather spottily for fewer than 10 calls total. I used the free data and was automatically charged $10 to top it off, even though I was watching and did NOT exceed my allotment. Then, it quit taking a charge!!! Customer service told me it was past the warranty so they would not send a replacement. I got a replacement battery on my own only to found out it is the charging port that is the problem. Now, I have a rather expensive $89 paperweight. Needless to say, but I will anyway–I am NOT AT ALL happy with their phone service. ? I am!
Peter, are you still using FreedomPop? If so, what’s your opinion to date? Also, do you still have your pre-paid cell phone service? If so, whose service do you have and please re-evaluate it. Thank you!
I still have my FreedomPop internet hotspot, and I still use it just about every day. It works great. The cell service I don’t have anymore as I was provided with a free phone and service from another provider in order to test out their service, and I’m still using it. When I had FreedomPop’s cell service it worked fine, although I have heard from some people that they aren’t very happy with customer service these days.I think FreedomPop knows that and has tried addressing it to a degree. Hopefully it will improve.
Hello again Peter. I thank you for your reply, are you planning to review your new free phone and service in the near future? Also, do you still use Republic Wireless? If so, what is your opinion of their service and phone selection?
The new phone I received was from Republic Wireless, and I have done reviews of the service. In short – I love it and have been extremely happy with it. I just recently got a new phone with the service. You can view a video and text review here:
Republic Wireless and Moto X 2nd Gen
Hello again Peter. I’m trying to decide what cell service to choose and, thanks to your reviews, Republic Wireless does look promising. Do you have any information you would care to share on the Ting Network?
I signed up for FreedomPop’s free cell service in March, ordered a Kyocera phone ($99), and was very disappointed.. I live in a very populated area in IL, and was unable to make a single call that didn’t break up. I also tried it on a trip to Fort Myers FL, and again everyone I called could not understand me because every sentence broke-up. A cheap free government phone is far better. DON’T ORDER this FreedomPop service, its free because it doesn’t work. I feel scammed, the phone they sold me is now on a shelf collecting dust. I wish I had read an honest review like this prior to trying FreedomPop. Even as a back-up phone or an emergency phone, this ‘free’ service they offer is completely useless