Pokémon GO gamers now have another reason to play the mobile game as much as their hearts desire.
There are two major downsides to the popular augmented-reality game: it drains battery life since it uses GPS to for the in-app map and uses up lots of data.
However, now, Pokémon GO players don't have to worry about data overcharges — that is, if they have T-Mobile.
T-Mobile announced on Thursday that it is giving its customers unlimited data, for when they play Pokémon GO, for an entire year. That means that customers don't have to touch their monthly data — or worse, use it all up and go over — when on their quests to catch 'em all.
The free Pokémon GO data is part of the Un-carrier's T-Mobile Tuesday deal that rewards all customers for simply having the service, and will be included in the freebies starting next week on July 19.
The free data will be available each week on the T-Mobile Tuesday app until Aug. 9, with the offer lasting customers until August 2017. That's a whole year of collecting and battling Pokémon, so just think of how many creatures players will have by then. Customers must take action in app to claim the offer to get the unlimited data. It is not automatically applied to their accounts.
"This is what T-Mobile Tuesday is all about — thanking customers with hot, new, totally free gifts every week, and right now, nothing is hotter than Pokémon GO!" T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a press release. "With the carriers' shared data schemes, players could easily burn up the family's data bucket — and then, hello, overages! At T-Mobile, we're unleashing Pokémon GO so our customers can play free for a year.
Having unlimited data when playing the game is priceless, especially for those who have a family data sharing plan. By now, we all know that Pokémon GO is not just played by kids, but also by adults, including parents, millennials and probably even grandma, at this point.
Other perks for July 19 include a free ride with Lyft of up to $15, which can be used to check out a new PokéStop or gym, along with the usual free Wendy's Frosty and 50 percent off select accessories, like a portable power pack that can come in handy when playing the game.
T-Mobile also revealed that it is giving away $100 in PokéCoins to 250 customers, as well as "Pokémon GO hunting trip" to five people to further sweeten the deal.
It makes perfect sense that T-Mobile offers unlimited data for the game since it already has a "binge on" offer that allows customers to stream content from apps like Netflix without using all their data. With Pokémon GO the top free and top-grossing game in the app stores, it's a smart move for the carrier to cater to these gamers before they realize their data plans restrict them from playing every day.
Source: T-Mobile
Photo: Eduardo Woo | Flickr
