T-Mobile Catching Up On 3G

Dec 19, 2005 | blog

Techdirt Wireless has a post about how T-Mobile USA is now committing to 3G, hoping to launch 3G services by the end of 2006. They also mention that it may be to T-Mobile’s benefit to be rolling out 3G later than their peers and that nobody has figured out how to market 3G yet.

I’ll agree with this completely – T-Mobile can roll out a much more mature technology instead of spending billions implementing through trial & error. The result will be 3G services for less than the competition, and that is the key to 3G that all the carriers just don’t get. There is no magic ticket for 3G except for a big fat wireless pipe for cheap, just like a home broadband connection.

The sooner carriers understand that they simply supply a connection and get away from the idea that they need to wall the customer in, or provide some ‘hip’ service like ringtones (LOL), the sooner they will be able to sign up the majority of their existing voice customers as data customers.

The business plan for 3G is simple if they will try it, and remains the same as many business models: Volume!

Open the floodgates!

Dec 13, 2005 | blog

Well the tidal wave of new Windows Mobile 2005 devices is building. Here is the current state of device releases:

  • Cingular 2125 (Smartphone on Cingular – available now)
  • Cingular 8125 (PPC Phone on Cingular – scheduled Q1 2006 Release)[model # may be incorrect]
  • T-Mobile SDA II (Smartphone on T-Mobile – scheduled Q1 2006 Release)
  • T-Mobile MDA (PPC Phone on T-Mobile – scheduled Q1 2006 Release)
  • HP rw4500 (Smartphone similar to 2125/SDAII/SP5, see the::unwired – no further information)
  • Motorola Q (PPC Phone, previewed at Mobile Burn)
  • Sprint PPC 6700 (PPC Phone on Sprint – available now)
  • Palm Treo 700w (PPC Phone on Verizon – scheduled Q1 2006 Release)
  • iMate SP5/SP5m (Smartphone direct from iMate – Available now)
  • iMate K-JAM (PPC Phone direct from iMate – Available now)
  • iMate JASJAR (PPC Phone direct from iMate – Avaiable now)

Fantastic stuff! Many of these devices on are available direct on the internet from places like MadMonkeyBoy, Expansys, MobilePlanet and more. Watch the carriers for there releases over the next 2-3 months. Great time for Windows Mobile, especially if you are considering a change from RIM’s Blackberry!

-Rick

Treo 700w on Verizon

Dec 8, 2005 | blog

Verizon has a “coming soon” page up for the Palm Treo 700w which runs Windows Mobile 5. This device should be pretty nice, utilizing the Treo hardware design and leveraging the Windows Mobile platform.

Awesome!

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