iphone to steal T-mobile Customers?

[Nwahs]

Alright guys, I hate all the discussion on the iphone as much as you guys, it is getting pretty annoying, but I found this and I thought it was interesting. If anyone subscribes to the Wall Street Journal, maybe you could paraphrase the rest of the article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118187514397736383.html?mod=yahoo_hs&ru=yahoo


Is iPhone AT&T's Magic Bullet?


By Amol Sharma and Nick Wingfield
Word Count: 731 | Companies Featured in This Article: AT&T , Apple, Sprint Nextel, Deutsche Telekom, Verizon Communications, Vodafone Group, Telefon AB LM Ericsson, Sony
AT&T Inc. stands a good chance of stealing customers away from other wireless operators by carrying Apple Inc.'s highly-anticipated iPhone, two new consumer surveys show.
Two-thirds of mobile-phone users who are interested in purchasing the iPhone aren't AT&T customers but would be willing to switch carriers to obtain the device, according to a survey in May of about 11,000 cellphone users by M:Metrics Inc., which tracks wireless industry trends.
The carrier with the most to be concerned about is T-Mobile USA, according to the survey, with 12.5% of its customers expressing a high interest in the phone; followed by 8.1% ...

[chokaay]

Well, based on the blip that was posted, 2 thoughts come to mind:

1) The iPhone will probably appeal most heavily to loyal Apple fans, and people that have lots of money that can afford an iPhone and AT&T/Cingular's service. Whether or not this is a significant subset of T-mo's customer population remains to be seen. I'm sure there are at least SOME people at least that will leave T-mo for the iPhone though.

2) If there are "so many" people on T-mo that are willing to shell out $600 for an iPhone and 30% - 100% more for their monthly bill with AT&T/Cingular, then WHY are they with T-mo in the first place??? I would think that AT&T/Cingular's bigger/higher-end selection of branded phones, 3G service (in some areas), and increased native and/or roaming coverage (in some areas) would already appeal to the customers who don't mind spending more money on service (and branded phones)! It's not like AT&T/Cingular's monthly prices are coming DOWN next month or anything... :confused:

[greenblood]

I am the exception
I'd stay with T-Mobile, and simply forget the iPhone, and wait for HSDPA launch in 4Q
better mobile internet experience for same price is the greatest reward for loyal customers

[greenblood]

Alright guys, I hate all the discussion on the iphone as much as you guys, it is getting pretty annoying, but I found this and I thought it was interesting. If anyone subscribes to the Wall Street Journal, maybe you could paraphrase the rest of the article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118187514397736383.html?mod=yahoo_hs&ru=yahoo

iPhone is just a weak device (no 3G, cam does not have auto focus, no flash support on browser, unable to dl from itunes stores directly OTA, battery is not removable, touchscreen only dialing-a nightmare for me)
$600 for 8GB with 2 years?
no way
buy ipaq HX2495 + 16GB CF + cheap EDGE phone = 8GB iPhone, but I get double storage
any customers leaving T-Mobile for iPhone, T-Mobile should put them into blacklist for 5 years, that they can't come back, and regret how stupid they done

[Inuyasha]

any customers leaving T-Mobile for iPhone, T-Mobile should put them into blacklist for 5 years, that they can't come back, and regret how stupid they done

LOL! I know, I'm definitely NOT getting the iPhone. I already have a t629, which is a good phone, and a 30GB iPod. Why they hell would I want an iPhone when I have MUCH more storage already, and paid less for my phone and iPod than the lowest asking price of the iPhone?

[Nwahs]

haha I know we're all not getting the iphone...we all think it sucks, but there are still all those other users that may go over. I hope its not a big hit to T-mobile

[greenblood]

personally I don't think it's much
there's a purpose T-Mobile pushes out 1000 N/W for $39.99
I know a lot of ppls around signed 2 more years to get this rare plan
T-Mobile customers are generally smarter than other carriers, paying $600 to get badly-crippled device is stupid!!!
the price is good enough to get nokia N95, bb 8100 with GPS, or just announced SE K850 without contract!!!

