If you are a T-Mobile UK customer, you might want to perk your ears up just a tad as your carrier of choice (or force) may either be forced to merge, or even sold in the near future.  The cause, you guessed it, poor sales.  Deutsche Telekom and their two main shareholders, Black Stone and the German Government, have announced that because of “under performing” T-Mobile UK may be forced into a merger with another telco operator, or even sold.  What are the fine and loyal customers of T-Mobile UK to do?  Cross their fingers and hold their breath as the actual outcome is still uncertain.  Obviously, shareholders and company execs are hoping for a merger if it does come to it as at least they can still operate.  It is not currently known what the subscriber base would experience if it does in fact come down to a sale.  While it isn’t the happiest of news for a Saturday, at least knowing and having the time to prepare to switch if need be brings a little piece of mind. Right?

Source: Pocket-Lint, Image Source

That shiny and swanky new Berry or HTC device while the top of your digital world now (or then), will at some point become old and busted.  Or, you simply may just grow tired of it or be completely wowed by the next latest and greatest mobile device.  Whatever the case, T-Mobile, RIM, and HTC want to let you know that they are in fact thinking of you and have teamed up with a pretty trade-in deal.  The gist of the operation includes you sending back your old phone, (must be in working condition), in which your handset device manufacturer will send you a coupon good for up to $75 off of a new device.  Sweet!  Below is how the switch will go (per Cellphone Signal):

1. Print, bookmark, or email yourself this e-coupon so you have it handy
2. Buy and activate a BlackBerry device with T-Mobile - either online or at any retail location
3. Go online to www.recyclerebates.com/tm-rim and use the password flipyourcurve for access.
4. Fill in some info about your old phone and print out a free shipping label
5. Send in all of the below items before April 30th, 2009 (letter must be post-marked prior to April 30th, 2009)
   1. The old phone
   2. A copy of the UPC code from the box of your new BlackBerry smartphone
   3. A copy of the invoice/receipt from the purchase of your new BlackBerry smartphone

   Tip: ask the sales rep to make copies of these before you leave the store!

6. Once the old phone is received, we will mail you a check for a minimum of $75*

Note: please pack up your old phone carefully with lots of padding - when we receive it, it must be in the condition you specified on the website or you will not get the $75*. Additional terms and conditions on request.

If you need more information, you can find RIM’s requirements here, or HTC’s here.  Any money towards a new mobile device is always welcome, especially in this economy.  Way to go T-Mo, RIM, and HTC!

Source: Cellphone Signal, *Image Source: CDN Layer*

Are you the type of person who can’t stand dealing with the annoyance of monthly bills from here and there and wish you could pay lump sums once a year?  Why you frugal saver you.  If in fact that is you, T-Mobile UK is rolling out a new plan that really isn’t that bad at all.  For $265 per year, you get unlimited data, web access, and email, plus a Blackberry Pearl 8110.  For the less than capapble human calculators that equates to roughly $22/month for data access.  A pretty sweet deal in most necks of the woods in the jungle that is the world.  Of course, minutes, texts, and MMS messages are still payed monthly on top of your annual data payment.  But still, once the big payment is out of the way, you monthly bills are substantially cheaper.  Now if only we could get slightly more updated Berries for that plan, then we’d be talkin’.  Montly haters, will this annual scheme win you over?

Source: Engadget Mobile, Opt Development

Mobile photographers and T-Mobile customers will now have something to let their inner artist shine forth.  The Sony Ericsson CS8 has just mades its way through the FCC’s oh so secretive halls bringing to T-Mo some pretty serious digital goods underneath the hood.  What kind of goods?

• 8.1 Megapixel
• GPS
• WiFi (No UMA?)???
• Stereo Bluetooth
• FM Radio
• Your typical T-MO USA spectrum coverage plus 1700/2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA

You’ll notice the “No UMA” after WiFi.  For whatever reason, UMA is not supported by this model.  Why, again, I don’t know.  It seems like a pretty solid option and is pretty stupid whatever the reason is to leave out of one of T-Mobile’s higher end cellphones.  Oh well, hopefully the rest of the feature set makes up for it.  Aside from the list above there isn’t anything too earth shattering do get all drooly over.  Disappointed?

