T-Mobile announced on Tuesday the company’s Valentine’s Day sale on all 4G smartphones and tablets. “T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine’s gift to consumers,” said T-Mobile’s senior vice president of marketing, John Clelland. “No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more.” The carrier is offering the Samsung Galaxy S II, BlackBerry Bold 9900, HTC Amaze 4G, Lumia 710, SpringBoard tablet and other 4G devices for free with a new two-year agreement. This one-day sale is scheduled for this Saturday, February 11th. Read on for T-Mobile’s press release.

Cupid’s Arrow Hits Mark: T-Mobile Offers Free 4G Phones to Celebrate Valentine’s

For one day only, on Feb.11, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free with the switch to a qualifying two-year plan

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Feb. 7, 2012 — In the spirit of the season, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will show consumers lots of love with another jaw-dropping promotion for its “Valentine’s Day Sale.” For one day only, Saturday, Feb. 11, T-Mobile will give customers the chance to get their hands on the latest 4G smartphones and select tablets for free, making a perfect gift for loved ones or themselves. The promotion includes T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones and select tablets running on America’s Largest 4G Network® such as the Samsung Galaxy S™ II1 and the T-Mobile® SpringBoard™ with Google™.

New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying Classic Plan™2 or for a $0.00 down payment after mail-in rebate card when signing up on a qualifying Unlimited Value™3 Plan.

“T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine’s gift to consumers,” said John Clelland, senior vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. “No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more.”

A recent online Omnibus survey4 with Harris Interactive found that four-in-ten (44%) of first time smartphone buyers in 2012 say the cost of the data plan associated with the smartphone is the most influential reason they have not purchased a smartphone before. The value for customers extends beyond the “Valentine’s Day Sale” as T-Mobile offers the best rate plan pricing on America’s Largest 4G Network.

T-Mobile USA announced on Tuesday that it is now selling Square credit card systems in its retail stores. Square allows people to take payments by swiping a credit card through the Square dongle, which can be plugged into the end of a smartphone. “The success of our small business customers is important to us. Formerly ‘cash only’ small businesses can now simply and cost-effectively accept credit cards with their smartphone using Square, giving them an easy path to growth,” said Matt Millen, vice president of small and medium business sales at T-Mobile. “As these businesses evaluate their wireless needs, T-Mobile is committed to providing quality of service, cost savings and connectivity that are a requirement for their success.” T-Mobile will also offer direct support for the smartphone payment accessory. The company’s full press release follows after the break.

T-Mobile Commits to Helping Small Businesses Transform Their Business and “Get Paid Fast”

Company is the First Wireless Carrier to Offer Square Credit Card Readers in StoresBELLEVUE, Wash. — Jan. 31, 2012

An internal document allegedly obtained from T-Mobile says the iPhone offers a “poor” customer experience on T-Mobile’s network. While it’s arguable that is a true statement since current iPhone models don’t support T-Mobile’s 1700MHz and 2100MHz 3G/4G bands and can only run on a second-generation EDGE network, there are now well over a million T-Mobile customers currently using unlocked iPhones on its network. The internal document instead asks customer service representatives to suggest customers buy T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ Android devices instead. We certainly understand where T-Mobile is coming from; obviously it wants to be able to control its customers’ experiences on its network. Plus, EDGE is far slower than the carrier’s HSPA+ network. As TMoNews points out, it’s more probable that customers find their data experience “limited” but not “poor,” given that some customers may argue that the iPhone itself offers a better hardware and software experience than several of T-Mobile’s 4G phones.

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T-Mobile and AT&T have filed with the Federal Communications Commission to transfer $1 billion worth of AT&T’s AWS spectrum into T-Mobile USA’s ownership. AT&T previously promised the spectrum to Deutsche Telekom in the event that its bid to acquire T-Mobile USA failed. “This additional spectrum will help meet the growing demand for wireless broadband services,” Tom Sugrue, T-Mobile’s senior vice president for government affairs, told The Wall Street Journal. “We hope the FCC will move swiftly to approve the license assignments.” As The Wall Street Journal points out, T-Mobile desperately needs the spectrum in order to compete with Sprint, AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Each of those aforementioned carriers have already started to, or already have plans to, roll out faster 4G LTE networks this year. T-Mobile has not discussed any firm plans regarding how it will advance beyond its current HSPA+ network.

