T-Mobile Talks Up Apple

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

ABC News reports (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ZDM/story?id=2537247) on a T-Mobile press conference on Friday which discussed their future plans.

T-Mobile has spent $4.2 billion for new wireless spectrum licenses covering the U.S. The new spectrum will require new phones that T-Mobile has been working on with Motorola, Nokia, and Siemens for a mid-2007 launch.

For some reason, T-Mobile's Chief Executive Robert Dotson reportedly discussed "at some length about how Apple's and T-Mobile's visions seem to be aligned."

While Dotson declined to comment about any partnership between the companies, he spoke highly of Apple's upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard).

[Willis]

hmm interesting. seems a bit funny how he speaks highly of Apple, compares both their visions, yet declines anything going on. Although, I guess its a way to win people over. Complement someone else in the hope they like you for it.

[w_parietti22]

everyone is comparing their visions with apple these days... it makes them look cool.

[EricNau]

Sounds like the iPhone might actually be real! :eek: :D

...But the motive behind those kind words is still uncertain. Does Robert Dotson know about the iPhone, trying to convince Apple to make it a T-mobile exclusive, or have they already signed the contract, and these kind words towards Apple were more of a "thanks?"

[Tha_Sylent1]

Interesting indeed, I would love for the two companies to be in bed together... Interesting things for consumers might result. I see T-Mobile as a fresh alternative to Cingular... Plus, T-Mobile could use better designed phones, who better to hook them up with some Innovative ideas?;)

[bmcgrath]

i want an iPhone and i want an iPhone NOW!! ;)

[Brandon Sharitt]

It makes sense. A lot of rumors have hinted that the iPhone will debut with Cingular, but a lot of the good phones end up showing up with T-mobile a short time after launching on Cingular.

[it5five]

I hope the rumored iPhone comes to T-Mobile, since that's who I currently have my plan with.

[Felldownthewell]

A t-mobile exclusive iPhone makes me feel like a dark cloud has covered my heart and is raining on it.

Ok, so maybe it is not that serious, but really, please, iPhone, don't be carrier exclusive!

[EricNau]

If Apple wanted to make their phone available worldwide, signing with T-mobile would be the better choice. Compared to Cingular, Deutsche Telekom (the parent company to T-mobile USA) has a much larger market worldwide, covering Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Hungary, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovena, and Slovakia.

...Although Apple could sign a contract with just T-mobile USA; anything is possible.

[thejadedmonkey]

Why is Arn up at 3am?:confused:

[dextertangocci]

Just Release The Iphone Already!!!!!

I Am Starting To Go Mad!!!! I need An Iphone!!!!!!

[Lixivial]

While Dotson declined to comment about any partnership between the companies, he spoke highly of Apple's upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard).

So even T-Mobile's CEO pirated the Leopard preview? Gosh.

[AppleIntelRock]

!!!!!!!! the apple store is down!
it must be the iphone :D

http://www.store.apple.com/

[Mac-Addict]

!!!!!!!! the apple store is down!
it must be the iphone :D

http://www.store.apple.com/

Ahhh really?! Oh wait.. Its not a tuesday.. whats with apple and the only put new things out on tuesday or maybe they only put ipods and computers out on tuesdays.. IPHONE!!!!

[AppleIntelRock]

Ahhh really?! Oh wait.. Its not a tuesday.. whats with apple and the only put new things out on tuesday or maybe they only put ipods and computers out on tuesdays.. IPHONE!!!!
ummm.... i'm pretty sure EVERYONE knows that apple always puts out iphones on sunday nights :D

[mautal]

If Apple wanted to make their phone available worldwide, signing with T-mobile would be the better choice. Compared to Cingular, Deutsche Telekom (the parent company to T-mobile USA) has a much larger market worldwide, covering Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Hungary, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovena, and Slovakia.

...Although Apple could sign a contract with just T-mobile USA; anything is possible.

i dont think it matters whether it's t-mobile or cingular... so long as its NOT VERIZON (or sprint/nextel!)... with the sim card phones some one will make it work... and sim phones are generally more popular than cdma phones (is that what they are still called these days? :confused: )... when i was in china, you could go buy a sim card off the street like a calling card and stick it into my phone

[Mac-Addict]

ummm.... i'm pretty sure EVERYONE knows that apple always puts out iphones on sunday nights :D
Oh sorry how silly of me :P But YAY IPHONEEE!!!!!! :D I am going to be so let down if its a new colour of sock..

[gekko513]

It's most likely just maintenance. If they need to take the store down for maintenance, it usually happens on Sunday nights.

[c-Row]

I would really like to see a cooperation between T-Mobile and Apple, since T-Mobile is one of the biggest net providers in Germany.

[AlBDamned]

everyone is comparing their visions with apple these days... it makes them look cool.

One of the best posts ever :)

[bousozoku]

I saw news about their 3G network but no mention of Apple. I'm surprised that they're talking it up. If I would speculate about the two, I would say that Apple has added T-Mobile-compatible 3G hardware to their laptop computers the way others have added Sprint-compatible 3G hardware to theirs.

WiMax is coming, right?

[Westside guy]

Speaking as a T-Mobile customer, I would LOVE to have Apple working with them on the iPhone. :D

It would make sense in a way. T-Mobile doesn't cripple their phones, unlike most of the other carriers here in the US (That's largely why I left Verizon for T-Mobile a year or so ago). An uncrippled phone would mean an iPhone that actually works the way Apple envisions.

[darwen]

Awesome. This seems to make sense. Apple should be with T-mobile, that is where their target is. I am on sprint but I think the primary users of this phone will be on t-mobile. Cingular is to low end and verizon is off in their own world. I don't mean to offend anyone but I think most would agree that t-mobile already has the best entertainment/computer like phones (ie - sidekick).

[Max on Macs]

Hopefully the iPhone comes to T-Mobile in the UK. I just renewed my contract in August, but NEXT August ('07) I will be needing a new phone and I will be using T-Mobile, iPhone or no iPhone.

[aegisdesign]

I still can't believe you lot in the USA have gone for yet another incompatible-with-the-rest-of-the-world frequency for your 3G network meaning that anyone coming to the USA won't be able to use your 3G network and your 3G iPhones will be about as useful as a one legged dog outside the USA.

It's interesting that the T-Mobile guy thinks that the prime use for 3G in the USA will be email and other user generated content and not music though. Personally the last thing I want is content rich email on my mobile phone.

[QuarterSwede]

I still can't believe you lot in the USA have gone for yet another incompatible-with-the-rest-of-the-world frequency for your 3G network meaning that anyone coming to the USA won't be able to use your 3G network and your 3G iPhones will be about as useful as a one legged dog outside the USA.

It's interesting that the T-Mobile guy thinks that the prime use for 3G in the USA will be email and other user generated content and not music though. Personally the last thing I want is content rich email on my mobile phone.
Its most likely because most people here still just use their cellphone as a phone and nothing more. My phone is internet capable but I sure am not paying their ridiculous prices just to check the weather or my email when I'm away from a broadband connection. And why would I pay to download ringtones when I can make my own higher quality ones? I mean, that's just stupid.

But I agree, US companies are just so "US only" in their thinking. It really just limits them.

[steve_hill4]

A t-mobile exclusive iPhone makes me feel like a dark cloud has covered my heart and is raining on it.