Source: Boy Genius

Whether or not T-Mobile USA wants to admit that the HTC Maple is coming to them is a moot point as the FCC will do the talking for us.  As seen in the image above, the Maple has made its way through the oh so secretive halls of the FCC and has finally had its spec sheet outted into the public limelight for all to see.  How do we know it’s coming to T-Mobile USA?  That 1700MHz spectrum is solely used by T-Mo meaning if its coming stateside (which it is), that is the only place it could possibly be going.  The Maple will be a welcome addition to a 3G lineup that is currently downright depressing.  A quick recap of the specs of the Maple are as follows:

• 400MHz CPU
• 128MB RAM/ROM (each)
• 2.4″ LCD screen
• 2MP digital camera
• WiFI/GPS/Bluetooth 2.0
• 4-row full qwerty keyboard

So T-MO/WinMo users, you will finally have your “wonder” device complete with 3G speeds.  Now you just have to live within the minisucle foot print that T-MO currently offers 3G.  Start saving!

Source: HTC Source, Cell Phone Signal

T-Mo fans and speed freaks rejoice if your name is on the list above as it supposedly includes the cities to be graced with a little 1700 MHz T-Mo love the second through fourth quarters of 2009.  Don’t dump your hard earned money that you were saving for dinner with the wife quite yet as the list above isn’t yet confirmed.  However, it looks pretty  legit so I would hazard a guess and say you could at least head to the bank.  T-Mo better keep the pace up and moving fast as possible…4G is just around the corner.  Please T-Mo, be on the leading edge of tech in the future.

Source: Gizmodo, Tmo News

T-Mobile while not being the largest carrier, or a carrier with the best call quality, is a resilliant company that at least fights the good fight.  Their latest conquest comes in the form of breaking the traditional cellular carrier mold and moving (as Verizon and AT&T have started) towards home phones/media hubs.  The latest announcemnts come by way of leaked information based on “confidential documents obtained from a partner of T-Mo” detailing both a home phone and a tablet PC launching in the first half of 2010.  Said devices and others to follow will supposedly be based around Android.  Excited?

Read More… »

The outrage that Google and the Android team would have the nerve to remove software, specifically tethering apps from an “open source” app store has caused angry cries all of the web.  Well there is some good news to report this morning.  It appears Google is reinstating the tethering apps except with one small attached string — T-Mobile U.S.A. users are locked out from using the app.

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Android and the Android Marketplace have been hailed as the “most open” app store.  Developers and consumers have free rein.  Besdies, Android is based off of Linux meaning everything should be up to the user base anyway…right?   Wrong?  According to a peeved Android developer who goes by Seth, an app he contributed towards was banned from the Marketplace for violating the Developer Distribution Agreement, more specifically a T-Mobile clause that bans tethering.  His app isn’t the only one though.  Apparently it is happening to other tethering apps.  Why?  T-Mob had something to say about it (inside).  Is this a sign of darker things to come from the Android/T-Mobile alliance?

Read More… »

T-Mobile/Android users should feel a little better about themselves this morning as a picture of an HTC Magic (Sapphire) with a nice little T-Mobile logo centered right above the screen.  If you recall Google’s little Gmail demo last month, they showcased an HTC Magic that happned to have a T-Mobile logo just like the one above, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, and a particularly obscure band in the 1700MHz spectrum meaning we can expect it for T-Mobile USA *fingers crossed*.  It isn’t long folks before we get the next latest and greatest piece of Android goodness in our hands!

