(Updated With Top 29 Markets) T-Mobile Breaks Up Galaxy S III Launch Into Two Phases, Pricing Info Revealed

Here we go, some new information including price:

Samsung Galaxy S III Launch Update

To ensure customers receive the best possible experience, the Samsung Galaxy S III launch will now be broken into two phases. T-Mobile will still be the first carrier to offer the device in-store but the rollout will be in two phases instead of one.

Select Retail and Branded locations in the top 29 markets will launch as scheduled on June 21. In addition, a limited amount of Samsung Galaxy S III devices will be available on T-Mobile.com.

Due to the excitement surrounding the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III, customer demand will exceed the expected launch quantity available on June 21 T-Mobile anticipates the remaining Retail and Branded locations will launch on June 27. Stores that do not receive the initial distribution, and stores who sell out of their initial stock, should use the GSIII Call Back List and contact customers when the devices are available.

Pricing will be as follows:

$629.99 Full Retail, $229.99 down on Value Plans with $20 EIP, $279.99 Classic plan after $50 mail-in rebate (2 year contract required)

The top 29 markets are as follows:

  • LosAngeles,CA
  • Chicago,IL
  • Phoenix,AZ
  • Houston,TX
  • SanDiego,CA
  • NewYork,NY
  • Seattle,WA
  • Miami/Ft.Lauderdale,FL
  • Dallas/Ft.Worth,TX
  • SanFrancisco,CA
  • SaltLakeCity,UT
  • Denver,CO
  • Minneapolis,MN
  • Tampa/St.Petersburg,FL
  • Philadelphia,PA
  • SanAntonio,TX
  • Portland,OR
  • Austin,TX
  • Atlanta,GA
  • KansasCity,MO
  • Boston,MA
  • Sacramento,CA
  • Orlando,FL
  • Detroit,MI
  • WashingtonDC*
  • Cleveland,OH
  • Jacksonville,FL
  • Charlotte,NC
  • McAllen,TX

Tags: , ,

← Older Comments
Newer Comments →
  • Ray

    This was a great chance for T-Mobile to pick up some more customers since they (i assume) are still giving the 50GB of Dropbox(which i dont really care about) and they are having both the 16GB and 32GB phones.
     However, now they come up with this bullsh** pricing with a mail in rebate to even get it that low. I hate mail in rebates with a passion and my market (Las Vegas) isnt getting the phone on June 21st?  Tell you what, ,..i have 5 lines with T-Mobile and have been with them since 2003. Maybe its time to think about going to another carrier and im eligible for upgrades on 5 lines now.

    Christ even i know an great opportunity to cash in on a customer base when it is there for the taking when they arent offering the Dropbox space and AT&T opted to only offer a 16 GB device.

    Time for me to start looking at the other carriers plans and prices.

    • Ray

       Id also like to say theres no way im paying $279 with a MIR for the 16GB phone. Not when  two others are selling the 32B for $249. No way!

    • Tbyrne

      Yeah, and once you start lookin around you’ll no doubt be stayin with T-Mobile. Right Ray?

      • Ray

         Where i work i can get 19% off my bill at Verizon and AT&T so it wont be that bad. Ive stuck with T-Mobile thru it just because ive been with them so long but this time since im not obligated, im going to look around,  yes. Or…ill call T-Mobile and see if i can get a better deal …also again since ive been with them so long. If not, ill very well might be leaving.

      • Ray

         Where i work i can get 19% off my bill at Verizon and AT&T so it wont be that bad. Ive stuck with T-Mobile thru it just because ive been with them so long but this time since im not obligated, im going to look around,  yes. Or…ill call T-Mobile and see if i can get a better deal …also again since ive been with them so long. If not, ill very well might be leaving.

    • drivethruboy168

      Dude, just go on the Value Plan, thy are cheaper upfront and the plans are cheaper to even out or be cheaper then the classic plans. Value Plans are the more logical way to go. All though you are paying $630 for the phone, with the phone split in payments it still ends up working out cheaper or about the same as classic plans. Go Value Plan bro, then you only play $230 plus tax up front.

    • drivethruboy168

      Dude, just go on the Value Plan, thy are cheaper upfront and the plans are cheaper to even out or be cheaper then the classic plans. Value Plans are the more logical way to go. All though you are paying $630 for the phone, with the phone split in payments it still ends up working out cheaper or about the same as classic plans. Go Value Plan bro, then you only play $230 plus tax up front.

  • Tmo_Fan

    well this phone wont be in my hands from what I read so far… not just YET! lol I’ll wait to see what offers Tmo can come up with to convince me and not changing my 5 yrs data plan to something I cant afford.. I proudly pay 50 dollars every month unlimited everything + tax and it’s been thanks to how I’ve calculated all their offers..

  • Nitefallz

     patiently waited and passed on all HTC One S deals, including a 99.99 upgrade from Best Buy, and FREE after MIR this past weekend ONLY because they hadn’t announced pricing for the SG3. Had they done this earlier, and you knew they had pricing then, I would’ve made arrangements to get a different phone. Their moronic secrecy is now costing me more money if I want to upgrade.

  • Guest

    Im still waiting for the good news. Whats the good news David?

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

       That they are putting Avatar on the phone like they did the Vibrant?  Totally worth it?

  • Guest

    Im still waiting for the good news. Whats the good news David?

  • phills

    Ugh…this is outrageous classic plan customers (aka typically the customers who have been with the company for a longer period of time) should be treated better than this.  After all, the only benefit to the classic plan is that you get the upgrades every two years.   And the idea of having a rebate is just a joke…this is not a sale price by any means there should be no rebate involved.  I already ordered (and received) a case and screen protectors for this phone anticipating a $199.99 launch day buy…but honestly I am now second guessing getting the phone at all.  I know it’s only $80 (after rebate) but it’s the fact that they think (as a by most accounts not top tier carrier) they can get away with charging more than everyone else.  VERY FRUSTRATED (and a bit drunk from day drinking which does not help)

  • phills

    Ugh…this is outrageous classic plan customers (aka typically the customers who have been with the company for a longer period of time) should be treated better than this.  After all, the only benefit to the classic plan is that you get the upgrades every two years.   And the idea of having a rebate is just a joke…this is not a sale price by any means there should be no rebate involved.  I already ordered (and received) a case and screen protectors for this phone anticipating a $199.99 launch day buy…but honestly I am now second guessing getting the phone at all.  I know it’s only $80 (after rebate) but it’s the fact that they think (as a by most accounts not top tier carrier) they can get away with charging more than everyone else.  VERY FRUSTRATED (and a bit drunk from day drinking which does not help)

    • phills

       OMG I just checked and the iPhone is only $199 as well (thought it was $399 for some reason)…I’m not going to pay more for a galaxy phone than the iPhone, I’m sorry

      • Ray

         Well the iPhone 4S is a year old and not near as good as the GS3. That, i can say and feel good about.

        • phills

           I agree but I don’t think anyone would argue that the iPhone is still the more “premium” brand at the moment.  It would be like Samsung charging more for a laptop then the cost of the macbook pro.  The fact of the matter is that most of the money we pay is for the brand, not the product, and apple is the stronger brand.

        • phills

           ***Also just to clarify my frustration isn’t with Samsung (they recommended $199.99 which is fair) it’s with T-mobile.  I didn’t know companies actually charged MORE than the recommended retail price???

        • phills

           ***Also just to clarify my frustration isn’t with Samsung (they recommended $199.99 which is fair) it’s with T-mobile.  I didn’t know companies actually charged MORE than the recommended retail price???

        • Skilled_1

          KMart used to. But we don’t want to follow their example, do we?

        • Nunya Beeswax

          Congratulations! You win the award for most ridiculous statement ever. “Most of the money we pay is for the brand” …. Yeah, screw the better product. Who has the prettier logo?

        • phills

           I’m not saying that you or I are more concerned about brand, but yes the average consumer is more concerned about having that apple on the back of there phone than having the best specs.  I don’t think anyone would argue that.

        • phills

           I agree but I don’t think anyone would argue that the iPhone is still the more “premium” brand at the moment.  It would be like Samsung charging more for a laptop then the cost of the macbook pro.  The fact of the matter is that most of the money we pay is for the brand, not the product, and apple is the stronger brand.

    • Dumbazz

      giving you the ability to keep a grandfathered plan paying less than the average t mobile customer is it enough for you

    • Dumbazz

      giving you the ability to keep a grandfathered plan paying less than the average t mobile customer is it enough for you

  • Grammatica di Polizia

    Agree with GinaDee. This is stupid pricing. Since this is a non-exclusive launch, T-Mobile needed to do something to set itself apart from the competition. And that something was to give people a better deal than Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, et al.

    If the motive is to spread out limited supplies, that is not a reason to have hiked up the price. To be sure, since T-Mobile is the first to sell the SGS III, the smart marketing move would have been to sell out, and the faster, the better.

    For example, if T-Mobile sold out of SGS III handsets within 30 minutes or an hour, THAT event would have made the nightly news… “Samsung’s new and heavily anticipated mobile phone went on sale today at T-Mobile and the company sold out of all inventory within an hour.”

    Isn’t that what T-Mobile needs, to make the headlines, to put themselves back into contention, as a carrier who is a big player.

    Now there’s not going to be any headlines. T-Mobile will be a footnote, as the carrier who is charging the most for the SGS III.

    And in line with what GinaDee is said, I can’t believe T-Mobile is selling the 16GB model at this price. That means it will be selling the 32GB for at least $330 to $350 on contract.