Ok, so maybe it is not that serious, but really, please, iPhone, don't be carrier exclusive!
From earlier reports/rumours, it looks like Apple would be signing on with a single carrier for launch and then switching to anyone who wants it a period of 3-6 months after.

[bousozoku]

I still can't believe you lot in the USA have gone for yet another incompatible-with-the-rest-of-the-world frequency for your 3G network meaning that anyone coming to the USA won't be able to use your 3G network and your 3G iPhones will be about as useful as a one legged dog outside the USA.

It's interesting that the T-Mobile guy thinks that the prime use for 3G in the USA will be email and other user generated content and not music though. Personally the last thing I want is content rich email on my mobile phone.

Considering that T-Mobile is part of Deutsche Telekomm I'm not sure why they're doing it that way. Sprint, on the other hand, is using CDMA, so it's broadly incompatible anyway.

While I've looked at the mobile video on my phone, without the ear buds, it's unpleasant and even with them, it's rather not so useful unless you're riding in the back seat of a car bored to death.

[zenntench_oni]

if T-Mobile has the iphone. . i would dam sell my sidekick 3 at that moment.

i just hope the iphone has a miniSD slot. so i just hold on to my 1GB miniSD stick haha. .

but for now. . ill wait and loving "myFaves" on my 2nd phone BlackBerry Pearl

[twoodcc]

well this sounds good and all, but as long as cingular has the iphone as well, i'm covered

[apachie2k]

how does that work, you just use your sidekick 3 for texting and another phone for calls?

[zenntench_oni]

how does that work, you just use your sidekick 3 for texting and another phone for calls?

lol one for day one for night. . BlackBerry Pearl for day, sidekick 3 for night.
heck i just carry both haha. (dont mind me im crazy with cellphones.)

[Chupa Chupa]

Keep in mind that T-Mobile also operates Wi-Fi hotspots and probably will get into get into the wireless internet biz soon. Talking with Apple doesn't necessarily mean they are talking phones. It could be some other marketing or technical arrangement about some other product or Leopard feature.

There has also been a long standing rumor that the Blackberry Pearl (sold by TMobile) will be iTunes enabled soon.

Also don't expect Apple to allow an iPhone to be crippled. In fact, I expect Apple to sell the iPhone itself and use excess bandwidth from the various cell phone companies. Something along the lines of Virgin Mobile. Probably pay-as-you-go as well, just like iTunes.

[Much Ado]

Probably pay-as-you-go as well, just like iTunes.

What, $0.99 a call everytime? ;)

[MarcelV]

What, $0.99 a call everytime? ;)
Only if you pre-order the call or in the week you had scheduled to do the call. After that, it will go up to $14.99...... :D

[Jackie.Cane]

So does this mean Catherine Zeta-Spartacus-Douglas-Jones will be doing ads for the iPhone?

:p

[color guy]

Hi,
Ok, i know this site is by it's nature about gadgets, but for me it's all about the carrier.
I've had 8 different carriers in the last 10 years. Many of them have merged/
changed names/gone out of business.
When i see people complaining about their carrier, it's always about coverage
dropouts. Folks, ALL carriers will have SOME dropouts, especially if you live
in a challenging physical terrain.
What i found more aggravating is how obtuse and unresponsive these companies are. This is an area of modern commerce that is barely regulated.
Politicians have been lobbied to allow a wild west mentality for an industry
that has insinuated itself into most of our lives in just a short time.
I've had carriers routinely sneak in extra charges. Representatives have no
compunction about lying. I don't know about you, but i don't have time to
audit my bill every month with a magnifying glass.
Each carrier was worse than the last. The most annoying thing? Being
put on hold for 40 minutes, than disconnected. This is intentional. They don't want to be accessible.
Finally the last time i switched i did a search to see which companies had the least complaints. Although the billing practices overall in the industry
are atrocious, i've had the best experience overall with my current carrier.
This trumps any pleasure i would get from having a phone that integrates
well with my macs.

[Arcus]

We use TMobile for thier CSD . I hope Apple's first choice is someone else. Their coverage is spotty IMHE

[cherrypop]

If Apple produces an Unlocked iPhone what any of the major carriers does won't matter.

Look at the success of Sony Ericsson's unlocked phones. They're selling millions in the US alone, and the reason is that to use one all that the customer need worry about is how to slip in a SIM card and pay the bill. The rest is up to the carriers to worry about: And that's the way it should be. Customers shouldn't have to get wrapped up in the details and restrictions.



T-Mobile has spent $4.2 billion for new wireless spectrum licenses covering the U.S. .

[coryp420]

Finally the last time i switched i did a search to see which companies had the least complaints. Although the billing practices overall in the industry
are atrocious, i've had the best experience overall with my current carrier.
This trumps any pleasure i would get from having a phone that integrates
well with my macs.

Sorry, I gotta ask though...

Who's your current carrier?

[color guy]

"Who's your carrier"?


http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/cellphone-complaints-705/index.htm


Mirrors my experience.

[Warbrain]

everyone is comparing their visions with apple these days... it makes them look cool.

Exactly. Apple is the cool kid on the streets now.

Awesome. This seems to make sense. Apple should be with T-mobile, that is where their target is. I am on sprint but I think the primary users of this phone will be on t-mobile. Cingular is to low end and verizon is off in their own world. I don't mean to offend anyone but I think most would agree that t-mobile already has the best entertainment/computer like phones (ie - sidekick).

Well, the Sidekick is a truly ****** phone, but would T-Mobile want a phone that could compete with that? No. So it won't happen.

[Warbrain]

So does this mean Catherine Zeta-Spartacus-Douglas-Jones will be doing ads for the iPhone?

:p

Nope. She's been dropped from T-Mobile advertisement. T-Mobile is trying to re-brand themselves right now.

[mjstew33]

Nope. She's been dropped from T-Mobile advertisement. T-Mobile is trying to re-brand themselves right now.
Really? I didn't know that.

Good, I didn't like her. :o :)

[Thataboy]

T-Mobile is the low-end carrier. Who on this green Earth uses them? They serve no purpose.

Cingular if you want GSM/SIM cards
Verizon if you want the widest American network
Sprint if you want cheapest/fastest unlimited data

T-Mobile if you.. um.. if you're 11 years old and think Sidekicks are cool?

The only way this will go well is if Apple does an MVNO. They need control of "the whole widget."

[Chundles]

I still can't believe you lot in the USA have gone for yet another incompatible-with-the-rest-of-the-world frequency for your 3G network meaning that anyone coming to the USA won't be able to use your 3G network and your 3G iPhones will be about as useful as a one legged dog outside the USA.

It's interesting that the T-Mobile guy thinks that the prime use for 3G in the USA will be email and other user generated content and not music though. Personally the last thing I want is content rich email on my mobile phone.

I can't believe 3G is new for the Americans.

Land of the free indeed....:p

[SPUY767]

T-Mobile has perhaps the worst cell system that I've ever seen. A friend of mine has a T-Mobile phone, I can rarely hear him for all the static in the line, he doesn't get to customize his voice mail greeting, the company itself is an economic shambles. This is the last group that Apple needs to ally itself with.

[tkidBOSTON]

TMobile has awful coverage in the US. This is def bad news. :(

[Cooknn]

I'm a new T-Mobile customer - over from Nextel/Sprint. I find the coverage is very good. I'm not waiting for an iPhone though. Loving my new Blackberry Pearl (http://www.blackberrypearl.com) :p You know how with Apple products you marvel at the thought that went into every little detail? That's how it is with this device.

