T-Mobile USA To Be First Carrier To Sell Samsung Tablet
October 27 2010 - 10:33AM
Dow Jones News
T-Mobile USA said it would be first off the block to offer
Samsung Electronics Co.'s (SSNHY, 005930.SE) Galaxy Tab tablet
computing device, and plans to subsidize the price for those who
take a wireless contract.
T-Mobile USA, the U.S. wireless arm of Deutsche Telekom AG
(DTE.XE), plans to sell the tablet for $399.99 with a two-year
service agreement, which is similar to the deal that will be
offered by Sprint Nextel Corp. (S). The device is scheduled to sell
on Nov. 10, a day before Verizon Wireless, which is selling the
Galaxy Tab at the unsubsidized price of $599.99, and four days
before Sprint.
T-Mobile USA, the No. 4 U.S. carrier in terms of customers,
needs more eye-catching products to spark a turnaround in customer
growth. It, along with Sprint, has continued to watch Verizon
Wireless and AT&T Inc. (T) widen their lead as the top two
players in the wireless game.
T-Mobile USA has been among the most aggressive in supporting
Samsung products. It has prominently featured the Vibrant, one of
the Galaxy S phones Samsung has created specifically for the U.S.
carriers.
For Samsung, T-Mobile USA's commitment has been a shot in the
arm for its mobile business. The company is using the Galaxy S line
of phones and Galaxy Tab to cement its position in the high-end
smartphone and burgeoning tablet businesses, and has followed the
strategy of releasing products for all of the carriers, rather than
rely on exclusive agreements.
AT&T is also expected to sell the Galaxy Tab, but hasn't set
a date or comment on whether it would subsidize the tablet.
Separately, Samsung released another Galaxy S phone, the
Mesmerize, for U.S. Cellular Corp. (USM).
T-Mobile USA, meanwhile, also said it plans to sell Research in
Motion Ltd.'s (RIMM) BlackBerry Bold 9780, the carrier's first
device to run the updated BlackBerry 6 operating system.
-By Roger Cheng, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2153;
roger.cheng@dowjones.com
US Cellular (NYSE:USM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
US Cellular (NYSE:USM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024