    True, there’s financially not a big difference between $200, $250, and $280, especially when talking about a 24 month contract. But as T-Mobile knows, public perception is everything when it comes to phone pricing. That’s why over time what I call the “default price” has settled at about $199.99 for the highest-end phones, on contract.

    Just like people expect “As Seen On TV” junk is sold for $19.95 with a “but wait, there’s more” at the end of the commercial, people won’t pay more than $200 for the best phone (even Apple has come to realize this).

  • Grammatica di Polizia

    Agree with GinaDee. This is stupid pricing. Since this is a non-exclusive launch, T-Mobile needed to do something to set itself apart from the competition. And that something was to give people a better deal than Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, et al.

    If the motive is to spread out limited supplies, that is not a reason to have hiked up the price. To be sure, since T-Mobile is the first to sell the SGS III, the smart marketing move would have been to sell out, and the faster, the better.

    For example, if T-Mobile sold out of SGS III handsets within 30 minutes or an hour, THAT event would have made the nightly news… “Samsung’s new and heavily anticipated mobile phone went on sale today at T-Mobile and the company sold out of all inventory within an hour.”

    Isn’t that what T-Mobile needs, to make the headlines, to put themselves back into contention, as a carrier who is a big player.

    Now there’s not going to be any headlines. T-Mobile will be a footnote, as the carrier who is charging the most for the SGS III.

    And in line with what GinaDee is said, I can’t believe T-Mobile is selling the 16GB model at this price. That means it will be selling the 32GB for at least $330 to $350 on contract.

    True, there’s financially not a big difference between $200, $250, and $280, especially when talking about a 24 month contract. But as T-Mobile knows, public perception is everything when it comes to phone pricing. That’s why over time what I call the “default price” has settled at about $199.99 for the highest-end phones, on contract.

    Just like people expect “As Seen On TV” junk is sold for $19.95 with a “but wait, there’s more” at the end of the commercial, people won’t pay more than $200 for the best phone (even Apple has come to realize this).

    • Axekick

      And I’m sure that price applies only to new customers. My contract has expired and I am eligible for a full discount yet when the HTC One S was released they said the best price I could get was $324 with a 2-year contract. I told them I will switch to ATT before paying that price on that phone and they didn’t seem to care. Just kept talking about what a great phone it was. I started walking out and the guy tried handing me his business card “in case you change your mind.” at which time I assured him I wouldn’t be changing my mind.

      I kind of hate to leave after 10 years and because I still use their home telephone service for $9.95/month that will be lost when I do . . but enough is enough.

      They use to be great about working deals, even over the telephone but better in their retail stores. Apparently I have been there so long they are taking my business for granted.

      • Nunya Beeswax

        They didn’t seem to care because they don’t care. For every one like you, there is another coming in because ATT jacked their bill sky high and they are doing the same thing you are (supposedly) just in reverse. The cell phone market is very near 100% saturation and all the companies just play musical customers at this point. Everybody expects “Loyalty” but the same people will switch companies over ANY percieved savings of a dollar.

        • Axekick

          No other US carriers is losing customers at the rate of T-Mobile. The last I read T-Mobile is the ONLY carrier who is actually losing customers and revenue. Since the failed attempt to sell to ATT people have fled in droves.
          I won’t switch over the “perceived savings of a dollar” but over a $30/month savings for my service and $50 upfront difference on the phone I will jump ship in a heartbeat. ATT is much faster data in my area also. ATT & T-Mobile
          were very competetive with T-Mobile being less expensive but that just isn’t the case any longer.

    • Dumbazz

      wait giving people a lower monthly bill isn’t a good enough deal?
      they should sell the phone the same as the other carriers and give you a lower monthly bill?
      seriously?

      • 21stNow

        Yes. That’s what they did for the original Galaxy S.

        • http://dualshockers.com Joel Taveras

          The original Galaxy S didn’t have a flash or a front facing camera, but it did on every other carrier. So do you want them to pull out features so that you can afford it? Or give us the best phone they can give us?

        • 21stNow

          The Captivate and the Vibrant were very similar phones. The other variants came later on their respective carriers, so at least T-Mobile customers had a two month jump on them.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

           Hey we Vibrant owners gave up a flash so T-Mobile could instead use the money to pay the licensing fees for Avatar! Money well spent right!?  Who needed to take pictures in low light settings when they could instead watch blue aliens run around a forest ?   And who says T-Mobile makes stupid marketing decisions.  Not me.  Not me at all.

  • xmiro

    $629.99? When the Nexus is $399.99?
    Come on

    • secano

      GN is more than 6 months old…

    • urmom

      I have the nexus and I want a s3 for three reasons. Need more ram for more apps to stay open. Need better camera features. And 3 need a better music app/speaker be louder

    • Nunya Beeswax

      I know! And you can get an original Motorola Razr for like 5 bucks! What are these people thinking???