[dscottbuch]

I can't believe 3G is new for the Americans.

Land of the free indeed....:p

Yep, free to use a phone as a phone. I travel a lot to Europe and therefore do have T-mobile for GSM compatibility but overall the main difference I find is cultural - in the US many many more people use the phone as a phone only, which is my preference as well. I want a very small phone and therefore there is no way I would use the screen and/or keypad for anything but a phone. 3G has no real appeal for me and the cost of phone service in Europe I now find attrociously expensive, even if I get local sims. It is so expensive to call between countries. I assume this is to support 3G/WAP/etc. for which I have no use.

[ThunderLounge]

"Who's your carrier"?


http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/cellphone-complaints-705/index.htm


Mirrors my experience.


Nice link. Thanks. ;)

At my last job, we had a contract with Cingular. After seeing how they treated a client that spent almost $200k a year with them, I'd never use them. It was horrid. I can't imagine how they would treat someone who spent $1200 or less.

I've had Nextel since 2000, and I loved it. Note the keyword there? Loved.

I had Sprint before that, and finally got so fed up with not only their service, but their customer service as well. Made the switch, and was very pleased until a year ago. When they announced the merger, I almost threw up. Since they actually merged, it's been the same crap that I dealt with when I had Sprint. Screwed up billing, ungodly terrible support and customer service, you name it.

It's sad, but when I call them I can tell right off the bat if the person I'm speaking with was a Nextel employee or an original sprint employee. Yeah, it's that bad.

Prior to the merge, 495 of the Fortune 500 companies had Nextel. I wonder how many of them still do?


The only thing keeping me on it right now is free incoming calls. Since U.S Cellular has recently added this feature, I'm very tempted to switch. The only thing stopping me so far is I'm waiting to average up my mobile to mobile minutes. If they are doable without doubling my current bill, I'm all over it.

What does really interest me is if Apple would indeed end up providing access to mobile broadband in their line-up. That would be very, very nice to have since all the cards out there are for PC's with some flavor windows.

As for the whole iTunes integration, I'm with you on this. Carrier first, then the goodies.

[bousozoku]

Keep in mind that T-Mobile also operates Wi-Fi hotspots and probably will get into get into the wireless internet biz soon. Talking with Apple doesn't necessarily mean they are talking phones. It could be some other marketing or technical arrangement about some other product or Leopard feature.
...

Considering my experience with T-Mobile hotspots, they should leave the business as quickly as possible.

[ct-scan]

TMobile has awful coverage in the US. This is def bad news. :(

I've had TMobile for 3 years now, and I find their coverage much better than Cingular (my previous provider)!

Either way, I hope they have some sort of multi-provider approach for release, with their own private service for content. I want Apple to have 100% control over the phone, and not provider xyz.

Also, don't expect to see/hear about the iPhone from Apple until at least MWSF. And it will NOT be a silent release, so any "store down" means nothing for this product. Apple is going to flood the market with advertisements for the iPhone...they'll have to. I really think they're going to treat it much like they do iPods.

[narco]

Awesome, I just switched from Sprint to T-Mobile. Granted, i had to pay $200 for the Blackberry Pearl, but mid-2007 is still quite a ways away. I guess it all depends on how cool this "iPhone" really is.

Fishes,
narco.

[lmalave]

I'm a new T-Mobile customer - over from Nextel/Sprint. I find the coverage is very good. I'm not waiting for an iPhone though. Loving my new Blackberry Pearl (http://www.blackberrypearl.com) :p You know how with Apple products you marvel at the thought that went into every little detail? That's how it is with this device.

What is so great about the Pearl? I seriously considered getting one when I first heard about it, but then the reviews said that the media player software sucks. Has this been your experience? I have a Sony Ericsson phone which is great except for the exact same problem: the media player software sucks. But the Pearl software sounds even worse. Is it true that there are *no* shortcut keys for the media player? That the volume keys won't even work with the media player? I mean, I don't ask for much: volume up/down, prev/next track, play/pause. Is there any 3rd party media player software that can provide these features, at least? I dunno, from what I hear it seems the Pearl is basically an even smaller BlackBerry 7100 with expectedly great communication features, but with unexpectedly poor multimedia features. What's your take?

[alexpros]

Heres the thing the new wireless spectrum actually is WiMax, to those who don't know what WiMax is, pretty much some people say its WIFI on steroids. Also the fact that if Tmobile is talking to apple it may have to do not only with Iphones but laptops. Wimax works in a way that you can have broadband connections up to 75mbps. So if Tmobile is talking to Apple they are probably going to design a chip or something so that people who buy apple then sign on to Tmobile and will have access to the internet with extremely high speeds anywhere in the US. :) What Tmobile is doing has more to do with Laptops than it would with Phones. Think of it on WiMax you can have IPTV and VOIP running and still surf the net. Not only that Intel and Motorola invested over 1 billion into Clearwire, INTEL IS designing new chips for WIMAX. I dont think this has to do with the Iphones.

[Cooknn]

Is it true that there are *no* shortcut keys for the media player? That the volume keys won't even work with the media player? I mean, I don't ask for much: volume up/down, prev/next track, play/pause.I haven't even used the media player (http://www.blackberry.com/knowledgecenterpublic/livelink.exe/fetch/2000/8021/7925/1269203/What_Is_-_Supported_media_files_on_the_BlackBerry_Pearl.html?nodeid=1270524) on my new Pearl except to watch the demo. The volume keys on the side of the phone do indeed control the volume in that application, but as far as shortcut keys, etc. I'm not sure. I just love the fact that it does e-mail and internet so well. The interface is very easy to move around in with center scroll button and predictive text is amazing. I can pop out full length e-mails in no time. It's also got a nice 1.3Mpx camera with flash...

[ThunderLounge]

Heres the thing the new wireless spectrum actually is WiMax, to those who don't know what WiMax is, pretty much some people say its WIFI on steroids. Also the fact that if Tmobile is talking to apple it may have to do not only with Iphones but laptops. Wimax works in a way that you can have broadband connections up to 75mbps. So if Tmobile is talking to Apple they are probably going to design a chip or something so that people who buy apple then sign on to Tmobile and will have access to the internet with extremely high speeds anywhere in the US. :) What Tmobile is doing has more to do with Laptops than it would with Phones. Think of it on WiMax you can have IPTV and VOIP running and still surf the net. Not only that Intel and Motorola invested over 1 billion into Clearwire, INTEL IS designing new chips for WIMAX. I dont think this has to do with the Iphones.

If this is the direction T-Mobile is heading in... I'm there. Although I doubt it would be something seen anytime soon. Not that I would buy a T-Mobile phone, but I'd get their net access if it was Mac compatible. Heck, if any cell provider offered Mac compatible broadband, I'd be on it. Even if that menat having to buy a new machine, just for the compatibility. What better excuse for a new Mac? :)

[Chundles]

Heres the thing the new wireless spectrum actually is WiMax, to those who don't know what WiMax is, pretty much some people say its WIFI on steroids. Also the fact that if Tmobile is talking to apple it may have to do not only with Iphones but laptops. Wimax works in a way that you can have broadband connections up to 75mbps. So if Tmobile is talking to Apple they are probably going to design a chip or something so that people who buy apple then sign on to Tmobile and will have access to the internet with extremely high speeds anywhere in the US. :) What Tmobile is doing has more to do with Laptops than it would with Phones. Think of it on WiMax you can have IPTV and VOIP running and still surf the net. Not only that Intel and Motorola invested over 1 billion into Clearwire, INTEL IS designing new chips for WIMAX. I dont think this has to do with the Iphones.

