Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Snubbed by Apple, T-Mobile Looks Beyond the iPhone

T-Mobile must feel like the only kid in the class who didnt get invited to the party of the year.

Its the only one of the nation’s four major wireless carriers that wont be selling the iPhone 4S, the new Apple device that officially goes on sale Friday and has already generated record numbers of pre-orders. The other big domestic carrier that was previously left out of the iPhone party, Sprint Nextel, finally struck a deal with Apple to carry the iPhone, joining AT&T and Verizon Wireless.The T-Mobile model won’t be pitching an iPhone.
T-Mobile is performing a balancing act in responding to the snub. The carrier is clearly disappointed it doesnt have the iPhone. Its chief marketing officer, Cole Brodman, wrote a blog post addressed to its customers last month that said the iPhone is a great device and Apple knows that wed like to add it to our line-up. T-Mobile executives say the decision is up to Apple, not the carrier.

But T-Mobile is also gently thumbing its nose at Apples star product. It began selling two new smartphones on Wednesday — the HTC Amaze 4G and Samsung Galaxy S II — and its executives say both of them outclass the new iPhone in a couple of different areas.

Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing at T-Mobile, said the phones, both of which are based on Googles Android operating system, have bigger screens and better cameras than the iPhone 4S. While the first claim is indisputable, Apple has also boasted of greatly improved photo-taking in its new iPhone, and Mr. Sherrard said he hadnt yet had the benefit of a hands-on evaluation of the iPhone 4S.

He also said the T-Mobile 4G wireless network will deliver faster network speeds than the iPhone will enjoy on rival networks.

Mr. Sherrard said T-Mobile planned to market really aggressively against the new iPhone, as it had in the recent past. Since last year, the carrier has been running television commercials that send up Apples well-known Mac vs. PC advertisements, with the part of T-Mobiles myTouch 4G phone played by a perky young woman in a dress and Apple and its carrier partners represented by bumbling men.

T-Mobile also says it has a wireless family plan that offers a cheaper monthly bill than rival carriers offer for the iPhone. But its two new phones are actually more expensive than the iPhone 4S. The Samsung device costs $230 and the HTC phone is $260, both with two-year wireless contracts, while the new iPhone 4S starts at $199.

People want to make an investment in a phone and keep it for years, Mr. Sherrard said. Even at that price, they will choose to get a higher-quality product.

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