  • Nicholas

    Will it run on the 1900 MHz? Does anyone know heard @ the T-Mobile store that in Chicago and California and some other states will just wondering if anyone knows 100%

  • Chris

    As nice as this phone is, $630.00+ taxes is ridiculous. I don’t understand where Samsung gets the these prices from, its an android phone, the OS cost Samsung nothing, they “enhance” it with their shitty skin and that’s it. Are we paying for their shitty skin or the Android OS that comes free to them? I’ll pass on this, as prices for rate plans increase, so do the hardware for phones. Stupid, I highly doubt it cost samsung much money to make these plastic phones.

    • Nunya Beeswax

      I hate to burst your bubble, but look around your house…. the clothes you wear….the car you drive…. the food in your fridge…. somebody (and probably several somebodys) made a handy profit getting the items to you. Unfortunately, there are no non-profit phone manufacturers either. Perhaps you should suggest a cellular program to the Red Cross?

  • Johntaajacobs

    I have 48gb on my gsii with ics andriod 4.0 im good :-)

  • Johntaajacobs

    I have 48gb on my gsii with ics andriod 4.0 im good :-)

  • ceedubmn

    T-Mobile really missed a chance here. I think we all understand that even with the higher price, the generally lower monthly charges eventually make up the $80 difference (and more). However, from a P.R. standpoint this was a swing and a miss.  People see the big up front numbers while ignoring the “nickle and dime” differences in fees — hence all the pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth over the price.   There’s a reason companies charge $19.99 instead of $20…  The Galaxy SIII is one of the most anticipated phones of the year and out of the gate it appears that T-Mobile is at a disadvantage by charging a significantly higher price.  I say appears because, again, over the course of a 2 year period, T-Mobile customers will generally pay less in monthly fees. 

    However, what T-Mobile SHOULD have done is promote the heck out of the phone on TV, have Carly tell us how awesome the phone is and that it’s the same price everywhere. But then, at the end have her turn and smile at the camera and tell us that, “Oh, by the way over the course of 2 years T-Mo customers will save $300 (or whatever the difference is)” over Verizon/AT&T/Sprint and ask why anyone would willingly pay more.

  • ceedubmn

    T-Mobile really missed a chance here. I think we all understand that even with the higher price, the generally lower monthly charges eventually make up the $80 difference (and more). However, from a P.R. standpoint this was a swing and a miss.  People see the big up front numbers while ignoring the “nickle and dime” differences in fees — hence all the pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth over the price.   There’s a reason companies charge $19.99 instead of $20…  The Galaxy SIII is one of the most anticipated phones of the year and out of the gate it appears that T-Mobile is at a disadvantage by charging a significantly higher price.  I say appears because, again, over the course of a 2 year period, T-Mobile customers will generally pay less in monthly fees. 

    However, what T-Mobile SHOULD have done is promote the heck out of the phone on TV, have Carly tell us how awesome the phone is and that it’s the same price everywhere. But then, at the end have her turn and smile at the camera and tell us that, “Oh, by the way over the course of 2 years T-Mo customers will save $300 (or whatever the difference is)” over Verizon/AT&T/Sprint and ask why anyone would willingly pay more.

  • IRIE4IPIER

    Don’t buy this phone right away guys, make T-Mobile feel it. In two months this thing will be going for free to get rid of supplies. T-mobile not a smart company.

    • Dumbazz

      seriously put down your crack pipe. I am so sorry that you cant for the phone maybe a part time job is in order instead of crying about t mobile.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

         Look “Dumbazz”.  We get it.  You’re a T-mobile fanboy.  I like them too, I’ve been with them for eight or nine years now .  But that doesn’t mean you have to get all butthurt because people are justifiably upset over a pretty idiotic decision on T-Mobile’s part.   It’s ok.  No one here has a crack pipe. (unless you have one.  You don’t right?  If you do, its ok, I won’t judge you.)  Just breathe a little bit and think happy thoughts.   People aren’t talking about your Mommy or Daddy when they are being critical in this thread.  Just relax.   Relaaaaaaaax.

  • nateynuclear

    What are the chances this is in accurate? I’ve heard something else on XDA developers… 

  • nateynuclear

    What are the chances this is in accurate? I’ve heard something else on XDA developers… 

  • jian9007

    $330 before rebate?! AT&T has it for $189.99 with no rebate and Sprint has it for $199 with no rebate, Verizon has it for $199 with no rebate. So $80-$90 more than the other 3 major carriers and that’s AFTER a $50 mail-in rebate. Poor form T-Mobile. It’s a non-starter for me at that price. I’ll wait until I see what’s coming out later this year or see what upcoming Nexus phones will be out and just pay full price to Google and not re-up my contract. Then I’ll be paying the same monthly fee but I can leave anytime without any penalty fees.

