With the debut of the iPhone 14 and its successor, the iPhone 15, a significant shift took place in the U.S. iPhone market—gone are the days of physical SIM cards. Instead, they rely on electronically embedded SIMs (eSIM) for wireless carrier connectivity and activation. This can potentially make switching carriers much quicker and easier.
However, the move to eSIM only iPhones doesn’t come without challenges. A limited number of U.S. wireless providers currently support eSIM. This scarcity limits choice and could influence your potential savings on wireless plans. Fortunately, things are slowly beginning to change. The iPhone’s massive popularity has pushed more providers towards eSIM adoption, benefiting not just iPhone users but also Android enthusiasts with eSIM-enabled devices, like Google Pixels and Samsung Galaxies.
One good thing about eSIM is that many providers that support it are using it to offer free eSIM trials. This should help to remove any concerns that you and other customers may have about switching to one of those providers. So if you are looking for a new carrier and you own an unlocked iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 or any other iPhone that supports eSIM, or one of several Android phones that support it, you may want to start with one of the wireless providers listed below. All of them support eSIM for instant activation and all offer free trial plans. But be aware, whichever provider you decide to take a trial with, you’ll have to first be connected to WiFi in order to set up your eSIM.
TLDR
- T-Mobile – 30 Days, unlimited data
- Verizon – 30 days, unlimited data
- Visible by Verizon – 15 days, unlimited data, no payment methods needed
- US Mobile – 50 days, 50GB premium data & $50 gift card
- Mint Mobile – 7 days, 250MB data
- MobileX – 10 days + $10 account credit
- Cricket Wireless – 14 days, 3GB
- Google Fi Wireless – 7 days, 10GB
- Red Pocket Mobile – 7 days, 3GB, temporarily suspended
T-Mobile 90-Day Data Only Free eSIM Trial
Perhaps leading the way with free eSIM trial offers is T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s Network Pass will get you up to three months of totally free wireless service. Although this is the longest free trial offer available on the market, it’s not a full phone plan and does come with some catches.
For starters, it only comes with unlimited 4G LTE and 5G data but it does not offer texting or phone calls. And in order to get the plan, you have to have active service with another wireless carrier. If your phone isn’t already active with another carrier, you can’t signup for the trial offer. You are also ineligible for the offer if you have been a T-Mobile or Metro by T-Mobile customer within the past 90 days. Current T-Mobile MVNO customers are also excluded from the offer.
The plan itself also has a few other limitations to be aware of. Only 50GB of data each month is priority data. So customers who go over that threshold during a 30-day billing cycle may temporarily notice slower data speeds when the network is busy compared to other customers on the network. Once the billing cycle resets, subscribers get a fresh allotment of 50GB of priority data.
Finally, the plan does not allow hotspot/tethering and video streaming is limited to a resolution of 480p.
If you are interested in signing up for T-Mobile’s Network pass free eSIM trial offer for your iPhone 14, I put together this list of step-by-step instructions on how to sign up.
Verizon Wireless 30-Day Free Trial
If T-Mobile’s eSIM free trial isn’t the industry’s best, Verizon Wireless’s free eSIM trial offer just might be.
Unlike T-Mobile, Verizon’s trial includes unlimited talk and text usage. It also comes with up to 100GB of premium 5G high-speed data to use which includes access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra-Wideband network. You’ll get 480p video streaming when connected to Verizon’s 4G LTE or 5G Nationwide networks but 4K UHD streaming when connected to Ultra-Wideband. After 100GB of data usage, during times of congestion data speeds will be reduced to 600Kbps.
The free eSIM trial does not even require a credit check. There’s no contract, billing information, or other obligations for that matter. And Verizon will give you a temporary number to use during the trial. Of course, your phone does need to be unlocked and compatible with Verizon’s network in order to take the trial. Signing up for the free trial is as easy as heading over to this webpage and scanning a QR code. You can also just click the button below.
Visible 15-Day Free eSIM Trial
If T-Mobile’s free eSIM trial offer isn’t the best free trial offer out there, Visible’s has to be. Visible is a Verizon-owned prepaid brand.
