As I caught word this morning that AT&T was going to begin requiring customers to “swallow” $20 a month in data I am absolutely taken back. Look, I have come to accept data charges are now a requirement for most carriers for data devices and I don’t disagree with the policy. I am a member of the camp that subscribes to the notion that users who buy and use these devices should have a data plan, as is necessary to enjoy the full range of features. Wi-FI while useful and often plentiful in a big metropolitan area does not make up for the lack of a strong 3G connection when I walk 100 feet away from my local Starbucks. Trust me, I’m in Starbucks enough to single handedly support the employees and their families but even then, I don’t’ want to rely on them as my only connection to the internet for my device. Twitter alone mandates my need for constant connection. I’m not everyone, I’m a power user and a carriers dream customer, but in this instance, AT&T is going to be asking the people who simply don’t need it, to spend it regardless and it’s garbage.

So now, the moral of my story, T-Mobile should use this as another example of why they are a stellar company to use as a wireless provider. I saw yet another AT&T / Verizon commercial this morning and ignoring that the commercial is cringe-worthy, I ask why oh why T-Mobile, will you not go on the offensive? The time for polite talk and handholding is over, wireless is war and you need to show some teeth. The concept that I have to purchase at least $20 worth of data features is pardon my French, bullshit. This is ridiculous, insanity and a slap in the face to the customer. I accept data for Blackberry, iPhone and Android as you should have it but the 12 year old doesn’t need data on her Samsung Mythic.  I bet AT&T salespeople are doing face-palms right now en masse. This is just utter crap and I am sure it won’t stop AT&T and their monstrous growth on the back of the iPhone but for the average customer who has no need for data yet wants a cool looking phone this is preposterous, ludicrous, absurd, and nonsensical and whatever other synonyms Microsoft word has to offer here.

So I beg of you T-Mobile, show some teeth. Run a commercial that points this out to the millions of customers who are going to be subjected to this crap and show them you have no desire to stick them with features they do not need and prices they can’t afford. Show them your new upgrade plans and how existing customers are still important, loyal and worth rewarding. Put Catherine Zeta Jones on screen trying to make a phone call on the iPhone and 12 dropped calls later walking into a T-Mobile store. Boom, instant awesome! In fact, if you do that, I expect some kickback.

The reality is the wireless market is all but saturated and instead of gaining millions of new customers, it’s now about trading customers and T-Mobile needs to show more reasons why they are worth a second look. This AT&T ridiculous data requirement is even more reason to go for the kneecaps and hit the other carriers where it hurts, their customer count. T-Mobile, you have nowhere to go but up and your faithful are behind you, will you finally flex some muscle?

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Hi, I’m Nicole aka @c0z, the Associate Editor of AndroidGuys. I’ve also been the Copy Editor of Tmonews for a while now, but that’s all behind the scenes stuff. I finally decided to post something, I hope you don’t hate it!

Please note: These opinions are mine and don’t reflect the opinions of Tmone–no wait, they actually do–so here we go…

Oh T-Mobile, you have so many loyal fans. This site alone is an attestation to that fact, for sure. However, there is one area in which your followers are very disappointed with your performance: the acquisition of new, awesome Android devices. Surely you have noticed that the Android community is expanding at an unremittingly fast rate, and hopefully you realize that many of your customers want options when it comes to smartphones. How about rounding up a whole new collection of those snazzy new Android devices for your oogly-eyed customer base? As mentioned in an earlier article, geek interest is paramount to your success!

I personally love my T-Mobile service but I must admit that the limitations of RAM on a stock G1 can be quite cumbersome (especially to anyone who loves to play with apps and isn’t advanced enough to use root access (not me!)). And that’s the point of having an Android device, right? To play with apps? When the myTouch 3G came along I was happy to welcome it (aside from it lacking a QWERTY, one of my personal requirements), but even that campaign is starting to grow a bit jaded. At least the mT3G’s physical form was a step in the right direction. The introduction of the Cliq is still something I’m trying to forget, and I’d have to say that the Behold II gets bundled with those same sentiments. After hearing the Xperia X10 might be going to another carrier, I started losing hope for T-Mobile’s ability to acquire the next big Android device. However, it looks like hope is making its way back to the horizon with the rumor of the Google Phone/Nexus One coming to T-Mobile. While that is definitely progress and will whet the appetites of the geeks,let’s not stop there, okay? T-Mobile, how about you make your New Year’s resolution to provide more top-end Android devices to your loyal fans? We’re counting on you…

What do you guys think? Is the Google Phone being on T-Mobile’s network enough for you? Do you think T-Mobile needs more game-changing Android handsets to keep up with other carriers?