    For the record I’m on an unlimited loyalty individual plan and was planning on switching to a family plan since I want my 2 daughters off their Metro PCS phones. That may not happen now. I’ll just wait and see if this is the kind of pricing to expect from T-Mobile in the future and look at the other carriers and see what they have to offer. I’m not worried about how much I pay per month but quality of service and subsidized phone prices do concern me. I’ve been here since Voicestream days so I’ve been a loyal customer for quite some time. This pricing is not the way to entice new customers or keep the old ones.

  • jian9007

    $330 before rebate?! AT&T has it for $189.99 with no rebate and Sprint has it for $199 with no rebate, Verizon has it for $199 with no rebate. So $80-$90 more than the other 3 major carriers and that’s AFTER a $50 mail-in rebate. Poor form T-Mobile. It’s a non-starter for me at that price. I’ll wait until I see what’s coming out later this year or see what upcoming Nexus phones will be out and just pay full price to Google and not re-up my contract. Then I’ll be paying the same monthly fee but I can leave anytime without any penalty fees.

    For the record I’m on an unlimited loyalty individual plan and was planning on switching to a family plan since I want my 2 daughters off their Metro PCS phones. That may not happen now. I’ll just wait and see if this is the kind of pricing to expect from T-Mobile in the future and look at the other carriers and see what they have to offer. I’m not worried about how much I pay per month but quality of service and subsidized phone prices do concern me. I’ve been here since Voicestream days so I’ve been a loyal customer for quite some time. This pricing is not the way to entice new customers or keep the old ones.

    • Dumbazz

      so go buy it at 1 of those carriers and pay more per month.

    • Dumbazz

      so go buy it at 1 of those carriers and pay more per month.

  • Marafice Eye

    Well, I’ve been eagerly waiting for this phone, and now, I’m sad to say I’ll be jumping ship. Been a loyal TMO customer for years now, enjoying the benefits such as a cheaper bill, well priced unlimited plans, good deals on phones, as well as being able to ‘subsidize’ them and pay half up front and the rest on later bills. It’s all been great, until today.

    I decided a week ago to get the GS3 to replace my aging Blackberry, and couldn’t wait for the 21st. I kept my fingers crossed that TMO’s pricing would be in line with the other carriers (because why wouldn’t they be, they want to be competitive right?) SO imagine my dismay to find out I’d have to pay $280 (and that’s AFTER a $50 MIR), even though I’d be re-contracting for 2 years… It honestly shocked me that they went this route.

    Also not to mention that 2 days before release,m they decide to essentially say ‘screw the small town folks, they’re not making us enough money to give them the phone on our stated release, we’re going to make them wait 6 more days.’

    I would have had no problems waiting the 6 extra days, if the prices were at least the same as the other carriers. But no, I’d have to (realistically) pay an extra 130 dollars to get it.

    Sorry TMO, You’ve been great to me in the past, but you’ve lost me as a customer after this.

    • Below

      look princess we all know you aint leaving so get a box of tissues and cry your heart out because all the effort to change just to save 70 dollars?
      and pay more per month?
      your reasoning is retarded.

    • Below

      look princess we all know you aint leaving so get a box of tissues and cry your heart out because all the effort to change just to save 70 dollars?
      and pay more per month?
      your reasoning is retarded.

      • phills

         It’s more about the mindset.  We are all well aware that $80 isn’t much in the long run.  But by leaving she (and many others) are telling the company that this kind of pricing in general is a slap in the face to loyal customers.

        • Nunya Beeswax

          And for every one that leaves, they’ll sign up 1 or 2 that are pissed at some other carrier for whatever reason. Blah blah…. the world keeps spinning

    • Herb

      You say you enjoy a cheaper bill, but you’re leaving over $130 (realistically $80 after rebate)?! How long on a higher bill is it going to take you to waste more than that $130? You’re leaving due to an emotional reaction and it’s going to cost you in the long run.

    • WW

      So you’re happy with TMo all the way around except their price for the GS3.  Wherever you go, if your bill is $6+ higher than with TMo, you’d have done better to stay (and pay the extra $130 TMo wants).  
        
      It sounds like it’s anger at TMo’s price that’s driving you away but in hurting them (taking your business elsewhere), you’re hurting yourself too (unless your bill rises by $5 or less).

  • BigMixxx

    Wait for Walmart….better deal there. And they wil absorb the taxes (in Nevada). Since I’m inVegas,,,imma wait……

  • Robertp5072

    dont forget $36 dollar activiation charge !

  • Dumbazz

    david thank you for the obnoxious pop ups especially the corning 1 which you cannot get rid of.

