How is Best Buy Mobile Doing? An Overview of Best Buy's Mobile Division in 2024

Best Buy has long been known as a go-to retailer for consumer electronics, appliances, and tech support. But how is Best Buy Mobile, the company’s mobile-focused division, performing in 2024? In a competitive market dominated by carriers and direct-to-consumer models, Best Buy Mobile continues to evolve to meet the needs of smartphone users, offering a range of devices, mobile plans, and tech services. Let’s take a closer look at how Best Buy Mobile is doing in today’s dynamic market.

What is Best Buy Mobile?

Will Amazon Prime Mobile (MVNO) Use T-Mobile's Network?

My prediction is that Amazon based in Seattle will partner with T-Mobile which is also based in Seattle.  

Why Won't Wireless Carriers Admit Coverage Problems?

Does Admission of Guilt = Class Action Lawsuits?

There can be several reasons why wireless carriers may be hesitant to openly admit problems with their network coverage or services:

Free 3G Amazon Kindle Fire Android Tablet?

Amazon Kindle Fire with Android OS is Coming for $199 

Amazon announced today a WiFi only 7 inch Android tablet that it will sell for $199.  However, will Amazon's next version of the Fire have free 3G wireless?  Amazon allows customers who have the black and white Kindle to access AT&T 3G for free.   The next Amazon Fire could have free AT&T 3G for $299 similar to the black and white Kindle for $79.  The current WiFi only Fire tablet has a 7 inch screen and weights only 14.6 ounces.  The Amazon does not include 3G and you can pre-order it for $199.  Shipping date is November 15, 2011.

This is a tremendous breakthrough for the industry where the device itself becomes a commodity and the services behind the device become the real value.  Subscriptions to content like Pandora, Netflix or Amazon movie become more important and thus will allow Amazon to subsidize the price of the device.

It remains to be seen if newspapers can get into the game of require subscriptions to view their content.  My speculations is they won't have much success getting people to pay for news and simply will have apps build in this Android platform that are filled with ads.

If you compare this device to the iPad 2 its $300 cheaper and does not have the following features.  Camera and GPS which are unnecessary for most tablet users.  Tablet users are primarily inside the home and office and only need WiFi.   Also, if you are a savvy user and have figured out how to tether WiFi devices to your 4G smartphone than the WiFi only version will also be sufficient.  

Cheap Unlocked Used iPhones For Sale

There are between 20 - 30 million inexpensive unlocked iPhones on the used market today and many of them are being sold on Amazon and eBay for $100 - $500.  Smart mobile phone shoppers can save lots of money buying a used phone that is unlocked.  Buying a cheap iPhone can save you lots of money using a cheaper data plan from T-Mobile or another GSM carrier.  We discovered do research that one-third of the iPhones being sold on eBay were unlocked.  Unlocking the iPhone is the process of using software to modify the iPhone to work with other GSM carriers if purchased from AT&T or CDMA carriers if you purchased a Verizon phone.

Related Stories:
How Many Unlocked iPhones Are There?
How to Unlock the iPhone 4 for T-Mobile

AT&T HSPA+ 4G Phones

HTC Inspire, Motorola ATRIX and Samsung Infuse

AT&T now claims to have 80% of their network with HSPA+ but they don't provide a coverage map yet.  Also, AT&T does not tell you that your old phone and iPhone will not work on the HSPA+ network and you will be required to buy a new phone like the ones below that are AT&T 4G compatible. All of you iPhone lovers who just bought the iPhone 4 won't work on the faster AT&T's HSPDA network. The HTC Inspire sells for $499, Motorola ATRIX for $699 and the Samsung Infuse is $199.  Very expensive if you ask me even with a data contract subsidy for $200 to $300.  T-Mobile has had 4G HSPA+ for over a year and has a lot more phones to choose from if you plan to switch before the merger.  Search Amazon.com for at&t 4g phones.

10,000 Used iPhones on eBay for $100

10,000+ Used iPhones on Ebay

After a quick search on eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) today we found well over 10,000 used phones that were selling for between $120 to $150 dollars.   It is even more amazing to see that well over 33% of these phones are unlocked 3,000+.  This means you can take the phone to any 3G GSM carrier around the World or go to T-Mobile in the US and use it on a cheaper data plan than AT&T.  Directions how to Unlock iPhone for T-Mobile here. 

