More Analyst Speculation on T-Mobile as Next U.S. iPhone Carrier

[JediZenMaster]

It would be great if the iPhone went to another carrier especially T-Mobile since they are lacking a real flagship device. But i keep thinking for some reason that as much as AT&T and Apple are like a married couple that argues all the time that the iPhone may never go to another carrier.

Because Apple loves to be the Dominatrix i guess you could say And i can't imagine another provider putting up with their demands. And doesn't apple have some type of say about the data plans as well? I remember an issue with Rogers in canada and how apple made them change one of the data plans.

 

[JodyK]

I have been saying for years this is going to happen and I can't be more excited!


-T-Mobile is GSM
-Apple is already doing business with T-Mobile in Europe
-AT&T recently increased early termination fees to $325 (don't wanting customers jumping ... To where?) *
-T-Mobile has ranked highest in many key customer service areas (similar to Apple and Apple Care support) and won many J.D. Power Awards
-T-mobile is currently upgrading their network NOW and by mid 2010 (NOW) to end of the year will have the nations FASTEST network!



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile_USA

As of 2007, T-Mobile USA has captured at least 11 J.D. Power Awards in the areas of customer care, call quality, and overall customer satisfaction. In particular, it has dominated the wireless industry in the area of customer care and customer satisfaction, winning all customer care and satisfaction awards for all six surveyed regions for five years in a row.

T-Mobile also said that it plans to be the first U.S. carrier to deploy HSPA+ across its network by mid 2010

T-Mobile is currently testing its 3.75G HSPA+ network in the Philadelphia market with plans to begin implementing HSPA+ throughout top 3G markets throughout 2010. T-Mobile's HSPA+ network will offer up to 21 Mbit/s speeds, making it the fastest 3G network in the United States.

 

[Thex1138]

Bring it on

In Australia the iPhone is spruiked by ALL carriers... and is not locked in to a contract... this has helped propel the hand set to a 400+ percent increase in market share and sell over 2 million hand sets...
The new Apple mantra appears to be propagating to other markets... no contracts, multiple carriers!

 

[iMacoo7]

They already do. I've been on Tmo with my iPhone for 3 years now.

Just unlock and go over. Or sit on your hands and wait for official.

I have been with Tmo for almost a year now with a 3GS and have unlimited everything and it works perfectly and much cheaper than ATT... Whats so funny is that Tmo has had a "iPhone" Tech help for 3 years gone now.....

 

[ThePowerOfTheMac]

This will probably never happen because T-Mobile was one of the founding members of the OHA (Open Handset Alliance).

 

[thirtyeyes]

What really happened

Apple CEO: I have this great new product...
Verizon CEO: This will never go anywhere. i-what. That's a stupid
name. Why did you bother me with this...thing.
Apple CEO: I think it will revolutionize the phone indus...
Verizon CEO: Revolutinize. Revoschoooshanize. We're done.
Apple CEO: Okay.

...

Apple SVP: What did they say?
Apple CEO: Urr...not interested.
Apple SVP: AT&T next?
Apple CEO: Yes. Put Verizon on the bottom of the list. The very bottom.

 

[Rogzilla]

Apple CEO: I have this great new product...
Verizon CEO: This will never go anywhere. i-what. That's a stupid
name. Why did you bother me with this...thing.
Apple CEO: I think it will revolutionize the phone indus...
Verizon CEO: Revolutinize. Revoschoooshanize. We're done.
Apple CEO: Okay.

...

Apple SVP: What did they say?
Apple CEO: Urr...not interested.
Apple SVP: AT&T next?
Apple CEO: Yes. Put Verizon on the bottom of the list. The very bottom.

Yes, because CEOs are 8 year old boys.

 

[kingtj]

True, except ....

officially supporting the iPhone requires a little custom work on the part of the carrier. People have been unlocking iPhones for years now and putting them on T-Mobile, but the Visual Voicemail feature is non-functional when you do that.