Visible has a free 15-day trial that does not require the use of a credit card or any other payment method! You’ll get unlimited talk, text, and high-speed 4G LTE and 5G data plus unlimited mobile hotspot. But there is a catch with the hotspot. Hotspot is limited to data speeds of 5Mbps and only one device can connect to the hotspot at a time.
The trial also comes with a temporary phone number to use. After the trial is over you can either keep the temporary number and make it permanent or you can port your own phone number in. You’re only allowed to try Visible for free once every 12 months.
If you decide you are happy with Visible, you can either signup for their $30 base unlimited everything plan or upgrade to their $45 unlimited everything plan that adds international calling and texting, 50GB of premium data, Mexico and Canada roaming, plus Ultra-Wideband connectivity. Taxes and fees are included in the price of each plan.
Visible’s free eSIM trial is available for iPhones and Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones.
US Mobile 50-Day Free eSIM Trial & $50 Gift Card
US Mobile is another provider that offers a free eSIM trial and uses the Verizon network but is also available on the T-Mobile network.
US Mobile’s free eSIM trial offers connectivity for 50 days. It includes unlimited talk and text with 50GB of premium priority data, which is data that doesn’t slow down compared to other customers on the network when the network is busy. It also comes with WiFi calling and access to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband (both 5G mmWave and C-Band) networks. It does require you to port your number and a valid credit card is also required to activate the trial. If it’s used on the T-Mobile network, it will still include 50GB of high-speed data but it won’t be premium priority data.
If you would rather not use eSIM a free physical SIM kit is available.
Once the trial is up you can pick any US Mobile plan to continue service with or leave for another provider. If you elect to stay with US Mobile, you’ll receive a $50 US Mobile rewards card after 12 months of continuous paid service on any plan priced at $10/month or higher. Customers with two lines can get two $50 rewards cards (1 for each line) and can share the same 50GB trial or get two separate trials. The rewards card is actually a prepaid Mastercard that is linked to your US Mobile account. It can be spent anywhere you’d like that accepts Mastercard. To qualify for the prepaid card, paid service must start within two days of finishing the trial.
US Mobile offers a wide variety of customizable plans. You can pick a pooled plan that starts at $10 for 2GB of data plus $8/line with additional data priced at $2/GB, a preconfigured unlimited plan with 20GB of full-speed data for $25/month, or a premium plan with 100GB of high-speed data and 50GB of hotspot for $50/month. Taxes and fees are included in the prices.
One important thing to be aware of about their free trial offer is that they will charge your card on file for a plan two days before the trial ends. Free trials with one line added during the first 30 days of the free trial will be renewed on the 12GB shareable data plan ($25/month) and free trials with two lines added during the first 30 day of the free trial will be renewed on the 30GB shareable data plan ($50/month), unless the renewal plan is changed or canceled before the end of the trial.
A rep has claimed on Reddit that this is to make the transition to a paid plan go smoother. Presumably without loss of service.
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Mint Mobile 7-Day Free eSIM Trial
Mint Mobile offers a 7-day free trial on the T-Mobile network. Unfortunately, their trial isn’t nearly as generous as some of the others making this list. Mint Mobile’s free eSIM trial includes just 250 minutes, 250 text messages, and 250MB of data. If you are a speed test guru, you may run through that data after just a couple of tests. Like the other providers, you don’t need to port your number over to take the trial. Mint will give you a temporary number to use. If you’re happy with Mint Mobile after the trial is up, you can sign up for any plan. Mint Mobile’s phone plans start at $15/month for unlimited everything with 5GB of high-speed data each month.
MobileX 10-Day Free eSIM Trial & $10 Account Credit
MobileX is one of the newest wireless providers on the market having launched in late February of 2023. The company is also offering a free eSIM trial that’s a bit different from all the other providers discussed here.
The MobileX platform has been designed to use machine learning (A.I.) to monitor and learn from its customers’ data usage. Customers who signup for MobileX have the option to allow the platform to monitor their usage for 10 days and then have the system recommend a highly customized plan to them. Subscribers who use this feature will have their first 10 days of service free of charge. If the subscriber chooses to use the plan that has been recommended to them by the platform, they’ll get up to a $10 account credit to put towards their first month of service.
