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Chris Jacob
So all of this buzz and Non-Disclosures, for revamped plans? The only thing that would make this worthwhile is a superfast, superwide network rollout. #tmobileprojectdark
There has never been an "thats all" with the rumored "project black". From the very beginning it was pegged as a three fold approach, new plans, new phones, and better service. Just because we got a bit more information on one part doesn't void the other parts. #tmobileprojectdark
@HeartBurnKid: Agent of R.O.A.C.H.: Eh, it depends on how you look at it. Realistically I say its more of a game changer then we thought before because now the focus is going to go to pre-paid "flex" plans, which I have no problem with.
What have been the major flaws of US cell phone service for a long time? Contracts and "locking" you into a phone for that contract. If I can skip all of that and still get a great (even better) price on the plan, it really does shake things up.
If nothing else its going to get rid of the specter that went with pre-paid plans. If the general consumer starts to see that that isn't there (that is that flex pay is just for poor people with bad credit) they've really changed the game.
If I'm going to get a great phone, with no contract, and unlimited everything for $80 its a revolution for me.
I'm surprised by Gizmodo on each and everyone of their Project Dark pieces... Let me explain this for you.
They are NOT subsidizing a phone on the no contract plan. You are paying FULL price, therefore they do not need to recoup losses by charging you more on your monthly bill, they can SAVE YOU MONEY because they DIDN'T give you anything...
The contract plan is more because it's 1 million percent obvious that will remain the same, and they will GIVE you a SUBSIDIZED phone. So they are recouping their 500 dollar loss (assuming you get a Blackberry or something for free at a Best Buy Mobile) by charging you 10 dollars extra a month.
You still will SAVE MONEY if you get a phone that costs 240.01 dollars or more on a contract, you will spend MORE money if you get a phone 239.99 or less for free on contract. Without getting technical and counting taxes... #tmobileprojectdark
Even More Double Dog Dare Plus plan
• $50 for voice/SMS/data, everything unlimited.
• $30 for unlimited talk and SMS.
• $20 for unlimited voice only.
• Pre-paid
• Requires T-Mobile Logo Forehead Tattoo
I already have unlimited everything, and I pay a lot less than $100. Looks like the "pre-pay" is a teeeeeny bit cheaper than what I'm paying, but I'm not exactly sure what "pre-pay" means - they'll charge my credit card BEFORE I use it? #tmobileprojectdark
@jethro1138: It means no contract. You're not locked into a single carrier for two years. Now, which would you prefer? Paying what you're paying now for two years or paying a teeeeeny bit less than you're paying now for however long as you dang well please?
@OCEntertainment: I'd looove to not have a contract, and sadly I just had to up for another 2 years because my old (5-year old) phone had died. What I don't understand now is why the no-contract seems to be cheaper?... #tmobileprojectdark
I'm holding out until I see the details of this, but unless I'm misreading this (or the rumors are wrong), the Even More Plus Plan offers close to the same service I have now (300 minutes/unlimited SMS/data, $80/month), yet *without* the contract. That would honestly be the biggest draw for me.
It looks like the extra packages at the bottom offer a way to mix and match plans. Like the unlimited data plan for smartphones (Talk plan only) gives you a method to get unlimited data and voice without paying for SMS.
And interestingly, the Unlimited Web for Other Phones add-on, that you can get with unlimited voice/SMS plan gets you unlimited everything, but for cheaper than you would if you had a smartphone....
There's all manner of really awesome in this project, I think. Can't wait. #tmobileprojectdark
@acispades: Agreed. I can only assume it has something to do with the phones that are available to you or something. Maybe you get the subsidized price on some phones, versus paying full price/installment plan on a pre-paid.
BWAHAHAHA. Look at all you Poors just lapping up the rent-to-own bullshit plan from El-Cheapo TMo.
What's the matter? Can't afford an iPhone?
I'm really sick and tired of hearing all this fucking iPhone bashing from people too fucking poor to buy an iPhone. Just because life took a dump on you doesn't give you the right to take a dump on the iPhone. Admit it - the iPhone is the greatest phone ever invented (and I include the phone that Alistair Gramm Bell invented).
"WAAAH! I'm so fucking poor! WAAAAH! I can't pay my phone bill with WELFARE! WAAAH! Obama won't buy me iPhones with his stimulus bill! WAAAAH! Pay me for being a Poor!"
