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T-Mobile Giving All Phones Away 'Free' This Weekend
As Company Aims For Sprint's Third Place Spot
Hoping to counter the launch of the Verizon iPhone, T-Mobile has announced via press release that the company will be offering all of their phones for free this upcoming weekend, assuming you sign up for the usual two-year long-term contract. That includes many of T-Mobile's more popular smartphones, including the HTC HD7, the G2, the Samsung Vibrant and the myTouch 4G, though you may have to sign up for specific plans and mail in rebate cards for some devices. The move comes as T-Mobile has been making it very clear they hope to take over Sprint's third-place spot sometime in the next few years. Part of that strategy involves an expected deal to acquire spectrum from Clearwire to fuel an LTE expansion (after HSPA+ runs out of legroom), as well as a new ad campaign that takes potshots and AT&T and Verizon.
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Its about time that T-Mobile stops plays the nice guy

T-Mobile has always been the 'nice' company IMHO that hasn't been into mud slinging like VZW/AT&T/Sprint. I've actually admired them for it.
Investors need their ROI, and they'll have to get dirty or end up becoming a MetroPCS.

Gbcue
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA

Gbcue

Premium Member

Re: Its about time that T-Mobile stops plays the nice guy

I guess you haven't seen any of the iPhone-mocking commercials with Carly?

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Its about time that T-Mobile stops plays the nice guy

Commercials ? I try to avoid the tube whenever possible.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList to en102

Premium Member

to en102
t-mobile is privately owned last I checked. No public investors.

mix
join:2002-03-19
Romeo, MI

mix

Member

Re: Its about time that T-Mobile stops plays the nice guy

T-Mobile is owned by Deutsche Telekom, the largest phone company in Europe. I guess you should check again...

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru

MVM

Re: Its about time that T-Mobile stops plays the nice guy

said by mix:

T-Mobile is owned by Deutsche Telekom, the largest phone company in Europe. I guess you should check again...

...which means that ArrayList See Profile was right. It's a private company...one that is majority owned by a publicly traded company.

mix
join:2002-03-19
Romeo, MI

mix

Member

Re: Its about time that T-Mobile stops plays the nice guy

Right... share holders don't control T-Mobile. They just control the company that controls the company... right...

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList to mix

Premium Member

to mix
thats private enough for me. no American shareholders.

beachintech
There's sand in my tool bag
Premium Member
join:2008-01-06

beachintech to en102

Premium Member

to en102
Too late for that. They used to be that way, but they are into mud slinging just as much as everyone else now

timcuth
Braves Fan
Premium Member
join:2000-09-18
Pelham, AL
Technicolor ET2251

timcuth

Premium Member

T-Mobile

I would like to try T-Mobile. I have had Cingular, then Sprint, now AT&T. None of those were either spectacularly bad nor good. Also, I had a Saab car that was also a Verizon cell phone - the phone part was horrible, with nearly infinite dropped calls.

So, would T-Mobile be any better?

That skinny girl in their TV commercials is strangely attractive.

Tim

Gbcue
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA

Gbcue

Premium Member

Re: T-Mobile

said by timcuth:

I would like to try T-Mobile. I have had Cingular, then Sprint, now AT&T. None of those were either spectacularly bad nor good. Also, I had a Saab car that was also a Verizon cell phone - the phone part was horrible, with nearly infinite dropped calls.

So, would T-Mobile be any better?

That skinny girl in their TV commercials is strangely attractive.

Tim

Check the coverage map.
thatissick
join:2010-08-17
Atlanta, GA

thatissick

Member

Re: T-Mobile

It's been good where I am at, so far. Good 3G (or rather, 4G), never had a dropped call. But the sucky part is their not as extensive when it comes to coverage, compared to verizon. But for the price I am paying, I can't complain.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: T-Mobile

thats because their focused on the customer and upgrading and not really expanding or buying anyone else. TMO didnt' really expand; their TMO only because they bought a shit load of smaller regional companies; Voice Stream, OmniPoint, etc.

crazyk4952
Premium Member
join:2002-02-04
united state
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite
Ubiquiti UniFi AP-LR
Polycom VVX300

crazyk4952 to timcuth

Premium Member

to timcuth
said by timcuth:

I would like to try T-Mobile. I have had Cingular, then Sprint, now AT&T. None of those were either spectacularly bad nor good. Also, I had a Saab car that was also a Verizon cell phone - the phone part was horrible, with nearly infinite dropped calls.

So, would T-Mobile be any better?

It completely depends on your area. In my area, with T-Mobile I get a good signal in most places (also they seem to have better sound quality than Verizon).

