US Cell Phone Market Improving

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/2100-1037-991845.html?tag=fd_nbs_comm' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/2100-1037-99184...tag=fd_nbs_comm</a><br /><br /></div>The US cell phone market apparently grew by 10% last year, as opposed to the originally predicted flat growth. There are two interesting points from the article:<li> T-Mobile grew by 2.9 million subscribers, a 40% increase. I wonder how many of those were Pocket PC Phones? ;)<br /><li> Consumers are buying expensive, color-screen phones. In my opinion, this is just following the evolution of laptops and PDAs -- monochrome is a dying breed. IMHO, this is a good pair of circumstances for smartphones (both Smartphones and PDA phones). In fact, T-Mobile is supposed to be offering a Smartphone later this year.

[mar2k]

I think MS Smartphones would be a huge hit in the US if vendors would just get them on the market. T-Mobile is all fine and good but the big players like Verizon, Sprint, Cingular, and AT&T are really who I want to see with Smartphones in their lineup.

[ThomasC22]

I think MS Smartphones would be a huge hit in the US if vendors would just get them on the market. T-Mobile is all fine and good but the big players like Verizon, Sprint, Cingular, and AT&T are really who I want to see with Smartphones in their lineup.

I think T-Mobile is bigger than Cingular and Sprint?

Anyway, I'll be interested to see how Smartphone 2k2 does when things really heat up this year. The U.S. market is not under the thumb of Nokia and S-E like the rest of the world so Microsoft might stand a chance and with contracts with T-Mobile and AT&T they have a good chance.

[Janak Parekh]

I think T-Mobile is bigger than Cingular and Sprint?
No, it's smaller. That's why it's #6. Verizon, AT&T, Cingular, Sprint, and Nextel are the first five. Of course, we might see T-Mo vault into #5 at this rate.

--janak

[ThomasC22]

I think T-Mobile is bigger than Cingular and Sprint?
No, it's smaller. That's why it's #6. Verizon, AT&T, Cingular, Sprint, and Nextel are the first five. Of course, we might see T-Mo vault into #5 at this rate.


Well, you've just been a wealth of Cell. phone knowledge today :)

I'm suprised by this but, if California is any indicator, this will change very soon. Nextel and Cingular are both losing fast and everyone and their brother seems to be signing with T-Mobile here (funny to because AT&T has better rates). Also, I'm not sure where I put AT&T and Cingular because they both still have hybrid networks nationwide which IMHO makes them two cell phone companies posing as one.

[kidA]

yeah, cingular doesn't even exist here in Utah. the biggest here seem to be t-mobile and verizon, with at&t and sprint right up there. i'd like to see some smartphones here pretty soon. preferably by at&t.

[Janak Parekh]

I'm suprised by this but, if California is any indicator, this will change very soon. Nextel and Cingular are both losing fast and everyone and their brother seems to be signing with T-Mobile here (funny to because AT&T has better rates).
Ironically, T-Mo's network in CA is just Cingular's. They've done a sharing agreement where T-Mo can use Cingular's towers in CA, while Cingular can use T-Mo's towers in NY.

Also, I'm not sure where I put AT&T and Cingular because they both still have hybrid networks nationwide which IMHO makes them two cell phone companies posing as one.
True. But hey, that's how the rankings work. I agree, though, that T-Mo has the largest GSM subscriber base -- for now.

BTW, it's not that I don't like T-Mo or their tech -- I am a T-Mobile customer. :)

--janak

[Vincent M Ferrari]

I wonder how many of those were Pocket PC Phones?

I work for a master agent of T-Mobile. Basically, we sell the phones to dealers so they can sell them to their customers.

We sell a ton of PPCPE's in Cali, but very few in New York City. I think it depends on the market, but out of all the ones we're in, California is by far the biggest for "non-phone" devices...

[Janak Parekh]

I work for a master agent of T-Mobile. Basically, we sell the phones to dealers so they can sell them to their customers.
Cool. BTW, I'm pretty sure the PPCPE is not anywhere near T-Mo's volume item. I have yet to see a random person on the street in Manhattan using one... ergo, the winky. :)

--janak

[T-Will]

When I signed up for T-Mobile (8 or so months ago) they had the best deal going, $40 for 1000 anytime minutes, free weekends, and free nationwide long distance. And since I live with 4 other roomates in a house I just use my cell phone as my main phone and never use the house phone.

[brntcrsp]

Living in the PacNW has it's advantages, but when it comes to cellphone tech it's pretty lackluster. I'm still stuck using ATT's TDMA network since only the I-5 corridor has anything close to decent coverage. I'm hoping that one of the big 4 in the area (ATT, T-MO, V, and Sprint) get their act together, and get coverage outside of the corridor, and preferably with a network with some lifespan left in it (GSM/CDMA).

[tripynutah]

I work for ATTWS and I know that there is a Smartphone that ATT is currently testing, I'll see if I can find out what it is actually. I also remember that pocketpc.com mentions that ATTWS testing smartphones too. Also, there MIGHT be some changes in ATTWS data offerings that will open some eyes, with the Tungsten W and the p800 in a couple of months. Data offerings are a big focus these days so I expect to see a smartphone sooner than later.

