[pkcable]

Folks,

There is a fairly solid rumor making the interweb circuit today regarding T-Mobile and TCL cutting a deal for a line of T-Mobile branded cell phones. Does this bode well for the KEYone? Obviously they have and are going to have an even closer relationship with TCL, so a deal to carry the KEYone should be too hard to get done!

[mrfreeze]

As long as there isn't any exclusivity deal.

[hoytbowhunter]

Folks,

There is a fairly solid rumor making the interweb circuit today regarding T-Mobile and TCL cutting a deal for a line of T-Mobile branded cell phones. Does this bode well for the KEYone? Obviously they have and are going to have an even closer relationship with TCL, so a deal to carry the KEYone should be too hard to get done!

Not a rumor, I got the proof. My buddy is a manager at T-Mobile. And my aunt is a corporate Manager for att that's how I know att won't be selling it. I'll post a screenshot of mine and his conversation.

[hoytbowhunter]

He said they'll have a KEYone between the 25th and 29th to put on display.

[krazyatom]

lol. Ask Cody if he can hook you up before official launch
I don't know if I should get a T-mobile version because carrier version always had lack of updates.

[hoopitz]

I wonder if this is going to lead to any conflict of interests. Obviously, T-Mobile will have all the incentive to sell their line of TCL phones, but what does that mean for all other manufacturers? I'm not saying that they're going to do anything as extreme as stop selling other brands, but this is how shady business practices start.

[pkcable]

I wonder if this is going to lead to any conflict of interests. Obviously, T-Mobile will have all the incentive to sell their line of TCL phones, but what does that mean for all other manufacturers? I'm not saying that they're going to do anything as extreme as stop selling other brands, but this is how shady business practices start.

Not unprecedented Verizon does this, plus AT&T has also. ZTE used to be famous for making carrier branded phones, you had no idea you were buying a ZTE phone, it was just called the Verizon or the AT&T whatever.

[hoopitz]

Not unprecedented Verizon does this, plus AT&T has also. ZTE used to be famous for making carrier branded phones, you had no idea you were buying a ZTE phone, it was just called the Verizon or the AT&T whatever.

I wasn't aware of that. Definitely gives me more faith.

Posted via CB10

[Sigewif]

Interesting piece of information. T-mobile has carried TCL made products, including Alcatel android tablets for a number of years at very reasonable prices. We got a tablet with a promo a few years ago and then got a newer model about 1.5 years ago.

[bunky1971]

There was an article on Tmo news there may be a trivvm? Or something made by TCL coming to tmo

[pizzawheel]

This makes sense to me- as I mentioned eralier, if I was a USA GSM-only carrier, I'd be all over Blackberry/ TCL.

T-Mobile wins by having an exclusive product.

TCL wins by not having to even build a CDMA version for a niche (BB/PKB) niche (CDMA*) market.

* Honestly I've no idea how big CDMA is in the wide world, but I'd bet Starcomms Nigeria is not going to offer it in competition with the big-3 GSM carriers (MTN/Glo/the red one lol)

[Mike-Mike]

i sure hope it gets a T-Mobile version. I want to keep Jump on Demand, so I dont really want an unlocked version

[keyboardweeb]

Hmm I would be very interested in how this turns out. If it means I will be able to pick up a KEYone a week early I'm all in. If it's just for some generic slabs, meh.

[hoytbowhunter]

This makes sense to me- as I mentioned eralier, if I was a USA GSM-only carrier, I'd be all over Blackberry/ TCL.

T-Mobile wins by having an exclusive product.

TCL wins by not having to even build a CDMA version for a niche (BB/PKB) niche (CDMA*) market.

* Honestly I've no idea how big CDMA is in the wide world, but I'd bet Starcomms Nigeria is not going to offer it in competition with the big-3 GSM carriers (MTN/Glo/the red one lol)

Exactly and that's exactly what my buddy said, he said T-Mobile is super excited to be the only carrier besides Sprint, and Sprint is partially owned by T-Mobile the so T-Mobile wins either way.