Yep, years ago when our 3G network was going in down here they had a big "firesale" on the remaining skerricks of bandwidth. Some upstart internet companies bought it and are making a killing in wireless broadband internet access. It's easier to set up and you can access it all over the city and it's pretty quick too. The companies have limited the download speeds to around 1.5mbps so they can get more people on but that's not too bad when you consider you can be anywhere in the city and have internet access.

[mdriftmeyer]

T-Mobile doesn't even have OS X in-house, let alone have the personnel to manage it.

Their servers are a mix of Red Hat and Solaris.

Their clients are Windows only.

They run Peoplesoft and vendor shrinkwrap for all business processes.

They've never built an enterprise team to develop solutions.

They don't know a damn thing about Cocoa Programming.

I'll stop here.

Either they plan to pay Apple to build their call center suite like McCaw Systems--later ATT Wireless asked NeXT, Omnigroup and various other consulting teams to write it or they are blowing smoke about OS X Leopard.

The talented system engineers who know Linux have all but moved on from T-Mobile to greener pastures like Intel.

Perhaps if T-Mobile knew a damn thing about the Enterprise I'd take some of this serious.

I'd be happy if Apple came in and did it all. At least we know it wouldn't be such a cluster-*******.

[ct-scan]

T-Mobile doesn't even have OS X in-house, let alone have the personnel to manage it.

Their servers are a mix of Red Hat and Solaris.

Their clients are Windows only.

They run Peoplesoft and vendor shrinkwrap for all business processes.

They've never built an enterprise team to develop solutions.

They don't know a damn thing about Cocoa Programming.

I'll stop here.

Either they plan to pay Apple to build their call center suite like McCaw Systems--later ATT Wireless asked NeXT, Omnigroup and various other consulting teams to write it or they are blowing smoke about OS X Leopard.

The talented system engineers who know Linux have all but moved on from T-Mobile to greener pastures like Intel.

Perhaps if T-Mobile knew a damn thing about the Enterprise I'd take some of this serious.

I'd be happy if Apple came in and did it all. At least we know it wouldn't be such a cluster-*******.

It really doesn't matter...TMobile would be providing a service. A service based on standard protocols, it doesn't matter what OS is running on the device, they're not going to support the devices; that's the job of the manufacturer.

And most companies don't run OS X, it's sad I know ;) , but it's true.

[nick.hill]

I'll be honest in saying if apple brought out a PDA/Phone/Camera thing out I'd walk over glass to get it.

If they do it right they will sell millions, Nokia especially have kind of lost their way with the new N series phones, very buggy :(

With microsoft already having a phone available and the Zune, which may have phone functionality its a must.

At least in Europe most of my friends carry an iPod and phone around with them at all times. The new Sony Eric phone I have now is actually good as a walkman and I;ve thought about stopping carrying the iPod.

So Mr Jobs if u ever read this, pull your finger out and make one! preferably GSM/UMTS :)

[Telekom]

I still can't believe you lot in the USA have gone for yet another incompatible-with-the-rest-of-the-world frequency for your 3G network meaning that anyone coming to the USA won't be able to use your 3G network and your 3G iPhones will be about as useful as a one legged dog outside the USA.

It's interesting that the T-Mobile guy thinks that the prime use for 3G in the USA will be email and other user generated content and not music though. Personally the last thing I want is content rich email on my mobile phone.

Well, our "lot" didn't have much choice in the matter. North Americans didn't choose a different frequency spectrum for their mobile communications out of "spite" or just to be different. We couldn't use 900 or 1800 Mhz because it was already in use by services that could not be moved. Likewise for the frequencies used for 3G there was no choice there either. Why it is that people automatically assume that people in North American do things just for spite is beyond me.

[MacCoaster]

I've got T-Mobile, have had them since I got my old Sidekick II. I now have the Sidekick 3. I love the Sidekick but I was disappointed with the Bluetooth support in Sidekick 3. Doesn't let you sync with Address Book. Nor do they allow you to "hop on" to the EDGE network via Bluetooth to your BT-enabled Mac.

I'm hoping they do a firmware update to change this along with iSync support for Sidekick and PPP over BT. That'd be awesome.

T-Mobile is the only real provider that makes sense for deaf people, since they have plans that do unlimited text and data for only $30 a month, without voice plan.

[Telekom]

T-Mobile is the low-end carrier. Who on this green Earth uses them? They serve no purpose.

Cingular if you want GSM/SIM cards
Verizon if you want the widest American network
Sprint if you want cheapest/fastest unlimited data

T-Mobile if you.. um.. if you're 11 years old and think Sidekicks are cool?

The only way this will go well is if Apple does an MVNO. They need control of "the whole widget."

Why can't people get the concept of "get what works for you" and just ignore people posturing that this or that is better for them when nobody is in the same exact place as everybody else.

Your last comment however, is spot on. A matter of fact from what I've read Apple wants to hold a certain amount of control over the whole matter of providing the service.

[BRLawyer]

I can't believe 3G is new for the Americans.

Land of the free indeed....:p

Indeed...the US mobile industry is probably the crappiest in the whole world...but this is no surprise...they also assert the following:

- "american football" is the real football;

- America means one country;

- "U.S. champion" means "World champion".

So no surprises here...move along, citizens...

[jessica.]

hmm interesting. seems a bit funny how he speaks highly of Apple, compares both their visions, yet declines anything going on. Although, I guess its a way to win people over. Complement someone else in the hope they like you for it.
Or get the attention of one Mr. Steve Jobs and hope someone calls them and starts the relationship that T-Mobile seems to want.
Good for T-Mobile, that is a great idea on their part.

[mavrick422]

i just checked, and it looks like if you go to iphone.org, the url no longer is redirected to "apple.com", but the url stays as "iphone.org" and loads apple's homepage. the hyperlinks throughout the page are also "iphone.org/ipodnano",etc. does this mean apple's moving to make iphone.org a real website?????

[Westside guy]

Man I love watching phone nerds have pissing contests. :D Do you guys really think all the posturing actually matters to anyone? Are you wearing them on your belt loop or something?

In our area we have a choice of four carriers - Verizon, Cingular, Sprint, and T-Mobile. When it was time to switch, it was because of dissatisfaction with Verizon so that dropped them out of consideration. We use a family plan, and when I discovered Cingular's advertised base rate includes only one phone (how can that be considered a "family plan"?) unlike every other carrier, that eliminated them. Sprint doesn't seem to do the lower-end plans, and we just don't talk on our phones that much. So, that left T-Mobile.

I've got to say that, at least in my area, calls from a T-Mobile phone seem significantly clearer than they did on Verizon. The coverage area is sub-optimal, though, if you need phone coverage in less populated areas (like where my in-laws live) - but I've had absolutely no issues in the normal day to day routine.

[pink-pony115]

The CEO of TMobile is a big suck up.

Well....Lets see how this little meeting goes.

[ddrueckhammer]

I worked for a couple of years in the cell phone industry for a company that acts as an intermediary between cell phone companies for various products. As part of my job, I had to deal with various escalations departments for all of the carriers and found that T-mobile actually had pretty good customer service. Maybe not the best but certainly not the worst.

