T-Mobile Announces Uncarrier 6, Streaming Music that won’t touch Your Data
Tonight was the T-Mobile Uncarrier 5 event in Seattle. It was pretty awesome. John is a funny guy. We will get to the Uncarrier 5 stuff in a minute, it was pretty cool, but he also announced Uncarrier 6, which is pretty damn cool if you ask me. With Uncarrier 6 T-mobile is working to set music free. Rather than force you to have an unlimited plan so you can stream to your heart’s content, they have made the top 7 music streaming apps available without touching your data plans.
Of course this only matters to those on the simple choice plans who have a set high-speed data limit. The services they announced are Pandora, iHeartRadio, Rhapsody, Slacker, Spotify, and iTunes Radio. There are two more though, Samsung’s Milk Music and Beatport. Those 8 streaming services will never count towards your 4G LTE data allotment, ever. That leaves you free to use your data on other things. Also, if you do hit that allotment, you can still stream at full speed without cut outs or issues. This option is live as of today, so stream away without fear.
There is more though, they also partnered with Rhapsody and there will be a new T-Mobile branded Rhapsody unRadio service. This service brings in a 20 million track collection of music that is on demand. No ads, unlimited skipping, AM and FM streaming.
For those of you on the unlimited plans, you will be able to use this service free of charge when it gets released June 22nd. If you are a T-Mobile customer on a simple choice plan, it will cost you $4 a month and non-T-Mobile customers will pay $4.99 a month. Of course the $4 plan won’t touch your data allotment either.
If you don’t see the service you use and love, T-Mobile will gladly incorporate it. Well, at least they will incorporate one of the 12 others they have available to select from on their poll. Big surprise, Google Music is killing it already.
To get the full skinny, and to vote plus enter for a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S5, head over to Free The Music page at T-Mobile.
Video via The Verge
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T-Mobile Test Drive lets you borrow an iPhone 5s for a week
T-Mobile clearly wants you to become a customer — the company’s “UnCarrier 5.0” move will get you an iPhone 5s to try out for a full seven days. At an event in Seattle today, the carrier introduced Test Drive, a service that will help customers avoid “buying blind,” giving you an opportunity to experience LTE at home before you commit to making a purchase. The service launches this Sunday and lets you borrow Apple’s latest handset for a week, at which point you’ll need to return the device to any T-Mobile store, even if you plan on signing up and purchasing a device.
After you sign up on T-Mobile’s website, the carrier will place a hold on your credit card in the amount of $700. Your loaner device (typically a refurb unit) will arrive with two-day shipping, and the clock starts ticking the moment you sign for the package. You’ll have free unlimited access to talk, text and data within the US (T-Mobile doesn’t want Test Drive to become an international loaner phone service, so this device is for domestic use only). A T-Mo rep will call you on day two to see how the test is going, and you’ll get a few reminders as the big day draws near.
If you return the phone with a cracked screen, water damage or entirely non-functional, you’ll be charged a $100 fee. The same penalty applies if you lose the iPhone — if you simply keep the device (which you’re absolutely not supposed to do), you’ll be responsible for the full $700. It’s available only once per household, so no, you can’t simply sign up again each week and avoid paying for a phone altogether. T-Mobile isn’t the first carrier to run such a program — Verizon’s own “test drive” ran from 2007 through 2009 — but reps appear to be committed to the initiative, with Test Drive set to continue indefinitely.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, T-Mobile
Source: T-Mobile
On T-Mobile, you can now stream music without hurting your data plan
Streaming music on your phone would be fantastic — if it weren’t for all those pesky data caps. T-Mobile’s latest UnCarrier move addresses this particular pain point: Starting today, you’ll be able to listen to all of your favorite jams on popular streaming music services without it counting against your data plan. The catch? It’s limited to a few of the most popular offerings, such as Pandora, Spotify, iTunes Radio, iHeartRadio, Slacker, Rhapsody and Samsung’s Milk Music. T-Mobile exec Andrew Sherrard explained that the aforementioned services encompass 85 percent of what users listen to, so the list covers the vast majority of the carrier’s consumers. That said, Sherrard said that the company plans to reach out for feedback via a social media campaign, so make your voice heard if you’re interested in getting services like Rdio or Google Play Music added to the list. If your favorite program is included, feel free to start filling up those playlists to your heart’s content.