[chokaay]

Well, isn't T-mo coming out with a competing iPhone-like device called the HTC Touch (http://www.htctouch.com/)? Even though it doesn't look as "slick" as the iPhone, its specs probably are much better (and it's cheaper too!).

[greenblood]

there's something you should consider about AWS and iPhone exclusive
I don't know how much at&t paid Apple for iPhone exclusive, and sell million of them, but it may be as much as T-Mobile acquire AWS license
but I think T-Mobile is wiser to get these license to provide better 3G service and coverage
about T-Mobile Touch, I'm just afraid to use touch screen to dial with bare finger (screen gets dirty easier)

[chokaay]

there's something you should consider about AWS and iPhone exclusive
I don't know how much at&t paid Apple for iPhone exclusive, and sell million of them, but it may be as much as T-Mobile acquire AWS license
but I think T-Mobile is wiser to get these license to provide better 3G service and coverage
about T-Mobile Touch, I'm just afraid to use touch screen to dial with bare finger (screen gets dirty easier)


I agree... but for people who WANT that iPhone-type device... it's an option (and T-mo WILL be getting it in the future).

[darkjedi]

All this prediction/discussion about the iphone is laughable. This is funny considering nobody has actually ever held the device that really matters. Little blips here and there on the radar do not equate to expert reviews.

It's going to be a mild hit to everyone, its a "new" device. Emphasize the new as its not an improvement on anything. There is a serious difference between a new device and a device that is an improvement on previous models and or competitors. The iphone is neither.

Lest we forget how well the razor did at its 500 dollar price point. I remember it well as I was there the day it came out, I remember selling the one I received two weeks prior to launch just shy of 800 dollars. Price will not be the deterrent everyone hopes it will be, in fact it may have the opposite effect on the industry. Customers may become willing to pay more if they feel they are getting more. This will only help out the rivals as well as it increases the price point exponentially and allows for greater marketing of devices that unquestionably rival the iphone.

[greenblood]

it's better to borrow me this iPhone, and I'll give the MOST EXACT feedback as a hardcore mobile internet player
the strange thing is: even Phonescoop does not have Apple on phone forums, and never shows the specifications, why Apple is so afraid to disclose the details?
and looky there, sonyericsson put out the specifications of 6 phones once they're announced yesterday

[WINGering]

i wouldnt leave tmobile for cingular anytime soon. i hate their CS hours, i dont want to spend 30/month for data plan when i pay 5.99 now. and i cant use AIM on the iphone.

[christyxcore]

lol i would never want to have the iPhone

I have a 30gb Creative Zen (superior to iPods anyway) and I love my RIZR. No need for a silly iPhone.

[Matt]

Apple knows marketing. That is the problem for the carriers more than the device itself. It surely must be the most hyped/anticipated mobile phone ever. Tech savvy people like ourselves don't buy into, but the Nano loving Appleholics will flock to the iPhone in droves.

I will stick with my Dash/D900 combo. Which still cost less.

[mth785]

For an iPhone I will leave T-mobile if I have to but not until the second gen of the iPhone. I have the Apple logo tattooed on my arm, how would it look for me not to own an iPhone.

[darkjedi]

For an iPhone I will leave T-mobile if I have to but not until the second gen of the iPhone. I have the Apple logo tattooed on my arm, how would it look for me not to own an iPhone.

Yes how would it look indeed. They might need to start internment camps for apple fanboys who don't purchase an iphone!

This whole thing is still laughable.

[Alex]

i wouldnt leave tmobile for cingular anytime soon. i hate their CS hours, i dont want to spend 30/month for data plan when i pay 5.99 now. and i cant use AIM on the iphone.

Actually, you can use aim on the iphone. iPhoneChat (http://www.publictivity.com/iphonechat/). The iPhone seems like it could be a great phone eventually but like the RAZR, I'm sure it will come with plenty of bugs in the first 6 months of its release. For me, I'll just purchase an unlocked one and use it with T-Mobile.

[Matt]

It is not activated via SIM. They will use IMEI. Not sure if TMo will activate one.

