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Carrier Do you want AT&T, Verizon and Sprint to adopt T-Mobile uncarrier strategy?
- Thread starter EbookReader
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Ouch, yeah I think I'll stick with AT&T for a little bit longer. Data and data speed are more important than unlimited minutes. I was thinking of porting my numbers to GV and saving $30 a month with our unlimited text plan too.
That would make my AT&T bill about $88 a month....I just can't give anyone my real AT&T number.
Ah, but here is the bit difference. If you do that with ATT, not only do you need to pay full price for an iPhone, you're also paying the subsidy for your old phone that you just sold off
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Their HSPA+ is around 40Mbps
I dont care to be honest I have no problem with ATT and no reason to switch. Thanks though should help others
Not really, because they offer half-discounts after a year. So if you've had your iPhone for a year you can get the new one for $399 (with new agreement), not the full $649 retail price. Meaning if you sell the old one for $350 or $300 each year, and pay the half- subsidized price, your basically paying the same out of pocket to upgrade as on t mobile.
The downside is that you are perpetually locked into a two year agreement, never less than a year from being free. But if you're happy with your carrier, that doesn't really matter.
Nope, I don't need or want AT&T to adapt it. I already get upgrades every 6 months and get a hefty FAN discount on my bill anyways.
Cheaper doesn't always mean better. Just because T-Mobile adapted it, doesn't mean VZW/AT&T have to. T-Mobile is a follower, nothing more, nothing less. They cater to a different lower-end crowd. All they care about is saving money. That's it.
Cheaper doesn't always mean better. Just because T-Mobile adapted it, doesn't mean VZW/AT&T have to. T-Mobile is a follower, nothing more, nothing less. They cater to a different lower-end crowd. All they care about is saving money. That's it.
I think the concept is good. The devil would be in the economic details, i.e would it actually work out to be a better deal.
I do think that we have to realize that t mobile has positioned itself as a lower cost option (because their network is not as good, nationally speaking), and the big boys are not going to race to the bottom when they have a superior network to offer. As long as there's that gap in coverage, I think we can expect a gap in price, whether it's a contract or non-contract model.
Yes, separating the cost of the device from that of the service is obviously a more transparent way of doing business, and we know that the Big Two like to obscure things as much as possible.
Also, you would think Apple would support this as well because having the phone costs imbedded into the two-year contract actually discourages yearly phone upgrading. Yes, it can be done but one is never quite sure of how much they are getting reamed when they do, and then they have to go through the selling process which can be intimidating in itself.
Apple should encourage the TMob model and also offer some sort of trade-in upgrade path that is simple, easy and clear.
Also, you would think Apple would support this as well because having the phone costs imbedded into the two-year contract actually discourages yearly phone upgrading. Yes, it can be done but one is never quite sure of how much they are getting reamed when they do, and then they have to go through the selling process which can be intimidating in itself.
Apple should encourage the TMob model and also offer some sort of trade-in upgrade path that is simple, easy and clear.
Lower end crowd? Where did you get this from? I've had ATT, Tmo, and Sprint, and of course I like to save money. WHO doesn't? Though money factors in every decision I make, and should for every sensible person, Tmobile has the best service in the city I live. Verizon out in the rural areas, but I live in the city. So for $70, I can get better service and save about $50 on my monthly bill while getting an unlimited plan. Sorry man, but I've never heard anyone say "my iphone is better than your iphone because I have (att/verizon)"... Also not everyone wants to upgrade every year and tack on another year of commitment.
I'll take my college degree, great job, and my great cell phone service and you can call me low end all day long, but at the end of the day (and my contract) I will have paid less for the same device you have.
Actually he's wrong. It's HSPA+ and LTE. But T-Mobile currently only has LTE in about 10 or so markets.
I have been upgrading my phone yearly on AT&T, so that needs to be factored in. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been getting that. Granted the last time I had to call them to ask for the eligibility date to be moved up (it had happened on its own in prior year).
Michael
Michael
You sure about that? Not to all customers they don't. My cousin is in Sprint and had to pay $750 for his iPhone 5 even though he has been in contract with them for around 14 months already.
It would only be worth it for me if I didn't have to pay for the "unlimited 4G". If I could get decent internet speeds....stream xm radio and tunein radio on their network it would be ok.
Sure.
Separating the cost of my phone from the carriers would be great. But something tells me that there would be some fee (initial connection, or termination) that would discourage users from bouncing from carrier to carrier.
Separating the cost of my phone from the carriers would be great. But something tells me that there would be some fee (initial connection, or termination) that would discourage users from bouncing from carrier to carrier.
Pretty much less of what you can sell it yourself on CL or ebay.
They buy it cheaper and sell it for a profit for that convenience. Just like any other trade in company like gazelle, best buy trade in etc...
Yep, pretty much.
Hope most of the US carriers adopt something like that soon.
There you shop for a plan and your device works with all carriers you want. Another carrier comes out with a better deal you take your phone and your number to them and so on.
Don't think the US is ready for something like that though with all the different bands and techs available making things incompatible with each other and them refusing to activate devices not sold under them etc
Yeah, that's how it's always been with me on AT&T - full upgrade after 18 months (because they don't want you actually reaching the date on which you're free) or that "reduced discount" after a year. I think verizon is the same but not 100% sure on that.
How do you get full upgrades every 6 months?
Everyone else has to wait 20 or more months for each upgrade with AT&T.
And they don't do yearly full upgrades like they did before. They put an end to that a while ago.
I use 3 lines on a rotation for upgrades on my 5 line plan. If I planned it right I could get an upgrade every 6 months. Since the iPhone though is on a yearly release schedule I never taken advantage of that.
So you just sign up yourself in multiple contracts for multiple years.
Not something I'd be interested in.
I have 5 line plan because I have 5 people using it. 2 of them are distant family members whose upgrade I use because I am paying for their line. If they wanted to get smartphones, they would have to pay for it themselves.
I know a lot of parents who have 4-5 family plans where they use their children upgrades and give them hand me down phones.
So you're paying every month for distant family members wireless service?
Very nice of you.
I have 2 other people on my family plan but they kick in for their own portion and they take their upgrades whenever they're due.
I usually just call in and ask every 6 months or so and they have been letting me. Never said no.
I upgrade my phone every two yrs so for me it doesn't matter. But I know a lot of folks that don't so I want this for them.