If T-Mobile isn't expressing any interest in changing things on their network just to support this one phone, that could be a sticking point right there?

The larger carriers like Verizon or Sprint have more resources available to do things like this.

It took a "research firm" to figure this out? I don't know why people were expecting Verizon to get it before T-mobile. All carriers will get it eventually but it makes only sense that the one also using the GSM network will get it first.

 

[CountSessine]

AWS-1 (a.k.a. UMTS Band IV) is a standard in the U.S. and Canada. I think Japan has also allocated AWS-1 (to eMobile). It is constructed out of two parts: 1710 to 1755 MHz and 2110 to 2155 MHz. Devices which support AWS-1 are commonly labeled "1700." Quite simply, that's the spectrum that was available to put up for auction. T-Mobile and Wind Mobile either could bid on that spectrum and use it for 3G service or not. Mobile device manufacturers can now produce AWS frequency products if they want to sell through these carriers or not. It's Apple's choice whether to play or pass.

Years ago, European nations did not adopt the same frequency allocations that the U.S. did for the world's first cellular service (824-849 MHz paired with 869-894 MHz). It's hardly unusual that different groups of countries have different allocations, primarily because of existing services that were already licensed but also occasionally for political reasons.

There are all kinds of variations in spectrum allocations between countries and regions. The U.S. has allocated spectrum in the 700+ MHz range for LTE services (which Verizon in particular plans to use). Europe and Asia use 2100+ MHz for 3G while the U.S. doesn't. Europe has allocated 900+ MHz and 1800+ MHz spectrum to GSM (and now some 3G) while the U.S. has allocated the AMPS (824-849/869-894) and 1900+ MHz ranges. AWS-1 is just another set of frequencies which Apple either will or won't support.

If Apple does support AWS-1, it would significantly improve the compatibility of their products in North America. It isn't a particularly difficult engineering issue. (Fairly trivial, actually.) Nokia has already done so with the N8 which supports GSM/EDGE on 850/900/1800/1900 and 3G on 850/900/1700/1900/2100.

This is easily the most factually complete and correct post in this thread. Kudos!

I would add that most of the UMTS/HSPA carriers in north america are doing UMTS on the Cellular (850) and the PCS bands. Also, I'm not an EE, but I've always wondered why radio modems don't come with support for all of these bands. Why did/do we even have dual/tri-band GSM phones or HSPA phones that don't do AWS - especially now in 2010? Is it antenna design? Is it the extra analog front ends needed? Is it just product market segmentation?

 

[bartolo5]

This is easily the most factually complete and correct post in this thread. Kudos!

Why did/do we even have dual/tri-band GSM phones or HSPA phones that don't do AWS - especially now in 2010? Is it antenna design? Is it the extra analog front ends needed? Is it just product market segmentation?

Yes, for every band supported in the phone there needs to be an analog amplifier between the antenna and the RF modem. There are also antenna issues. Antennas have to be designed to be tuned to the specific bands, so if you have a pentaband antenna things can get quite tricky. I am an EE although my antenna design skills are quite rusty, it would seem that 850/900 and 1800/1900 should be easy to implement given that a) grouped together they are closed enough bands, and b) they lie in two groups of frequencies that are multiple exactly by 2, giving you an antenna that has to be exactly half of the wavelength and making it easier to design an antenna with a form that resonates on both frequencies. If you throw 2100Mhz things get complicated and if if you add 1700 even more so.

Whatever it is, the frequency bands supported by the phone are not trivial to implement and they are a technical challenge. That's why many times you get different versions of the same phone for different markets with different supported bands. If it was easy to just one phone for all they would do it.

 

[Mactagious]

I met someone with an iPhone with T-mobile service

I work for a large telecom company and was installing home internet service for a customer that had an iPhone. When I asked if he wanted me to set up his wifi for him he said sure. When I looked at it the top right hand corner said T-mobile. I looked at the phone and said to myself T-Mobile? Then just carried on. So now looking at this article makes me think that they are actually testing it on their network. I don't know what to think of it actually.

