With a company of roughly 30 million subscribers, 1 million people using a phone you don’t offer with a gimped network connection (for those not in the know, AT&T’s 3G radio is not compatible with T-Mobile’s 3G network) is something you better pay attention to. Today, T-Mobile USA’s Chief Marketing Officer, Cole Brodman, released a statement on the company’s blog to address this issue head on and there are few things he’d like you to know.
First, to simply acknowledge that over 3% of your total subscriber base are using a smartphone that you don’t offer AND with a limited data connection is a huge deal. It screams “we know you could be somewhere else but you have still stuck with us” and as a T-Mobile subscriber I can only add “it’s about damned time!” The first step in correcting the problem is, after all, acknowledging that there is one in the first place; and that problem is not having one of the most visible phones on the market in your handset portfolio.
However, the good news ends there (for those of us that want an iPhone on T-Mobile), after acknowledging that T-Mobile’s subscribers want the iPhone and that T-Mobile would like to offer it, the conversation is diverted to the newly announced Android handsets: the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Amaze. Brodman, as any good salesman should, talks about each as not just comparable phones but even goes a bit further to say they may be better because of their spec sheets and “4G” antennae. Sorry Mr. Brodman, we don’t believe you, you need more people.
Look, I’m not going to trash the Galaxy S II because realistically that may very well be my next phone. It’s capable, it does everything I want it to do, blah blah blah. I want an iPhone because I’m such a part of the iTunes Store/App Store ecosystem. I have no qualms unlocking a device but it would serve me no real use if I can’t get the services that I’m paying for – data plans ain’t cheap.
Well, Magenta subscribers, if you were looking for an iPhone 5 this fall we’ll just have to go back to dreaming of green pastures at the Death Star Company or even the big red V. Check the full statement from Cole Brodman below.
About the iPhone – a Letter to T-Mobile Customers
By Cole Brodman, Chief Marketing Officer, T-Mobile USA
We’ve heard from many customers who love their T-Mobile service, but are disappointed that we don’t carry the iPhone. To these customers, first, thank you for your business. Please know that we think the iPhone is a great device and Apple knows that we’d like to add it to our line-up. Today, there are over a million T-Mobile customers using unlocked iPhones on our network. We are interested in offering all of our customers a no-compromise iPhone experience on our network.
In the meantime, we continue to bring to market some of the most advanced, cutting-edge Android devices. Today, I had the chance to take the stage at the Mobilize event in San Francisco and introduce our fastest 4G smartphones ever, the Samsung Galaxy S II and theHTC Amaze. We’re very confident that these Android smartphones rival or beat any smartphone out there in terms of functionality, speed, overall experience and features – including the iPhone.
Android has evolved quickly from geek to chic. In many ways, Android is rivaling and even outpacing the iPhone, including consumer adoption, market share and capabilities like support for faster 4G networks. Moreover, Android offers consumers the freedom of choice. You can choose from a variety of colors, screen sizes, slide-out keyboards, price points and customization options, as well as enjoy the numerous benefits of open source innovation, cloud services and amazing apps.
This is why, for now, our focus continues to be giving customers the best that Android has to offer, coupled with 4G speeds that let you browse the Web faster than on average home internet*.
Check out our latest and greatest in Android 4G: www.t-mobile.com
*Speed comparison based on average download speeds on T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ 42 Mbps capable devices and network in four markets versus average home internet speeds per independent third party testing.
Source: T-Mobile Blog
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