A scary thought...what if Apple bought T-Mobile?

[kbohip]

I was talking to a friend today about Apple, more importantly Steve Jobs, and how he likes to have total control over what he sells. His company has done very well in keeping their stuff as proprietary as possible, which is why I steer clear of them. Anyway, I gave the iPhone as an example. Apple is the only company that makes the iphone, and it only runs one software that comes from Apple and is updated only when Apple feels like it. This is the same way as everything else they sell.

Anyway, I said it must really bug Steve that he can't control the network his phones run on. Then I had a terrible thought. His phones can run on T-Mobile without a problem right now. T-Mobile is the smallest US cell phone carrier and rumors are beginning to surface of a T-Mobile bankruptcy. Am I crazy to think that Jobs wouldn't be looking at this and thinking hmm....iNetwork?

Personally I'd HATE to see T-Mobile fold, much less get acquired by Apple. I love the service and prices, not to mention the excellent customer service I've encountered.

 

[ashykat]

This is kind of a random thought of a thread eh? Lol.

Well if it were to happen I'm sure apple would make T-Mobile profitable. But honestly the chances of this I think are slim to none.

 

[Zlanu]

Thing is, T-Mobile is owned by Deutsche Telekom. I doubt they'd allow T-Mobile to be sold off or bought over by Steve Jobs or anyone else for that matter.

If he does run an iNetwork, it would make more sense for his own line of phones, then iPhone users don't have to clog up AT&Ts 3G network with their shenanigans. >_>

 

[ari-free]

Apple is all about the looks and perception. They can't make a carrier signal look smooth and sexy (T-mobile already has Catherine Zeta Jones). I doubt they are interested in the 'boring' backend stuff that makes everything work.

 

[jree]

Tmo customer service would rank dead last

 

[Deleted User]

I am kind of surprised they don't have their own network and just lease space from AT&T. Evidently you can do that. I just got something in the mail yesterday about some provider called Credo Mobile. It looks like some liberal company that started their own cell company and lease airspace from Sprint. Or it is just Sprint themselves re-branded as a subsidiary. I could see Apple doing this as well. I think Disney does something like this as well.

 

[lexluthor]

Tmo customer service would rank dead last

You kidding? Tmo is generally known for solid customer service.

 

[cigar3tte]

If Apple got into the wireless provider business, maybe Google will follow.

That idea aside, I don't think anything bad would happen. AT&T is the one that does the crippling, not Apple. Google controls the Android Market, whatever Apple does with App Store won't affect us Android users.

Very unlikely scenario though, I'm sure Apple is looking to add iPhone to more providers, not just changing from AT&T-exclusive to TMO-exclusive.

 

[joe.filippello]

So who makes Blackberry phone for RIM? Who does the software? I am pretty sure I know the answer, but would like to know for sure. I think RIM does both as Apple is not the only one that does hardware and software for their own device.

 

[Deleted User]

So who makes Blackberry phone for RIM? Who does the software? I am pretty sure I know the answer, but would like to know for sure. I think RIM does both as Apple is not the only one that does hardware and software for their own device.

I could be wrong but I thought Motorola made their handsets. Been a while since I had a Blackberry but I remember seeing Motorola on the charger and I thought I saw it on the label inside the phone when I was doing one of the hundreds of battery pulls.

 

[krouget]

I'm actually not seeing what the scary part is. Unless its a fear of Apple opening its umbrella a bit, creating competition in the realm of carriers (bigger hit to AT&T, given they're the ones who would lose the exclusivity), I don't see what it would change.

Perhaps there is a fear of them banning rival phones on the network? Again, I'd think to run a successful network, they'd need to remain somewhat competitive (in plans/rates, offerings, etc.), unless they'd practically want to give customers to rivals. Running a network with one phone available seems counter-productive, and doesn't seem to yield any real benefit for the investment, over what they have in place now...so I think the likelihood is very slim.

 

[kbohip]

I'm actually not seeing what the scary part is. Unless its a fear of Apple opening its umbrella a bit, creating competition in the realm of carriers (bigger hit to AT&T, given they're the ones who would lose the exclusivity), I don't see what it would change.

Perhaps there is a fear of them banning rival phones on the network? Again, I'd think to run a successful network, they'd need to remain somewhat competitive (in plans/rates, offerings, etc.), unless they'd practically want to give customers to rivals. Running a network with one phone available seems counter-productive, and doesn't seem to yield any real benefit for the investment, over what they have in place now...so I think the likelihood is very slim.

You don't see what the scary part is...really? As a current T-Mobile user I'd have to disagree. If Apple did take over T-Mobile, the very first thing they would do would be to raise rates on all the plans, and get rid of unlimited data, at the very least. They definitely wouldn't want any competition on their network either so any one using anything other than an iPhone would be politely asked to leave. I definitely don't see Apple buying T-Mobile as a good thing for competition among carriers. If they ever did, there would be less competition among the other carriers. I agree with you that the chances of this happening are slim, but if ever there was a window of opportunity opening up for Apple....

 

[clitrenta]

I could be wrong but I thought Motorola made their handsets. Been a while since I had a Blackberry but I remember seeing Motorola on the charger and I thought I saw it on the label inside the phone when I was doing one of the hundreds of battery pulls.

Looked inside my work BB and didn't see anything about Motorola. The only thing I seen was a patent number by RIM who I think actually makes them and Blackberry which does the software. Although, way back when I first was getting Blackberries, it was with Nextel and I believe only Motorola was making the Push-To-Talk phones then which Nextel's BB's were. Hmmm

 

[socarwolverine]

You kidding? Tmo is generally known for solid customer service.

