Neil Hughes
Outspoken T-Mobile U.S. Chief Executive John Legere published a series of predictions on Tuesday for what he thinks lies ahead in 2015 in the wireless industry, and revealed he has big expectations for the upcoming Apple Watch.
T-Mobile CEO John Legere
Legere said he believes the Apple Watch will "mark the tipping point when wearables go from niche to mainstream," he wrote in a new blog post. To him, 2015 will mark the true beginning of the wearables market thanks to Apple, as he believes current devices do not yet show the potential of wearable electronics.
The T-Mobile CEO cited a projection from Transparency Market Research, which believes that the wearables market could balloon to $20 billion in sales within the next few years.
The Apple Watch is scheduled to become available in early 2015 with a starting price of $350, though Apple has not provided any more specific details. The company's highly anticipated entrance into the wearable devices market will initially be limited to iPhone users, as the Apple Watch requires connection with an iPhone for regular use.
In his post on Tuesday, Legere also touched on the growing market for so-called "phablet" style smartphones — Â a space that Apple entered this year with its 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. T-Mobile's leader said he expects that phablet sales will continue to grow in 2015, and predicted that sales will rise at least 50 percent next year.
Growing demand for phablets will continue to cannibalize the tablet market, Legere believes. He also said that larger form factor smartphones will further drive demand for mobile data use.
Since taking over the wireless carrier, Legere has earned a reputation for being outspoken and honest, helping to grow T-Mobile's customer base against rivals AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. He also predicted Tuesday that T-Mobile will officially become the No. 3 largest wireless carrier in America next year, surpassing Sprint thanks to its continued focus on so-called "Un-carrier" strategies that are pro-consumer.
In its latest announcement, T-Mobile revealed it will begin rolling over unused data from month to month, rather than resetting the cap for each billing cycle. Each Data Stash plan will start with 10 gigabytes of 4G LTE data for free through Dec. 31, 2015.
Legere, the mastermind of the "Un-carrier" strategy, has said he's been blown away by consumer demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which launched in September.
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60 Comments
Reminds me of me when I took LSD.
Have T-Mobile. With the exception of a few dead spots in my city, it's been absolutely fantastic. I stream iTunes Radio from 7a til 10p. Forgot that AM/FM still exists. Audio quality is unlike any other carrier I've been with. Converted my family and my significant other's family to T-Mobile. Never looked back. And the data roll-over is pissing off a lot of my friends that are stuck in contracts. Sucks to be with anyone else.
I love this guy and the image he creates for the company.
However, I am bound to AT&T - Their coverage and speeds cannot yet be challenged by them. A charismatic CEO is great, but I need service, too.
Yes, Apple Watch will require an iPhone. But I'm curious where iPhone has to be. Apple's web page says Apple Watch has wifi, meaning theoretically, the Watch can connect to the iPhone via any wifi network. The Connectivity functions with iPhone to Yosemite phone calls requires the same network, so it is plausible the Watch->iPhone connection will require that. But maybe not?
"Early 2015" is only hours away.
Yeah, I'm not convinced that "wearables" will go mainstream when the Apple Watch is released. But it will certainly bring mainstream awareness to the concept as it has not been in that past. Will people start wearing them? I'm not convinced.
But I do believe "phablets" will continue to be a growing market segment, if only on the low end of the market spectrum where people can't afford both a tablet and a phone and make the compromise for less money than both, while also getting the very latest technology -- at least as far as Apple is concerned.