I have lived in an area where they had really poor coverage as well.

djdanska
Rudie32
Premium Member
join:2001-04-21
San Diego, CA

djdanska to timcuth

Premium Member

to timcuth
Their coverage maps for the most part are very accurate.
There are two of them.
»compass.t-mobile.com (Click No)
You seem to be at the edge of their 4g coverage with a lot more 3g around you.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

1 recommendation

cdru to timcuth

MVM

to timcuth
said by timcuth:

So, would T-Mobile be any better

Do you travel often outside of medium sized and larger cities? Off of major highways? If the answer is no, then T-mobile probably won't be a problem. If the answer is yes, then you'll probably have coverage issues.

I've been with t-mobile in one form or another since it was Voicestream. They've always have had spotty coverage out in the country around here, but within the suburbs and city they are just as good as everyone else IMHO.
said by timcuth:

That skinny girl in their TV commercials is strangely attractive.

Her name is Carly Foulkes

timcuth
Braves Fan
Premium Member
join:2000-09-18
Pelham, AL
Technicolor ET2251

timcuth

Premium Member

Re: T-Mobile

said by cdru:

said by timcuth:

So, would T-Mobile be any better

Do you travel often outside of medium sized and larger cities? Off of major highways? If the answer is no, then T-mobile probably won't be a problem. If the answer is yes, then you'll probably have coverage issues.

That would probably be key for me. I am usually at home, but when I travel it is usually to out-of-the-way places. Thanks.

Tim

starcaptor
join:2000-08-19
East Northport, NY

starcaptor

Member

The nice guy

I feel like Sprint has seldom thrown mud in anyones direction. They really are the cheapest, and they dont do caricatures of anyone elses network, nor mention any of the other networks by name in their ads, as the other big 3 do. (no maps, no actors personifying other networks, etc). They also seldom bash the iphone.

Alas, I wish they would get better phones. It seems the other guys get some seriously good stuff...but the EVO is really getting long in the tooth these days.

MEDIAN2k3
Your Ad Here
Premium Member
join:2002-12-04
Howard Beach, NY

MEDIAN2k3

Premium Member

Sheading some light

Spoke with a T Mobile rep just now, nice guy, Only new 2 year activations can actually get the "Any Free Phone" deal.

If you are a current customer upgrade rules apply.

So yeah....

Bait and Switch much?

djdanska
Rudie32
Premium Member
join:2001-04-21
San Diego, CA

djdanska

Premium Member

Re: Sheading some light

All advertised promotions are 2 years. Nothing unusual. The rest of the carriers do the same thing.

K3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium Member
join:2006-01-17
Columbia, PA

K3SGM to MEDIAN2k3

Premium Member

to MEDIAN2k3
Haggle, Haggle, Haggle!!

I have gotten web only specials and instant rebates at their company owned stores countless times.

Not at an authorized dealer, just their company owned stores.

If you are a current customer, beyond the 2-year contract term, just threaten to leave, you might be amazed what they will do to keep you as as customer.

I have 5 lines with T-Mobile, and 1 line wasn't under contract any longer, so when I said I was considering upgrading to a new HTC G2 smart-phone last year, they actually canceled my contracts on the other 4 lines, to convince me to not cancel that particular line, and transfer it to AT&T.

So I now have only 1 line under contract with them, and I can now freely take the other 4 lines and leave T-Mobile if I wish, with no ETF's.

Plus they matched the $148 Wal-Mart price, gave me a $50 bill credit, plus they sent me the $50 mail-in rebate card as well.

So I got a $250 HTC G2 for only $48 with a 2-year contract, plus they released me from 4 other lines under contract.

On top of that, I get a monthly 25% billing discount through my wife's employer.

Negotiation is key here.

T-Mobile wants to pass Sprint to become the #3 carrier, so just ask for the moon, and you just might get it...

FWIW, I have been a customer of T-Mobile for 13 years now, and evidently, customer loyalty goes a long way.

Paul928
join:2000-05-06
Haverhill, MA

Paul928 to MEDIAN2k3

Member

to MEDIAN2k3
said by MEDIAN2k3:

Spoke with a T Mobile rep just now, nice guy, Only new 2 year activations can actually get the "Any Free Phone" deal.

If you are a current customer upgrade rules apply.

So yeah....

Bait and Switch much?

Agreed!!! I called them, and the only way that I qualified, was if I added a line, which would cost me another $20.00 a month.....I was under the impression that if you signed up for another 2 years that you were eligible, but that wasn't the case.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru to MEDIAN2k3

MVM

to MEDIAN2k3
said by MEDIAN2k3:

Spoke with a T Mobile rep just now, nice guy, Only new 2 year activations can actually get the "Any Free Phone" deal.

If you are a current customer upgrade rules apply.

So yeah....

Bait and Switch much?

Call, say "cancel" at the first prompt, and talk with the Loyalty department (aka Retentions). This is presuming that you are not in an existing contract or are close to ending one. I called a few weeks ago and picked up a pair of MT4G for free (no rebates, truly free with contract) plus I ended up knocking off about $10 from my previous monthly rate with cheaper data plans.

