Quibi, the short-form and mobile-only streaming service set to launch on Monday, will be free for T-Mobile subscribers.
If you've been too busy to keep up with this latest competitor in the streaming wars, Quibi is a really unique player for how it will work on your phone. Shows have been shot to be viewed in both horizontal and vertical video mode (landscape and portrait), and you get to move between the two by simply rotating your phone. The idea is that you can binge on short shows -- even when one-handed and on the go.
- What is Quibi? Shows, launch date and trailers
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- Plus: Quibi review
T-Mobile customers can sign up for this offer between Quibi's April 6 launch date and July 7, via either mytmobile.com or the T-Mobile app on iOS or Android.
The only catch is that not all T-Mobile customers will get this deal. Looking at the 7th paragraph of the press release announcing the offer, you see that it's limited to:
- T-Mobile customers with two or more voice lines at standard rates on Magenta and ONE plans with taxes and fees included, as well as:
- discounted First Responder plans
- Military plans
- Magenta Plus 55 plans and
- Small business customers with up to 12 lines
Don't have T-Mobile? Well, the good news is that Quibi's starting with the longest free trial I've ever heard of, giving potential subscribers 90 days to kick the proverbial tires.
That long-term offer may be due to this ever-changing world we live in, where people may be less mobile than ever. All in all, though, I'm using my phone just as often as I did before, if not more.
Quibi will also feature daily news content, and a mix of content that looks broad enough to appeal to all demographics.
The aforementioned rotating screen trick, Turnstyle, is really clever. Each version of the camera angle (vertical like Instagram Story posts, horizontal like traditional movies) is tailor made to best use that screen-space. I'm curious to see how Quibi deals with all the varying-sized phone screens, including the iPhone's notch design and the punch-holes in Samsung Galaxy devices.
Quibi's shorter-than-usual shows will be free for the first year, alongside T-Mobile's Netflix on Us giveaway. After that year, subscribers will choose between the two.
When I say short-form, I mean it. Quibi episodes are 10 minutes or less — so you can watch three while you wait for your pizza to deliver. These shows will feature big names like Chrissy Teigen, who stars in the zany Judge Judy-like show Chrissy's Court, and Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz, who are in Most Dangerous Game.
Quibi will also feature reboots of once-beloved shows. Punk'd is coming back, with Chance The Rapper taking Ashton Kutcher's spot as prankster-in-chief. The Singled Out dating show is also returning, at a time when none of us should be going on dates in person.
In terms of big name actors, Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner stars in a survival series called... well.. Survive. And former SNL cast member Will Forte leads in Flipped, a comedy about home renovations gone wrong, that also includes appearances by Andy Garcia and Eva Longoria.