The offering sounds great, and it may be a well-intentioned feature meant to shake up the industry, but not all of it is made of puppies and happy unicorns. Net neutrality advocates aren’t going to love this announcement, as it gives preferential treatment to different types of data. The fact that customers can download as much data as they want — as long as it’s one of a pre-selected group of streaming music services — flies in the face of treating all data equally. It’s a small move, indeed, but if it becomes popular with consumers, it may give those who campaign against net neutrality more leverage to add to the fight with other providers.
This move is part of what T-Mobile is referring to as UnCarrier 6.0. (Test Drive, announced earlier, was part of UnCarrier 5.0. Confused yet?) But that isn’t everything the company announced tonight: A feature called UnRadio is bundled in as well. The feature is essentially a T-Mobile-branded radio station which is the result of a partnership with Rhapsody. If you’re on the Simple Choice rate plan, you’ll get access to Rhapsody’s entire music library for free. You won’t have to worry about advertisements or limits on how many skips you get, and UnRadio will also offer a large number of terrestrial radio stations. And just as with T-Mobile’s other music-related announcement, data plan will remain unaffected. If you’re not on the Simple Choice plan, you can fork out $4 a month to enjoy the service.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s Un-carrier 5.0 could reveal simplified pricing and unlocking options
T-Mobile’s next Un-Carrier announcement, set for June 18, could usher in simplified pricing for rate plans, suggests TmoNews. Instead of a $49.99 rate plan with fees and taxes, T-Mobile customers might instead see a flat $50 sticker. You know, not unlike MetroPCS’s Period Power ads and initiative.
Additionally, T-Mobile could make it much easier to unlock their smartphones. According to a source close to the blog, an upcoming smartphone was found to have a preloaded app for unlocking.
We only have one day to go before T-Mobile unleashes its next round of announcements; is there something you’re hoping to see?
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Kyocera Hydro XTRM (T-Mobile Business) Review
At First Glance
The Kyocera Hydro XTRM is a 4G LTE capable Android powered handset with an IP57 Rating against water and dust. This device is available in the United States (see: U.S. Cellular), on the T-Mobile Business and MetroPCS networks. Maybe it’s just me but I feel the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active borrows a few design cues from the Kyocera Hydro XTRM; however, stylistically this is pretty standard with durable devices these days.
Design and Hardware
The XTRM features a standard dark panel around the display with average bezels around the sides. The top and bottom, however, have quite a bit more bezel, providing less of a screen-to-device ratio than we would have preferred.
Around the sides, there is a thick border trim that almost feels like a bit of a metal border. On the rear of the device, you’ll have a removable “micro diamond-cut” plastic battery door with an O-ring seal to protect against water.
There’s a 2000mAh removable battery packed in, with microSIM and microSD card support. The dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus SoC (MSM8960) powered at 1.2GHz runs the device with 1GB RAM, and allows for basic/standard smartphone. It, of course, also comes with your basic GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. Memory will be 4GB, with only 1GB user available, however storage can be expanded via a MicroSD card up to 32GB.
Display
With a color plastic overlaid TFT LCD display and 480 x 800 resolution, the 4-inch display isn’t wonderful but gets the job done without looking bad or vastly hindering visibility. It’s worth noting that this unit feels much smaller in hand as compared to other smartphones on the market.
Durability
The Hydro XTRM can sit under water (~1m deep) for up to 30 minutes and is dust and shock resistant. In other words, you’ll be better protected against accidental damage than with most other devices. To be extra safe, it is always best to ensure that the battery door with the water-seal is fully and securely tight and sealed before getting this phone anywhere near water. This smartphone does not have any of those potentially annoying MicroUSB or headset port covers, yet manages to be water resistant.
