We have enjoyed plenty of what T-Mobile has done over the last 18 months, but you can color us plenty confused by the company's latest move. The Uncarrier company revealed a new website on Friday called The Underground, a site and name that got us excited. However, after spending the weekend trying to figure out what exactly The Underground does and what it’s for, we sadly have come to the conclusion that it is pointless.
You see, T-Mobile has modeled itself in recent times on being the quirky carrier, the one that will do off beat things and will certainly do unheard of business models. So, is the rather absurd The Underground just the company flexing its unhinged muscles and saying "hey look at me"? In a way it is, as this is a website T-Mobile is saying is for a specific type of customer; a clientele that you, good reader, may not be a part of. In fact, the company explains it far more stylishly than me when it says.
Buckle up & check your factory-standard devices at the door. Shop exclusive and performance-centric devices reserved for the true enthusiast-plus get news and reviews from the tech literati.
Hey, if you are not a "true enthusiast" then you are not invited to this new T-Mobile party; what the hell is a true enthusiast anyway? According to the company, you can count yourself a mobile connoisseur if you want the gold Samsung Galaxy S5 for example. The Underground builds itself as a place to get rarefied versions of mobile products, but actually the devices on display are readily available elsewhere and in abundance.
For example, we doubt the shelves are emptying of the Galaxy Gear 2 Gold considering the lukewarm reception the smart watch has had. T-Mobile clearly thinks this is an exclusive product that only the enthusiast will want though, and it joins the GS5, Gear Fit in black, and the UP24 Jawbone band as the only products available on the site.
You may agree that it's odd that T-Mobile would dedicate a website to a bunch of products that are not exactly as exclusive as the company clearly thinks. So, The Underground is really just a place where T-Mobile can shout, "Hey, we have that slightly rarer version of that smartphone or wearable too!" Quirky indeed.