AT&T & Verizon Offer Free Calls & Texts to Japan

Another post tonight…but definitely for informational purposes! For those of us with friends, family or colleagues in Japan, the past few days have been a bit crazy trying to keep in touch and up to date with what’s happening on the ground in Japan. Thank goodness for Facebook and Twitter! Well, doing it just got a bit easier now two major telcos in the US are now waiving all fees associated with calling and texting numbers in Japan. Today AT&T, and Verizon announced that they’re providing free calls and text messages to Japan for the month of March – retroactive to the 11th. Verizon customers get an extra week and a half as Verizon is waiving fees through April 10th.

As an aside, Sprint & T-Mobile consumers can expect to have their text message fees waived when submitting mobile donations via text when donating via select charities supported by Sprint. For more details visit your  mobile provider’s website (visit the corporate portion as that’s where all the press releases regarding waived fees and Japan outreaches are located).

Note: This post is about major national telcos, not regional providers. If your mobile provider isn’t mentioned above, then at the time of this posting, they haven’t submitted a release mentioning a waiver for texts and calls to Japan.

 

Even eBay is Cashing In on Apple’s iPhone-Verizon Integration

If you didn’t know…I’m a huge eBayer. When I’m not hooked to my email and iPhone for work…I’m scanning eBay because I’m a lover of all things vintage, tall boots, cute scarves and random finds. Well, today as I was taking a quick poke on eBay to review some items I sold, I was greeted with a splash page telling me that I could trade in my existing AT&T version of an iPhone and receive “instant cash” in order to upgrade to the Verizon version of the iPhone. Apparently, there are some slight modifications on the Verizon iPhone 4 version (beyond the obvious GSM vs. CDMA issue) that will make it impossible to use the same iPhone accessories even if you’re only transitioning from the same generation – but from AT&T.

eBay Instant Cash for AT&T iPhone Program

There are obviously a few caveats that go along with this program so definitely read the fine print. But to me it was interesting that even eBay knows how to boost their traffic and prominence during one of the most overhyped (in my opinion) product roll outs that the nation has seen in quite a while. Not to sound biased…but for as much as people hate on AT&T I do like the fact that I can make a call and send a text and browse the web and use my other 3G/wifi required apps without being told that I can’t simultaneously be on a call at the same time. And until Verizon fixes that issue and the CDMA…I’m not biting the apple (no pun intended!).

For more details on this instant cash offer, mosey on over to eBay where there’s a huge ad for the above promotion on the landing page.

AT&T’s Swipe at Verizon Carrying the iPhone Falls Flat

So, there’s a relatively new AT&T commercial that tries to differentiate why iPhone users will have a better experience on the AT&T network versus Verizon. The premise: while talking on the phone with AT&T, you can also simultaneously browse the web and use other apps as well. Under Verizon, consumers must choose between sending an email or making a phone call, or browsing the web or making a phone call.

In my opinion, the commercial is “okay” but falls flat of driving home the true difference between iPhone experiences on the two competing networks. I think AT&T should have shown this man on the iPhone but via the Verizon network with a clear shot of the phone reading “Verizon” on the network display. And, as he’s on the phone with his wife, trying to make a reservation, he quickly realizes that he can’t connect to the Internet since he’s on the phone. In a panic, he has to abruptly end the call so that he can access the Internet  – but in doing so, he’s also tipped his wife off to the fact that he didn’t plan a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner for the two. It would have been perfect – and would have clearly made the point that although Verizon might have better reception, you can’t beat the multi-tasking opportunities that are available on AT&T.

Let’s face it…it’s the same phone that’s now available on two networks, for the most part the experience is going to be the same. So when you’re trying to fight the competition over the same demographic, you really need to drive home the important difference in the subtle nuances between the two networks.