Personally, I use T-mobile now and get a few more dropped calls than if I were using Verizon but they are also cheaper and have much nicer phones because they support GSM. I think that they are a solid choice if you live in top 100 markets but if not they just don't have the coverage. I really hope that they can expand their market to become competitive with Cingular and Verizon. Competition is always a good thing and I think that they would probably make a good partner for Apple.

[dizastor]

"american football" is the real football;

The follow-up to that statement is usually "soccer is for wimps"

:)

[mkrishnan]

Personally, I use T-mobile now and get a few more dropped calls than if I were using Verizon but they are also cheaper and have much nicer phones because they support GSM.

Similar for me... I spent about four years with Sprint and now about three with T-Mo. I've been happier with the latter, although I was close to switching to Verizon or Cingular. And we've done that thread a thousand times...

But, so this business of using a new frequency is interesting. It seems quite a gamble, especially since it's just T-Mobile and apparently even just T-Mo North America. One replier above stated that these new phones will be based on WiMax. This seems suspect, because WiMax, as far as I know, only goes down to 2 GHz, and one of the frequencies T-Mo is spending so much money on is 1.7.... I wonder what the deep meaning of leaving the GSM frequency is going to be.....

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

i just checked, and it looks like if you go to iphone.org, the url no longer is redirected to "apple.com", but the url stays as "iphone.org" and loads apple's homepage. the hyperlinks throughout the page are also "iphone.org/ipodnano",etc. does this mean apple's moving to make iphone.org a real website?????

This is interesting - can anyone confirm that the website didn't do this before?

[Lanbrown]

But, so this business of using a new frequency is interesting. It seems quite a gamble, especially since it's just T-Mobile and apparently even just T-Mo North America. One replier above stated that these new phones will be based on WiMax. This seems suspect, because WiMax, as far as I know, only goes down to 2 GHz, and one of the frequencies T-Mo is spending so much money on is 1.7.... I wonder what the deep meaning of leaving the GSM frequency is going to be.....


There is no such thing as a "GSM frequency." GSM is a technology, how that technology is implemented is a different story. You can currently find GSm on four bands; 850, 900, 1800 and 1900MHz. Adding it to the a fifth is not hard. The hard part will be finding a coompany to make a chipset and a phone manufacturer to use it. What T-Mo bought was for use for 3G/4G data plans. They still run into the issue of phone manufacturers and implementing a chipset just for them.

[mkrishnan]

Adding it to the a fifth is not hard.

Certainly not, but it doesn't sound like this is their plan at all. Not to mention, what is the point of implementing GSM on new frequencies?

[Superdrive]

This is interesting - can anyone confirm that the website didn't do this before?

You really think that they would use a .org domain for a phone? If Apple follows through with a phone, I would be extremely surprised to see any domains used besides Apple.com or iTunes.com

[mavrick422]

This is interesting - can anyone confirm that the website didn't do this before?

i can confirm that...i'm 100% positive that iphone.org got re-routed to apple.com before now

[lmalave]

Similar for me... I spent about four years with Sprint and now about three with T-Mo. I've been happier with the latter, although I was close to switching to Verizon or Cingular. And we've done that thread a thousand times...


Ditto here. I was a longtime Verizon Wireless customer (3 or 4 years), was with AT&T Wireless briefly, and now I've been going on 5 years with T-Mobile. Of those, I've been most satisfied with T-Mobile. In NYC, Verizon does have better coverage, but their customer service is atrocious, and the phone selection will always be worse since they're CDMA.

...but I would be happy with either T-Mobile or Cingular for the iPhone. I'm happy to stay with T-Mobile, but wouldn't mind switching to Cingular's rollover minutes. Plus it sounds like Cingular is well ahead of T-Mobile in terms of rolling out 3G/4G level broadband.

[mi5moav]

iphone.org may never be used but the word Iphone and apple will be near the top of googles list. just like when apple used mammals.org to launch X/Darwin... they know what they are doing, well for the most part at least.

[Superdrive]

Well, hopefully they release the MacMate alongside the iPhone too.
http://guides.macrumors.com/Apple_Domain_Names

[EricNau]

This is interesting - can anyone confirm that the website didn't do this before?
I'm not sure about before, but I can tell you that it isn't just iphone.org acting this way.

For example, go to http://carbon.com and click on the iTunes tab; it will bring you to http://carbon.com/itunes/.


I don't think it means anything.

[SPUY767]

I'm a new T-Mobile customer - over from Nextel/Sprint. I find the coverage is very good. I'm not waiting for an iPhone though. Loving my new Blackberry Pearl (http://www.blackberrypearl.com) :p You know how with Apple products you marvel at the thought that went into every little detail? That's how it is with this device.

That's cause you're coming from nextel, which truly is worse that T-Mobile.

[OdduWon]

zunaphone vs the TelePod soon, oh yes very soon. muhahaha muhahahahaha!

[MudLake]

No matter what message board about mobile phones that you might stumble across, it's always the same story: Europe has a better system. I'm *still* waiting for someone to elaborate on what the N. American providers aren't providing.

I have 3G service for my laptop. I'm sorry I signed up even though I'm not the one paying for it. Wi-fi service has become so ubiquitous that 3G is hardly needed if all you're using it for is web browsing and e-mail. Is there anything else it's useful for that people actually want?

By the way, it's Deutche Telekom that's last to the 3G party in N. America.

[splintah]

maybe tmobile wants to switch their whole system over to osx ;)

[zap2]

This is interesting - can anyone confirm that the website didn't do this before?


for me it still loads Apple front web page, but it does stay iphone.org

[mi5moav]

Why European mobile service is better.

Almost everyone gets free incoming minutes.
Almost everywhere you go you get a signal
Usually get latest greatest phones(though not from MOT)
Text messaging is way cheaper
Alrady have HSDPA in many capital cities
Less expensive services and taxes
Pre-paid service is the way to go

I get my cable, DSL, mobile and landline on one bill from T-MOBILE

[xPismo]

zunaphone vs the TelePod soon, oh yes very soon. muhahaha muhahahahaha!

Oh gawd. Apple: make cool _computer_ stuff.

Integrated Electronic Manufactures: Make cool phones / DVD players / etc.

Can we stop with the cross pollination? Its polluting the pool. :mad:

[bretm]

Hi,
Ok, i know this site is by it's nature about gadgets, but for me it's all about the carrier.
I've had 8 different carriers in the last 10 years. Many of them have merged/
changed names/gone out of business.
When i see people complaining about their carrier, it's always about coverage
dropouts. Folks, ALL carriers will have SOME dropouts, especially if you live
in a challenging physical terrain.
What i found more aggravating is how obtuse and unresponsive these companies are. This is an area of modern commerce that is barely regulated.
Politicians have been lobbied to allow a wild west mentality for an industry
that has insinuated itself into most of our lives in just a short time.
I've had carriers routinely sneak in extra charges. Representatives have no
compunction about lying. I don't know about you, but i don't have time to
audit my bill every month with a magnifying glass.
Each carrier was worse than the last. The most annoying thing? Being
put on hold for 40 minutes, than disconnected. This is intentional. They don't want to be accessible.
Finally the last time i switched i did a search to see which companies had the least complaints. Although the billing practices overall in the industry
are atrocious, i've had the best experience overall with my current carrier.
This trumps any pleasure i would get from having a phone that integrates
well with my macs.