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Consumer Intelligence Research Partners released a report on Monday revealing new details about iPhone users. Among those surveyed as part of the firm’s study, 21% of iPhone 4S buyers bought the 64GB model and 36% of new iPhone buyers came from another platform such as Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone. The research firm previously found that 18% of buyers who bought the iPhone 4S at launch came from another platform. Online purchases of the device represented 43% of Apple’s total handset sales during the iPhone 4S launch, dropping to 33% by the of 2011. The survey also found that AT&T, Verizon and Sprint have all maintained steady market shares regarding iPhone ownership, however, and the device has apparently helped each carrier take customers from other carriers that do not carry the iPhone, such as T-Mobile. CIRP surveyed over 6,000 customers who bought an iPhone between October and December last year.

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Following AT&T’s lead, T-Mobile will soon be offering new 5GB and 10GB data plans for a limited time. In a purported internal memo acquired by TmoNews, the carrier will begin offering the new plans starting January 25th. The Unlimited-Premium 5GB and Unlimited-Ultra 10GB plans will both include a free mobile hotspot and cloud storage, which normally costs $20 per month. The promo will be available to both new and existing customers, however the memo states that in order “to protect T-Mobile revenue” reps should “not proactively offer the bundled features to customers already on a 5 GB data feature who do not want additional data.”

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After the company’s failed acquisition of T-Mobile, AT&T is said to be in dire need of additional wireless spectrum and may be looking at Dish Network, the second-largest satellite-television provider in the United States. “AT&T wants to get more spectrum,” said Recon Analytics Roger Entner in a telephone interview with Bloomberg. “They are a year behind Verizon in the LTE race. Dish would undoubtedly be a good combination and it would solve a lot of AT&T’s problems.” Dish acquired spectrum from the bankruptcies of DBSD North America and TerreStar Networks. President and CEO Joe Clayton said the company is open to future acquisitions, and with airwaves limited, Dish has become a valuable target. AT&T may now be looking to pay the highest premium in more than a decade to acquire the satellite TV provider, according to Bloomberg. At a reported $50 a share, AT&T would have to pay a 77% premium for Dish, the highest in an acquisition greater than $5 billion by a telecommunications company since 2000. AT&T and Dish Network declined to comment.

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T-Mobile and Walmart announced on Tuesday that the Walmart Family Mobile plan now offers unlimited talk, text and web for $45 per month. Additional lines cost just $35 per month. Until Tuesday, Walmart’s plan did not offer unlimited web access, but there’s a big catch: the unlimited data doesn’t always provide 3G data speeds. Instead, those who sign up before March 16th will be able to consume up to 5GB of data at 3G speeds. After March 31st, however, new customers will only be able to surf at 3G speeds for the first 250MB. Customers interested in purchasing the plan can do so in any nationwide Walmart store or by visiting Walmart.com. T-Mobile and Walmart said the decision to add unlimited data was because 44% of first-time smartphone buyers so far this year have said the high cost of data has been No.1 reason they delayed buying a smartphone.

Nokia’s first Windows Phone-powered smartphone to launch in the United States is already available for free on contract. Nokia and T-Mobile unveiled the Nokia Lumia 710 last month and confirmed that while the handset is certainly not a flagship device, it will play an important role for Nokia as it re-enters the U.S. market. The 710 can’t hold a candle to the Lumia 900 Nokia and AT&T will be launching in March, but at $50, the Lumia 710 is an excellent entry-level smartphone. And at $0 on contract, the price Walmart is currently asking from new customers, the 710 is an unbelievable value. BGR reviewed the Lumia 710 earlier this month and we thought the phone could indeed be a great tool for Nokia and T-Mobile as they tries to convert feature phone users into smartphone customers.

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T-Mobile just announced the expansion of the company’s 4G network and unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G. The device features a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor and will be the third smartphone to take advantage of the carrier’s 4G HSPA+ 42 network. The handset is expected to be available later this year, with additional details set to be revealed closer to its release. T-Mobile has doubled the speed of its 4G HSPA+ network in 12 additional markets, offering faster HSPA+ 42 to 184 million Americans in 175 total markets. Additionally, the company’s HSPA+ 21 network has been expanded to nine additional markets, now covering 217 markets across the country. Lastly, the carrier also announced the new IP-based Bobsled group messaging app, which allows users to communicate for free across various devices, countries, and mobile carriers. Read on for the list of new cities.