Source: Engadget, Cellphone Signal

If you are a numbers geek or just like to know how much minutes, texts, etc. you have left on your T-Mobile plan and have an Android device, today is your lucky day.  T-Mobile has officially released their first Android app called “My Account”.  My Account is pretty straight forward as it tells you details such as minutes used/unused, texts used/unused, etc.  T-Mobile took the app one step further however as you can also make payments on your account within the app!  And the cherry on top is that the app also gives you a bill summary that includes your balance, due date, and plan information.  AT&T…where’s the iPhone “My Account” app?  Oh that’s right, you’re too busy screwing your customers and counting your dollar bills to care. *sigh*  The T-Mobile My Account app is free to download in the Marketplace.  Get to it people.

Source: Andronica, Android and Me

Big Red users…Verizon while still the American giant of years past isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, however their call quality is.  According to the latest JD Power reports, Verizon gained an entire 1% in the “calls dropped” category.  Hardly a big loss, but something that shows maybe the tide is changing.  In a surprising turn of events, AT&T and Sprint have actually had the amount of complaints regarding call quality and connection problems drop.  I guess they haven’t tested AT&T here in Indiana.  All small talk aside, Verizon still leads overall in JD Power’s list so the other carriers still have some work that needs to be done.  Take a minute to tell us what region you live in, carrier, and so far how you like/dislike them below.

Source: Mobile Burn

The Unlimited Loyalty plans that we talked about a week or two ago are now live everywhere!  Apparently, the test ins San Francisco went pretty darn well as the rest of the nation can now enjoy lower rates than everyone other carrier for unlimited calling plans.  Just for a quick refresh, if you’ve been with T-Mo for 22 or more months and haven’t missed any bills, you’re able to take advantage of T-Mo’s Loyalty plans.  So…do you really talk that much to need unlimited minutes?  Meh, whatever the case, the plans are ready and waiting for you.

Source: BGR, Phonescoop

*Modem is from T-Mobile UK NOT T-Mobile USA*

With all the talk of 4G, WiMax, and LTE flying around, poor T-Mobile must feel pretty lonely.  While other carriers have had 3G services for years, the late bloomer of the bunch, TMO is still in the first year of their own 3G network.  Up until now, if you wanted to pick up a nice laptop USB modem so you could enjoy TMO’s new found speed, you would have been sorely disappointed as they didn’t have one.  That was then…this is now.  March 25th is being tossed around as the date in which T-Mob will join the year 2005 and release the webConnect USB modem allowing data usage where ever you can get a signal.  Similar offerings form Verizon and AT&T go for $59.99 per month and allow up to 5GB of data transfer per month.  Unfortunately instead of undercutting the competition as they often do, they have decided that the $59.99 is just right along with the 5GB cap.  However, the bigger letdown is that you cannot purchase the USB modem alone.  You have to have at least one line of voice service in conjunction with the data plan.  Double ouch.  They don’t call them T-Mob for nothing!

Source: Engadget Mobile, Boy Genius, Trusted Reviews *pic*

If you are lucky enough to currently reside in San Francisco, use T-Mobile as your cellular carrier, have been with them for more than 22 months, and don’t have any issues with past billing, T-Mobile would like to share something with you.  If you meet the requirements above you are now eligible for T-Mobile’s pilot program of their Unlimited “Loyalty” voice plans.  What’s the big deal?  Only that unlimited calling starts at the rock bottom price of $49.99/month.  Want more?  Unlimited data comes in at $24.99/month and unlimited texts bring up the rear at $9.99/month.  If you are of the John Wayne type who doesn’t like limits, all 3 services can be had for the very affordable price of $84.97 making it by far one of the best unlimited plans.  If you’re not alone in your life and need more than just one line, $89.99 will net you two unlimited lines with each additional unlimited line (up to 3) coming in at $39.99/month.  T-Mobile definitely has something here if this does in fact materialize into a national launch.  Hopefully the San Fran pilot goes well as I know several people who would snap up this frugal offering from TMO.  March 1st is the date to look forward to as rumors circulating the web point to that day as the national launch day…only 10 days from now.  Will they launch Loyalty plans nationally?  We’ll just have to wait and see.

Source: Boy Genius, Cellphone Signal