 

[leshkanyc]

I speculate too

T-Mobile is next. That's all. Here is what i have to say on it - click to read my blog post: iPhone 4 pre-orders, Apple game and T-Mobile availability

 

[ThomasJL]

I really hope the iPhone comes to T-Mobile USA. I am using an unofficially unlocked and jailbroken 1st generation iPhone on T-Mobile right now. The service has been wonderful.

AT&T is horrendous. I was a former customer, and they would overcharge me every month. It took approximately 3 calls every month, lasting at least 45 minutes each, to solve the problem.

 

[JodyK]

I work for a large telecom company and was installing home internet service for a customer that had an iPhone. When I asked if he wanted me to set up his wifi for him he said sure. When I looked at it the top right hand corner said T-mobile. I looked at the phone and said to myself T-Mobile? Then just carried on. So now looking at this article makes me think that they are actually testing it on their network. I don't know what to think of it actually.

Carrier logos on the iPhone are in the top left corner. As a forum newbie I will tell you folks around here are sticklers for having your facts straight. You didn't see anything special ... Just an unlocked iPhone on T-mobile just like the one I have had since 2007!

 

[kolax]

I work for a large telecom company and was installing home internet service for a customer that had an iPhone. When I asked if he wanted me to set up his wifi for him he said sure. When I looked at it the top right hand corner said T-mobile. I looked at the phone and said to myself T-Mobile? Then just carried on. So now looking at this article makes me think that they are actually testing it on their network. I don't know what to think of it actually.

Carrier logos on the iPhone are in the top left corner. As a forum newbie I will tell you folks around here are sticklers for having your facts straight. You didn't see anything special ... Just an unlocked iPhone on T-mobile just like the one I have had since 2007!

It's called unlocking. He'll have an unlocked iPhone (by whatever means) and stuck a T-Mobile sim in it. Doubt he'll have any data plans for it, just a cheap contract (or PAYG) and use WiFi when needed.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I keep seeing reference today to Verizon having announced that they'll be carrying the iPhone in Jan. ...in USA TODAY, CA's National Post, etc...

But I'd rather it be T-Mobile.

 

[CFreymarc]

If T-mobile gets the iPhone maybe they will have better data plans than AT&T

All this "next iPhone carrier" stuff is up there with Elvis sightings now. Unless I see a verified quote from execs, it is just one more guy in a rhinestone jumpsuit in the frozen food aisle at WalMart.

 

[gkarris]

I've always had great service from T-Mobile.

I hear that customers with iPhones on T-Mobile who need help get transferred to the "Unsupported Handset Area" where they more than help out since there are so many iPhones on T-Mobile and they are a provider in Europe...

 

[alphaod]

The 2100 MHz frequency is not compatible with the T-Mobile USA network. When will people ever learn?

I have been saying for years this is going to happen and I can't be more excited!


-T-Mobile is GSM
-Apple is already doing business with T-Mobile in Europe
-AT&T recently increased early termination fees to $325 (don't wanting customers jumping ... To where?) *
-T-Mobile has ranked highest in many key customer service areas (similar to Apple and Apple Care support) and won many J.D. Power Awards
-T-mobile is currently upgrading their network NOW and by mid 2010 (NOW) to end of the year will have the nations FASTEST network!

Verizon also hiked their ETF and you can't even use your Verizon phone with Sprint!

 

[Eric S.]

Wu has a relatively poor track record

Now that's something I think we can all agree with.

 

[brendanspah764]

I would LOVE this. I have been with T-Mobile for over five years, and they are a great company. Unfortunately I cannot get out of my new contract until Nov. 2011, so having the iPhone on T-Mobile would be awesome, hoping that they can prepare with all the data that will come with it.