So how important is it for a mobile network to have the latest iPhone for sale?
Very, very, very important. If not essential.
US carrier T-Mobile has revealed it lost 700,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter of last year because...yup...no iPhone 4S.
In fact a total of 802,000 subscribers defected, but T-Mobile says the vast majority left to join three rival carriers that were offering the iPhone 4S.
Here are some points from T-Mobile's earnings release:
- Contract business negatively impacted in the fourth quarter of 2011 by iPhone 4S launches by three nationwide competitors
- Branded contract losses improved through the third quarter of 2011, however the launch of the iPhone 4S reversed this trend to a branded contract customer loss of 706,000 in the fourth quarter of 2011
- CEO Philipp Humm: "Not carrying the iPhone led to a significant increase in contract deactivations in the fourth quarter of 2011."
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