T-Mobile USA seen cloning iPhone's App Store

[AppleInsider]

Hoping to ride the coattails of the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch, T-Mobile's US branch is allegedly developing a unified software store that would mimic Apple's but apply to every single device in the carrier's stable.

Rather than offer the usual app deck, which often varies by the phone operating system (as with Apple's solution) and even from device to device, T-Mobile would reportedly offer a store that covers all its devices, from simple phones that only support Java apps to smartphone-level operating systems such as Google Android and Windows Mobile.

The multiple sources making these claims to mocoNews also outline a submission and promotional system that will seem familiar to participants in the iPhone SDK Development Program. Much like Apple's App Store process, the T-Mobile service will make it easier for smaller developers to sell an app by submitting it online. Unlike some carrier-managed decks but closer to that for iPhone, T-Mobile is also believed to be taking a hands-off approach to highlighting apps that pass T-Mobile's scrutiny; users would simply see the most downloaded programs on top of searching for others.

Payment wouldn't be as simple as with the App Store, which sees Apple ask for a relatively low 30 percent cut of revenues regardless of app size or price. It's nonetheless perceived as "very generous" by those with early access and is largely dependent on the bandwidth used by a given app, with streaming video and other bandwidth-intensive software giving T-Mobile a greater slice of revenues than simple text-driven or offline apps.

T-Mobile has said nothing publicly about its plans but has already launched a developer site that would help software teams build their programs, although the carrier doesn't make any mention of its larger plans outside of allusions to "new ways to go to market" in the next several weeks.

Multiple factors are already thought to be coming into play, including the siphoning effect the iPhone has on its customer base. T-Mobile is relatively small and carries just 31.5 million active customers versus market leader AT&T's 72.9 million -- a problem which is made all the more apparent by a growth rate half that of AT&T. While it took T-Mobile three months to add 668,000 users in the spring, Apple's iPhone 3G sold a million devices during its opening weekend alone -- a large portion of which were bought by AT&T customers.

T-Mobile is also part of Google's Open Handset Alliance, which not only promotes Android but pushes the notion of open software development for cellphones.

With a single go-to location for apps, T-Mobile could potentially upturn the normally closed US cellular market, which has only recently begun to loosen its control over which programs customers can run with initiatives such as Verizon's Any Apps, Any Device and Sprint's unrestricted, WiMAX-based Xohm network. Still, the prize for T-Mobile is said by one developer to be less about revolutionizing the phone market and more about creating an allure for its service that transcends any one handset, in contrast to AT&T's dependence on the iPhone and other star devices.

"The App store was a big deal, but that’s one phone," the anonymous developer says. "This is an entire carrier."

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Feynman]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Hoping to ride the coattails of the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch, T-Mobile's US branch is allegedly developing a unified software store that would mimic Apple's but apply to every single device in the carrier's stable.

Rather than offer the usual app deck, which often varies by the phone operating system (as with Apple's solution) and even from device to device, T-Mobile would reportedly offer a store that covers all its devices, from simple phones that only support Java apps to smartphone-level operating systems such as Google Android and Windows Mobile.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

I can't wait to see what happens when a user downloads a program for like $20.00 and then goes to find it's not compatible with their phone/OS lol

[oberpongo]

T-Mobile in Germany just launched a mobile Application store.
Based on its existing softwareload.de desktop application online store it added a new section for mobile applications.
Grouped by devices more than 10.000 applications are already available. Either as a direct download via SMS Code to your handset or as a download to your desktop and then transfer to your mobile.

Check out the page i.e. for Nokias N95 series:
http://mobil.softwareload.de/device:...N95/index.html


Oh and by the way. In case you loose your mobile you are allowed to redownload the software up to two years later.

[Dick Applebaum]

Originally Posted by oberpongo

T-Mobile in Germany just launched a mobile Application store.
Based on its existing softwareload.de desktop application online store it added a new section for mobile applications.
Grouped by devices more than 10.000 applications are already available. Either as a direct download via SMS Code to your handset or as a download to your desktop and then transfer to your mobile.

Check out the page i.e. for Nokias N95 series:
http://mobil.softwareload.de/device:...N95/index.html


Oh and by the way. In case you loose your mobile you are allowed to redownload the software up to two years later.

