T-Mobile's Event
I arrived at the T-Mobile Winter Preview event this evening to find the MIR Show team in full swing. (I’d arrived late with the camera.)
I was either expecting to be entirely – yet politely – ignored by the T-Mobile people, or strung up immediately by a TMO Kangaroo Court deeply unimpressed with my recent posts (‘T-Mobile’s Online Billing System is Bollocks’).
Thankfully the ladies who welcomed me didn’t appear to connect me (a genial friendly chap, a big camera bag) with the image of a raving mad mobile industry chappy railing about TMO now and again.
I quickly scanned the room for the MIR Show team as the lady ticked me off the list and spotted James Whatley immediately. He was on one of his Nokias, chatting away, his body twisting in laughter almost continually. Goodness knows who he was speaking to. I caught his eye and he pointed to a gaggle of chaps.
I then caught sight of Ben Smith fondling what looked like a G1 Google handset. Dan Lane was stood next to him more or less dribbling. Although it’s hard to dribble effectively with the huge boots he wears. I don’t know how we’re going to get him through Airport Security when we take the MIR Show abroad soon.
As I wandered over, I saw Rafe Blandford, the chap behind All About Symbian. I knew Rafe would have some good points about the G1 – when you see next week’s show you’ll see them. I said hi to Rafe and also to Josh Russell, who was our very first guest on the MIR Show (Covent Garden Edition).
I took in the room. It’s always interesting to see how operators choose to present themselves. T-Mobile came across well I thought. Swanky West End Hotel, nice pinky on-brand up and down lighting, brilliant food and super drinks being offered by professional waiters. Incidentally, the hotel was up-themselves-in-the-extreme. No reflection on T-Mobile. The PR lady was telling me that the hotel had made it clear they didn’t want to be identified in any footage. So I won’t tell you its name. Except to ask you to think of one of the swankiest West End hotels – and to point out that it’s a rubbish attitude.
A good venue choice by T-Mobile though. They had their key products on display around the studio room with an informed chap or lady at each stand ready to jump in with perspective whenever you needed it.
We did a walk about and asked what handsets folk have. We did some facts. We did an interview with Will, one of their outreach consultants . We got a chap called Richard to take us through the G1.
… And we spent a good 40 minutes fondling the G1 to bring you some stonking shots.
Plus: Nokia N96, E71, LG Renoir, Samsung Something (it’s name escapes me) and T-Mobile’s really nifty USB broadband modem wifi hub.
We didn’t manage to get footage of their new instant messaging service. We’ll get more of that soon.
So we’ll have a packed, packed T-Mobile focused MIR Show for you this coming Monday. Definitely do not miss it!