All you people who bitch about iPhones are just Poors and you deserve to be shot. #tmobileprojectdark
@AmphetamineCrown: Maybe they cut some type of deal to rent it from att? I hope thats what this "project dark" is about, maybe to bring service to dead areas?
You know T-mobile has offered phones on installment plans like that for awhile. Not something that most people take advantage of though. In fact it was pretty much scoffed at when they first launched it. #tmobileprojectdark
@krische: See that would be part of the whole project black roll out, more coverage with higher speeds in more areas. Might not be what you need now but odds are it will be. #tmobileprojectdark
@eljeffe666: Why wouldn't it happen? Lots of people use T-Mobile with their iPhone, myself included. I think Apple should bring the iPhone to every carrier, or at least the big 4. Competition = good #tmobileprojectdark
@BK Beezy: It's not your fault you don't know what you are talking about--frankly most people believe the same crap you seem to have swallowed. Let's review the bidding. AT&T = GSM/HSPA in 850 MHz, 1.9 GHz, LTE in 700 MHz (planned). T-Mo= GSM/HSPA in 1.9 GHz, 1.7/2.1 GHz. Sprint = CDMA in 2.1 GHz, WiMax in 2.5 GHz. Verizon = CDMA/Rev. A in 850 MHz, 1.9 GHz, LTE in 700 MHz (planned).
Looks like it would really take some major redesign to "bring the iPhone to every carrier," no? If every AT&T customer with an iPhone could--and did--take their iPhone to T-Mo, they would shit, because the iPhone won't talk to their high speed network at 1.7/2.1 GHz, and if you think AT&T has capacity issues with the iPhone, it would absolutely cripple T-Mo's 1.9 GHz network--T-Mo doesn't have anywhere near the spectrum of AT&T.
The Apple exclusive with AT&T was *Apple's* choice. They calculated they would get more money out of working with AT&T than any other carrier. That IS competition. #tmobileprojectdark
@nachobel: Actually, it is. This is real live RF engineering, not that pretend software engineering you probably do. Besides, if it was so cheap, why didn't they do it? You really think you are smarter than Steve Jobs? You really think they wouldn't have given themselves broader options if they could have consistent with their cost structure? The air interfaces are different, the radios are different, the protocols are different. You are talking about completely different devices from a radio perspective. Why do you think there are so few "world" phones? Because it is too fucking expensive to put additional RF layers in the phone and most people won't tolerate the added cost.
@zoolook: Yeah, that is why the Curve for AT&T is the 8300 and the Curve for Verizon is the 8330. Try taking your 8330 and activating it on AT&T. Let me say this slowly. It. Is. A. Different. Phone. With. The. Same. Name.
*Runding: You really think Jobs didn't make a decision on the strategic issue of incorporating incorporating additional RF circuitry to have a credible threat at portability for the iPhone?
*I wanted to reply, but seriously didn't want my name associated with promoting your post, even in this limited context. #tmobileprojectdark
I really don't know why people even care. 21Mbps is more then ovder 95% who read this have at there homes. How fast can your phone load a mobile web page?
@fleebailey33: Well, for starters, they probably care because your 95% is completely pulled out of the air, and likely overwhelmingly wrong. Recently Lifehacker pulled a poll of their users (which is likely not gonna be a much different type of readership than here at Giz), and a little over 75% of the people in that poll were rockin' something under 18.
Not only that, but that is, as you said, at home. Not your cell network. And barring anything else, this makes the network roomier for folks who are on it.
Your question about how fast the phone can load the web page, however is legitimate, and will probably end up the bottleneck. I'll give you that.
10/21/09
10/21/09
There has never been an "thats all" with the rumored "project black". From the very beginning it was pegged as a three fold approach, new plans, new phones, and better service. Just because we got a bit more information on one part doesn't void the other parts. #tmobileprojectdark
10/21/09
10/21/09
What have been the major flaws of US cell phone service for a long time? Contracts and "locking" you into a phone for that contract. If I can skip all of that and still get a great (even better) price on the plan, it really does shake things up.
If nothing else its going to get rid of the specter that went with pre-paid plans. If the general consumer starts to see that that isn't there (that is that flex pay is just for poor people with bad credit) they've really changed the game.
If I'm going to get a great phone, with no contract, and unlimited everything for $80 its a revolution for me.
10/21/09
Look at the box underneath the plans that says: Additional Add-ons Unlimited Web for Smartphones #tmobileprojectdark
10/21/09
10/21/09
They are NOT subsidizing a phone on the no contract plan. You are paying FULL price, therefore they do not need to recoup losses by charging you more on your monthly bill, they can SAVE YOU MONEY because they DIDN'T give you anything...