Expanded 4G HSPA+ 21 markets include:

• Jackson, TN,
• Longview, TX,
• Lubbock, TX,
• Michigan City, IN,
• Midland, TX,
• Modesto, CA,
• Shreveport, LA,
• Stockton, CA,
• Tyler, TX

New 4G HSPA+ 42 Mbps markets include:

• Beaumont, TX,
• Longview, TX,
• Michigan City, IN,
• Midland, TX,
• Modesto, CA
• Mount Vernon, WA
• Naples, FL
• Punta Gorda, FL (including Port Charlotte)
• Sandusky, OH
• Shreveport, LA
• Stockton, CA
• Tyler, TX.

Nokia proved it was back in the smartphone game when it launched the Lumia 800 last year. But can its Lumia 710 gain the attention of U.S. consumers? Many would argue that Nokia should have decided to launch the Lumia 800 to make a bigger splash in a market that has long forgotten the Finnish smartphone maker. But the Lumia 710 is affordable — it only costs $50 with a new two-year contract — and it’s also powerful. It’s not as feature-rich as the Lumia 800, but can it still compete with other smartphones in its price range? My full review follows after the break.

Hardware

The Lumia 710 looks and feels like a decent device. The back cover is plastic but it has a nice soft-touch rubber feel and the entire face is glossy black, although a white version is also available from T-Mobile. There are three hardware buttons below the phone’s 3.7-inch display, which actually isn’t that impressive. While the curved glass AMOLED ClearBlack display on the Lumia 800 was very impressive, the standard ClearBlack display on T-Mobile’s Lumia 710 is not. Colors are washed out and the brightness is not where it needs to be, but this was likely required in order to keep the cost of the phone down.

The volume controls and a camera quick-launch key are in easy reach on the right side of the phone and there is a power button, a microUSB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the device. The back is home to a 5-megapixel camera and a single LED flash.

Under its hood, the Lumia 710 is powered by a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and is equipped with 512MB of RAM, a 1,300 mAh battery and 8GB of storage. As is typical with other Windows Phone 7.5 devices, you can’t add more storage using a microSD card, which is unfortunate if you’re like me and prefer a phone with a bit more memory.

Like the iPhone 4S and the Lumia 800, the Lumia 710 uses a microSIM card that pops in under the battery as opposed to on the top of the device, as it does on the Lumia 800.

While it’s far from a deal-breaker, the most upsetting point about the hardware is that T-Mobile decided not to offer the device in the various colors that are available on international carriers. I think Nokia really could have turned heads if it launched a yellow, pink, green or blue Lumia 710 in the United States, but instead the Lumia 710 will sit camouflaged on store shelves next to other black and white smartphones.

Software

The Lumia 710 runs Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango), Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system. I wrote about Windows Phone 7.5 in great detail in September when it launched, so we’ll stick to discussing what Nokia has done to the phone.

Nokia, unlike other manufacturers, has an agreement with Microsoft that allows it to customize the phone in a number of ways. You won’t find anything intrusive, but Nokia did add its own free GPS navigation software and its own Nokia Maps application, which I like better than Bing Maps. It’s not incredibly accurate, however. A search by name for a bar a block away from me didn’t turn up any results, for example.

As I said in my aforementioned overview of Windows Phone 7.5, I really, really love the Windows Phone 7.5 operating system. It’s one of the cleanest and most intuitive mobile operating systems on the market today, and for that reason it should be a top choice for first-time smartphone buyers or anyone who wants the functionality of a smartphone without complicated menus or settings.

I love the live tiles on the home screen as well, specifically how foursquare shows the leaderboard and how my avatar jumps around the Xbox Live tile. I also enjoy the fluidity and speed of the entire OS. My biggest gripe overall is that there’s a lack of applications for Windows Phone right now, but the Windows Phone Marketplace is growing every day and recently just surpassed the 50,000-app milestone.

