T-Mobile USA trumps competitors with Nov. 10 Galaxy Tab launch

Upstaging its larger rivals, T-Mobile USA Inc. (DTEGY) said it will be the first domestic carrier to commercially launch Samsung Telecommunications America’s Galaxy Tab device on Nov. 10.
Verizon Wireless announced last week that it would offer the device, which is powered by Google Inc.’s Android operating system, on Nov. 11 for an unsubsidized price of $600. Sprint Nextel Corp. announced earlier this week that it would offer the device on Nov. 14 for a subsidized price of $400 along with a two-year contract for data services starting at $30 per month.
Similar to Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA said it will offer the device for a subsidized price of $400 with a two-year agreement on a “qualifying rate plan.” The carrier noted those rate plans will mimic the current offering for its wireless modems that include 200 megabyte of data transmission for $25 per month or 5 gigabytes for $50 per month. The carrier does not cap the 5 GB offering, but instead throttles down network speeds if users exceed the cap. The carrier also said customers could select its recently launched prepaid mobile broadband plans, though the price of the device is expected to increase.
AT&T Mobility is the last remaining nationwide operator to announce its launch plans for the device.
In addition to the Galaxy Tab plans, T-Mobile USA also said it will begin offering Research In Motion Ltd.’s updated BlackBerry Bold device beginning Nov. 17. The device, which will sell for a subsidized price of $130, includes RIM’s latest BlackBerry 6 OS, a five-megapixel camera and support for both Wi-Fi and T-Mobile USA’s 3G network.