    • Herb

       Don’t blame David. He provides us with an unmatched service and needs to make money some how. Download an Ad-Blocker if it’s really that big of a deal.

  • Jvf251991

    Ok since I’m near Los Angeles does this mean all of Los Angeles county will get the phone or just one store?

    • SuperTMO

      no some of the store won’t even get them, only high sales store and premium store. 

  • Dumbazz

    if you are seriously going to complain about an 80 dollar price difference especially given lower cost for t mobile you obviously can’t afford the phone no matter which carrier you’re on

    • Another sad TMO customer

      False Dumbazz. $80 dollars up front is a lot even to those that can afford it. Key word is up front. Perhaps the delayed gratification of saving in the long run is enough for some with a purchase this hefty, but not for me. Having planned to purchase two for my family, I can’t see myself dishing out $560 + tax even if I can afford it.

      • Herb

        Dumbazz is on the right track. If you can’t spare $80, you probably shouldn’t be buying a $600 phone in the first place.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

          It’s not $80 more, its $130 MORE to spare out of pocket initially because of the MIR.   That’s on top of the 200 dollars that the other carriers are charging.  $330 is a lot of money these days. Even if someone has that laying around, $200 is a lot easier to justify than $330.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

          It’s not $80 more, its $130 MORE to spare out of pocket initially because of the MIR.   That’s on top of the 200 dollars that the other carriers are charging.  $330 is a lot of money these days. Even if someone has that laying around, $200 is a lot easier to justify than $330.

  • Dumbazz

    if you are seriously going to complain about an 80 dollar price difference especially given lower cost for t mobile you obviously can’t afford the phone no matter which carrier you’re on

  • Derail Doax

    Lol… Super fail! T-Mobile you’re crazy if you think you can ask so much for this phone. I’ve been holding off on my upgrade for 6 months to get the next flagship phone. I’m not paying $80 more after rebate than I would to other carriers. I’m going to seriously think about moving our small business over to Verizon. It’ll be $30 more per month, but I’ll get more data, unlimited minutes, a faster network, and a bigger network… Unbelievable… Jerks…

    • Sayhit

      dumbass i hate customers like u, bitching abt 80 dollars but willing to pay verizon 10times more…

    • Nunya Beeswax

      Right…. well, you call telesales on Thursday and tell us how long you have to wait to talk to a rep. That 2 hours you spend listening to hold music won’t be because nobody wants to pay for this phone. And btw, Verizon is implementing a fairly large price increase on the 28th of June, so enjoy paying twice as much for your service. Hope that works out great for you.

  • edub1906

    I cannot believe TMobile’s prices.  I’ve been waiting for this phone and passed up getting an HTC One S for $99.99 (with no activation fee).  Basically $329.00 less the $50 MIR, REALLY??   C’mon Tmobile.  You easily outprice all of your major competitors by $80.00 for your upgrade.  Wow.  I guess I’ll have to wait to see what Costco sells the phone for (hopefully no more than $249), but still this price point is not good at all for loyal TMobile customers.

  • Marafice Eye

    Ha, monthly bill doesn’t factor into my decision to leave. I work for Home Depot and we get a discount on our ATT bills, so switching to ATT is a whopping 6 dollar difference in price, and that 6 extra dollars gets me another gig in data compared to my TMO plan. It still comes down to TMO deciding NOT to price competitively and deciding that anyone who didn’t live in or near their ‘top markets’ wasn’t worthy of getting it on their original announced release.

    • Herb

      I doubt think the company is actively deciding not to mass-release the phone. This is probably a consequence of the manufacturing issues the phone experienced around the time of its worldwide release.

      • Mike Leverton

        Qualcomm told investors that the problem is down to their subcontractor, TSMC, who is unable to keep up with the industry’s demand due to problems with ramping up production on the new 28nm process. The chip maker is exploring other avenues to secure additional chip production capacity and expects to return to normal production levels in time for the Christmas shopping period.
        “We have taken [the] approach to spread the supply across all of the customers as best we can, and so I think everybody is dealing with this issue,” said Qualcomm president and COO Steven Mollenkopf. “We’re really focused very much on getting additional supply throughout the year.”
        To counter the chip shortage, Qualcomm is suggesting device makers use their Fusion 2 units where possible, but they openly admitted that the shortage will result in some OEM’s turning to competitors in a bid to avoid delays. “In any constrained environment, people look for any alternative they can in order to solve the problem,” said Mollenkopf. “We do expect to see some alternative non-Qualcomm chipsets being used to solve that issue.”
        According to PC World , more than 370 Snapdragon-based devices are currently on the market, with over 400 currently being developed. Of those in development currently, 150 designs are based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 SoC design.

  • Dumbazz

    wow it’s like a 12 step meeting today for the cry babies on this forum. Typical childish behavior. As if a company owes you something. Morons.

