New Rumor: T-Mobile stores to open early, all phones free on June 19
There's a lot of speculation swirling around T-Mobile lately. Yesterday, it had to do with the mysterious US launch for the Samsung Galaxy S.
Today, rumor has it that T-Mobile will be opening their stores early nationwide on June 19. Here's the kicker: every single mobile phone in the store will be free that day. Woah, what?
Maybe T-Mobile execs have lost it. Or maybe it's a clever marketing strategy. June 19 is the day before Father's Day, making it a prime place to go if you haven't bought that father figure in your life a gift yet. It also appears that promotion is tied in with family plans, as a leaked commercial spot script (if real) says that phones are free when bought with a family plan.
It is also the Saturday before AT&T will launch the Apple iPhone 4 (on June 24, to be precise), so they could be looking to beat AT&T to the punch. The prospect of any phone in the store being free is very enticing - especially to those who aren't particularly devoted to one brand or another (read: Macheads).
Another good reason to clear out inventory is to make room for new stuff - primarily (or hopefully) the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone. Plus, major sales on a single day is always a good PR stunt. Although, sometimes these mobile companies get too excited (See: Sprint and the HTC Evo 4G).
Don't get too excited though. Keep in mind that (if this is true) mobile devices would only be free with the signing of a two-year contract. You don't think they'd let you get away that easy, do you?
Related coverage on ZDNet: