How I almost switched from Android to the iPhone

I was quite close in purchasing and going over to the dark side with the Apple iPhone, after being the BIGGEST proponent of Android. I even called the end of the iPhone FAD in a couple of years.

Prior to our weekend trip to Tahoe, I read up on my tweets and saw a particular entry from androidandme. It read “No More updates for the T-Mobile G1” after reading the blog, I felt devastated and betrayed by the 2 companies (Google and T-Mobile) which I thought was going to give people options other than a dictatorship helmed by Steve Jobs. I went on the Androidandme website and started asking a ton of questions on where he got this rumor from. I also went on the T-Mobile Forums and was going to ask T-Mobile if this was true. However, a similar question was already posted. Out of spite, I went on the thread and gave my 2 cents and posted this comment:

“I too am very upset when I read that. When Google, T-Mobile and HTC launched the G1 dubbed the iPhone killer, I sure thought we had a good thing going. But now, not even a year later we will NOT be supported or receive further updates for the G1 due to lack of space is utterly absurd!

T-Mobile, Google and HTC hear us out. As early adopters and pioneers of the FIRST open handset alliance phone (T-Mobile G1), where was the due diligence on your part in keeping your FIRST product as fresh and competitive as it was just a year ago? I would NOT have purchased or backed a phone such as this, if I’ve known that just a year or two, we will not be supported or receive future updates! Did you not plan ahead for such things? T-Mobile when you approved the phone that HTC presented, did it not occur to you how it will hold up in a couple years time? Especially with such an important aspect as the internal memory of the phone!"

Remember this T-Mobile, Google and HTC, if it wasn’t for the pioneers who first flocked to pre-order or ran to your T-Mobile launch in San Francisco to show support for the Android movement, you wouldn’t even have had such a following as you have today.

Any how, after numerous comments on the T-mobile forum and androidandme we received an entry from Dominic, an administrator of the forums and said:

“Great news G1 owners! I just received the following official statement from T-Mobile corporate:
“We plan to continue working with Google to introduce future software updates to the T-Mobile G1. Reports to the contrary are inaccurate.”There you have it. Please continue to enjoy your T-Mobile G1”

After reading that entry it made me realize how T-Mobile cares about their customers by acknowledging our concerns immediately, which re-instates my full commitment to T-Mobile and the Android platform. Moral of the story, if you complain or show dissatisfaction and the company really cares about their customers, they will act swiftly to satisfy them. I believe this is how it should be because if we don’t complain or show concern, they will think there is nothing wrong with their product and research and development will cease. To keep them on there toes and keep them constantly thinking, in turn makes a better product for the consumer. Unlike other telecommunication companies out there (AT&T and Apple).

-Jojie