T-Mobile’s flagship device, the G1, has been for the most part a great success. Widespread adoption and new customers to T-Mobile’s 3G high-speed data network have brought the customer-oriented GSM network great success. But the G1 isn’t perfect, and there is an unsettling rumor that an updated Google phone could be on its way as soon as January … would T-Mobile really alienate it’s newly-happy G1 users by releasing an update so soon?

Google Watch’s Clint Boulton recently wrote that, although an updated Google Android device for T-Mobile is very foreseeable, it probably won’t come within the next quarter or two; according to his rationale, this is because T-Mobile could stand to alienate a lot of customers, much like Apple angered customers by lowering the price of the original iPhone drastically soon after its debut, by releasing an updated device so soon.

While I agree that lowering the price of the iPhone was a very shady move and not good for customer relations on Apple’s part, I’m forced to consider this: how much did the price lowering really affect AT&T or Apple? If I remember correctly, the lower price tag only enticed more customers to purchase iPhones. Beyond that, the 3G release, which I still hold was lackluster for all the time and resources Apple had to truly revolutionize the handset, made Apple and the iPhone more popular still. Who’s the loser in it all?

By that same line or reasoning I’m forced to disagree with Boulton when he says that releasing a G2 device in January would be bad for T-Mobile. Personally, I’m a T-Mobile customer, and I decided against purchasing a G1. The device is unsightly and in need of becoming a more “finished” product. Considering the iPhone 3G is only $199 for 8 Gb of storage, I think that the Google phone needs to have similar storage resources for a price so close to that of the iPhone. There are other things that could be improved upon.

Beyond that, the great thing about the handset industry for T-Mobile is that U.S. consumers are happy to go out and purchase updated devices soon after their releases, even if they grumble all the way. Take the iPhone 3G; I was astounded to hear how many people went out to replace their original iPhones, even if they’d had them for such a short time, simply for the Apps store and 3G data. That didn’t justify the expenditure to me, but it certainly did for a lot of people.

The G1 needs updating, and consumers are willing to pay the money. Why not release a device as early as January? Nobody needs to apologize for capitalism. Hopefully the device will be crafted properly this time, not like the current G1, and those customers that choose not to take advantage of the new device can be happy with their old G1s. No love lost, and T-Mobile is representing a better product.

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Entry was posted on Monday, December 22nd, 2008 at 9:38 pm under Cell phones, Google, Opinion.

Read more entries by Triston McIntyre.
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