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I am a T-Mobile customer. I love them. Unlimited GPRS for $5.99 a month rules.
This recent news however makes me want to see the resignation of people in corporate management effective immediately:
Testing some T-Mobile phones recently, I once again ran into T-Mobile’s annoying policy of banning third-party applications from accessing the Internet on their phones. Like so many infringements on our liberties, this started stealthily with a few devices but now covers their entire product line.This means T-Mobile feature phone users are prohibited from surfing the Web with Opera Mini, checking maps on Google Local for Mobile, listening to podcasts with Mobilcast, and using any other form of software not pre-approved by T-Mobile.
T-Mobile cites meaningless "security" concerns as reasons for attempting to severely cripple the mobile software development industry, but their hypocrisy is painfully clear when you remember that these apps work fine on T-Mobile’s network, using T-Mobile SIM cards, if you buy your phone directly from a manufacturer like NokiaUSA.com.
This idiotic policy doesn’t even work in T-Mobile’s interests. Third party software encourages people to use data services, which encourages them to sign up for data plans, which makes T-Mobile money. A more liberal policy on mobile apps also might help the nation’s #4 carrier win customers away from control freaks like Verizon, with their strictly limited set of applications.
T-Mobile’s motto is "get more." So it’s painfully ironic that nowadays, they let you "get less" — locking out much of what their phones can do in a pointless, incomprehensible attempt at control. My solution: instead of buying phones through T-Mobile, go direct to manufacturers or through independent retailers that offer non-T-Mobile-branded GSM phones, then drop your T-Mobile SIM card in. (It’ll work fine.) That way you’ll get your T-Mobile service, and much, much "more."
Phone Boy is absolutely right! There is a meme happening right now! Users are revolting!
How thick headed do you have to be to lock people out of using data? o_0
After all if your customers want to use data, get this: they’ll want a data plan! That means revenue last time I checked. What happens when they learn all they have to do to get around your little crippled devices is to buy unlocked retail units?
In other news: Sprint, the last operator I would think of as innovative, announced an all you can eat plan:
Sprint is about to test run its new all-access plans on its customers living in the SF area. First up is the Unlimited Access Pack which gives you unlimited voice, messaging, and mobile Web for $120/month—not bad if you’re a heavy smartphone user who’s been going over your monthly plan. An additional plan adds Internet access for your home PC for a total of $150/month. No word on whether these plans will become permanent or whether they’ll be rolled out elsewhere, so it all depends on how the SF crowd embraces them.
Sure it may be in San Francisco only but it is the start of something huge. Damn you Sprint, I wish you were GSM!
I usually don’t like writing about operators but lately I’ve just had such a blood lust. They are the sole reason my fellow man doesn’t have the latest and greatest Europe and Japan have to offer.
It is time Nokia, Sony or Samsung started a campaign informing consumers about freedom.
"Let the SIM set you free." Who wants to make some t-shirts?
About The Author
Stefan Constantinescu
Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.
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