We’ve dunked this phone in water, dropped it here and there, ran water directly over the device and much more; the Hydro XTRM was not phased by any of our bad behavior. It’s able to take life’s spills without problems, but do remember the phone should not be used regularly underwater and should be dried immediately after getting wet of course.
Sound Quality
Audio quality was surprisingly pleasing with this device. Our test calls proved to be loud and crisp, which we expected as many users will be using this phone around construction or loud noise areas. The area where we were most impressed by was the speaker/speakerphone volume which was loud but not as quite crisp as the earpiece.
Software and Battery Life
This smartphone runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box. While certainly not the latest, it definitely runs just fine and is compatible with most everything found on the Google Play Store. There is, of course, a small downside to not having Android 4.4 KitKat. Specifically, we’re referring to usage of resources and security improvements. Hopefully we’ll see an update at some point for this model.
Kyocera has a bit of a funky skin running over 4.1; frankly, it reminds me of Android 2.3 manufacturer overlays (with a 4.1 hybrid style). Simplicity was kept in mind, while keeping the best features of Jelly Bean.
Battery Life is tricky with this phone, averaging at around 5-6hrs with light usage with data on. Strangely, on some days with heavier usage we received around 10-14hours, or the polar opposite of 3-6hrs. Sadly, it was pretty inconsistent in our testing. It is worth mentioning that the coverage area during testing was being upgraded on T-Mobile which may have contributed to the fluctuation in consistency. The phone does features a Battery ‘MaxiMZR’ similar to other Power Saving modes with other devices, something we have yet to see in stock Android in even the latest versions as of the publish of this article.
Camera
There is a 5-megapixel camera on the rear of the phone with a 1.3-mgapixel front-facing shooter. Both are pretty basic in terms of quality with no standout features to share here. Note there is an LED flash included on the rear of the phone.Overview & Cost
This device did take a bit of getting used to as a daily driver during our testing period as we came from a higher powered smartphone. Indeed, we noticed the differences after using something more robust. Average, and first time buyers, though, may not see any visible lag or under-performance. Kyocera sticks to what’s important for industrial users and the more accident prone customer. If you are looking for the latest and greatest (with or without element resisting features), this device is most certainly not for you.
The Hydro XTRM is a great choice for those needing a basic and durable Android smartphone that can handle the elements. Summarily, it’s a decent 4G LTE handset with essential functions and few extra gimmicks.
Whether you need this as a basic device, backup, or nearly weatherproof phone, check out the XTRM. U.S. Cellular has recently discontinued this model however you can find the Kyocera Hydro XTRM at T-Mobile Business (pricing varies) and for $79.99 at MetroPCS.
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A shampoo tycoon is offering cellphone service with built-in music streaming
John Paul DeJoria has a knack for business success in areas as diverse as haircare products and tequila, and he’s now ready to dip his toes into yet another industry: cellphone service. The magnate (along with ROK Entertainment’s Johnathan Kendrick) is about to launch ROK Mobile, a US wireless carrier with music as its hook. Paying $50 per month will get you both all-unlimited phone service as well as ‘free’ streaming from a catalog of 20 million songs, saving you a lot of cash if you tend to splurge on music providers like Rdio or Spotify. DeJoria sees this as doing Americans a favor — he tells Forbes that it could save the country billions by lowering the costs of both cellular access and music in one fell swoop.
Is that hyperbolic? Absolutely. Still, ROK Mobile could be compelling even if you’re not an avid listener. Everything will be contract-free, and it’s launching with service that piggybacks on both T-Mobile’s network (as of June 16th) and Sprint’s (July 4th). There’s no guarantees that DeJoria’s effort will fare any better than Solavei, Ting and other virtual operators that are stuck with small customer bases. However, this is potentially a disruptive strategy — much like Free’s service in France, it could raise the competitive bar and force carriers to offer you a better deal.