[lspinellijr]

T-mobile increase = Catherine Zeta Jones ads

[don dre]

I think T-Mobile had the best anytime minutes plans around however I use my cell phone as mymain phone...which means the unlimited night and weekends is very important to me. I have the ATTWS $35/mo GSM National Plan (I think it's $40/mo now with 550 minutes and unltd NW). At any rate, I'd easily use a 1000 day minutes without the NW. I tried the data stuff with by 3975 and T68 but got a $45 data bill. no thanks. If there are drastic changes i'd consider using it again...right now i just use the find friends feature. My girlfriend has T-Mobile, not terribly impressed though the coverage is good. She didn;t pay her bill and the message said she had requested not to take incoming calls...odd message. Hopefully the will carry that mitec.

[Landis]

I work for ATTWS and I know that there is a Smartphone that ATT is currently testing, I'll see if I can find out what it is actually. I also remember that pocketpc.com mentions that ATTWS testing smartphones too. Also, there MIGHT be some changes in ATTWS data offerings that will open some eyes, with the Tungsten W and the p800 in a couple of months. Data offerings are a big focus these days so I expect to see a smartphone sooner than later.
I think I heard ATT is planning to offer the HTC Tanager. Is this the only GSM Smartphone ready for service now?

In the Midwestern US, T-Moble service is much more common than ATT and Cingular.

[Janak Parekh]

When I signed up for T-Mobile (8 or so months ago) they had the best deal going, $40 for 1000 anytime minutes, free weekends, and free nationwide long distance. And since I live with 4 other roomates in a house I just use my cell phone as my main phone and never use the house phone.
Indeed - the reason is that T-Mobile is the smallest, and they price aggressively to grow a subscriber base. Sprint used to offer the best deals until they started growing larger; they then dropped some promos.

In the Midwestern US, T-Moble service is much more common than ATT and Cingular.
Weird - you're the exception, not the rule. In general AT&T has amongst the best coverage in the US (TDMA, that is, not GSM; of course, that's not useful for data).

--janak

[Cobbler]

Actually some of this is probably driven by the GSM/GPRS Bluetooth devices. They are so cool to use with your PocketPC to connect to the internet (and your laptop)!

I have the Sony Ericsson T68is from ATTWireless because they have the best coverage in my area for GSM/GPRS only, which is all the T68is will do. No more hybrid phones!

Sprint and Cingular are out of it. T-Mobile is still in it big time. But don't overlook ATTWS. They are moving up fast.

[curious]

T-Mobile grew by 2.9 million subscribers, a 40% increase. I wonder how many of those were Pocket PC Phones? ;)
I'd like to know how many were Danger Hiptops (www.hiptop.com/own)(sold as "Sidekicks (http://www.t-mobile.com/products/overview.asp?phoneid=165302)" by T-mobile). If I were a new mobile customer today, that's what I'd get, in a heartbeat. Reasonable hardware costs, good plan (including unlimited browsing)... can't wait to see the color model! Really wish Sprint offered a Hiptop, or that I could keep my phone number when I switched...

[Janak Parekh]

I'd like to know how many were Danger Hiptops (www.hiptop.com/own)(sold as "Sidekicks (http://www.t-mobile.com/products/overview.asp?phoneid=165302)" by T-mobile). If I were a new mobile customer today, that's what I'd get, in a heartbeat. Reasonable hardware costs, good plan (including unlimited browsing)... can't wait to see the color model! Really wish Sprint offered a Hiptop, or that I could keep my phone number when I switched...
Agreed - if Danger were to release color and/or CDMA devices, you'd see them hit massive popularity. While they're not good for me, I can see their appeal to the average consumer. They fit somewhere between Smartphones and Pocket PC Phones.

--janak

[juangril]

From the article:
"The study suggests 423.4 million cell phones were sold last year in the United States, a 6 percent increase from 2001."

So that means that all Americans bought a cell phone last year, and 100 million of them actually bought two? :lol:

And to think that Nokia posts earning warnings... what were they expecting us? to change phones every month? :wink:

--juan

[tripynutah]

I think I heard ATT is planning to offer the HTC Tanager. Is this the only GSM Smartphone ready for service now?

I think it will be rebranded like the Siemens s56

don dre-
man I wish I could tell ya what I know about the data offerings comming up, stay tuned though, it will be aimed at sprint and tmobile's current offering, focused to beat not compete. did you know that ATTWS offers UNLIMITED night and weekend minutes?? :wink: 8)

You know, there is SO much competition these days that wireless companys are taking huge losses to gain customers. Good for all of us but its not without its drawbacks. In the store it seems like the average joe just isnt ready for all the data stuff yet. Were getting there though

[Janak Parekh]

From the article:
"The study suggests 423.4 million cell phones were sold last year in the United States, a 6 percent increase from 2001."

So that means that all Americans bought a cell phone last year, and 100 million of them actually bought two? :lol:
Hmm. That's a good point. I'm not sure. If the numbers are correct, a lot of people are throwing out old cell phones...

--janak