T-Mobile is reportedly working on rebranding the company as being an "uncarrier", with changes like eliminating subsidies and contracts. It's a huge gamble T-Mobile hopes will pay off as it gets ready to launch its much welcomed and long over due version of the iPhone and its 4G LTE. T-Mobile has been hard at work getting its 4G LTE network up and running as it has already committed to selling smartphones with LTE radios to support its 4G network including the iPhone 5, BlackBerry Z10, and HTC One.
T-Mobile will say good-bye to contracts according to the report. Existing customers will have to finish out the remainder of their contract before they can move to the new plans T-Mobile will reportedly begin offering in the coming weeks.
Devices will be offered for full price. This is how T-Mobile is trading the contract for a commitment to allowing you to purchase a device at the full price, but will offer you a plan to pay for the device over time. Supposedly T-Mobile is going to try and offer the tacked on payment to be $25 - $30 per month on top of what you normally pay for your plan. The carrier will supposedly offer all off its smartphones for less than $99 as a down payment for the phone and then tack on that $25 - $30 price on top of your plan. A smartphone like the iPhone 5 unlocked retails for $649 at Apple retail stores and online. T-Mobile is going to make you pay full price with no contract, and hope that offering you the option of paying for the latest and greatest smartphone over many months with no contract will be appealing.
It still sounds like somewhat of a contract to me. It hopes by eliminating the word contract and offering a multi-month payment plan people might prefer that type of arrangement, like most of the world does. If not, T-Mobile is going to be in some big trouble.
