T-Mobile US is betting that the combination of unlimited data, Samsung’s newest smartphone and free Netflix will be too good to resist. The “un-carrier” said that 179 million Americans are “stuck” in contracts or device payment plans with “old school” carriers, and these are the people it wants to win over to its growing network.
Starting March 27, T-Mobile US said it will begin taking pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy 6 and the Galaxy 6 Edge devices. The company said shipments will start before the phones go on sale in stores on April 10. T-Mobile US plans to make demo versions of the new phones available in most of its stores starting March 27.
For customers who switch from another carrier, T-Mobile US said it will either pay early termination fees or will put up to $650 towards any remaining device payment plan. The customer needs to trade in the old device and sign up for one of T-Mobile US’ Simple Choice plans.
T-Mobile US is offering the Galaxy S6 with 32 gigabytes of memory for $28.33 per month for 24 months, with the full retail price of $679.92. The Galaxy S6 Edge will cost $32.49 per month for 24 months, with a full retail price of $779.76. Both phones have glass-and-metal bodies, 5.1-inch screens and Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The S6 Edge features a display that curves around the phone’s edges. Samsung has said that the new phones will offer faster charging (including wireless charging) and will enable mobile payments with standard magnetic strip credit card readers.
T-Mobile US and Samsung join forces with Netflix
Through April 12, customers who order one of the new Galaxy phones from T-Mobile US will also receive a free year of Netflix in the form of a $107.88 credit redeemable through a Samsung website. The credit does not cover the cost of the data used to stream Netflix videos to the mobile device, but T-Mobile US does offer unlimited data plans for $30 per month.
For heavy Netflix users, the promotion may have a value that goes beyond the credit. The streaming video service has seen customers cancel subscriptions when videos buffered or stalled repeatedly, and has made payments to both Verizon Communications and Comcast to ensure better performance of Netflix videos on their fixed line networks. This time Netflix may be making a payment directly to users in the form of a credit, and T-Mobile US has a clear incentive to give Netflix users a good experience on its network.
So-called paid prioritization of content has been called into question by the FCC’s recent net neutrality ruling. That ruling states that service providers may not may not establish “fast lanes” that offer higher speeds to some providers in exchange for consideration of any kind. T-Mobile US has made no statement of any kind about prioritizing Netflix on its network. Furthermore, Netflix is giving credits to its customers, not making payments to T-Mobile US.
Image source: metro.co.uk
