Xiaomi phones hit US soil… but we’re not all that stoked
Xiaomi has arisen as a massive player in the global smartphone arena. The upstart Chinese company has proven to be a scrappy champion of the middle market, and over the last few years, they’ve risen to a place of prominence throughout Asia. Their aggressive sales and refreshing marketing tactics have made them competitive even with the big dogs, but to-date it’s been incredibly difficult to get your hands on a Xiaomi smartphone if you’re living in a Western country. That is, until now.
US Mobile just revealed that they’re importing Xiaomi and Meizu phones for use on the T-Mobile network. But puzzlingly, the devices they’ve selected aren’t exactly the cream of the crop, and they aren’t optimized for use in the states. US Mobile is now selling the Xiaomi Redmi 2, the Mi 3, and the Mi 4, as well as the Meizu Note 2. What we want to know is, where is the Mi Note in that lineup?
Sure, the $199 to $219 price range is nice, and you do get some pretty incredible hardware for what you’re paying, but none of these devices are optimized for US mobile networks. That means no LTE for you, and to make matters worse, the handsets all come pre-loaded with Chinese apps and services that won’t work in the US.
We’re scratching our heads a little bit at this move. US Mobile is effectively taking the hassle out of importing these products by doing the heavy lifting themselves instead of leaving you with a bunch of hoops to jump through. Nevertheless, this isn’t official arrival of Xiaomi’s boots on US soil that we’ve been hoping for. If you’re looking for an inexpensive device to experiment with, maybe one of these smartphones is for you, but as for an everyday driver… we’re going to keep waiting for something a bit more official.
What are your thoughts regarding the arrival of these devices? Think you’ll be picking one up anytime soon, or will you be waiting like we are? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!
Xiaomi and Meizu gain first U.S. carrier sales via T-Mobile MNVO
Cheap high quality Chinese phones are coming to the U.S. We’ve been telling you for a while about how cheap phones are getting better, and good phones are getting cheaper. Now, we’re seeing the first step in these super mid-range Chinese phones invading the States.
US Mobile announced on Monday that they’ll begin to sell phones from two Chinese companies, Xiaomi and Meizu. On US Mobile’s online shopping portal you’ll soon have the option to pick up popular options from Apple, Samsung, LG among others, and now, the Xiaomi Redmi 2, Mi 3, and Mi 4 as well as the Meizu Note 2. All of these phones range from $119 to $219, and come factory unlocked.
Xiaomi RedMi 3
It’s important to point out that US Mobile is acting as more of an online storefront for Omni Electronics HK who will import the English language versions of the Chinese phones. The phones will be sold 100% unlocked. Since US Mobile is working in partnership with this importer, they don’t ever have the possibility to lock the devices to their network. You can buy the phone and have it work on any GSM network
There are a few caveats with these phones, biggest among them being the lack of LTE.
China and the United States use different LTE bands so you’ll be limited to 3G speeds on the devices. If you’re the type of person that is constantly connected to WiFi, this may not have a huge impact on you, but there are options out there from Chinese manufacturers that still offer excellent value, while supporting US LTE bands. If the lack of LTE bands is a killer for you, you may want to seek one of those phones out.
Xiaomi Mi 4
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
Another large sacrifice that customers will be asked to make is to use an outdated operating system. The Redmi 2, Mi 3, and Mi 4 will come with Android 4.4 with Xiaomi’s MIUI skin on top. Xiaomi are sometimes called “Apple of China” because of their similar skin and phone design. MIUI has no application drawer, and while they generally rely on internet services to expand the functionality of the device, those features won’t be making the trek across the Pacific.
When Xiaomi does decide to invade the US, it’s going to be big news. With Ex-Googler Hugo Barra seemingly guiding the ship, they’ve sold more phones globally than established players like LG, Sony, and Lenovo. They’re consistently in the top 5 of cellular device shipments each quarter with the big boys like Samsung and Apple, and their devices are low cost, high performance handsets that deliver a heavily skinned, highly connected experience.
