T-Mobile Has Nearly 15,000 People Interested in Test Driving iPhones

T-Mobile’s crazy-like-a-fox CEO John Legere unveiled a whole lot of new ideas at the company’s event on Tuesday, and at least one of them is really taking off: the iPhone test drive, which will allow those interested to try out an iPhone 5s on T-Mobile’s network for seven days, at no cost.

Legere responded to a tweet earlier today that inquired about the number of sign-ups for the test drive, stating, “Almost 15k have already signed up!” Considering Legere gave that answer earlier this morning, the number could actually be much higher.

T-Mobile is set to begin the test drive program this coming Monday, June 23. When test driving the iPhone 5s, the company’s trial customers will get a decked out plan with unlimited texts, data and calls — as long as the user is inside the United States, at least. Returning the phone once that seven days is up means that the test drivers won’t be charged anything. Returning a damaged iPhone, however, will earn that person a $100 charge.

You might be wondering: how can T-Mobile afford to let customers unbox and use all these iPhones? The answer: Apple actually provided T-Mobile with a bunch of free iPhones for the test drive program. It’s a smart move by Apple, as it gets their devices in the hands of customers who may be looking to switch providers. And it does wonders for T-Mobile, which, at this point, is the only U.S. carrier operating such an initiative.

The test drive program joins some other great perks, like music services that don’t count against your data cap, and the company’s early upgrade plan. It’s this kind of fun, outside-the-box thinking that the wireless industry needs, and T-Mobile is the company leading the charge. The T-Mobile/Sprint merger looms in the distance, though, and one has to wonder what will happen should that deal become a reality. Reports say that Legere is the favorite to land the CEO role in the combined company, but it’s tough to predict how much power Legere would have with new parent company Softbank calling the shots.

Have you signed up for T-Mobile’s iPhone test drive program, or are you planning on it? Let us know in the comments.

[Source: Twitter]