Camera

The Lumia 710 packs a 5-megapixel camera and it’s not the greatest sensor I’ve used. The pictures were mediocre at best and not near as good as the shots we snapped with the Lumia 800, which has an 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. The camera is capable of recording 720p HD video and it was satisfactory. There was a bit of blurriness from time to time, but otherwise it was OK. The device also lacks a front-facing camera for video chat, which is supported on other Windows Phone 7.5 phones such as the Samsung Focus S, Samsung Focus Flash and HTC Titan.

Call Quality / Data

The Lumia 710 supports T-Mobile’s 14.4Mbps HSPA+ “4G” network in the United States. Data speeds were decent in New York City, but they were nothing compared to AT&T or Verizon’s 4G LTE networks. Using the http://dslreports.com/mspeed speed test, my download speeds averaged between 1.1 Mbps and 1.26 Mbps with the device reporting a full signal. That’s on a par with most 3G networks.

Calls placed on the Lumia 710 were pretty solid in New York City. I wasn’t blown away by the call quality, but I didn’t have any real problems with it either. The speakers were satisfactory during a phone call with the speakerphone turned on, but my caller could easily tell when I was using speakerphone.

Battery

Windows Phone 7.5 has been praised for its solid battery life in the past and the Lumia 710 wasn’t an exception. It’s equipped with a 1,300 mAh battery, which is a bit smaller than the 1,450 mAh battery inside the Lumia 800, but it lasted two full days with moderate usage and was able to idle for many more. Overall, I’m impressed with the battery life and think it’s better than most smartphones on the market today.

Conclusion

The Lumia 710 isn’t as exciting as its big brother, the Lumia 800. Nokia announced a flagship device that is, in many ways, a game changer for the company moving forward. And yet even still, T-Mobile decided to launch the company’s lower end device, which surely won’t turn as many heads. Worse, it decided to launch the phone without a wide color selection that could have made the device stand out more in public. It just seems like Nokia and T-Mobile missed an opportunity to really hit the U.S. market with a bang, but perhaps Verizon Wireless or AT&T will do that with Nokia’s expected 4G LTE device.

No, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the Lumia 710. It offers decent battery life, fair data speeds and a really solid hardware design. In fact, even its letdowns are justified by its affordable $50 price point, and the Lumia 710 is absolutely not aimed at seasoned smartphone users. Instead, this phone is aimed squarely at feature phone users that T-Mobile hopes to turn into smartphone owners. The handset is reliable and easy-to-use, and I highly recommend the Lumia 710 to first-time smartphone buyers.

With the Consumer Electronics Show just around the corner, savvy consumers are likely waiting before they commit to a new smartphone. The wait just became slightly more difficult, however, as T-Mobile on Tuesday announced a new sale that brings a number of solid deals to new and existing subscribers. The “New Year, New Phone” promotion will slash the price of all smartphones and offer them for $49.99 or less from Friday, January 6th through Sunday, January 8th. Each deal requires a mail-in rebate and the selection of a qualifying unlimited Value Plan, with payments starting as low as $10 per month. Additionally, the Huawei Springboard and LG G-Slate will be offered for $50 when users sign up for a monthly contract. Read on for T-Mobile’s full press release.

T-Mobile Rings in 2012 with the “New Year, New Phone Sale”

On Jan. 6–8, all T-Mobile smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are available for as little as $0–$49.99 net down

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Jan. 3, 2012 — Following last year’s successful holiday promotions such as “Magenta Saturday” and the “4G Super Sale,” T-Mobile USA, Inc. will help value seekers kick off the new year with the “New Year, New Phone Sale.” For one weekend only, Friday, Jan. 6 through Sunday, Jan. 8, T-Mobile is giving customers the chance to purchase top devices, such as the HTC Amaze^™ 4G, Samsung Galaxy S^™ II or the T-Mobile^® Springboard^™tablet, for $49.99 or less net down payment — after a mail-in rebate card — when customers sign up for a new two-year agreement on any qualifying T-Mobile Unlimited Value^™ plan.¹

“Some people join a gym as a New Year’s resolution while others vow to stay in better touch with friends and loved ones, and T-Mobile wants to help with that resolution,” said John Cleland, Senior Vice President of Marketing, T-Mobile USA. “For consumers who didn’t get the latest mobile phone for the holidays, T-Mobile is giving them a chance to welcome in the new year with the hottest new devices at an affordable price and help them stay better connected in 2012.”