The only thing worse than crappy cell phone companies would be someone that thinks the government could make it better. What motivation does the govt have to make cell phone compainies better? Votes. That's it. Votes. The only motivation that government has. So they'll promise you that they'll make it better. You'll vote for them. They'll spend money regulating whatever you think needs regulating. They'll create a branch that costs some upzillion dollars. Cell phone companies will be forced to comply with some ridiculous something or other. They'll up your bill by placing a charge on it called the "rsoo tax" to pay for it. The cell phone companies will all still treat you badly. Vote with your feet. Keep switching carriers. Don't blow your cash on idiotic features for idiotic prices. The companies will comply and compete for your business.

[bretm]

for me it still loads Apple front web page, but it does stay iphone.org

Not sure if it did it before, but that is a fairly normal thing. There would be no reason to change it before hand if something was in the near future. These things can be changed on the fly. Probably meaningless.

[Xapplimatic]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

ABC News reports (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ZDM/story?id=2537247)For some reason, T-Mobile's Chief Executive Robert Dotson reportedly discussed "at some length about how Apple's and T-Mobile's visions seem to be aligned."


This is a total no-brainer. T-Mobile doesn't have it's own network, it rents its airtime from Cingular... Apple and Cingular are already in bed. It's a trickle-down effect... T-Mobile wants their own iPhone. Not surprising, really. (and yeah, release the Cracken! (err.. iPhone!)...

[peharri]

This is a total no-brainer. T-Mobile doesn't have it's own network, it rents its airtime from Cingular... Apple and Cingular are already in bed. It's a trickle-down effect... T-Mobile wants their own iPhone. Not surprising, really. (and yeah, release the Cracken! (err.. iPhone!)...

T-Mobile is an independent network. It and Cingular have rented infrastructure to one another at various times in the past to mutually help with each other's coverage, but T-Mobile is a real mobile phone operator. (It's what used to be Voicestream.)

I'm not entirely sure why people keep propogating this myth. It makes no sense on the face of it.

[NewSc2]

T-Mobile is an independent network. It and Cingular have rented infrastructure to one another at various times in the past to mutually help with each other's coverage, but T-Mobile is a real mobile phone operator. (It's what used to be Voicestream.)

I'm not entirely sure why people keep propogating this myth. It makes no sense on the face of it.

T-Mobile in my area rents its airtime on Cingular's network. This is coming from 2 friends, one who works for T-Mobile and one works Cingular

[alexpros]

First of All, I really doubt Tmobile is heading with MAC on the Iphone thing with these bands. The frequencies they are buying have to do with WIMAX. Wimax uses the frequencies 1.5/2.3 and 2.5/5ghz. The say it also has speeds up to 75mbps, range of 30 miles one radio. the purpose of these bands isnt for a phone no way in hell, WiMAX allows you to have VOIP and IPTV, Unless you want to watch tv out of your cellphone. Whats the point in that.

[yg17]

Plus it sounds like Cingular is well ahead of T-Mobile in terms of rolling out 3G/4G level broadband.

But Cingular is in the dark ages when it comes to everything else. Signal is horrible, customer service is horrible, everything about them is horrible. They are the worst company we've ever had to deal with. The "fewest dropped calls" is a crock of ***** and frankly, I'd rather have 2 tin cans and a string than have the Cingular service (if you can call it that) that I have right now. The call quality with the cans may not be as good as landline, but at least I could make a call.

I sure do hope Apple goes with TMo, because we're going with them once our Suckgular contract is up in December, and I'd love to eventually get an iPhone.



And the TMo and Cingular networks are not one in the same. Cingular attempts to operate on 800MHz (and fails miserably at it) and TMo is 1900MHz (or maybe its the other way around). And again, if they were the same network, then why would my sister's TMo phone get full signal strength in spots where mine and my parents Cingular phones get nothing? The only thing the 2 share in common, is that being the 2 main GSM providers in the US, they have roaming agreements with each other. Now if I could only force my phone to roam onto TMo's network, then it might actually work.

[Spidermanjohn]

http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/id/3558779

A taste of things to come?

[pdxflint]

I've had T-Mob for three years now, and several benefits are: 1 year contracts, free phone upgrades after a year, GSM technology, unlocked phones on request after a year, overseas roaming, very competitive plans, including family plans, good major market coverage, all-local-all-the-time calls (no roaming, no long distance,) $.05/minute calls to Mexico and Canada - that's cheap, folks! And, voice transmission quality with my Moto V190/V360 series phones has been crystal clear with 1 bar or more signal strength. On the customer service side... other than the stupid initial computer generated person you have to get past, once you're dealing with a real person I find the service to be 1st class, and I've had a few discussions at length with extremely knowledgeable and informally pleasant cust. serv. agents.

Of course, in rural areas, the service is definately more spotty, and at times non-available... but I just wait a few minutes and I'm usually back in range. Somebody said the voice mail at T-Mob wasn't customizable, whatever that means..?? but certainly you can change and record your own message just like with any other service, and I see no difference there.

On the towers, well, T-Mob builds their own towers, and has some kind of mutual agreement with Cingular (formerly AT&T GSM) to use their towers for roaming, and vice versa. Fairly invisible to end users. In fact, I submitted our property on the Oregon coast to t-mobilelandlords.com for consideration as a new tower location. Bottom line: other than the lesser coverage areas compared to Verizon, there's not a thing wrong with my servicel, or the phones they provide. And with my two older phones, when I'm going out to do something physically risky, I just slip my SIM card out of my new phone, and put it in my older Nokia in case it falls in the river. All my phone numbers are duplicated on my new phone's internal memory as well as the SIM, so it's nice having a spare/backup couple of phones in the drawer. Try that with CDMA.

By the way, if you see more 11 yr olds w/ T-Mob phones, it's probably because their parents saw it as a cheaper family plan alternative to the competition. I doubt the kids made the decisions. Can you hear me now?

Now, come on Apple. I'm waiting!

[Elrond39]

Every iPhone thread leaves me amazed at how complacent Americans are in accepting terrible mobile telephony. When's the last time (in Europe) that you had a "dropped call"? I had to look up the term because it meant nothing to me. If the iPhone is going to work properly, then someone needs to give assurances that your calls will actually go through. Forget about downloading songs on the go for a moment, and consider the intended purpose of a phone. If I want to make a call, it means that I need to get through and actually end up talking to someone; not that I want to try to call someone. Don't get me wrong, I'd love an iPhone. I'm just glad I live in a country where your calls go through, and stay going until you terminate it. And what's with this paying for incoming minutes thing? The payment should be the responsibility of the person doing the calling. At least, that's how it seems to work over here.

[Shagrat]

The follow-up to that statement is usually "soccer is for wimps"

:)
Then try Rugby instead! Like American football without stopping the game every 10 seconds, and without all the body armour!:D

[Shagrat]

And what's with this paying for incoming minutes thing? The payment should be the responsibility of the person doing the calling. At least, that's how it seems to work over here.

Seems to work like that in Europe, i guess. If I call someone in France for instance, then they have to pay at least some of the incoming call.

In the UK the caller pays for the call which seems the sensible way of doing things.

I do get dropped calls, here, though, but's that's 'cause I use a cheap-ass Pay as you go card with Virgin, who piggy-back on to other networks, it sems. But not often, it has to be said.