The contract plan is more because it's 1 million percent obvious that will remain the same, and they will GIVE you a SUBSIDIZED phone. So they are recouping their 500 dollar loss (assuming you get a Blackberry or something for free at a Best Buy Mobile) by charging you 10 dollars extra a month.
You still will SAVE MONEY if you get a phone that costs 240.01 dollars or more on a contract, you will spend MORE money if you get a phone 239.99 or less for free on contract. Without getting technical and counting taxes... #tmobileprojectdark
10/21/09
10/21/09
• $50 for voice/SMS/data, everything unlimited.
• $30 for unlimited talk and SMS.
• $20 for unlimited voice only.
• Pre-paid
• Requires T-Mobile Logo Forehead Tattoo
10/21/09
10/21/09
10/21/09
10/22/09
10/21/09
It looks like the extra packages at the bottom offer a way to mix and match plans. Like the unlimited data plan for smartphones (Talk plan only) gives you a method to get unlimited data and voice without paying for SMS.
And interestingly, the Unlimited Web for Other Phones add-on, that you can get with unlimited voice/SMS plan gets you unlimited everything, but for cheaper than you would if you had a smartphone....
There's all manner of really awesome in this project, I think. Can't wait. #tmobileprojectdark
10/21/09
10/21/09
But a perk like that aside, yeah, it makes no sense. #tmobileprojectdark
10/18/09
What's the matter? Can't afford an iPhone?
I'm really sick and tired of hearing all this fucking iPhone bashing from people too fucking poor to buy an iPhone. Just because life took a dump on you doesn't give you the right to take a dump on the iPhone. Admit it - the iPhone is the greatest phone ever invented (and I include the phone that Alistair Gramm Bell invented).
"WAAAH! I'm so fucking poor! WAAAAH! I can't pay my phone bill with WELFARE! WAAAH! Obama won't buy me iPhones with his stimulus bill! WAAAAH! Pay me for being a Poor!"
All you people who bitch about iPhones are just Poors and you deserve to be shot. #tmobileprojectdark
10/18/09
"Hmm." Looks around. "Who are all these people?" "Weekend crowd must be from the 'burbs." #tmobileprojectdark
10/18/09
10/17/09
Right now for my area its totally dead for Tmobile #tmobileprojectdark
10/17/09
10/17/09
Thats my hope at least #tmobileprojectdark
10/17/09
10/17/09
10/17/09
10/17/09
10/17/09
Hopefully that is what they are planning on doing. #tmobileprojectdark
10/17/09
10/17/09
10/17/09
10/17/09
Looks like it would really take some major redesign to "bring the iPhone to every carrier," no? If every AT&T customer with an iPhone could--and did--take their iPhone to T-Mo, they would shit, because the iPhone won't talk to their high speed network at 1.7/2.1 GHz, and if you think AT&T has capacity issues with the iPhone, it would absolutely cripple T-Mo's 1.9 GHz network--T-Mo doesn't have anywhere near the spectrum of AT&T.
The Apple exclusive with AT&T was *Apple's* choice. They calculated they would get more money out of working with AT&T than any other carrier. That IS competition. #tmobileprojectdark
10/17/09
Competition = good.
Good = not company policy.
therefore
Competition = not company policy.
This works with a variety of other situations.
--Google Voice app on iPhone = good.
--Hulu on Boxee = good.
-- Easy to understand instructions on IKEA-knock-off furniture that doesn't rely solely on friggin' ambiguous not-to-scale diagrams = good.
Seriously. I'm gonna break this friggin' end table. #tmobileprojectdark
10/18/09
Like, super duper hard. #tmobileprojectdark
10/18/09
@zoolook: Yeah, that is why the Curve for AT&T is the 8300 and the Curve for Verizon is the 8330. Try taking your 8330 and activating it on AT&T. Let me say this slowly. It. Is. A. Different. Phone. With. The. Same. Name.
Got it? #tmobileprojectdark
10/18/09
*I wanted to reply, but seriously didn't want my name associated with promoting your post, even in this limited context. #tmobileprojectdark
10/10/09
10/10/09
Not only that, but that is, as you said, at home. Not your cell network. And barring anything else, this makes the network roomier for folks who are on it.
Your question about how fast the phone can load the web page, however is legitimate, and will probably end up the bottleneck. I'll give you that.