The free trial offer is available to customers activating a new line of service who would like a new number and also to subscribers who would like to port their number in from another provider. A credit card is also needed.
Hi! Customers receive up to 10 days of service free while our AI tool learns your usage behavior and recommends the customized plan. Upon activation and selecting a plan, customers will receive up to $10 credit towards 1st mo service, instead of 30-day free service.
— mobileX us (@mobileXus) September 29, 2023
After the customer completes their 10 days free trial offer, they can elect to continue to keep their A.I. recommended plan, custom build their own plan, or switch to an unlimited plan starting at $14.88/month for 5GB. MobileX plans start at less than $5/month.
The free trial offer is also available to customers who don’t have an eSIM-capable device and wish to use a physical SIM card instead.
Cricket Wireless 14-Day Free eSIM Trial
Cricket Wireless has a free trial offer that lasts 14 days. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, it’s only available to iPhone users. Cricket’s free trial comes with unlimited talk and text but only 3GB of data. Video streaming is restricted to SD, 480p.
In order to get the trial, you’ll have to head on over to the Apple iOS app store and download the tryCricket app. Cricket states that you can get your eSIM trial up and running in 15 minutes or less. If you don’t have an eSIM capable device, Cricket will send you a physical SIM card.
Like other free trials, this one comes with a temporary phone number to use. When the trial is up, the phone number cannot be retained or ported to another provider, it is considered the property of Cricket Wireless.
If you are happy with the service when the trial concludes, Cricket will provide you with instructions in the tryCricket app on how to port your number in to become a full subscriber.
Cricket Wireless is owned by AT&T and so it uses that network for coverage. Plans start at $30/month for a plan with 5GB of high-speed data.
Google Fi Wireless’s 7-Day Free eSIM Trial Details
Google Fi Wireless has a free trial that will get you seven days of service, and like the others, they give you a separate number to use so that it can work right alongside your current service provider. The trial offer is available to both Android and iPhone users. It comes with unlimited talk, text, and data. Only the first 10GB of data is available at up to 5G data speeds before throttling to an estimated 256Kbps.
In order to signup for the trial you’ll need to have a Google account. You’ll also need a credit card handy. With those things ready, you can download the Google Fi app from either the Google Play Store or Apple iOS store and get your service activated.
Keep in mind that the trial can only be used once per phone. And anyone who has been a Google Fi Wireless customer in the past 18 months or used the trial with another phone during that time span will not be eligible for the offer.
At the end of the trial, you’ll automatically be moved over to and billed for Google Fi Wireless’s $50/month Simply Unlimited plan with 35GB of monthly high-speed data. You can change plans at any time if you don’t want Simply Unlimited. And if you don’t want to stay on Fi after the trial ends you can simply cancel automatic renewal and you won’t be billed after the 7-day free trial ends.
Google Fi uses the T-Mobile network for coverage and offers free roaming on US Cellular.
Red Pocket Mobile 7-Day Free eSIM Trial
Just like Mint Mobile, Red Pocket Mobile also offers a free 7-day trial. But Red Pocket’s trial is on the AT&T network and is the only provider in this list to use that network for coverage.
Red Pocket Mobile’s trial includes unlimited talk and text with the first 3GB of data available at up to 5G data speeds before throttling. It is for new lines only or customers that port a number in. You may have to be a little more careful with this trial though. Once the trial ends Red Pocket Mobile will automatically bill you $20/month to continue on that plan.
If you are unhappy with the service, you can of course cancel the trial and plan before it ends to avoid being charged for it. You can also switch to a more premium and flagship plan. Red Pocket Mobile’s flagship plan costs $50/month for unlimited talk, text, and high-speed data. The first 100GB of data on the plan is available at up to 5G data speeds before throttling to 2G data speeds.
At the time of this writing, Red Pocket Mobile’s free trial offer has been temporarily suspended. But it may be reinstated at any time.