[firsttube]

Speaking as a T-Mobile customer, I would LOVE to have Apple working with them on the iPhone. :D

It would make sense in a way. T-Mobile doesn't cripple their phones, unlike most of the other carriers here in the US (That's largely why I left Verizon for T-Mobile a year or so ago). An uncrippled phone would mean an iPhone that actually works the way Apple envisions.

I have a samsung t-809 with t-mobile as my provider. video-out, and the ability to customizable the four way keys (to something other then what they do out of the box) are disabled on the phone, along with a few other features (like the ability to ring and vibrate simultaneously... how silly!). So maybe they don't cripple them to the extent of other carriers, but they certainly still cripple them.

[pdxflint]

I have a samsung t-809 with t-mobile as my provider. video-out, and the ability to customizable the four way keys (to something other then what they do out of the box) are disabled on the phone, along with a few other features (like the ability to ring and vibrate simultaneously... how silly!). So maybe they don't cripple them to the extent of other carriers, but they certainly still cripple them.
Well, you got unlucky... my Moto v180 and v360 are both un-crippled, and I can customize my soft keys at top level, and the four-way button. I'd check into that with CS.

[color guy]

The only thing worse than crappy cell phone companies would be someone that thinks the government could make it better. What motivation does the govt. have to make cell phone companies better? Votes. That's it. Votes. The only motivation that government has. So they'll promise you that they'll make it better. You'll vote for them. They'll spend money regulating whatever you think needs regulating. They'll create a branch that costs some upzillion dollars. Cell phone companies will be forced to comply with some ridiculous something or other. They'll up your bill by placing a charge on it called the "rsoo tax" to pay for it. The cell phone companies will all still treat you badly. Vote with your feet. Keep switching carriers. Don't blow your cash on idiotic features for idiotic prices. The companies will comply and compete for your business.



The cell companies lobbied HARD to not allow you to keep your number when you switch. The state legislature here (Calif) buckled 3 times.
You can thank "the government" for allowing you to keep your number when you switch. You can also thank "the government" for demanding that the companies improve their 911 protocols. People were sometimes
waiting 20 minutes to get connected. Also, blame "the government"
for requiring that the companies allow you a grace period to return your phone. They actually had to create a bill called "the cell phone bill of rights"
These actions did not create a huge costly layer of bureaucracy. Why do people think that corporations should be allowed to abuse people unhindered? After-all the market was/is not providing that many real choices. It's a cartel.
Bye the way, "the government" (in theory) is you.

[bousozoku]

The cell companies lobbied HARD to not allow you to keep your number when you switch. The state legislature here (Calif) buckled 3 times.
You can thank "the government" for allowing you to keep your number when you switch. You can also thank "the government" for demanding that the companies improve their 911 protocols. People were sometimes
waiting 20 minutes to get connected. Also, blame "the government"
for requiring that the companies allow you a grace period to return your phone. They actually had to create a bill called "the cell phone bill of rights"
These actions did not create a huge costly layer of bureaucracy. Why do people think that corporations should be allowed to abuse people unhindered? After-all the market was/is not providing that many real choices. It's a cartel.
Bye the way, "the government" (in theory) is you.

We are lucky that sometimes government works for us. The state government here bowed to the mobile phone companies when municipalities wanted to enact laws banning using a phone while driving. They banned anyone but the state being able to create any laws concerning mobile phones.

Of course, I wouldn't want the government to have their own company--that would be haphazard and bizarre, though I don't think anyone would buy service from them, suspecting wire(less) tapping on all of their phones.

[peharri]

T-Mobile in my area rents its airtime on Cingular's network. This is coming from 2 friends, one who works for T-Mobile and one works Cingular

While this is true in your area, it doesn't contradict what I said.

T-Mobile, contrary to what the person I was replying to said, does have its own network. In most areas where it operates, it is not using Cingular's network. In some areas, it uses Cingular's, and in others Cingular uses its, but in most areas, they're both independent of one another.

T-Mobile is the aggregate of most of the independent GSM operators that were coming online in the late nineties. Most of them were bought by Voicestream, T-Mobile took over Voicestream and then bought Powertel.

[peharri]

Every iPhone thread leaves me amazed at how complacent Americans are in accepting terrible mobile telephony. When's the last time (in Europe) that you had a "dropped call"? I had to look up the term because it meant nothing to me. If the iPhone is going to work properly, then someone needs to give assurances that your calls will actually go through. Forget about downloading songs on the go for a moment, and consider the intended purpose of a phone. If I want to make a call, it means that I need to get through and actually end up talking to someone; not that I want to try to call someone. Don't get me wrong, I'd love an iPhone. I'm just glad I live in a country where your calls go through, and stay going until you terminate it. And what's with this paying for incoming minutes thing? The payment should be the responsibility of the person doing the calling. At least, that's how it seems to work over here.

Well, maybe things have improved since I left, but I certainly had the occasional dropped call when I lived in Britain. Its the nature of the technology.

While advocates of CDMA argue that in theory it should be more robust against dropped calls than other types of network, my worst experience was on Sprint PCS, which uses IS-95, the US CDMA standard. But I've not had any serious problems with either AT&T WS (now Cingular) or T-Mobile, certainly no more than I had with one2one or Orange.

As far as the last part goes, there are two ways to view the "who pays for the call" argument, and neither is the "wrong" one:

1. The person who decided to make the call should pay for it.
2. The person who determined the network they're going to be available on should pay for their part of the call, because their choice determined how expensive it would be.

(2) works very well if you're trying to replace your landline with a cellphone, as you're not forcing everyone, your friends, your family, etc, to pay premium rates to call you. Typical talk plans in the US include so many bundled minutes and unmetered calling periods and types that incoming calls are not a source of fear, and "my cellphone as my only phone" is a real practical proposition, which it just plain isn't in Britain.

However, (1) makes low user tariffs such as PAYG much more practical, and also means you're not in the awkward position of having to claim back minutes used by your boss, etc.

One is not superior to the other. I'd prefer the tariff I'm on to one where incoming minutes are charged at excessive rates to callers (up to 40p - 70c per minute for mobile to mobile calls in Britain, last time I looked) given my needs and circumstances, but if my phone was an emergency phone that I didn't plan to make many calls on and preferred to use pre-paid, I'd probably prefer paid-for incoming calls.

[needthephone]

It seems like only the US will be getting this phone if it happens.

The US Mobile phone network is antiquated compared to the rest of the world (well most of it) who are embracing the second generation of 3G (http://www.nextg.com.au/, http://www.three.com.au) ). At best this apple phone is rumoiured to be GSM... It may have the music player capabilities to die for but if I can't use it to make free video calls with my wife I am not interested. I hope I am wrong and they are looking at the rest of the world too.
http://www.t-mobile.com/ seems pretty ho hum in this day and age.

[peharri]

One interesting bit of information about T-Mobile most people are unaware of.

As TFA mentions, this press conference centered around T-Mobile's 3G plans, after they won a large amount of spectrum in the recent FCC auctions.

What's interesting is the amount of spectrum they won. They essentially won spectrum in every single US market in the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska. This makes them the first network in the US that really could, if it wanted to, cover the entire USA with their own network.

For reasons that escape me, the FCC has always subdivided the country into small areas, some as small as a county, when auctioning licenses. I think this is because the FCC is pretty convinced that cellphones are actually just a form of long range cordless phone and nobody expects them to work more than a few miles from home or something.