    • Dbjc62

      Appropriate name ! DUMBAZZ ! IT’ S CALLED COMPETING ! THEY WONDER WHY THEY’RE LOSING CUSTOMERS ! BECAUSE THEY DO THINGS LIKE THIS!

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

      I think you’re onto a great business model !   Fail to price your product competitively in a hyper competitive market, and insult the customers when they dare have the audacity to get upset about getting screwed.  In fact, why stop there, since you love calling people morons, name your company Moron-Mobile.  What could go wrong !?

  • Herb

     I hate the “loyal” customer line. Loyalty is not leaving because you have to wait 6 days and pay $80 extra. Loyalty is staying because even with that $80 extra out-of-pocket you still will save HUNDREDS by the time your contract is terminated.

  • Herb

     Specific stores only.

  • Herb

     Specific stores only.

  • Qwwqeeeqwwe

     Anyone know if people are gonna be camping out of tmobile stores on the 21st for this?

    • Taron19119

      yes i well be at a t-mobile store on the 21 first and wel take a pic and well send it  in to dave aka tmonews  if its a line

  • Ne0

    why is t-mobile one cost $30 more than other carrier. 

  • Ne0

    why is t-mobile one cost $30 more than other carrier. 

  • Chris

     Talked to three different customer service reps after the price was announced. Three different replies – first, they told me they would give me one month free service to subsidize the cost (while also telling me they weren’t sure of pricing yet)…THEN, the next rep tells me he’ll cut $15 off my monthly bill and give me the SIII for free (!), but I have to call him back Friday, and if it’s not back ordered, they’ll honor that offer. The last “loyalty” rep tells me they don’t know what the prices will be.
     Their heads are really up their behinds. The marketing department should be fired from top to bottom. If this is an indication of how T-Mobile will be run from now on, they will cease to exist within two years. Like any sensible person, I realize with the relatively lower rates you’ll pay less over the long haul, but that is not what this is about. A cellular company that is not top-tier needs to entice new customers, not give them sticker shock. Mail-in rebate? Is this 1985?
     Been a loyal customer for over 10 years. Waited to upgrade until the SIII came out. Instead, I walk into Apple tomorrow and but an iPhone. Bye, T-Mobile.

    • Guest911

       You won’t regret it! And in a few months you can sell the iPhone for approx 70-80% of the purchase price and get the latest model. Good luck man.

      • Chris

        Thanks, appreciate that. It just boggles my mind the way T-Mobile is handling this. They should be trying to court early buyers, that’s what spreads the good word. A shame. 

  • Jvf251991

    Ok since I’m near Los Angeles does this mean all of Los Angeles county will get the phone or just one store?

    • thepanttherlady

      It’s selected locations. I would suggest you call the stores nearest you and ask if they’re part of the 6/21 or 6/27 launch. The store I was going to get mine at is smaller and told me they’re part of the 6/27 launch. Called another store closer to my house and they’re part of the 6/21 launch.

      Problem I’m having is no one knows or won’t reveal what inventory they’re getting. e.g. 16gb and/or 32gb. *sigh* I’ll know when I get there at 9:59 a.m. on Thursday morning. :)

      • Dude

        16 gb only in stores at launch

  • http://twitter.com/wcao256 Willis Cao

    I’m really mad right now!  I was ready to pay $279.99 for the 32 GB version, but now I have to either pay $329 or live with 16 GB, and the second choice isn’t really an option!

    • Herb

       … SD card much?

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

         Some people prefer the faster read/write speed of on board storage vs SD .  Consider pertinent technical details much?

      • http://twitter.com/wcao256 Willis Cao

        I plan to buy 8GB+ SD card for a 32 GB S III.  Installing apps on SD card is annoying, and not all fit there.  I want all 32 GB for apps, and only apps, with the SD card for photos, videos, music.

  • Mueller2051

    maybe they should change there name to t-cricket (for thous of you dont know cricket it a pay as go plan where nice phone are expensive) I cant believe tmobil going to expect people to pay this price. I wonder what the note will bee 1000 dollars and 500 after 10 dollar rebate. maybe they will sell the the note pen as a option for 100 more   lol  

  • Rickknowlin

    I agree with you guys t-mobile drop the ball this time. I my self can certainly afford to buy this phone at 
    what ever price but how do you justify being a $130 more than the other carriers. You give it in one hand and take it in another. Its time to move on

  • SuperTMO

    Just wait for a week, Walmart and Costco will get them too.  Tmo do this because they do not have enought stock, especially for Pebble blue.
    I suspect that each store will only get 10 to 20 depends on how big they are.  Also wait until the other store such as Amazon carries it, you will have a better price.