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In the past few days, gadget, phone sites and forums have blown up with news about T-Mobile’s new “game changing” Project Dark plans. While we’ve seen comparisons of the new unlimited plans to the competition and all non-unlimited plans appearing to beat the competition in minutes and/or price, has T-Mobile beaten themselves up a little too much on the lower end? Some say yes, some say no. To help out, we’ve created a small chart (look familiar?) to help compare T-Mobile’s old plans versus their new plans, the non-unlimited variety of course. To make things fair, the Even More Plus plans have not been used in the comparison (as they do not have any phone subsidies or contracts) but subtract $10 from the Even More prices and you’ve got your price anyway.

This chart doesn’t cover absolutely every possible combo of plans and add-ons but should give a brief outline to look at for pricing below unlimited… therefore, your mileage may vary. Adjust accordingly. Individual 1000 at the promotional price has been included as that was a very popular promotion that ran three summers in a row. Add $10 if you want to compare with the old standard 1000 minute rate.

For those who do not remember or never had it, the 1000 minute promotion for $39.99 included unlimited nights and weekends. It is completely different than anything that was normally listed on the website. So yes, it compares

Important Note on Even More Plus. No contracts required on these plans. Phones must be purchased at full retail price but the payments can be split up over 20 months with no interest. If you decide to leave T-Mobile while on one of these plans, remaining balance for the phone must be paid in full but no ETF exists since you wouldn’t be on contract. Exception: People switching from old plans to EM+ plans still have to remain on the contract they previously agreed to. There is a $35 activation fee to switch from an old plan or Even More plan to Even More Plus.

Remember, if you’re on one of the plan combos where you’re saving money now versus the new plans, you do not have to switch and can stay on your current plan as long as you’d like. A few reps have stated to a person in the comments of this article that add-ons such as data will be available to old plans for as long as you have them. Whether this is true or the reps were confused/misinformed (also understandable) we do not yet know, only time will tell.

More on unlimited plans and myFaves after the break (including a myFaves comparison chart)…

Read the full story

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Seeming as you have found your way here, to TmoNews (selfless promotion), you probably care a little about what we have to say.  While David has presented his opinions in articles before, this here is my turn to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys in this case).  If you are willing to give me a listen (read) (and then express your own (rebuttal) opinions in the comments) then head past the break to read the first (of many, if all goes well) series of The Ramblings of Andrew.

Read the full story

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This rumor seems to pop up every time the wind blows in a certain direction. T-mobile wants to acquire Sprint, Sprint wants to acquire T-mobile, Sprint and T-mobile dance the Samba etc etc. Deutsche Telekom (T-mobile USA parent company) has a market value six times that of Sprint and while Sprint seems to be on a roll these days with a bounty of surprisingly affordable yet all encompassing plans combined with a super star winter lineup they hemorrhage customers at every turn. Any tech blogger or tech fan in general immediately jumps at the notion to point the incompatibility of the two company’s networks, CDMA and GSM. Considering Sprint doesn’t exactly have a strong record of accomplishment merging companies with incompatible networks we can at least be thankful T-mobile is leading this dance. That being said, there are still an unfathomable amount of questions as to how this would work, what would this do to the wireless landscape with only three major players. Telegraph UK, the newspaper responsible for this round of rumors reports that the Deutsche Telekom has called in Deutsche Bank in preparation for an offer for Sprint. This could get very interesting, very quickly and while the prospect of jumping right onto AT&T’s back with a customer base that rivals their own makes my heart fill with joy, that doesn’t mean it’s the smart play. If I were the boys at the FCC I’d want to see the best damn play by play integration schematic ever created by man on how exactly this merger would work.