[JAS0NB0URNE]

This makes sense to me- as I mentioned eralier, if I was a USA GSM-only carrier, I'd be all over Blackberry/ TCL.

T-Mobile wins by having an exclusive product.

TCL wins by not having to even build a CDMA version for a niche (BB/PKB) niche (CDMA*) market.

* Honestly I've no idea how big CDMA is in the wide world, but I'd bet Starcomms Nigeria is not going to offer it in competition with the big-3 GSM carriers (MTN/Glo/the red one lol)

But they already have a CDMA version.

Posted with my  Classic

[JAS0NB0URNE]

As long as there isn't any exclusivity deal.

Agreed.

Posted with my  Classic

[ltoncb]

...., he said T-Mobile is super excited to be the only carrier besides Sprint, and Sprint is partially owned by T-Mobile the so T-Mobile wins either way.

Sprint is majority owned ( like 80%) by Softbank ( A Japanese company). There are rumors that Softbank would like to sell out to Deutsche Telekom (Tmobile ), but that isn't a done deal. A one point Softbank was posturing to buy Tmobile but that got nixed in bud by the FTC/FCC/DoJ.

There may be some minor Sprint stock sliver that came via some really old asset that Sprint spun out ( Omnipoint maybe) that Tmobile picked up along the way, but there are probably some pension/hedge funds that own a bigger percentage than T-mobile.

Sprint is a voice CDMA carrier so there is a CDMA unit of Keyone ( USA v2 ... that also overlaps with T-mobile and Verizon's major bands. ) . Both USA versions , v1 and v2, should work on T-mobile's current major bands. ( the default for sale at T-mobile may probably be the v1 model, but it would be strange if the v2 model wasn't also certified on that network. )

[ltoncb]

T-Mobile wins by having an exclusive product.

TCL wins by not having to even build a CDMA version for a niche (BB/PKB) niche (CDMA*) market.

Sprint was the only USA carrier explicitly mentioned in BBMobile's official press release about the KeyOne availability. That doesn't also exclude some deal with T-mobile... but
Exclusivity to T-mobile is perhaps temporarily a couple of months if not nonexistant. They have already said it is coming to Sprint. Unlocked on Verizon is likely (given various reported comments coming from Verizon reps scattered on these forums ).

That they aren't doing a CDMA version. Not liklely at all since it is explicitly listed on BBMobiles web site in the specs.

"Canada, LATAM, APAC, US V1

LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30

TDD LTE: 38, 39, 40, 41

US V2

LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 20, 25, 26,28, 29, 30

TDD LTE: 41

CDMA BC 0,1,10 "

https://www.blackberrymobile.com/us/specifications.php

USA ... two versions.

AT&T's major bands are included in v1. It may not be carried retail but decent chance it will be whitelisted and certified for their network for the unlocked version.

There is no major big-4 USA carrier that is being left out here at all. All the virtual operators on layered on top of those four aren't really either. The breadth of subsidized loans to buy the phones percolated to the masses is the only question of scope.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

T-Mobile hiring TCL to build them some T-Mobile branded phones.... is a big leap to TCL making T-Mobile carry their BlackBerry phones. Don't think you can expect that to be part of the deal. It would be more likely and profitable for TCL if they "asked" T-Mobile to support Alcatel devices over the BlackBerry brand. Alcatel is their main brand and the one they are using for consumers.

[Chuck Finley69]

T-Mobile hiring TCL to build them some T-Mobile branded phones.... is a big leap to TCL making T-Mobile carry their BlackBerry phones. Don't think you can expect that to be part of the deal. It would be more likely and profitable for TCL if they "asked" T-Mobile to support Alcatel devices over the BlackBerry brand. Alcatel is their main brand and the one they are using for consumers.