I think he means after they're acquired by Apple, not currently.

 

[cigar3tte]

You don't see what the scary part is...really? As a current T-Mobile user I'd have to disagree. If Apple did take over T-Mobile, the very first thing they would do would be to raise rates on all the plans, and get rid of unlimited data, at the very least. They definitely wouldn't want any competition on their network either so any one using anything other than an iPhone would be politely asked to leave. I definitely don't see Apple buying T-Mobile as a good thing for competition among carriers. If they ever did, there would be less competition among the other carriers. I agree with you that the chances of this happening are slim, but if ever there was a window of opportunity opening up for Apple....

I'm far from being an Apple fanboy, but you need to be reasonable here. You're putting AT&T's faults on Apple. Everything you've listed above is a problem with AT&T, not Apple. If Apple controlled AT&T, unlimited data plan will be the only option.

 

[Hrethgir]

You don't see what the scary part is...really? As a current T-Mobile user I'd have to disagree. If Apple did take over T-Mobile, the very first thing they would do would be to raise rates on all the plans, and get rid of unlimited data, at the very least. They definitely wouldn't want any competition on their network either so any one using anything other than an iPhone would be politely asked to leave. I definitely don't see Apple buying T-Mobile as a good thing for competition among carriers. If they ever did, there would be less competition among the other carriers. I agree with you that the chances of this happening are slim, but if ever there was a window of opportunity opening up for Apple....

If T-Mobile is having money problems now, if Apple did what you speculate, they would be bankrupt in a week. There is no way they could support an entire network for just 1 phone. Anyways, that's all speculation on your part, and while I do beleive that Steve Jobs is arrogant enough to think that people would willingly pay more to be on the iNetwork (and some would), they would lose so many other costomers that it would completely collapse very quickly. It would be great for AT&T, Verizon and Sprint though, because all those users would switch to one of them!

 

[jree]

I think he means after they're acquired by Apple, not currently.

Thank you. Just saw that post. I love Tmo's cust serv. Its one of, if not the only reason Im still with them. I wouldn't mind the iphone coming to Tmo for the competition that would force android makers to bring more phones to us. I don't want Steve Jobs here at all.

 

[woofermazing]

If T-Mobile is having money problems now, if Apple did what you speculate, they would be bankrupt in a week. There is no way they could support an entire network for just 1 phone. Anyways, that's all speculation on your part, and while I do believe that Steve Jobs is arrogant enough to think that people would willingly pay more to be on the iNetwork (and some would), they would lose so many other customers that it would completely collapse very quickly. It would be great for AT&T, Verizon and Sprint though, because all those users would switch to one of them!

I don't think Jobs would be that stupid. It's more likely they would phase out all the smart phones eventually for the iPhone, and leave a couple feature phones for anyone who wants to give their grandparents a phone or something.

I actually think this scenario would be really interesting. They could equip all their mobile devices with a network antenna so their users could be connected almost anywhere with no effort. A Google TV alternative would be pretty easy to roll out, assuming the network could handle it. Apple has always been obsessed with controlling the user experience, and this would give them unprecedented ability to do that.

 

[krouget]

You don't see what the scary part is...really? As a current T-Mobile user I'd have to disagree. If Apple did take over T-Mobile, the very first thing they would do would be to raise rates on all the plans, and get rid of unlimited data, at the very least. They definitely wouldn't want any competition on their network either so any one using anything other than an iPhone would be politely asked to leave. I definitely don't see Apple buying T-Mobile as a good thing for competition among carriers. If they ever did, there would be less competition among the other carriers. I agree with you that the chances of this happening are slim, but if ever there was a window of opportunity opening up for Apple....

The thing is, if Apple decided to get into the carrier business, it wouldn't necessarily benefit them to take the same approach as they do with their hardware and some software...if anything, they'd want people to use their network as they do iTunes, and develop practices to get consumers onto their network and into contracts. Raising rates and getting rid of unlimited plans is speculation, but getting rid of customers who have contracts which bring in money, isn't getting rid of competition-- its throwing away the most lucrative part of a cell phone deal. Also, the likelihood of someone switching to an Apple network, without the intent of buying an iPhone, seems pretty slim (Apple would have to be selling some killer non-iPhone plans). In general, ridding such a network of non-iPhone customers would only be throwing away money.

The investment in a network and all the infrastructure that goes with it, is a bit much when only pushing one phone, especially with a growing Android OS and other carriers as competition. As popular as the iPhone is, that's placing a lot of eggs in a single basket, and it earns no real benefit that Apple isn't already experiencing by staying with AT&T and being payed by AT&T to do so.

 

[thejdubb02]

Thing is, T-Mobile is owned by Deutsche Telekom. I doubt they'd allow T-Mobile to be sold off or bought over by Steve Jobs or anyone else for that matter.

If he does run an iNetwork, it would make more sense for his own line of phones, then iPhone users don't have to clog up AT&Ts 3G network with their shenanigans. >_>

I agree with both statements, especially the iPhone user shenanigans part.

TMobile, being owned by one of the largest (if not the largest) wireless carrier in the world isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Especially since over the last few years they have grown more and more.

Plus, it would be more likely that Google would buy a wireless carrier. They are the big spenders with the 'try or die' mentality. But they would have to go after a service that is weaker then TMobile... Sprint?