[greenblood]

It is not activated via SIM. They will use IMEI. Not sure if TMo will activate one.

what?????
this is too bad
change phone from iPhone to other is like back to TDMA/CDMA age
no way!!!
I change phone/data card about 10 times a day
without removable SIM, it can't be done

[anfrey]

this is pointless. iphone is not the end-all phone. there's better, IMHO, such as the openmoko opensource linux phone... www.openmoko.org ... talk about iphone killer

[christyxcore]

Yeah this is just the phone for the Apple fanboys/girls. It won't revolutionize anything.

[cesarrri12]

t mobile still got the mda and the wing

[milkbone98]

I think that the iPhone biggest deterrent is going to be its battery life, i mean, my iPod video is pretty useless after one movie, and that's w/o the added drain of a constant GPRS/EDGE connection or the huge display.

[darkjedi]

I think that the iPhone biggest deterrent is going to be its battery life, i mean, my iPod video is pretty useless after one movie, and that's w/o the added drain of a constant GPRS/EDGE connection or the huge display.

Well in case you missed it yesterday, they announced an 8 hour talk time rivaling that of most smart phones. However, as anyone power user knows, the manufacturer stated talk time and the real world talk time can vary greatly. While any Sony Ericsson user won't be that excited by 8 hour talk time this would put the iphone at the top of the battery life list, not a spot it won't share but its better than most. If its true.

[greenblood]

I can tell the continuous battery time when listening streaming audio on K790 over EDGE non-stop: 4 hours; 4 hours continuous tethering to laptop when the laptop plays streaming audio non-stop
I'm just wonder which streaming audio iPhone supports
sonyericsson phones supports 3gp and real
WM supports asf, shoutcast (with TCPMP)
iPhone: ???
non-removable battery is a major minus, I carry 3 batteries for the phone due to extremely heavy tethering usage, I bet nobody just leave iPhone idle, and don't use any function

[Ellen]

TMobile isn't going to lose that many customers over the iphone. The ones that do leave will return once they realize that leaving a good network like TMobile over something like the iphone wasn't worth it.

[darkjedi]

TMobile isn't going to lose that many customers over the iphone. The ones that do leave will return once they realize that leaving a good network like TMobile over something like the iphone wasn't worth it.

Every carrier is going to take a small hit. T-mobile will especially because our customer base is the young and hip who will find a device like the iphone appealing and makes them "someone." Is revenue going to decline? No. Is our coverage going to falter? No. Is this going to push back 3g services and future advancements? Not at all.

This is going to affect every carrier but not in a major way. If anything its going to push carriers to focus on pushing farther and faster into newer technology. The USA has always been behind because of our device to skip features for price. We are a country of the 50 dollar phone and the manufacturers don't want to focus efforts on selling high-end equipment to a country that won't buy phones in that price range to the same quantity that Europe and Asia will. We made our own bed. Now we're sleeping in it.

I will stand by my desire to see contracts done away with in this country and move to the European standard of paying full price.

[greenblood]

I would pay full price to get a phone works fully for me, but I'm sure it's not iPhone, it's far from my requirements

[darkjedi]

I would pay full price to get a phone works fully for me, but I'm sure it's not iPhone, it's far from my requirements

Its far from alot of requirements. Thats the whole notion of why the iphone is not going to be successful with the business user. Until integration if possible comes with microsoft exchange, eudora, goldmine, lotusnotes the services "professionals" use in large corporations its not going to hit on that market. I see everyday the requirements of users from four fortune 100 companies every day and I can tell you that A) most of them don't have the time or patience to learn something new and B) they care only about e-mail. We're talking about server based wireless syncing e-mail, not gmail/yahoo/comcast/sbcglobal etc...

Of course the phone is going to do well, everyone who thinks the phone won't be a hit is lying to themselves. Everyone who thinks that as the price drops so will the interest is crazy. Will it be earth shattering movements toward Cingular. Absolutely not. Cingular is solidified itself in the marketplace as the rest of the big four have. People know what the expectations are from Cingular and that will be more influential for most than that of a single device.

Not to mention a large push from the other big manufacturers who will come up with new phones to compete and improve on older already competitive phones. Will they be as pretty as the iphone? Probably not? Will they be more functional? Absolutely.