This is very true. I wonder though if BlackBerry name allows mid-tier perception that Alcatel-TCL doesn't. I'm on AT&T which only has cheap prepaid Alcatel-TCL phones.

Posted via CB10

[vladi]

I wonder if this is going to lead to any conflict of interests. Obviously, T-Mobile will have all the incentive to sell their line of TCL phones, but what does that mean for all other manufacturers? I'm not saying that they're going to do anything as extreme as stop selling other brands, but this is how shady business practices start.

That's why US is the suckiest place to buy the phone. I remember when whole world was rocking Nokia Symbian and Sony Ericsson UIQ for years, US carriers were still on dumb CDMA networks offering rebranded Kyoceras to their customers with ugly Verizon logo on it.

Things have changed with VoiceStream and introduction of iPhone but remember all the Droid crap that was going on? Yup!! Today's no name Android Chinese flagships are so cheap and brand don't mean nothing to majority of users cause they want Android and couldn't care less for the brand as long as the specs are ticked off and I don't blame them.

Now we can watch Sony, LG, HTC and many other premium Android manufacturers sans Samsung burn into pieces. That's what you get for taking the shortcut and not investing in software. There is no such thing as premium experience with Android.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

This is very true. I wonder though if BlackBerry name allows mid-tier perception that Alcatel-TCL doesn't. I'm on AT&T which only has cheap prepaid Alcatel-TCL phones.

Posted via CB10

About as much as the RCA Brand does with TVs. Which is why TCL has pretty much dropped using the RCA Brand in favor of their own. To be honest, I'm kinda surprised they are still using Alcatel... Think it's pretty clear who TCL is these days, and as a company they are doing much more to promote the TCL Brand (sticking it on Grauman's Chinese Theater, Collage Bowl Game and a few minor sports teams). Would be like Samsung using different names for their TV's, Appliances and Electronics.

I do think TCL is in this for the long term... they are just starting out in the US Market, kinda like KIA and Hyundai did in the 90's in the car market. TCL will probably drop the Alcatel brand in favor of their own name, and start competing more directly with the likes of Samsung, then with the likes of BLU, Honor, or ZTE.

[tnewton3]

This makes sense to me- as I mentioned eralier, if I was a USA GSM-only carrier, I'd be all over Blackberry/ TCL.

T-Mobile wins by having an exclusive product.

TCL wins by not having to even build a CDMA version for a niche (BB/PKB) niche (CDMA*) market.

* Honestly I've no idea how big CDMA is in the wide world, but I'd bet Starcomms Nigeria is not going to offer it in competition with the big-3 GSM carriers (MTN/Glo/the red one lol)

A CDMA variant has been confirmed by multiple sources. I know CDMA isn't big world wide but it's huge here in the states with Verizon being one of the top 2 carriers possibly 1. Verizon kills AT&T service in rural areas and that is important to me, that and the last 10 years I've been having my phone paid for by work and Verizon is the carrier. Cannot switch.

[Chuck Finley69]

A CDMA variant has been confirmed by multiple sources. I know CDMA isn't big world wide but it's huge here in the states with Verizon being one of the top 2 carriers possibly 1. Verizon kills AT&T service in rural areas and that is important to me, that and the last 10 years I've been having my phone paid for by work and Verizon is the carrier. Cannot switch.

Unfortunately, if Verizon doesn't sell it, nothing BlackBerry Mobile can do about it. Even if able to get a Verizon SIM card into device, it will still be crippled at some level.

Posted via CB10

[Pinot2015]

A CDMA variant has been confirmed by multiple sources. I know CDMA isn't big world wide but it's huge here in the states with Verizon being one of the top 2 carriers possibly 1. Verizon kills AT&T service in rural areas and that is important to me, that and the last 10 years I've been having my phone paid for by work and Verizon is the carrier. Cannot switch.

CDMA phone has been verified on the official BlackBerry Mobile website. In the specs section.