Mr Peabody
join:2001-01-05
Ingleside, IL

Mr Peabody to MEDIAN2k3

Member

to MEDIAN2k3
So I guess I'm screwed considering I just dropped almost $700 after taxes and shipping by upgrading to a MT4G and G2 for the kids this last weekend?

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT
·StarLink

SimbaSeven

Member

Hmm.. Look at that..

..only partner towers in Montana.. Not a single T-Mobile tower in this state.

Too bad, actually. If they were here, I probably would've considered them. As is, we only have at&t, Verizon, and Cellular One (EDGE Network) to keep us afloat.

If they'd cover more areas instead of just upgrading their existing towers, I'm sure they'd actually increase their coverage area.

Heck, even Sprint has towers here. I checked their map and I was quite shocked. They even have 3G coverage. Too bad they don't have stores or kiosks anywhere or I might have considered them when I ditched "the death star".

Gbcue
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA

Gbcue

Premium Member

Re: Hmm.. Look at that..

said by SimbaSeven:

..only partner towers in Montana.. Not a single T-Mobile tower in this state.

Too bad, actually. If they were here, I probably would've considered them. As is, we only have at&t, Verizon, and Cellular One (EDGE Network) to keep us afloat.

If they'd cover more areas instead of just upgrading their existing towers, I'm sure they'd actually increase their coverage area.

Heck, even Sprint has towers here. I checked their map and I was quite shocked. They even have 3G coverage. Too bad they don't have stores or kiosks anywhere or I might have considered them when I ditched "the death star".

As it's been said many times before, T-Mobile focuses on major metropolitan areas. Those places bring in the most money. It's a business, not a charity.

If you want coverage in the middle of nowhere, be my guest, go with AT&T. They've stretched their network so thin, it sucks everywhere.

Everywhere I go, I always get full bars on the robust nationwide 4G T-Mobile network.

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
Premium Member
join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME
Nokia XS-110G-A
Linksys Velop MX5300

1 edit

lordpuffer

Premium Member

What T-Mobile Needs

Instead of giving phones away for free this weekend, T-Mobile needs to counter Verizon getting the iPhone with something special that T-Mobile has, that no other carrier has. I guess they tried that with the Nexus One, then with the Nexus S. They should make a deal with Google (or another company) to make a real special Android phone, with much better specs than the Nexus S. I believe that is possible, for look at specs for the Motorola Xoom (I know that's a Tablet and not a phone). People today are looking for deals like free phones, however, they are also looking for that special phone that could compete with the iPhone. So far, there is none. I believe that T-Mobile keeps it's market share only because they do offer a good variety of phones.

I left AT&T and sold my iPhone to go to Verizon to get the Droid Pro (and better overall 3G coverage). However, that's just me, and I love the phone. There has to be a phone made that will compete with the iPhone, plain and simple. That will bring customers in.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: What T-Mobile Needs

TMO has a 3d tablet coming out from LG. Also they don't need Google to release a kick ass phone on Android. They just need a partner- like HTC to build the phone for them.

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
Premium Member
join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME
Nokia XS-110G-A
Linksys Velop MX5300

lordpuffer

Premium Member

Re: What T-Mobile Needs

said by hottboiinnc4:

TMO has a 3d tablet coming out from LG. Also they don't need Google to release a kick ass phone on Android. They just need a partner- like HTC to build the phone for them.

HTC would be fine. I just mentioned Google because, like Apple, they are a big name.

RR Conductor
Ridin' the rails
Premium Member
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA

RR Conductor

Premium Member

Why not free online too?

They should offer these deals online too, the closest T-Mobile store to me is 70 miles south in Santa Rosa, and I really don't feel like chasing down there this weekend
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: Why not free online too?

a good share of the phones are free online anyway.

Gbcue
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA

Gbcue to RR Conductor

Premium Member

to RR Conductor
said by RR Conductor:

They should offer these deals online too, the closest T-Mobile store to me is 70 miles south in Santa Rosa, and I really don't feel like chasing down there this weekend

Weather's fine down here.

RR Conductor
Ridin' the rails
Premium Member
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA
ARRIS SB6183
Netgear R7000

RR Conductor

Premium Member

Re: Why not free online too?

said by Gbcue:

said by RR Conductor:

They should offer these deals online too, the closest T-Mobile store to me is 70 miles south in Santa Rosa, and I really don't feel like chasing down there this weekend

Weather's fine down here.

Lol Yeah, here too, though all of next week is going to be rain and snow, about time to get back into winter! I wish they'd open a store up here now that they've had service for going on 2 years now, they don't even have any authorized dealers in either Mendocino or Lake Counties.