[Image credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile
Via: Forbes
Source: ROK Mobile
T-Mobile/Sprint Merger: New Owner, Virtually Same Coverage to Boot
Recent rumors and reports, (on and off again since late December 2013), have stated time and time again that Sprint Communications’ major shareholder/owner, a Japanese company known as SoftBank, wants to buy T-Mobile USA. Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s major shareholder/owner, wants out of the US market.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son wants SoftBank to get their hands on T-Mobile. Now we’re not 100% sure that this means a merger as Sprint and T-Mobile could remain separate entities but reports are saying that the SoftBank/Deutsche Telekom agreement of T-Mobile US is a done deal. Don’t jump out of your seat quite yet – this deal still needs to pass FCC and Antitrust Commissions of the US Government.
Considering that both companies wern’t doing too well just last year, with T-Mobile gaining more subscribers very fast lately, these companies were in desperate need of a “save”. T-Mobile had Uncarrier to save them, and Sprint has SoftBank backing them financially. Analysts report that Sprint was very well a sinking ship before SoftBank.
Both companies have very similar coverage maps, with T-Mobile in the lead here yet again. We wouldn’t be too surprised if SoftBank wants to merge both Carriers. Note: This map does not include roaming coverage which covers most of the US for each carrier’s roaming agreements with 3rd Party Networks. If both carriers do merge, once network enhancements and compatibility adjustments are done, this is the network they’ll have to start before expansion, with little overlap.
Credit: Wall Street Journal
Many have said that such a merger would ruin T-Mobile, and from the looks of it, Sprint is loosing on all ends here.
Reportedly, SoftBank is possibly looking into renaming the merged company to SoftBank US, which just doesn’t have an appealing classic ring to it like Sprint or T-Mobile, huh?
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Project Tango Tablets Announced! Amazon Phone Unveiled June 18th! – The ManDroid Show
Happy Saturday Android friends. Usually the ManDroid Show is up on Friday, but it just didn’t happen this week. Project Tango tablet kits were announced, and the technology that this project is going to introduce will blow our minds hoefully. The Amazon Phone that has been rumored since cell phones came into existence, will finally be unveiled to us on June 18th, in Seattle. Curious to see this 3D UI we have been hearing about. Enjoy the show! News Topics Project Tango Tablet kits Amazon Phone June 18th event Galaxy F rumors
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T-Mobile unveils ‘Underground’ portal with limited-stock devices for true enthusiasts
Are you the type of smartphone enthusiast that likes to hunt down rare and unique models? Maybe you were one of the first people on the block to have a white smartphone – back when that was tough to come by. T-Mobile knows there are plenty of folks like you so that’s why they unveiled their new “Underground” storefront.
According to the Un-Carrier, T-Mobile Underground is a website for “true enthusiasts” looking for “limited-stock devices and accessories”. While it appears to only offer the limited-edition Samsung Galaxy S5 Gold and some Samsung accessories, T-Mobile does promise plus “news and reviews from the tech literati” for the Underground.
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Sprint, T-Mobile merger closer than ever, report says
Sprint is nearing an agreement in the acquisition of T-Mobile, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The WSJ recently reported that Sprint is nearing an agreement on the price, capital structure and termination fee for a merger, which could value the wireless carrier at nearly $40 a share.
If the deal goes through, it would bring the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless carriers together to become an even bigger competitor against AT&T and Verizon.
The WSJ report also stated that Sprint will offer about 50 percent stock and 50 percent cash for T-Mobile, leaving parent company Deutsche Telekom AG with a 15 percent stake in the combined company. Softbank Corp, which owns 80 percent of Sprint, is said to have been pitching the deal as beneficial to customers for both wireless and Internet service.
With AT&T’s failed attempt to purchase T-Mobile in 2011, the future of the mobile industry in the U.S. will be an interesting one.
An agreement could be announced as soon as July.
Via Bloomberg
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