Classes are over















NEXT CLASS

Semester Over
It was Fun and I hope
you learned something
in this class. Review this blog in 2033
and see if we were right.


Sunday, April 7, 2013

Welcome to the iPhone Family, T-Mobile


BY: Daniel White


Recently, Deustche Telekom, the parent company to America’s fourth largest cell phone carrier, T-Mobile, announced that there would be additions to T-Mobile’s rate plan and product portfolio, including Apple products in 2013. This means that after years of anticipation, speculation, and failed attempts, T-Mobile will begin selling the iPhone 5 and iPad beginning in April 2013.

Although T-Mobile has been the only major carrier excluded from offering the iPhone, upwards of 1.9 million customers have been using an unlocked iPhone on T-Mobile’s networks for several years. However, these customers were not guaranteed the speeds as the other carriers. To combat this flaw, T-Mobile heavily advertised its economical and diverse rate plans to consumers. In addition, it has advertised that AT&T iPhone owners can switch to T-Mobile when they are done with their contract because AT&T and T-Mobile use many of the same network protocols. Now, T-Mobile has created an LTE network, so that the T-Mobile iPhone will run on 4G and a 1900MHz network for HSPA+ service that is accessible to unlocked iPhones.

According to T-Mobile President and CEO, John Legere, “the addition of the iPhone is ‘very important’”. With this new addition to its product portfolio, T-Mobile is expecting to become more competitive in the marketplace against AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint, increase its sagging subscriber numbers, and develop more as a company. In fact, T-Mobile is hoping that this addition will spark new relationships with other existing companies, such as a partnership with Dish , who wants to expand to wireless services, and a merger with MetroPCS and/or Leap Wireless, the parent company to Cricket Wireless.

As a T-Mobile customer, I am very excited that I now have access to the iPhone. After over five years of anticipation and waiting, I can finally witness the hype. But from a business perspective, T-Mobile’s acquisition of the iPhone and iPad poses an interesting dynamic shift in the phone market. What was once exclusive to several consumers, such as myself, Apple Products are now becoming more accessible to the general public. While the allure of Apple Products is in question, this opportunity allows the “step-child of wireless networks” to officially be a part of the family. With this new addition, T-Mobile can change the game, present a new value to its organization, and potentially become the new favorite amongst its new brothers and sisters.







9 comments:

  1. This absolutely kills me. I was a loyal tmobile customer for over 6 years. I've had a number of tmobile phones. I even had the sidekick 2007 and after like 3 years of having it they informed anyone with the phone that they were shutting down the sidekick network. Anyone who had one would be forced to buy a new phone or leave. I wasn't under contract and didn't need a new phone so I knew I didn't want to enter into another two year agreement. We told tmobile this, they said buy it or leave and so we threatened to leave. But, they made us an offer we couldn't refuse, a really cheap blackberry.

    So I stayed with them even through that mess. But when my contract was finally up this past spring break, I knew I wanted to head for iPhone country and knew I couldn't do it with them. So I left and went to sprint on my mother's plan. And now I hear I could have waited one more month and have been fine?! I mean, the bill is overall lower but tmobile is a really chill carrier. And I bet most of you don't know, they will loan you a phone for free with a $50 deposit if you lose yours until you can get another one, no questions asked. Great service that really helped me out once.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I undersand Marcus Kyle Completely. i wanted an iphone so bad that i switched over to AT&T about two yeas ago. Now that T-mobile offers the iphone I am considering switching back the bills are way less expensive. The thing about T- mobile is hey have the best customer service out there!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeah I agree with Felton I been wanting the I Phone for a minute but i stuck to T-mobile because i believe that their plans are way cheaper but I did think about going to sprint but I don't even care anymore just want to Text & Call so who cares but Daniel.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I believe this is a desperation attempt by T-mobile to keep up with the giants of the industry. If their customers wanted Apple products they would have obtained them by switching cell phone carriers in order to do so or jailbreak their phones which makes it go much slower. I believe over the years T-mobile has lost an incredible amount of customers to their competition based solely on Apple products. I believe this is a desperation attempt by T--mobile in order to save face. I am surprised this decision has not been implemented prior to April 2013 when many of the other companies have now had Apple products for many years.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I feel that it is about time that T-Mobile finally teamed up with Apple. I believe that this can gain more customers to their company. T-Mobile very well probaly lost customers for not having one of the best phones in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think that this is a great move for T-Mobile to finally partner with Apple because it will give their company the brand recognition consumers will finally recognize. It seems to me that T-mobile has not been the top competitor in the cellularphone plan market since their release of the T-Mobile Sidekick. This may pose problems for other wireless carriers such as Sprint and AT&T because of T-Mobile's low prices as well as apple phones.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It will be interesting to see how consumers react to the iphone now that it's air of exclusivity has all but disappeared since the handsets beginning in 2007. Back then, I remember it being a rarity to see someone with an iphone, and this fact added to the phones mystique, and eventually, its success. Now you see everyone, and I mean almost EVERYONE, with iphones. Now that T Mobile has the phone, this is only going to become even more evident. Apple now must focus on bringing actual new features to the phone in order to drive people to their products because eventually the public is going to want the next "Must Have" device, and one day it won't be an iphone. Apple just needs to make sure that that day is as far in the future as possible.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow I knew it was going to happen sooner or later because the demand for apple products is out of this world. Regardless, of anyone's cellular service or money situation after seeing numerous commercials and majority of society with the an iphone or apple product you begin to wonder if it is really worth the money. In addition, I believe T-mobile made this move so that it would appeal to customers, such as to say not only do we have 4g but we are now teaming up with apple to bring you the iphone 5 and ipad. it will definitely boost their company further up ladder and that much closer to Apple

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's very interesting that T Mobil has finally become apart of the "iPhone family". I know many people that has been waiting years to purchase an iPhone but did not want to switch there wireless carrier. By T Mobil adding the iPhone 5 I think that they will attract a lot of customers. They will be offering 4G and also the iPad. I always wondered when would T Mobil get Apple products and here you have it. I know that this is just the beginning for them, T Mobil has much more in store for its customers.

    ReplyDelete