Mmm... I checked the page and at least 1 program, ChessGenius, has a Gratis Demo Downloden.

http://mobil.softwareload.de/device:...9_details.html

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

I'm looking forward to seeing how they botch this.

At least I have more faith in T-Mobile than I do in AT&T and, worst of all, Verizon.

Just think! Now all the fans of other phones can add another 'me too!' to their bullet point list!

[nagromme]

They don't have the phone to RUN this kind of new breed of apps, and they don't have the easy Cocoa Touch SDK to MAKE the new apps. But they can have the store at least

[gwilli]

I think what entices users to buy apps in the Apple App store is the fact that one bit of software manages and synchronizes your device, which is simple, plus the fact you can download apps directly on the device, buying and installing a new app is literally 2 clicks away, having to purchase apps and games through SMS, having to download them and then manually install them is a pain in the arse, that's why I never bothered with Vodafone's solution in the UK. Most users just want to purchase the apps and be done with it, that's what makes the Apple app store so attractive to end users.

That's possibly why the Yahoo music store failed so dismally.

[shokk]

T-Who?

[OriginalMacRat]

The problem will be that T-Mobile in the US doesn't offer any useful phones.

I doubt most of their apps will run on my Sonny Ericsson P802, P910 or P990 phones.
(That I of course didn't buy from any US phone company)

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by oberpongo

T-Mobile in Germany just launched a mobile Application store.
Based on its existing softwareload.de desktop application online store it added a new section for mobile applications.
Grouped by devices more than 10.000 applications are already available. Either as a direct download via SMS Code to your handset or as a download to your desktop and then transfer to your mobile.

Check out the page i.e. for Nokias N95 series:
http://mobil.softwareload.de/device:...N95/index.html


Oh and by the way. In case you loose your mobile you are allowed to redownload the software up to two years later.

Man, that is one of the ugliest most confusing web pages I have seen in a while. If that's what they are going to go head to head with the app store with, Apple has nothing to worry about.

[Joe_the_dragon]

They should put it in a data free zone for all users.

[Tofino]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Man, that is one of the ugliest most confusing web pages I have seen in a while. If that's what they are going to go head to head with the app store with, Apple has nothing to worry about.

yes - that's an intensely crowded page. i'm curious what it looks like on a mobile browser...

[oberpongo]

Originally Posted by Tofino

yes - that's an intensely crowded page. i'm curious what it looks like on a mobile browser...

well, then you haven't seen their iTunes Store pendant: www.musicload.de
or their games on demand store: www.gamesload.de
at least there Video on Demand store looks a little bit more tidy: www.videoload.de:)

see the pattern...

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by OriginalMacRat

The problem will be that T-Mobile in the US doesn't offer any useful phones.

I doubt most of their apps will run on my Sonny Ericsson P802, P910 or P990 phones.
(That I of course didn't buy from any US phone company)

I'll second that. The "best" phone I could get from T-mo was a clunky Samsung not-so-smartphone clamshell model. They have got to get on the bloody ball and start offering customers something worth owning, even though it can't come close to iPhone functionality.

[TBell]

I hate to see T-Mobile take the "me too approach." However, I wish T-Mobile luck as I am a happy customer using an iPhone on it's network. AT&T has awful customer service, it's family plan rates stink, and it is a anti-constitution spying eel for the government.

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Hoping to ride the coattails of the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch, T-Mobile's US branch is allegedly developing a unified software store that would mimic Apple's but apply to every single device in the carrier's stable.

Rather than offer the usual app deck, which often varies by the phone operating system (as with Apple's solution) and even from device to device, T-Mobile would reportedly offer a store that covers all its devices, from simple phones that only support Java apps to smartphone-level operating systems such as Google Android and Windows Mobile.

The multiple sources making these claims to mocoNews also outline a submission and promotional system that will seem familiar to participants in the iPhone SDK Development Program. Much like Apple's App Store process, the T-Mobile service will make it easier for smaller developers to sell an app by submitting it online. Unlike some carrier-managed decks but closer to that for iPhone, T-Mobile is also believed to be taking a hands-off approach to highlighting apps that pass T-Mobile's scrutiny; users would simply see the most downloaded programs on top of searching for others.