Telegraph UK

Interestingly enough, this report comes hot on the heels of a PCWorld story, which all but bashed T-mobile USA proclaiming “T-mobile has little to offer US mobile providers.” Well sorry Tony Bradley, I disagree and I’m sure I speak on behalf of all Tmonews readers. While T-mobile’s 3G network continues to roll out at a furious pace onward toward its 2009 goal of 250 million POP’s it has yet to really turn the T-mobile image around. The dominant player in the Android game thus far has also failed to really give T-mobile the same type of customer rush AT&T has felt with the iPhone deep in its pocket. On the positive side, T-mobile continues to roll with JD power award after JD power award, for both customer service and call quality. Unfortunately, those awards don’t seem to materialize in significant gains for our beloved magenta. I received a very insightful email from a reader two days ago who made two very interest points that I would like to consider, 1) The Microsoft experience shows that inattention to details and poor user experience can relegate even a dominant player to the sidelines over time. On the other hand 2) Apple shows that even a small player with a well-developed idea can grow rapidly. With Sprint still suffering from the stigma of failed customer service and a plagued wireless network, with AT&T taking nothing but a beating in the press lately T-mobile is in the perfect position to capitalize on its strengths. For all its network awards, Verizon still suffers from the image of uber-expense and while T-mobile who rivals Verizon in almost every JD power award and has prices less than that of Verizon has yet to really exert that power. Forwarding customers to billshrink simply isn’t the right move, it’s not going to produce a sudden influx of millions of customers. That needs to happen by reputation, reliability and marketing. T-mobile needs to do more to showcase the strengths it has rather than its weaknesses and any good tech blogger worth a damn will tell you, pick the carrier first, and phone second. Whatever the end result of a Deutsche Telekom/Sprint Merger is, T-mobile USA needs to focus on the now, and what it can do without spending billions of dollars to swallow up one large competitor or a handful of tiny ones. Android is great, but it’s not the end all be all of wireless, T-mobile is ripe to make a move on both Sprint and AT&T without spending billions to acquire either. AT&T will continue to shoot itself in the foot with the iPhone network woes and Sprint, well Sprint will be Sprint and lose customers no matter what they bring to the table. So T-mobile, spend the money, don’t spend the money but acting fast to take advantage of one of the most exciting times in wireless isn’t just a recommendation right now, it’s a full blown necessity.

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With all this android talk recently, I have heard read a bunch of questions regarding the Samsung Android.  Well, I have been listening but haven’t found it entirely appropriate to comment on all the goings on in the tech world.  I warn you, what you are about to read is everything you need to know, and is known, about the Samsung Galaxy.  Some of what is to follow is made up of rumors, others facts, and maybe some personal opinion.  With that being said, head on past the break for all the information and then share your opinions, thoughts and beliefs in the comments.

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I know there are a large number of readers who just love Windows Mobile, up to and including our own Mystictrust. Personally, I think you are all in love with the worlds worst phone based operating system. I would rather be waterboarded than have to endure a day with Windows Mobile. I’d rather the Cubs never win a world series than go back to a Windows Mobile device in its current state. Thankfully, my thoughts are echoed by Launce Ulanoff of PCMag. He chooses stronger words for his thoughts on Windows Mobile “Windows Mobile is just plain awful. There. I’ve said it, and I feel pretty good. No, wait. Actually, I don’t because those words aren’t strong enough. Windows Mobile is a scourge, an embarrassment. It’s a mass of over-engineered effluvia that only serves to slow you down, get in your way, and make you miserable.” Using Windows Mobile to me is like the screeching of nails on a chalkboard in my third grade history class. I hate it, there I said it, and I hate it. I’m open to debate about it, but I’m just frustrated as hell trying to use it. I went into my local T-mobile store lately to test the TouchPro2. Mystic REALLY wants me to drop my unlocked iPhone, thinks it’s a shame that I use one and I think it’s a shame that he thinks the TP2 is the end all be all of phones.

I think it’s safe to say that we all look forward to what Windows Mobile 6.5 can bring to the table. Perhaps an operating system that doesn’t make me want to watch hours of White Sox World Series Championship videos. Few things could be more painful. Anyways, I think you should all give this a good once over, WM lover or not, it’s an interesting read.

PCMag

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Having owned a T-Mobile Dash since July 2007 and using it as my sole device for the past two years, the recent release of the Dash 3G surely got my attention as a possible new phone upgrade. Faster processing speeds, upgraded looks, a seemingly more ergonomical design, and what surely must be a host of new features were all what I was expecting when walking into a T-Mobile store to check the device out for myself. Being my first Windows Mobile phone, the Dash has certainly given me a positive experience and was able to do much more for me than the previous phones I held before it (Samsung e105, Nokia 3220, Motorola t720!!) so I had high hopes for this newest addition to the Windows Mobile team.

What follows is my [very lengthy] in-store impression of the device. I will be outlining any immediately noticeable changes that Dash users can expect with an upgrade to the 3G version of their device. For those who continue to read on, please keep in mind that I have flashed my Dash to an up-to-date, non-branded ROM with WM 6.1 updates that never made it to T-Mobile’s official ROMs, so my point of view may slightly differ from those of you who are entirely stock. Nevertheless, I will attempt to put forth my opinion based on if I still had that lovely T-Mobile branding all over the place.

For full images and to get a better idea of what Mystic is ranting/raving about head over to infoSync, see their review of the device here!

BONUS: David rants at the end with his iPhone-loving, Windows Mobile hating words of… wisdom? Well, I don’t think we should go that far, more like nuggets of bias and *cough*Apple fanboy-ism*cough*

Read the full story

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