New customers will be eligible for this deal when they sign up for a two-year agreement on any qualifying Unlimited Value plan². Existing customers also can take advantage of this great sale if they are eligible for an upgrade, meaning they have been on their current service contracts for 18 months or more.

The following is a sample list of some of the exceptional devices available through the “New Year, New Phone Sale”:

The “New Year, New Phone Sale” will be available the weekend of Jan.6–8 at participating T-Mobile retail stores nationwide. For more information about T-Mobile’s “New Year, New Phone Sale” and details about qualifying Unlimited Value plans, which include unlimited talk, text and data for a low price, visithttp://deals.t-mobile.com/new-phones?cm_mmc_o=lBgbzkFwpbzCjCzczywEwllCjC5ywllywkwzlwCjCwEpButBkbpzYwMwEfnivv.

1 Equipment installment plans: On approved credit and 0 percent APR. Down payment and unfinanced portion required at purchase. Remaining balance paid in 20 monthly installments. Total post-rebate price of each device equals down payment amount plus monthly payment amount times 20.

2 Devices must be supported with the following data requirements: voice phones: 200 MB data; most smartphones: 2 GB data; 42 Mbps devices (Amaze and Galaxy S II): 5 GB data.

During every event and every keynote, Google touts its Android operating system’s openness and explains that with no limitations, consumer’s benefit. While Android is more open than its competitors, it is closed compared to other open-source software such as Linux. Google makes the Android operating system source code available for any company or individual to use and customize to their liking. However, Google’s mobile suite — Gmail, the Android Market, Google Maps and more — is closed sourced and not available to everyone, leading to consumer confusion when buying a no-Market Android device. Additionally, due to custom skins and fragmentation, both carriers and manufactures are damaging the Google and Android names, MarketingLand‘s Danny Sullivan writes. Almost every manufacturer includes a custom user-interface on their devices in order to stand apart from its competitors. However, these same skins that are meant to enhance a user’s experience are causing fragmentation and leaving customers with outdated devices. Read on for more.

Google recently released Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and while various manufactures have hinted towards an update, only one device has it, and you can probably guess which smartphone… Google’s flagship Galaxy Nexus. Newer devices such as the HTC Rezound, DROID RAZR and DROID Bionic will also see the update at some point this year. However, devices such as the LG Revolution, which has only been on the market for 7 months will most likely never see another system update. The device is completely capable of running Ice Cream Sandwich and the only thing keeping it on Android 2.3 is LG and Verizon. The Open Handset Alliance that includes LG, HTC, Motorola, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, among others, has pledged with Google to end fragmentation and offer the latest Android operating system for 18 months after a devices release date, however we have yet to see any action from this promise. It’s time for Google to take action and rescue its users from device limbo or people will be forced to buy a new smartphone every few months to enjoy the latest Android features.

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AT&T made headlines in March of this year when it announced plans to acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion. Here we are nine months later and the deal is dead in the water, but there was a huge game of tug-of-war going on all year between AT&T, policy makers, the government and AT&T’s competitors. There were points when it seemed that the merger was bound for approval, and others where it seemed fairly certain that the government would reject AT&T’s application. The only thing we knew for sure is that this deal, if approved, would change the wireless landscape in the U.S. forever. Read on for more.

AT&T’s announcement to acquire T-Mobile USA was almost immediately met with strong resistance from its competitors, Sprint in particular. While Verizon Wireless supported the deal, Sprint and several regional carriers voiced strong opposition. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said the merger would “stifle innovation” and would leave Verizon Wireless and AT&T controlling 97% of the U.S. wireless market. AT&T Mobility boss Ralph de la Vega, however, argued that the merger would address spectrum shortage concerns in the United States and would help deliver mobile broadband to more people in areas without wireless service. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson also said the merger would result in “net job creation.”