Payment wouldn't be as simple as with the App Store, which sees Apple ask for a relatively low 30 percent cut of revenues regardless of app size or price. It's nonetheless perceived as "very generous" by those with early access and is largely dependent on the bandwidth used by a given app, with streaming video and other bandwidth-intensive software giving T-Mobile a greater slice of revenues than simple text-driven or offline apps.

T-Mobile has said nothing publicly about its plans but has already launched a developer site that would help software teams build their programs, although the carrier doesn't make any mention of its larger plans outside of allusions to "new ways to go to market" in the next several weeks.

Multiple factors are already thought to be coming into play, including the siphoning effect the iPhone has on its customer base. T-Mobile is relatively small and carries just 31.5 million active customers versus market leader AT&T's 72.9 million -- a problem which is made all the more apparent by a growth rate half that of AT&T. While it took T-Mobile three months to add 668,000 users in the spring, Apple's iPhone 3G sold a million devices during its opening weekend alone -- a large portion of which were bought by AT&T customers.

T-Mobile is also part of Google's Open Handset Alliance, which not only promotes Android but pushes the notion of open software development for cellphones.

With a single go-to location for apps, T-Mobile could potentially upturn the normally closed US cellular market, which has only recently begun to loosen its control over which programs customers can run with initiatives such as Verizon's Any Apps, Any Device and Sprint's unrestricted, WiMAX-based Xohm network. Still, the prize for T-Mobile is said by one developer to be less about revolutionizing the phone market and more about creating an allure for its service that transcends any one handset, in contrast to AT&T's dependence on the iPhone and other star devices.

"The App store was a big deal, but that’s one phone," the anonymous developer says. "This is an entire carrier."

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[NasserAE]

Man, they still don't get!! you can't serve people a plate of flour and say this is your cake!! The success of the App Store is the result of complete solution Apple provided for their customers. Furthermore, T-Mobile is being stupid by complicating the revenue sharing policy with developers.

[Galley]

How is this different from downloading apps on a Sprint phone?

[ThePixelDoc]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Man, that is one of the ugliest most confusing web pages I have seen in a while. If that's what they are going to go head to head with the app store with, Apple has nothing to worry about.

...to the land of the ugliest web design on the planet! Believe me, you haven't seen nothing so ugly, unusable, cluster-f***ed as the media and business sites here. Even big name manufacturers have different sites for the US and Germany. Check out Mercedes for an example. Also a major ClusterF... the sister site of T-Mobile, T-Online.

Test: can someone pull that URL up on an iPhone and post what it looks like? That would be interesting, if not plain funny... or sad however ya look at it.

I would say it's due to the influence of that major ugly OS platform...

[mdriftmeyer]

T-Mobile USA couldn't code it's own in-house CRM solutions so they used shrink-wrap for every damn thing.

Too many friends have conveyed what a joke that group was during the days of Voicestream and aftewards.

By the way T-Mobile: It's not ``just one phone.'' It's an entire end-to-end platform which will begin to blossom as more devices are released by Apple.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by ThePixelDoc

...to the land of the ugliest web design on the planet! Believe me, you haven't seen nothing so ugly, unusable, cluster-f***ed as the media and business sites here. Even big name manufacturers have different sites for the US and Germany. Check out Mercedes for an example. Also a major ClusterF... the sister site of T-Mobile, T-Online.

Test: can someone pull that URL up on an iPhone and post what it looks like? That would be interesting, if not plain funny... or sad however ya look at it.

I would say it's due to the influence of that major ugly OS platform...

What is with all the advertisements on T-Online's site? That looks extremely tacky.

T-Mobile USA is still using Cold Fusion for their Job search? That is one eye-sore of a web site.

[Dick Applebaum]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

What is with all the advertisements on T-Online's site? That looks extremely tacky.

T-Mobile USA is still using Cold Fusion for their Job search? That is one eye-sore of a web site.

What's the slam on ColdFusion? I used to develop web sites & ColdFusion was, by far, the best solution for most sites:

-- a very high-level scripting language
-- easy to learn & self documenting
-- automatically compiles to Java ByteCode for runtime efficiency

I also developed sites with Perl and PHP. They are free & though ColdFusion costs, I was far more productive (made more $) using it.