This is the first foray into the United States for China’s largest cell phone maker. While mid-range phones are getting more popular, Xiaomi hasn’t officially announced plans for the United States. This could be a test balloon for carriers, and companies like Xiaomi to see how well their devices could do here. But, to truly have an impact in the huge US market, it’s going to take more than rebranded Chinese devices sold through a third-tier carrier’s online storefront.
Xiaomi RedMi 2
Looking toward the future, it’s within reason to think we could see major releases from these companies in a first-tier carrier in 2016. Xiaomi is the world’s third largest phone maker with over 70 million phones sold last year without even entering the US market.
The mind goes toward T-Mobile first since the carrier conducting this trial balloon, US Mobile is a T-Mobile MNVO. T-Mobile is not afraid to try something new. It was the first company to start paying for your ETF fees, and have offered consumer friendly services like Music Freedom and Binge-On. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that it start selling high quality phones from Xiaomi to its budget conscious customers.
It’s looking like 2016 is going to be the year of the moderately priced Chinese smartphone.
Source: PCMag via Fierce Wireless
The post Xiaomi and Meizu gain first U.S. carrier sales via T-Mobile MNVO appeared first on AndroidGuys.
T-Mobile teases Super Bowl commercial
Click here to view the embedded video.
T-Mobile is giving football fans (or just fans of Super Bowl commercials) a preview of the commercial they’ll air during Super Bowl 50 next weekend.
The teaser, released on YouTube Jan. 29, shows a soundstage and a cast of characters, including Super Bowl commercial regulars the Budweiser clydesdales, preparing to start shooting, with the voice of a director and production assistants trying to get everyone in place.
But none of those characters will appear in T-Mobile’s commercial. Instead, the commercial says, “they will be magenta and the [other] carriers will hate it.”
Super Bowl 50 starts at 5:30 p.m. Central on Feb. 7 and airs on CBS.
Source: YouTube
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile teases Super Bowl commercial
T-Mobile accused of deceptive advertising, other bad business practices
Several labor unions are accusing mobile provider T-Mobile of unethical business practices.
A complaint was filed with the Federal Communications Commission Wednesday by a group called Change to Win Retail Initiatives asking the FCC to investigate the mobile carrier. The group is backed by three unions — the United Farm Workers of America, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union.
Since 2013, T-Mobile has added nearly 27 million customers, but Change to Win Retail Initiatives is claiming that growth may be due in part to signing customers up for services they did not order, such as device insurance. Additionally, the complaint alleges that T-Mobile’s advertising does not make it clear that customers who sign up with T-Mobile’s no-contract plan are required to buy a phone on an installment plan or lease one through T-Mobile and if the customer cancels the service, they will still be on the hook for the cost of the phone. In those cases, the unpaid cost of the phone could potentially be more than the service termination fee.
Change to Win reportedly conducted a survey of over 5,500 customer complaints between January 2013 and September 2015. The group claims to have found a pattern of complaints from people who said they were signed up for things like unlimited data plans or device insurance without their knowledge or consent and then had problems canceling the services.
Though the complaint has been filed, no federal agency has taken any action against T-Mobile.
Via: CNET
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile accused of deceptive advertising, other bad business practices
T-Mobile reports that Binge On users stream twice as much video, adds Amazon Video
Although T-Mobile has been causing a number of kerfuffles with their controversial Binge On program, the numbers they’re reporting seem to indicate that users really get a kick out of it. In a press releases today, the “Un-carrier” announced that Binge On customers spend twice as many hours per day streaming video than they did prior to the service being rolled out.
Apparently, this increase in streaming isn’t limited to services included in the Binge On program. Although partners in the service have seen a marked increase in viewership, some receiving as much as a 79% jump in daily users, even non-partnered streaming services are getting up to a third as much attention from Binge On users.
See also: John Legere apologizes to EFF but continues to defend Binge On
T-Mobile reports that over 34 petabytes of free video content has been streamed through Binge On since it’s start last year. They attempt to make this figure more comprehensible by comparing it to 109 million episodes of Game of Thrones.