Despite the resistance from others, AT&T’s General Counsel Wayne Watts said in June that the merger was on schedule for approval in March of 2012. Less than a month later, however, the tide began to turn against AT&T when Senator Herb Kohl, chairman of the Senate’s antitrust subcommittee said “I have concluded that this acquisition, if permitted to proceed, would likely cause substantial harm to competition and consumers, would be contrary to antitrust law and not in the public interest, and therefore should be blocked by your agencies.” That was just the start of the government’s opposition, and AT&T soon began to face much more serious problems.

In August, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it planned to review AT&T’s panned $1.925 billion acquisition of Qualcomm’s FLO TV lower 700MHz frequency band spectrum at the same time as the company’s planned T-Mobile merger. This no doubt highlighted the government’s concerns that AT&T might control too much wireless spectrum if it was allowed to purchase both T-Mobile USA and Qualcomm’s spectrum.

Things really started to heat up in August.

The Justice Department, which had been reviewing the merger for several months, decided to sue AT&T in an effort to block the acquisition in late August. The U.S. government wasn’t just worried that AT&T’s merger would create a duopoly, however. It also feared that allowing AT&T to purchase T-Mobile could result in job cuts, not job creation. AT&T addressed both concerns by promising to bring back 5,000 call center jobs from overseas, and rumors suggested the carrier was considering to sell off as much as $8 billion in assets to other companies. The FCC, however, said AT&T hadn’t ever proved how it planned to create new jobs, even though unions such as the Communications Workers of America argued the merger could create as many as 96,000 additional jobs in the United States.

It became clear later in the year that the merger was in dire straits when AT&T decided to pull its FCC application to purchase T-Mobile altogether, to instead focus on its lawsuit with the Justice Department. Should the carrier have won the lawsuit with the DoJ, it would have no doubt used the ruling as ammo in its bid to gain the FCC’s approval in a future application. Unfortunately, the merger was already on life support by this point.

The FCC’s concerns were aired out in late November when the agency released preliminary thoughts on the merger to the public, which suggested the merger was not going to go through. AT&T argued that blocking the deal would increase prices across the industry, but it was already too late for arguments. Three days later, AT&T asked the court to delay its suit with the Department of Justice. The DoJ was clearly on the same page; it also asked the court to toss or delay the lawsuit, and said that there was no need for a case since AT&T no longer had an active application filed to purchase T-Mobile USA. A judge quickly approved both requests for a stay, but that delay quickly became irrelevant.

On December 19th, AT&T announced that it was canceling its plans to acquire T-Mobile USA. As a result, it paid Deutsche Telekom $3 billion as part of a promised breakup fee and provided T-Mobile USA with AWS spectrum and a 3G roaming agreement. All was not lost, however. The FCC had promised to review AT&T’s planned purchase of Qualcomm’s spectrum at the same time as the merger, and as a result of AT&T pulling out of the deal, granted AT&T its blessing to purchase the added spectrum.

AT&T’s failed acquisition of T-Mobile USA certainly took up the better part of this year, and it was one of the more compelling stories to follow closely. 2012 will be a year to watch T-Mobile USA, as it struggles to hold on to fleeing contract customers and remain competitive with AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, all of which have plans for faster nationwide 4G LTE networks.

T-Mobile USA and Motorola have both responded to a request for information on Carrier IQ from Senator Al Franken, and both firms admitted to using the software on their handsets. Carrier IQ’s wide-reaching existence was revealed earlier this month by a security expert who pointed out that the software could be used by phone makers and carriers to spy on mobile phone users. T-Mobile said the software is installed on devices owned by an estimated 450,000 customers but that it uses the “technical data solely to understand what is happening on the device and the network so that [T-Mobile] can more effectively and directly troubleshoot issues.” T-Mobile also admitted Carrier IQ comes pre-loaded on the Galaxy S II, the HTC Amaze, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G, the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the BlackBerry Curve 9360, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 and LG’s MyTouch, MyTouch Q and LG DoublePlay. There’s no word yet of T-Mobile will follow in Sprint’s footprints and disable the software’s functionality. Motorola also said it installs Carrier IQ software on its Admiral, Titanium, Bravo and Atrix 2 phones, but only because Sprint and AT&T ask it to. “As of the end of the third-quarter of 2011, we have sold a total of approximately 145,000 units of these models to our wireless carrier partners,” said Motorola government relations senior vice president Dale Stone.

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