  • fqcharly

    Here is my humble guess as to what is going on. Tmo is “cheap” at the corporate level. That’s why they got the One S and not the One X, etc. Being cheap, they only bought a limited amount of gs3 units, only the 16g, no Dropbox, etc. That decision was months ago. Now, they see they will run out of the small amount of phones, so they are throttling sales with the pricing. Just be patient and Wal-Mart will have it for $229, no re ate required in a few months.

    • SuperTMO

      True, but they didn’t do this on purpose, all the carrier will only have a little amount for launch.  Wonder why Verizon push back their release? It have to do with the production process.  Just wait it out, everyone will be good

      • Mike Leverton

        qualcom will face supplier shortages well into 2013…SoC qualocom inside this device

    • Mueller2051

       maybe there making up for the father day sale by having the bend over sale  lol

    • Nunya Beeswax

      Actually, you get 50 gb dropbox for 2 years and then 5 gb for as long as you own the phone. Some of you folks just invent things to complain about. LoL

  • Jay

    Everyone saying that it’s cry baby behavior to complain about the price tag is plainly naive. Every marketing study ever conducted has proven that introductory cost is the most significant factor in purchasing any kind of subscription service.  T-Mobile doesn’t owe it’s customers anything, however, charging 40% more (65% if you forget to mail that silly rebate in) than your competition is just plain bad business. People will see the price tag and never bother to investigate how much cheaper the plans are. Swing and a miss by T-Mobile.

    • Herb

       Sorry T-mobile doesn’t see the need to baby customers not willing to do their research. I HATE the kind of unintelligent customer you are describing.

      • CrustyHerb

        Good point. And once even more customers leave, you and your fellow “intelligent” customers can hang around waiting for the doors to shut. You are a genius!

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

           Not sure I follow your logic here.  More customers leave if they had priced it the same as the other carriers?     Because they are angry they didn’t have to pay more?  Huh?

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

           Not sure I follow your logic here.  More customers leave if they had priced it the same as the other carriers?     Because they are angry they didn’t have to pay more?  Huh?

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Wheeler/100003185900982 Bill Wheeler

         Yeah why should they follow basic Marketing 101 logic?  It’s not like the mobile industry is competitive or anything right? 

  • Guest

    Following the success of the original “phablet,” Samsung is reportedly readying a sucessor for its Galaxy Note smartphone. The South Korea manufacturer will release the handset in October to compete directly against Apple’s next-generation iPhone, according to MK Business News. The smartphone’s display will be larger than 5.3-inches and will reportedly feature an unbreakable plane (UBP), which is a precursor to the flexible display. The Note II will also be equipped with a slimmer design and a quad-core processor according to the report, and it will run the upcoming Android Jelly Bean operating system.

  • Fujitsujeff

    T-Mobile at times seems to forget these factors:

    1. Customers are not fond of Mail In Rebates. The discount needs to be up front. The rebate money needs to be easily accessible not on a card.

    2. When you are fighting for customers, it is not the time to introduce new pricing points. The market is $199.99 contract $599.99 full retail. These new prices scare customers away.

    • Grammatica di Polizia

      Per my earlier post, in total agreement with you. All things being equal (and with T-Mobile things are NOT), T-Mobile needed to give people a reason to sign a contract with them.

      So what does T-Mobile do, charge $80 more than the competition, require more money up front, and put people through the hassle of a mail-in rebate. (In these horrible economic times you don’t make people cough up more money up front, you give discounts.)

      Makes no sense to me.

      I remember when T-Mobile did this before, when all carriers were getting the Touch Pro2 in 2009. There was a lot of talk and speculation on what T-Mobile would charge and we were all floored when T-Mobile wanted $350 on a two-year contract, $429 on a one-year deal.

      Any T-Mobile employees in here who can explain what T-Mobile is thinking and reveal the strategy?

    • David Levy

       the whole point of rebates for the vendors is that some people will forget or make a mistake, so some proportion are never paid out. Also the vendor can claim higher gross sales, with the rebates being part of promotion expenses – and Wall St. likes to see rising sales…

  • JohnGTJohnson

    Yes the price is high. it’s way more than I’m willing to pay. And while tmo has high prices for all its phones, it has sales all the time for those willing to sign away 2yrs. e.g. the s2 has been free after rebate at least four times this month during online after hours sales. the one s was free at least once, and was $50 AR for a few days. there also was the Fathers day free deal, which wasn’t as good because it required an unlimited plan. it may be a bit until the s3 is free but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it on sale in the next month. plus what android handset has ever been ready at launch? waiting until a few updates/custom roms are out can save a lot of frustration.

  • souggie

    You know what, I’d even pony up the $280, if it was the 32GB model, but not just for the 16 GB. Can’t do it.

    • http://twitter.com/wcao256 Willis Cao

      I totally agree with you!

← Older Comments
Newer Comments →

RSS PhoneDog

RSS DroidDog

RSS TodaysiPhone