T-Mobile USA Customers: Content Channel and Carrier Billing To Market
| by Talton "Phases" Pettigrew on November 4th, 2009 |
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Check out what mocoNews just put out.
“The company said that later this month, T-Mobile will introduce a T-Mobile Channel, which will provide recommended content for the Google Android devices. Already, T-Mobile is providing a so-called “AppPack,” which suggests downloading 34 free and paid apps. The new channel is expected to by live by Thanksgiving. The bigger announcement is that T-Mobile will soon enable carrier billing, which will allow customers to buy applications and other content using their monthly bill, rather than having to login to Google’s proprietary Checkout service. The industry considers carrier billing as the key to really increasing downloads.”
Making things easier = rewarding. T-Mobile is really on the ball with Android!
1. anonymous23 wrote on November 4, 2009
I think thats retarted
2. Josh wrote on November 4, 2009
@anonymous23 I think your retartded!
As a developer I can’t wait for carrier billing! A lot of the users of my apps are high school kids that don’t have a credit card and thus cant get a google checkout account. With carrier billing they will be able to actually buy apps.
3. MatthewS wrote on November 4, 2009
I’m going to have to take issue with this. One of the best features of Android is the ability to take control of your phone and your data. I use an unlocked mytouch 3G, and I use google voice, which means that I have reduced my carrier (AT&T) to an ISP. Google Checkout might be proprietary, but it’s universal across carriers. It would appear that Tmobile’s solution would lock out unlocked phones from the market, which is a very very bad thing.
4. MatthewS wrote on November 4, 2009
Hmm.. I see Josh’s point, I guess as long as the user has the choice to pick between google checkout and carrier billing, it would be fine.
5. Pieter wrote on November 4, 2009
yea matt, i’m sure they wont stop the ability to buy through google checkout…just add the new method. great news for all
6. Brian wrote on November 4, 2009
My guess is that it would be like choosing between credit card and paypal on ebay. I think they’ll do a choice for it. I can’t see Google abandoning their own payment method for a carrier deal that could possibly allow the carrier to dictate what they will and won’t pay for.
7. Anton S wrote on November 4, 2009
That carrier-billing becomes an additional(!) payment option, I – as a developer – think that is great!
But i’d also like to see additional payment options in Google Checkout, especially for areas where credit-cards are not wide-spread.
8. iPaul Pro wrote on November 5, 2009
I seriously doubt that Google’s agreement with any carrier or manufacturer allows them to remove the option of paying with Checkout.
This is great news for developers and users!
9. T-Mobile Proudly Touts Android Stats At Open Mobile Summit | Android Phone Fans wrote on November 5, 2009
[...] the news that T-Mobile will be introducing their Android-loving customers to a specific T-Mobile channel on [...]
10. Ozgo wrote on November 5, 2009
T-Mobile has come out with new plans, but they took away MY-FAVES…they are phasing this out. They lower the taxes and raise the price of utilities and gas…
11. rab wrote on November 6, 2009
I think this is a step towards carrier specific app stores, with the carriers herding users towards the store from the Android home screen. Currently carriers get zip from app store purchases. Build carrier stores, vet the apps, bill to the phone bill, carrier profits from purchases, devs benefit because good quality apps get a better chance of being seen, but margins are lower. Plus the carrier has an incentive to promote your app.
Think it won’t happen? what would it not happen?