“Sprint Nextel Corp., the third-biggest U.S. mobile-phone company, reported a 77 percent drop in profit and cut its forecasts for next year after losing the most subscribers since at least 2005,” Crayton Harrison reports for Bloomberg.
“Sprint lost 337,000 contract customers, the most since it bought Nextel Communications Inc., amid complaints about dropped calls and poor reception,” Harrison reports.
“Sprint ceded market share to AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, the top two wireless carriers. San Antonio-based AT&T added 1.2 million contract customers in the quarter, while Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based Verizon Wireless signed up 1.7 million,” Harrison reports.
“AT&T benefited from new handsets such as Apple Inc.’s iPhone, which has the features of an iPod music player,” Harrison reports.
Full article here.
No “iPhone, bitch!” take…?
That’s a lot of bloody customers. Change the name to Splint.
.mac is down!!!
“That’s a lot of bloody customers. Change the name to Splint.”
No, that’s the Asian subsidiary
I’m surprised that Verizon actually gained 1.7 million in the wake of the iPhone launch.
dat wuz funnee macromancer
Step 1) Steal land from Indians
Step 2) Give free right-of-way to railroads
Step 3) Plant fiber in right-of-way
Step 4) Create Southern Pacific Communications (“Southern Pacific Railroad INTegration”) …S.P.R.I.N.T.
Step 5) After MCI breaks-up AT&T;long distance monopoly, tag-along in footsteps and get rich as GTE SPRINT.
Step 6) Expand into wireless and team with Nextel.
Step 7) Get crushed by Apple/AT&T;locomotive.
I was one of those 337,000. Had to pay out the nose to do it too.
“Had to pay out the nose to do it too.”
That’s snot funny!
I paid to drop the bastards as well. F#$ckers deserve a big kick in the nuts.
Good one, Macromancer!
Better idea. Change the name to Spint?
“Step 7) Get crushed by Apple/AT&T;locomotive.”
Which apparently got crushed by the Verizon/LG locomotive.
Beleaguered Sprint?
Sorry guys, I just renewed my contract with Sprint. Picked up a new Palm Centro as well. Not quite as cool as the iphone, but I get live NFL Network, live streaming radio, I can use my bluetooth to move files, and I got AIM, MSN messenger and Yahoo messenger all built-in. I got all of that for a helluva lot cheaper than an iPhone. I’m not switching anytime soon.
Hey Nick. Nobody cares. Thanks.
Well, good for you, Nick.
Everyone has their priorities, and you have clearly identified yours. If iPhone doesn’t butter your bread, Palm is definitely the next best choice and I’m sure you’ll be happy with it.
Perhaps next time, in two years, iPhone and its features will grow hot enough to motivate you to switch. (and I’m only talking here from the perspective of an Apple stock holder…)
What Sprint needs is something like Verizon’s V CAST. Maybe call it S CAST. Those 337,000 customers will come crawling back because of the quality of the content. Better yet would be to put it all on a Windows Mobile based phone. That would be cool.
A sure recipe for success would be to become a very close partner with the folks at Microsoft. What’s more portable than music and video on a cell phone and who is better to deliver it than Microsoft? Sprint, you know what to do.
Your potential. Our passion.™
Nobody cares cuz yall are too smug to admit you’re getting ripped off and att has ZERO content. I’ve worked for apple, love the computers, hate windows, but I’ll pass on att and the iphone. Explain to me why the iPhone costs more, has similar hardware, and yet I can do more on my palm for less money? ex: why would they not allow you to really use bluetooth for more than a headset? Imagine how cool it would be to connect it to your car audio system wirelessly. And content: what does att offer? Sprint? disney channel, cartoon network, nfl network, etc.
so, who cares? I sure do, I get my money’s worth.
@ Nick Holla
You go girl.
You I-phone lemmings hear what Nick is saying? His Palm Centro is CHEAPER, and if there’s one thing us Windows enthusiasts know it’s that cheaper is always better. Cost should be the first criteria when evaluating technology purchases, then you need to factor in whether Microsoft has implemented their awesome technologies in the product. The winners are the ones that are Microsoft-based, and are cheap. Then you’re good to go. My 2¢.
Your potential. Our passion.™
@Nick Holla & Zune TrollTang,
I wonder why I cannot sell My Camel’s milk even though it is a third the price of Cow’s Milk…..Could it be because it causes people to fart????…….I would have thought that farting is as natural as breathing since some of that air has got to leave the body through some orifice!!!
I have had a Nextel phone from work for several years….Their service is better than years ago but still is the worst for dropped calls etc…I live in ATL and can’t believe the large numbers of areas with no signal and the fustration of a non-functoning device….I would never even consider one personally. I think many people feel the same way and now that you can take your # with you…My company is actually gravitating away from them and I am lobbying for a iphone… Hope I get one. As I often say 2 cans and a string is better than Nextel…..
Two more here, waiting for the contract to run out…
I don’t hate them completely… but I certainly don’t like them. I’m sure AT&T;is no better… but… you know…
Hey Nick, Holla at me how much your unlimited internet browsing is costing you a month.?
Y’know, I’m reading some of you hollering about network content. I don’t have an iPhone… yet. When I finally get one (I’m just patiently waiting for bigger storage capacity/capability), I figure that music, movies, shows, photos, games (all loaded on the iPod part) AND the internet are going to be all the content I need.
Buuuuut, to each their own, eh?
MDN word: “you”… You decide the content you want.
Count me as another who paid to drop them like a bad habit. It was all worth it though within the first minutes of activating and using my iPhone. Activation was seamless with iTunes and the phone is just kick a$$.
Hey Nick. I don’t have a cell phone at all, but I didn’t mention it, because nobody cares.
I pay $25 flat for unlimited internet, text, live tv, gps nav, instant messengers, and streaming radio. And @ Zune Tang, it’s running Palm OS, I’m not that crazy. And yea, it does you tube, myspace, etc.
Can the iphone be used as a bluetooth modem?
Can the iphone transfer a pic via bluetooth?
Can the iphone show live tv?
Can the iphone sign in on aim, msn, and yahho at the same time?
Can the iphone create documents and email them on the fly? Such as spreadsheets and word docs?
As far as coverage goes, I was on tour last year across the US and only had ‘no service’ once, in New Mexico with a Treo 650. My centro has dropped one call in 3 weeks due to signal drop out.
So, when it comes to price, the centro in my eyes is a waaaaay better deal. I’m sure the iphone will offer more in the future, but for now now it is not enough to justify its price.
@whoopty do
If you do not have a cell phone, why are you on this article?
The reason why people are still switching to Verizon, particularly those outside of large metropolitan centers, is network quality. I would love to buy an iPhone, but AT&T;network coverage is so poor in our area that you can’t use their phones indoors. What amazes me is that AT&T;is not using all of the extra money they are making for a quick and dramatic upgrading of their signal strength across the United States. This may be the best chance they ever get for beating Verizon in the market.
Sounds like Nick is having buyers remorse already
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The Ceo.of Sprint had it made when he hired all these Liers to fool a bunch of ppl. I think he is paying for it now. losing lots of money, and ppl.