In addition to announcing these numbers, T-Mobile also revealed that they have partnered with Amazon Video and three other major streaming services: Fox News, Univision Now, and the WWE Network. Although the three smaller services are nice, the big deal here is Amazon Video, a large streaming service that’s still going through growing pains but which hopes to someday rival Netflix and HBO.
CEO John Legere boasted that Binge On is T-Mobile’s “most disruptive Un-carrier move yet.” He went on saying, “It has literally changed the way millions of people are watching video – they’re watching more, more than twice as much as before, and most importantly, they’re watching without worrying about bigger bills or surprise overages! Binge On is the Un-carrier solution to satisfy Americans’ growing appetite for mobile video – and the facts are telling us that customers love it!”
If these figures are accurate, then it does seem like Binge On users are enjoying their service in spite of the cut in video quality that comes with the territory. The controversial program has drawn fire from YouTube, Google, and even the EFF, with concerns as large as “net neutrality” getting thrown around. John Legere has repeatedly defended Binge On, comparing it to an economy setting on an automobile. The “optimized” video consumes less mobile data for streaming services across the board but still delivers image quality that Legere claims is on-par with DVDs.
T-Mobile adds more channels to Binge-On
T-Mobile announced on Thursday that it is expanding its Binge-On catalog to include three new streaming services — Amazon Video, Fox News, WWE Network and Univision NOW — bringing the total up to more than 40. The “Un-carrier” also released new data on its users’ usage of the Binge-On service. According to T-Mobile, its “customers on qualifying data plans are already watching more than twice the video than before from the free services with Binge On.” In all, users have streamed 34 petabytes for free.
What’s more, the company announced that it will begin rolling out an update to its T-Mobile app in the coming days which will allow users to get to their streaming content from the homescreen faster and with fewer clicks.
Source: T-Mobile
T-Mobile adds Amazon Video, WWE Network, others to Binge On
T-Mobile on Thursday confirmed it has added more video streaming services to its Binge On. Available now are Amazon Video, Fox News, Univision NOW, and WWE Network.
Binge On, which lets users stream video over its 4G LTE network without affecting data allotments, delivers a “DVD quality or better” picture. T-Mobile customers can toggle on and off the service, opting to watch 1080p or even 4K content if and when it’s available. The opt-in and opt-out feature now provides the same streaming capabilities to more than 40 content providers.
In addition to adding the four new partners, T-Mobile is making it easier for its subscribers to toggle Binge On. As some of you may already know, it’s possible to use the short code of #BOF# and #BON# to turn it off and on, respectively. Further, T-Mobile has also punched up its website (t-mobile.com) and mobile apps to quick toggling even more simple for users.
Binge On Benchmarks and Accolades
- Customers with limited high-speed data who qualify for free Binge On streaming are watching more than twice as many hours per day from free services than before.
- One major video service, included in the list of services that stream without eating up your data, is seeing a 79% jump in daily viewers.
- Another major video service, not yet included in the Binge On list of free services, is seeing customers watch 33% more hours than before, thanks to Binge On optimization providing up to 3x more video from their data plan
- Since launching Binge On, T-Mobile customers have streamed 34 petabytes for free. That’s 34 million gigabytes – the equivalent of more than 109 million episodes of Game of Thrones at DVD quality (480p)!
The post T-Mobile adds Amazon Video, WWE Network, others to Binge On appeared first on AndroidGuys.
T-Mobile customers have watched over 34 million gigabytes of data with Binge On
T-Mobile in a press release published today said that they have added more avenues of video streaming to its Binge On platform, and also revealed that Binge On customers’ video watching has more than doubled.
The carrier’s Binge On service has been the subject of much controversy, garnering attention from Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and others on T-Mobile’s claims that it isn’t throttling video streaming, just “optimizing” it.
However, as we all know, there’s no such thing as bad press. According to T-Mobile’s press release, and despite all of this controversial attention, the carrier says that Binge On customers are viewing video more than ever before. T-Mobile didn’t offer specific and concrete details, but said that customers’ are watching twice as much as before.
