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Topic: iPhone

Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

Summary: How popular is the iPhone? Popular enough that over a million T-Mobile customers are actively using them on a network that doesn't officially support them.

James Kendrick

By for Mobile News |

How popular is the iPhone? Popular enough that over a million T-Mobile customers have taken unlocked iPhones, trimmed the T-Mobile SIM card to fit the phone in the case of iPhone 4s, and are actively using them on a network that doesn't support them. That is nothing short of amazing, and proves how popular the iPhone is compared to other smartphones.

These unlocked iPhones don't get 3G or 4G data speeds because the radios in the phones do not work on the T-Mobile network, which makes this even more amazing. Apparently these iPhone owners get what they need from the phones without support from the carrier. While you can argue that a few T-Mobile customers might do this not knowing what they are getting into, it's hard to believe that over a million folks did this without thinking things through.

While T-Mobile doesn't handle the iPhone currently, maybe that will change if the AT&T merger gets approved. Imagine what these customers will think if the phones work on the network as designed.

Image credit: Flickr user bfishadow

Topics: iPhone, Hardware, Mobility, Networking, Smartphones

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  • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

    When the number one selling smartphone is the iPhone 4, you wonder who is number two, and three? From what I?ve read the two most popular phones are the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3Gs.
    Rick_K
    Reply Vote

    • Which is why Apple would never allow iOS to leave the iPhone

      @Rick_K
      or have 10 verions of it on the market.

      If Android was exclusive to the Droid from the start, would that have made the Droid the number one selling phone?

      Inquiring minds want to know. :)
      Will Pharaoh
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

        @Will Pharaoh <br><br>I think Droid would not be number 1 if they were exclusive. I believe they still have the second best operating system and since iPhone is exclusive people are just taking the second best option for now. You never really know though!!!<br><br>Steven Wilson <br>MySocialMania iPhone App
        Steven Wilson
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

        @Will Pharaoh Android is free software provided to anyone who wants it with a single purpose in mind for Google: increase the number of eyeballs for its business, which is pushing advertising to everyone it can, every time it can.

        iOS, by contrast, is an infrastructure designed for one purpose only: to enable a continuous range of devices to deliver a superior user experience, when operating singly, or when operating as a group owned by a user to do so seamlessly, or likewise as part of a network of devices without limit. The emphasis here is on delivering superior user experiences, which is the only way Apple knows how to sell its hardware and services.

        It is hard to believe the first purpose could deliver the second objective. It's not impossible, but highly unlikely: if you're delivering free stuff how can you afford to invest what is required to achieve the second, whereas if you're trying to achieve the second how can you possibly afford to deliver anything but superior user experiences?
        oriorda
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

        @steftheref<br>So your saying that Apple doesn't want my money, but wants to give me the best experience ever?<br>Consider my mind blown...<br>Steve Jobs wants to wash my feet while Andy Rubin's sole pupose is to steal my soul. I thought the Apple profit margin was due to them charging for a brand. Both companies have their own ad revenue ..<br>wait, am i arguing with a wall again....I think I need to realize that you just need to let ignorant be ignorant sometimes.
        nickmcel
        Reply Vote

    • Yeah Rick!! Yeah!!!

      @Rick_K
      There is no reason to ever buy anything other than the iPhone! Yeah!!
      woulddie4apple
      Reply Vote

      • Troll tricks do not work for long, it is time to come up with some new ...

        @woulddie4apple: ... for trolling. ;)
        DDERSSS
        Reply Vote

      • Well, you would know

        You've been trolling here for quite a while!
        woulddie4apple
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

        @woulddie4apple
        Not everyone needs an iPhone. For many, a simple phone will suffice. Hell I do not even have a smartphone, but that may be due to experience with Windows Mobile.
        Rick_K
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

        @woulddie4apple So are you a new troll or are you an old troll with a new name?
        athynz
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

    Well Tmobile does not have very good 3G coverage in a lot areas so 2G would be fine. Tmobile only has 1G in my neighborhood and with everyone wanting to upgrade their iPhones yearly there are a lot of surplus phones out there.
    mrlinux
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

    See, you kind of hit on a big subject for me. I like my smartphone, but I could quite easily do without the dataplan. There's wifi pretty much everywhere I go, and if I really need to get an app or something, I'll use it.
    Aerowind
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

      @Aerowind
      That is another advantage, you can use iPhone on TMO without a data plan... ATT will tack it on for unlocked iPhones.
      Hasam1991
      Reply Vote

    • Those T-Mobile Users Don't Have Data Plans

      @Aerowind I think you hit it on the head (where Kendrick missed it).

      Lots of those iphones on T-Mobile are the old ones we sold on ebay. T-Mobile users without data plans buy them and use them with just wi-fi. It's a cheap way to sort of have a status symbol.
      Schoolboy Bob
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

        @Schoolboy Bob Your statement defeats your attempt to slander those iPhone users. You seem to think they got these iPhones as a status symbol but before that you said lots of them are old ones your company sold on ebay. How can it be a status symbol (not that most iPhone users consider them status symbols) if it's an old one?
        non-biased
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

    I was one of the people with iPhone 2g, 3g on Tmo! EDGE is ok since most websites have a mobile version. But yes, 1,000,000 iPhones is amazing! I wonder if any single Android device has even sold 1m yet lol
    Hasam1991
    Reply Vote

    • YEAH!!! I doubt Android phones are doing as AWESOME as iPhone!!

      @Hasam1991
      So glad that we have you, me, Rick_K, and DeRSSS cheering Apple on with everything they do. YEAH!!!
      woulddie4apple
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

        @woulddie4apple
        Well keep in mind I went to Android from TMO and had the most awful experience with a Samsung Galaxy S that the clerk promised me would automatically update over the air to the latest and greatest version of Android... never happened.

        I bought an iPad and it came with the latest version of iOS... something so simple yet Android still shipping devices with 2.2 when 3.0 is already out...

        So yea Apple cheerleader here..
        Hasam1991
        Reply Vote

      • YEAH!! Apple cheerleader here too!!

        Make sure you post on every single Android blog how much you hated Android. That is REALLY important so that people are informed about how much better Apple is. YEAH!!!
        woulddie4apple
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Over a million iPhones in use on the T-Mobile network

        @woulddie4apple Was your dad a sailor?
        non-biased
        Reply Vote
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