June 19th looked like it was going to be a special day for T-Mobile after a product launch schedule for the MyTouch 3G Slide showed something “big” being planned. Later, we saw a commercial script and some initial print advertisements showing T-Mobile would be offering Dads the ultimate Father’s Day gift.
That gift has now been confirmed: all phones will be free this Saturday at T-Mobile. The catch is that you have to switch to a family plan, start a new family plan, or add a new line to your existing family plan and sign a new two-year agreement.
If you were planning on getting a new phone anyway, then you pretty much just got a nice gateway to a nice selection of smartphones (including Android-based ones!). It’s too bad that the now-almost-official Samsung Galaxy S didn’t come in time for this promotion, but that may not be too far off if you don’t mind spending a couple hundred dollars when it does make its expected debut.
Full press details can be found below.
BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To help celebrate dad, T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announces the mother of all Father’s Day offers: on Sat., June 19, for one day only, every phone in every T-Mobile store is free.* This first-of-its-kind promotion will “untie” families from giving dad the traditional, same-old gift, instead offering him something he craves – a new smartphone.
“For this very special day celebrating dad and the entire family, T-Mobile is thrilled to offer an industry-first promotion that helps families stay connected”
T-Mobile will break the traditional gift-giving mold by offering every phone in every store for free. This Saturday, starting at 8 a.m., simply visit a T-Mobile retail store and switch to any family plan, or add a new line to an existing family plan, and walk out of the store with a new phone for every new line with a two-year agreement – customer’s choice – while supplies last.
“For this very special day celebrating dad and the entire family, T-Mobile is thrilled to offer an industry-first promotion that helps families stay connected,” said Adrian Hurditch, vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. “This unprecedented event champions dad and helps families stick together with the latest phones ? all for free.”
With affordable unlimited calling, texting and data family plans, T-Mobile is giving our most connected customers options that take advantage of the latest devices. With the Father’s Day promotion, dads can choose from a selection of 30 devices, no phones excluded, including a variety of brands such as HTC, Motorola, Nokia, RIM, Samsung, SonyEricsson, and Sharp. All phones will be available while supplies last, so customers are encouraged to arrive early to stores to secure the latest and most popular new devices, including the most recently launched smartphones from T-Mobile:
myTouch 3G Slide: Combines a slide-out QWERTY keyboard with an incredibly crisp, high-performance touch screen powered by the latest Android software. The device hosts unique new features that will help dads connect more easily, more quickly and more often, including the Faves Gallery, myModes and Genius Button.
HTC HD2: Offering the largest touch screen size on a smartphone in the U.S., this slim and sleek device comes ready with a blazing-fast processor and access to millions of eBooks, movies, television programs and more, keeping dad constantly entertained.
Garminfone: For the adventurous dad, this new Android-powered smartphone is fully-integrated with Garmin’s premium navigation experience and includes voice-guided and on-screen directions, real-time traffic, weather, and gas price updates.
“No More Ties” – Dads Want SmartphonesT-Mobile’s celebration of dads couldn’t come at a better time with new T-Mobile survey results showing that more than half of dads received Father’s Day gifts they didn’t want. In fact, 53% of dads don’t recall the gift they received just two years ago.
According to the poll, one in four dads would ban ties as gifts for Father’s Day, and the majority of dads (56%) would trade all ties in their closet for a new phone. Nearly three quarters (74%) of dads polled said they would be excited to get a new phone for Dad’s Day, and more than half believe their current phone is out of date.
Dads want a gift they’ll actually use, with two-thirds admitting they’ve received a Father’s Day gift they’ve never or hardly ever used. If dads had their way, not only would they ban ties but 19% said they would ban golf balls, 17% would ban coffee mugs, 14% would ban cologne and 11% would ban desk sets.
Dads have one day to get the phone they’ve really been craving ? and he can ensure the rest of the family can join him in staying connected. T-Mobile’s free phones Father’s Day promotion is one day only, June 19, in every T-Mobile store across the country. For additional promotion details and a list of participating stores, visit http://www.t-mobile.com/celebratefamilies.
*The offer is valid at T-Mobile owned and operated locations only. New activation on qualifying family plan with two-year agreement required. Limit five lines per family plan. Mail-in rebate and restrictions may apply. Store hours may vary. See store for details.
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the first quarter of 2010, approximately 150 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group?33.7 million by T-Mobile USA?all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world’s most widely used digital wireless standards. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.
If this includes the high-end smartphones as well (which I think it does) this is a fantastic thing T-Mobile is doing.
There are some major limitations to this though. It’s all about new family plans and no existing family plan lines are eligible at all. T-Mobile has a pretty poor selection of phones at this point too so there is not much motivation to get what they do have even for free. Some people might jump on this, there is no doubt, but I really wonder if this justifies opeing their stores two hours early nationwide.
This whole thing just stinks of desperation to me.
O, and meanwhile Apple servers and bandwidth are buckling under the load of people preordering iPhones. Are you seeing this Mister Dotson?
I have to agree T-mobile needs to step up with the phones selections. Those MyTouch 3Gs are pathetic compare to other Android devices from other carriers have to offer.
Will the Nexus One be free too?! if so, I’m in.
This is an in-store only deal for existing and non-existing T-Mobile customers….Unless they stock the N1 in their retail stores by Friday there is no chance you will get an N1 for free on this promotion….Yet another epic fail for loyal T-Mobile customers waiting to not have to pay over $500 for a superphone (N1 online only)….Its tough watching every other carrier drop high end phones to their users while T-Mobile gets more Mid-Range phones……Sigh :(
since they are getting the SGS and IP4, they are probably doing this to flush out their inventory of older phones.
hmm problem with my theory is that the garminfone just came out and it is also free
Indeed…what about the reliable T-Mobile customers (I’ve been with them for more than 7 years)?
I pay for T-Mobile service…but that doesn’t help me. If I didn’t pay for T-Mobile service, then they’d reward me?
I’m sick of this…it’s like throwing it in our faces…
this is great, I have to add my wife to my plan so now we get to have some free phones! what an awesome surprise!
BFD – trying to buy a market again. At least I can sleep in late while I am waiting for the new Nokia’s to make it north of Bellevue. If the E73 and the N8 don’t arrive soon, I am heading to Sprint and getting myself a good non-Android phone. (or are all non-Android phones good?) My MT3G is history because of the problems and the fact that it will kill you if you use it in a car. – And it won’t take advantage of the new 3-4G that T-Mo has supposedly rolled out in their own neighborhood. Can’t they do anything right? G’night
It doesn’t look like this is available for renewing contracts?