[Alfiejr]

folks, the T-Mobile App Store is pure hype for suckers. can't believe anyone here takes it seriously.

there are already other 'app stores' - MS has one for Win Mobile apps, Handango sells apps for all kinds of phones plus one branded for RIM, and others. they all are just catalogs of apps that you can buy, download, and then install manually one-by-one. for prices that typically range from $10-$30 (with bigger subscription fees for some). T-Mobile is just going to add one more branded version of its own. BFD. it's a primitive business/technical model that has not been a big hit with consumers, and never will be because it is clumsy and expensive. only apps that provide important information access services are selling.

the iPhone App Store is light years ahead of that. it kills them all. one click auto purchase/download/installation of an app, with auto updates. for prices that range from free to $10 (plus superior graphics/UI, auto-backup, multiple installations, and SDK). it's very easy and very affordable, and it's quickly becoming a sensational success. there are some really great/fun apps available, many free, in addition to the many very useful ones. more are coming every week, and in a few months every good possibility that has been suggested should become available from some developer.

only RIM can attempt to model it, since it controls both hardware and software integration on its limited line of phones too. it has just launched its own "made for RIM" mini-app store on its website. but there are only a small number of custom RIM apps there now (a few are free), nothing like the iTunes store.

maybe MS will attempt to catch up with a comparably easy auto app installation option in Win Mobil 7 next year. they'd better try, or they'll be left in the dust. same for Nokia/Symbian. but how about the prices?

once again Apple has revolutionized the business.

[nvidia2008]

The issue is still the iPhone will be for the forseeable future a significant mobile internet application system.

With an application store that is perhaps experentially superior on a global scale.

If the iPhone hits 50% of the smartphone market globally, it would give Symbian some good worrying, and make this T-mobile venture soon enough seem like the now defunct Yahoo Music store.

[nvidia2008]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Man, that is one of the ugliest most confusing web pages I have seen in a while. If that's what they are going to go head to head with the app store with, Apple has nothing to worry about.

Originally Posted by Tofino

yes - that's an intensely crowded page. i'm curious what it looks like on a mobile browser...

Originally Posted by oberpongo

well, then you haven't seen their iTunes Store pendant: www.musicload.de
or their games on demand store: www.gamesload.de
at least there Video on Demand store looks a little bit more tidy: www.videoload.de:)

see the pattern...

Originally Posted by oberpongo

T-Mobile in Germany just launched a mobile Application store.
Based on its existing softwareload.de desktop application online store it added a new section for mobile applications.
Grouped by devices more than 10.000 applications are already available. Either as a direct download via SMS Code to your handset or as a download to your desktop and then transfer to your mobile.

Check out the page i.e. for Nokias N95 series:
http://mobil.softwareload.de/device:...N95/index.html


Oh and by the way. In case you loose your mobile you are allowed to redownload the software up to two years later.

Yeah, that website is insanely jammed. It is bred from the "DOWNLOAD ALL TE MOST AND BEST RINGTONS FOR JUST 99C TYPE CODE AAAA AASHG ASJD CRERU FOR THE LATEST BEST TUNES OMFG WTF BBQ QOOOOT!!!!!" mobile ringtone/ Java game industry.

Try this for a difference (shameless plug) -- seriously though, try it
http://flame-research.110mb.com

Bonus points if you try that URL in your iPhone... (Yeah, it's not an app store, it's a web app for reading Appleinsider forums (summary of threads only at this stage).

[ZagMac]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

While it took T-Mobile three months to add 668,000 users in the spring, Apple's iPhone 3G sold a million devices during its opening weekend alone -- a large portion of which were bought by AT&T customers.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

Why is this statement being made? What value is there in comparing a carrier's gross adds to another carrier's devices sold? At best, if the ending adjunct was that "large portion of which were bought by NEW customers" there would be a still-broken attempt to compare apples to apples. But since it does not say that, a point is trying to be made without any accurate supporting information.

Though when all said and done, boy I sure do wish TMO had the iPhone. Won't ever set foot in a Verizon or at&t store again, and don't have the patience to maintain a jailbroken iPhone. Someday....

[wbrasington]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

"The App store was a big deal, but that’s one phone," the anonymous developer says. "This is an entire carrier."

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

Ha ha.

By the end of the year, there will be more people using the iPhone than that "entire carrier".

Then how's this going to look?