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The iPhone's Role In Crippling T-Mobile

Posted by Soulskill on from the doubles-as-a-ninja-star dept.

GMGruman writes "The feds may be blocking AT&T's buyout of T-Mobile, but T-Mobile is in poor shape to continue as is. Parent company Deutsche Telekom's decision not to invest in U.S. spectrum a decade ago constrained T-Mobile's ability to grow, especially through 4G networks now finally emerging. But from a customer point of view, it was the iPhone that has threatened the company the most. Or, more precisely, its lack of the iPhone."

7 of 325 comments (clear)

  1. Fanboi rant by kurt555gs · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Are you kidding? Unless you are paid by Apple or a Zombie, can do you really believe and iPhone is any better and a T-Mobile G2 or any high end Android handset?

    Really? Want some Apple flavored Kool Aid?

    --
    * Carthago Delenda Est *
    1. Re:Fanboi rant by ScrewMaster · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Are you kidding? Unless you are paid by Apple or a Zombie, can do you really believe and iPhone is any better and a T-Mobile G2 or any high end Android handset?

      Really? Want some Apple flavored Kool Aid?

      I agree. Why is it that Apple fans have to make everything about the iPhone? Considering that the handset market is owned by Android, not by Apple (half a million Android phones light up every day) the claim that T-Mobile is being hurt by the lack of that product is remarkable. Now, the tablet market is a different matter entirely, but we aren't talking about tablets here.

      More to the point, when you look at the total number of handsets sold, smartphones are a drop in the bucket. Supersmart phones such as the iPhone and high-end Android devices, even more so. Cellular outfits did just fine before the iPhone came along, and they'd do just fine without it. About the only thing the iPhone did for AT&T was allow them to sell voice/data plans at the subsidized price for unsubsidized phones!

      The fact that millions of iPhone owners fell for that ongoing scam still amazes me. Those people who bought a Nexus One from Google and went with T-Mobile found themselves getting a discount, because T-Mobile wasn't providing the phone. Just good business. Now, I suppose in that context the iPhone did hurt T-Mo, because AT&T was making extra money to not supply a device to the consumer. Really says a lot about AT&T's management than anything else. Says even more about your average iPhone user.

      I also agree with you about the T-Mobile G2 / HTC Desire Z ... I have one of those and you'll pry it from my cold dead fingers. It's rooted and running Cyanogenmod 7 (no choice in operating system is yet another reason why I detest Apple and AT&T.)

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    2. Re:Fanboi rant by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I prefer Android phones, and I am a T-Mobile customer, yet I think the original post is correct. People left T-Mobile so that they could get an iPhone, and - despite glowing reviews of T-Mobile's service - decided against becoming T-Mobile customers due to the lack of an iPhone.

      I think that the pull of the iPhone is weaker than it used to be: many people who I know would have been "iPhone or nothing" 2+ years ago are either buying Android phones now or, at least, see them as real alternatives. But the damage done to T-Mobile's numbers has already happened.

  2. Insane premise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The iPhone has 5% of the mobile market. T-Mobile is not failing because they don't have a slice of that 5%. That did not cripple them in any way. Lack of investment in coverage area hurt them, but not having the iPhone is insignificant next to that.

    It sucks they're declining, because they were the only company that you could ever pay off a subsidized phone - at the end of your 2 year contract, your rate went down unless you got a new phone. It should be illegal to keep charging you for the phone once it's paid off, but that's what all the other companies do.

    1. Re:Insane premise by Belial6 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What hurt them the most was the announcement that AT&T was going to acquire them.

  3. Re:insane government by Hazel+Bergeron · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who cares what the market needs? The market skews the value of individuals by personal wealth.

    I care about what people need.

  4. Re:Apple Fans by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But somehow Apple's move into the cellphone market turned Apple fans into foaming at the mouth batshit insane cultists.

    Apple fans turn up, they babble a lot. Android fans turn up, they babble about how sheeple'ish Apple fans are. Apple fans fight back, pointing out strengths in their choices. Android fans fight back, pointing out the strengths in their choices. Apple gets bad news, Android fans laugh. Android gets bad news, Apple fans laugh louder. Then it escalates from there.

    Let's just face facts, we like the side we're on and we like antagonizing the other side. There really is no real substance here outside of that.

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)