Additionally, T-Mobile Binge On customers can now watch Amazon Video, Fox News, Univision NOW, and the WWE Network without cutting into their data allotment. The four additional services bring the carrier’s total up to more than 40 video streaming services supported.
T-Mobile did provide some interesting statistics. In addition to customers watching twice as much video than before Binge On, the carrier reports that its customers have watched over 34 petabytes of data. In contrast, that’s over 34 million gigabytes of data.
Binge On is an opt-in program, only eligible to customers on qualifying and postpaid plans with 3GB of data or more.
The carrier also recently updated its Simply Prepaid Plans to add more value for your dollar.
source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile customers have watched over 34 million gigabytes of data with Binge On
T-Mobile Adds Amazon Video, Fox News, Univision, and WWE Network as Binge On Partners
T-Mobile today announced the support of four new partners to its free video streaming service Binge On, including Amazon Video, Fox News, Univision NOW, and WWE Network. The new streaming partners join more than 40 services already supporting Binge On, which lets customers watch video content without using data from their T-Mobile cellular plan.
The company also released a few details about the status of Binge On in the three months since its launch, saying that customers using the service are watching “more than twice the video” they were before Binge On. The service is one of the latest programs in T-Mobile’s “Un-carrier” marketing campaign, which CEO John Legere says “has literally changed the way millions of people are watching video.”
“Binge On is our most disruptive Un-carrier move yet. It has literally changed the way millions of people are watching video – they’re watching more, more than twice as much as before, and most importantly, they’re watching without worrying about bigger bills or surprise overages!” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “Binge On is the Un-carrier solution to satisfy Americans’ growing appetite for mobile video – and the facts are telling us that customers love it!”
T-Mobile conducted a survey of its customers as well, focusing on users’ understanding and opinions regarding Binge On. 92 percent of T-Mobile customers surveyed said they plan to watch more video using the service, while 93 percent claimed that they’re okay with all video being “optimized to DVD quality,” referencing Binge On’s baseline 480p video resolution.
After the FCC began scrutinizing similar programs last year, T-Mobile’s program became the center of some drama between the cellular carrier and YouTube, which claimed the service throttled its content even though it wasn’t a partner with Binge On. After an independent test confirmed such throttling claims, John Legere responded to all of the comments made against the service, reiterating T-Mobile’s continued enthusiastic support of Binge On.
Discuss this article in our forums
T-Mobile Launches new Simply Prepaid Plans
For those of you looking to go the no contract route, it looks like some new options for prepaid phone plans have just arrived courtesy of T-Mobile. Introducing the new and revamped Simply Prepaid Plans.
There is a grand total of 5 different options to choose, ranging in cost from $25-$60. The baseline $25 plan is pretty barebones, netting you unlimited talk and text but absolutely no data. In order to access the web you are gonna have to settle for WI-FI networks. The step up above that plan, coming in at $30, is pretty different from anything I am used to seeing. You get unlimited web access, with 5GB at 4G speeds, unlimited text, but only 100 minutes of talk. Just a heads up for those of you interested in this plan, that unlimited web access is only for surfing the web, you are going to need WI-FI for all your other data needs.
Above these plans are the three that merely build upon prior offerings. The $40, $50, and $60 plans will all net you unlimited talk and text, with 3GB, 5GB, and 10GB respectively. The same priced older versions of these plans used to get you about half the data for the same exact price. These new plans also come with Music Unlimited (aka Music Freedom), Data Maximizer (aka the controversial binge on), and Smartphone Equality which guarantees that, if you make 12 straight on time phone payments, you will receive the best up front phone pricing afterwards.
If international calling is a must, depending on the countries you need to call, there are three different options to supplement the plans above. These add-ons range from $5 for unlimited calling to and from the United States, up to $15 for unlimited calling to mobile phones in 30+ countries.
These new plans seem to be a pretty good deal. They aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but they are giving you double the data for the exact same price as the old plans. If you are interested in any of these you can hit the source link below to sign up via T-Mobile’s website.
Source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile Launches new Simply Prepaid Plans
AIVAnet 