This time the FCC auctioned much larger areas, called REAs, overlapping a lot of much smaller areas that were also licensed, called BEAs and CMAs. T-Mobile won one of each of the REAs, the largest areas, with the exception of Alaska. They were also won a BEA which is one of the few that is large enough to cover an entire state - namely, Alaska.

I'm not saying T-Mobile will roll out a truly "works everywhere" network. The frequencies chosen for 3G are high (1750MHz downlink and 2150MHz uplink), so the whole "goes through walls" problem that T-Mobile currently suffers from (their current network is 1900MHz) isn't going to get any better. And clearly, there's little economic incentive to put a tower in the middle of a desert, whether you have a license for it or not. But certainly they have the capability now of doing so, and providing coverage everywhere, which is pretty cool.

[sfwalter]

Maybe T-Mobile is just trying to get on Apple's good side. They wouldn't be the first :D

[pennsive]

Did you miss this from the article???

"The 3G network will be complemented by UMA, which lets phone calls transition between cellular and Wi-Fi to enhance indoor coverage. But we'll only see "market trials" of UMA this year, according to Dotson"

Last time I heard 'Market Trial' was ITMS on a Mac.......

[babyj]

The US mobile market appears to be totally different to the UK and other countries, in the UK; a phone will work on any network (though some have to be unlocked first), full coverage across the country (except for some remote areas) and most other countries via roaming, short contacts (12 months, with cheaper 18 month contracts recently launched), a wide choice of free phones, texting is massively popular.

You never pay for incoming calls, unless you are abroad and even then it is under 20p a minute in most countries - making outgoing calls in other countries is pretty cheap as well. Competition is growing with prices dropping, plus the EU is forcing price reductions for certain calls.

Single provider bundles of mobile phone, landline phone, cable / satellite tv and broadband is the big thing at the moment and is only going to get more popular.

Whilst the US is their home market it might be easier to launch a phone in another country. They could launch their own mobile service in the UK pretty easily, as there is already a number of mobile providers which don't own their own network and just rent off others. There wouldn't be any need for them to go with a single network either, you don't get much in the way of exclusives in the UK other than colour variations.

Some people seem to think that we don't use mobiles just as mobiles in the UK. Other than texting (which is popular) other services have never taken off - the percentage of people browsing the internet via their mobile is pretty low for example.

[yg17]

I don't mind being charged for incoming calls for 2 reasons:

1. I've got a shitton of minutes available so I don't actually pay anything out of pocket.

2. I call other people's cell phones quite often. I don't have to pay so it saves me money :D


Even assuming I didn't have minutes and had to actually pay out of pocket for incoming calls, I call other cells enough that it would pretty much even out anyways.

[bousozoku]

While this is true in your area, it doesn't contradict what I said.

T-Mobile, contrary to what the person I was replying to said, does have its own network. In most areas where it operates, it is not using Cingular's network. In some areas, it uses Cingular's, and in others Cingular uses its, but in most areas, they're both independent of one another.

T-Mobile is the aggregate of most of the independent GSM operators that were coming online in the late nineties. Most of them were bought by Voicestream, T-Mobile took over Voicestream and then bought Powertel.

True. I had an Aerial phone from 1999-2000 and toward the end, the company was bought by Voicestream, which must have gotten all 15 of Aerial's towers in the U.S.A. ;) Verizon got the little purple alien's phone company.

[Lord Bodak]

I still can't believe you lot in the USA have gone for yet another incompatible-with-the-rest-of-the-world frequency for your 3G network meaning that anyone coming to the USA won't be able to use your 3G network and your 3G iPhones will be about as useful as a one legged dog outside the USA.

I'm amazed at the news too. One of the things T-Mobile had going for it is they were one of only two large providers (with Cingular) in the US that used an international standard. It's sad to see them switch away from it.

[jsw]

Interesting "let's calm down" comments from Gizmodo (http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/tmobile-and-apple-deal-in-the-works-we-think-not-206284.php) - with which I happen to agree.

[peharri]

I'm amazed at the news too. One of the things T-Mobile had going for it is they were one of only two large providers (with Cingular) in the US that used an international standard. It's sad to see them switch away from it.

T-Mobile is adding a UMTS network to their existing GSM network. Like Cingular, they run GSM on 1900MHz (Cingular also uses 850) because the 1800/900 frequencies available outside the US are not available in the US.

T-Mobile's UMTS network will be running on 2.1/1.7GHz. Again, the 2.1/1.9GHz frequencies used by UMTS in other countries are not available in the US.

There is no change in their support for international standards. Other than operating frequencies - something they have no control over - they're implementing the exact same standards that, say, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, and O2 are implementing in the UK. GSM on some frequencies. 3GSM (UMTS) on others.

[mi5moav]

How do we know that Apple did not help TMO acquire some of that extra bandwidth?

[Telekom]

Why European mobile service is better.

Almost everyone gets free incoming minutes.

Yeah, and you also let the person calling you pay a tarriff up to four times the rate of a fixed line call. Calling a mobile number can cost five times as much as making an international call 20.000 kilometres away. Ever wonder why Europeans don't use their mobiles to make voice calls? :)

[Telekom]

This is a total no-brainer. T-Mobile doesn't have it's own network, it rents its airtime from Cingular...

Excuse me... what planet did you say you lived on? T-Mobile has always had their own network. At one time they shared infrastructure with cingular in California and Nevada and T-Mobile shared their metro NYC market with cingular.

[Telekom]

T-Mobile in my area rents its airtime on Cingular's network. This is coming from 2 friends, one who works for T-Mobile and one works Cingular

You really do need to get out more :) It's called roaming coverage. If they don't cover an area they roam on another carrier if there is a roaming agreement. T-Mobile (and cingular for that matter) do not operate in Canada and if you want to use your service in Canada you roam on the ROGERS network. T-Mobile doesn't have service in parts of Maine and VermontThey roam on Unicel. In Wisconsin T-Mobile roams in certain places on Einstein PCS. It's no big deal. All carriers roam on other carriers' networks. Alltell roams on Verizon. Sprint roams on Verizon in some places.

[peharri]

But this (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8fb970f6-556d-11db-acba-0000779e2340.html) is the speech, and it contains ONE mention of Apple. I mean, the way the news reports were worded, you'd think that he was saying rather more than mentioning it in passing.

All he says is that Leopard has a pretty good email client (he's talking about the richness of email in the future, and is obviously impressed with what Steve Jobs has thus-far demonstrated.)

He also mentions Geico Insurance, FedEx, and Marriot hotels. And YouTube, and MySpace. And Verizon.

This is a non-story.

For those too lazy to click the link, here's what he has to say:


Third, the high bandwidth potential of 3G will be utilized to take consumer-based PC functionality mobile. The “Web ‘N Walk” services we see in Europe today is a precursor of the even larger opportunity in the U.S. market given broadband penetration and usage which has exploded over the past 24 months. A further example of untapped opportunity is mobile consumer e-mail. Today, only 5% of current consumer e-mail is being accessed in a mobile environment. And as can be seen with Apple’s new Leopard operating system – the richness of e-mail communications is just beginning to discover elements beyond the printed word – moving to dynamic and personally tailored image-rich communications.


That's it. That's the only mention of Apple. That single sentence in one paragraph.

WHY is this on Page 1?