T-Mobile today unveiled its latest attempt at disrupting the mobile industry.
Digits aims to let you use your phone number across multiple devices. That includes smartphones as well as feature phones, tablets, smartwatches, and PCs. You also have the option of using multiple phone numbers on a single handset, eliminating the need to carry a work phone and a personal phone.
With Digits, your calls and texts will appear as coming from your phone number, no matter which device you send them from. The service is built in to recent Samsung phones like the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S7 edge, and T-Mobile is working with other device makers to integrate Digits into their phones.
There’s also a Digits app available for Android and iOS, and you can login using a browser on a PC or Mac. When you login, you’ll see your contacts, call logs, messages, and voicemail, no matter which device you’re on.
What’s notable is that you can use Digits on any device, even non-T-Mobile devices, and that you can also use the service on devices running on a different network. You’ll just need at least one T-Mobile phone number to start.
T-Mobile says Digits will launch in early 2017. There’s no word yet on how much it’ll cost. If you’d like to try it now, you can register for the free beta so long as you’re a postpaid T-Mo customer with a Simple Choice or T-Mobile One plan and your account is in good standing.
While Digits may sound like it’s aimed at business people who carry multiple phones or have employees with phones, it could be a nice feature for regular folks, too. For example, you could use Digits to stay connected using your computer at work if you forget your phone at home, or using your cellular-connected smartwatch while you’re out and about. We’ll just have to wait and see if T-Mobile’s price for Digits is affordable enough to convince consumers to add Digits to their monthly plan.
What do you think of T-Mobile Digits? Are you going to check out the Digits beta?