Kevin Bostic
Finally striking a deal with Apple may just have kept T-Mobile from losing nearly half a million customers over the last quarter, according to a new report that examined the impact of the iPhone on America's fourth-largest carrier.
A new study out from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimates that between 300,000 and 400,000 total customers who would have otherwise left wound up staying with T-Mobile in the wake of the iPhone's launch on that carrier. According to The Wall Street Journal, CIRP's estimate is based on a survey of 500 phone activations occurring between April and June, with about 75 of those phone activations being on T-Mobile.
Even when the carrier didn't officially offer the iPhone, T-Mobile was somewhat reliant on Apple's handset. As many as one-in-five of T-Mobile's customers were using unlocked versions of the iPhone on the carrier's network. A survey of T-Mobile's customers found that, among those planning to change devices in the coming year, fully 28 percent planned to upgrade to an iPhone.
Following the device's launch in April, T-Mobile touted a "gangbusters" first day of sales, and there were reports of customers lining up outside of T-Mobile stores to get their hands on the iPhone 5. In the first month after launch, T-Mobile reported selling more than half a million iPhones.
If T-Mobile manages to slow, stop, or reverse customer migration, it would signal increased competition in the wireless service segment. So far, T-Mobile's competitors have continually benefited from the carrier's struggles, adding those customers that T-Mobile regularly shed. The addition of the iPhone, though, as well as novel mobile plan pricing structures, have given the fourth-largest carrier a somewhat better chance to compete against its much larger competitors.
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11 Comments
I'm hoping T-Mo does OK. They've struggled with exposure for some time. One big issue is their network coverage which my son complains about all the time. Pretty sure he intends to jump to another higher-priced provider soon because of it. Unfortunately for Sprint the iPhone hasn't bailed them out so I really hope T-Mo is more successful. I like what they're trying to do and the response it forces from the other providers.
T-Mobiles service is horrible. They have a commercial saying their voice network is better than AT&T's. Complete BS. Too bad they can't sell their network with its own features, but instead bad mouths its competition. Just like windows tablets. Pure crap.
I am one of those customers. AT&Ts network is far better than T-Mobile's ([At least in my areas of NC and FL] I came from ATT to TMO to save $$$ and regretted it for 2 years). I only stayed because of the iPhone. But now that I have an iPhone and my bill will decrease after i finish paying my phone off I am willing to stay. Without it I would have gone to ATT or Verizon.
[quote name="jsheffie" url="/t/158858/apples-iphone-may-have-kept-400k-customers-from-leaving-t-mobile#post_2372951"]I am one of those customers. AT&Ts network is far better than T-Mobile's ([At least in my areas of NC and FL] I came from ATT to TMO to save $$$ and regretted it for 2 years). I only stayed because of the iPhone. But now that I have an iPhone and my bill will decrease after i finish paying my phone off I am willing to stay. Without it I would have gone to ATT or Verizon.[/quote] So you're not saying their service has improved, but that you can put up with the bad service since you are using an iPhone? BTW. I've been a TMO customer since 2004 and am using an unlocked iPhone 4S.
T-Mobiles service is horrible. They have a commercial saying their voice network is better than AT&T's. Complete BS. Too bad they can't sell their network with its own features, but instead bad mouths its competition. Just like windows tablets. Pure crap.
Service all depends on where you are. For example, in the Bay Area (where I live) T-mobile has good coverage and good network.
admittedly, AT&T does penetrate walls better, and still is a bit better overall.
So you're not saying their service has improved, but that you can put up with the bad service since you are using an iPhone? BTW. I've been a TMO customer since 2004 and am using an unlocked iPhone 4S.
That kinda confuses me to. Although, the fact that t-mobile offers such realistic service and billing and such is a good draw.
Soon the USA telecoms start to look like the European ones the better! :)
-QAMF