T-Mobile's John Legere is not happy with an AT&T Amazon phone
When it comes to quiet, reserved CEOs, T-Mobile chief John Legere hardly qualifies, but the outspoken exec has been even more forthright today amid chatter of an AT&T exclusive on the new Amazon phone. Reports earlier suggested Amazon has inked a deal with AT&T to be the sole carrier offering its new, 3D-toting smartphone, something Legere believes is officially A Bad Idea.
The chief exec took to Twitter to voice his disapproval, first reminding followers – and, indeed, anyone from Amazon who might be reading – of the debacle around the Facebook phone, the similarly AT&T-limited HTC First.
That was followed by a critique of big business and the potential damage it could do to the mobile market. "When big (AT&T) and bigger (Amazon) get together," Legere wrote, "the industry feels a whole lot smaller."
Then it was a trip through how exclusivity limits consumer choice, a reminder of AT&T's performance on the early iPhone models, and and even criticizing Amazon for lacking "home-town pride" in its carrier pick. "The odd thing is, big + bigger = fewer options for customers," Legere concluded.
Interestingly, there had been suggestions by some that T-Mobile, not AT&T, might be Amazon's partner. The carrier is planning an "Uncarrier 5.0" event of its own tomorrow, which it moved to Seattle after Amazon issued invites for its own launch.
Still, AT&T is arguably the more obvious choice for Amazon to go with. The network and the retailer have already worked together on providing cellular connectivity for the Kindle range, though it's unclear whether – like the wireless Kindles – Amazon will bundle some amount of inclusive data in with each smartphone it sells. We'll know tomorrow when SlashGear heads to Seattle to find out what Amazon has in store.
SOURCE Twitter