News
T-Mobile: Lack of iPhone costing customers
Reporting its third quarter fiscal results, T-Mobile U.S. parent Deutsche Telekom at least partially blamed the company’s lack of the iPhone for its struggles to keep contract customers. The Wall Street Journal reports that it cost T-Mobile in the U.S. $87 to keep an existing subscriber, up from $58 the year-ago quarter, while it paid out an average of $134 to acquire a new customer, up from $116 a year earlier. Still, the company lost 60,000 contract customers during the period, which Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann blamed on the iPhone. “Consumers like T-Mobile but they also want to have the iPhone,” which the company has no chance of getting in the short term, he said. The company also lost iPhone exclusivity in its home market of Germany, but the company feels it has more compelling offerings than rivals, and seems unconcerned by the loss.
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1
They’ll pick me up when I switch to an iPad. The iPad obviates the iPhone, so I would just need a very basic talk’n'text mobile phone to complement it. Like AT&T (and nearly the entire rest of the world), T-Mobile is a GSM carrier, so my travel needs are covered. Unlike AT&T, T-Mobile’s voice and messaging rates are more reasonably priced, and their customer service is far superior.
Posted by Farnsworth on November 5, 2010 at 6:05 AM (PST)
2
@ Farnsworth,
you just can’t put an iPad in your pocket.
I think people with your thinking is one reason that Jobs does not like the idea of a 7” iPad, it may cannibalize some people who would buy both.
don’t get me wrong, I am thinking just like you (other than I do not need to travel abroad)
Posted by scottrey on November 5, 2010 at 8:37 AM (PST)
3
I’m a T-Mobile customer. I’m tempted with the new Android phone because of the cheap data rates. I really want an iPhone though. I wish I could sue.
Posted by Mark on November 5, 2010 at 4:39 PM (PST)