This is a great deal especially if you want to do a pre-paid phone plan or don't want a long term contract. AT&T (NYSE: T) will be challenged to get $600 for the new iPhone 4 when the iPhone 3GS is also 3G and not 4G. You can also buy a $50 iPhone directly from the carrier but this requires a long term contract and who would want that?  If the phone is Verizon you can take the phone to any CDMA carrier.  Why is this important?  If the T-Mobile and AT&T merger goes through there will only be one USA GSM carrier in the US and that is horrible for consumers.  

What is Wrong With Amazon.com Wireless?

Amazon.com does not have a compelling consumer-friendly mobile phone strategy.  Does this site about get you excited about buying a phone from them versus going to an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or Sprint retail store?  Are they missing out on mobile, smartphones, and tablets which are in boom times?   Amazon is one of the largest eCommerce communities in the world and could be a powerhouse in mobile phones if it had any balls to get aggressive about providing real consumer value.

Amazon Wireless is a half baked site that has very few good offers for customers switching carriers but none for existing customers.  The site also doesn't tell me squat about the coverage I might receive if I switch carriers or reviews about problems with phones or data speeds.  It also could be a tremendous marketplace for mobile and tablet app reviews for Android and iPhone but I find nothing.  However, they seem to be afraid of taking an aggressive stance against Verizon and AT&T who continually market 4G bullshit.  Amazon or Best Buy could be one of the few retailers that could clean up the wireless carrier fraudulent marketing.  Consumer Reports sure sucks at it and we are making an effort with our DeadCellZones.com coverage map. 

Cheapest WiFi Only Android Tablets

The definition of a tablet computer usually means no physical keyboard and the screen is seven inches or larger. Contrary to public opinion the iPad was no the first tablet on the market and there were many manufacturers like Archos, Nokia, Motorola, Zenithink, Augen, iRobot, Maylong, Plexon who were making them long before. However, Apple has educated the consumer masses that tablet computers are awesome and has provided the fuel for buyers. However, their closed system does not allow you to watch Flash video and thus would prevent you from watching YouTube and many other web sites. We decided to put a list of Android tablets together and surpassingly came up with 9 tablets available at Amazon.com. If you simply want a device to browse the internet and play Android games purchase one of these devices for $100-$400 and save a bunch of money. If you are like many of us and don't use your data plans enough outside the home or office to pay for a 3G or 4G data plan that Wi-Fi only should be sufficient.

Carriers Bluffing on Cell Phone Signal Booster Network Interference

Mobile operators have avoided facing the reality of consumers frustrated with congested networks and entrepreneurs who have found solutions to fix coverage problems. Now comes a report from the New York Times that the leading mobile operators in the USA are contending that wireless boosters interfere with the smooth running of their networks. What's ironic is "cell phone boosters" have been around for a few years with companies like Wilson Electronics and Wi-Ex.  This equipment is used by law enforcement and often used at stadiums to boost coverage.  Fast forward 10 years and now with an investment in femtocell made, the mobile operators are screaming stop, and seeking assistance from their trade body, CTIA and the FCC to limit or eliminate the use of the wireless boosters when in reality the solution to provide coverage in many places really has been Wi-Fi.  Here are products that have been sold directly from Amazon Wireless for many years.

Read more about the craziness of this idea at VoIP Watch.

Clearwire Adds "Honest" Coverage Maps

Kudos to Clearwire who has taken the “coverages map battle" to a whole new level, in a way that potential wireless users might find more useful than anything offered by Verizon or AT&T.   Their coverage maps use anecdotal network data signals from testing to show actual expected performance on a block-by-block level.  View the new maps at Clear.com/imap, which combine RF engineering network-performance graphs on top of a Google Map, allowing you to see a more detailed map of WiMAX deployments in each of its live markets.

It will be interesting to see how Clearwire customers users begin to add locations to our map of 4gdeadzones.com. Not all dead zones are treated equally and eventually 4G and LTE coverage maps will have to be audited for their claims as well. Maybe Clearwire would be open to being the first company to view user-generated maps as a customer-friendly service similar to financial auditing services Deloitte or PricewaterhouseCoopers.  It won't be long before major retailers Amazon, Best Buy Mobile and Radio Shack get into the coverage map business and will force carriers to be more transparent about their coverage.  Auditing is one of the best ways to accomplish this.

RadioShack Bolsters Sales Using Kiosks

RadioShack Bolsters Sales Using Kiosks at Target and Sam's Club

RadioShack third-quarter profits were down 24 percent but the company benefited from better-than-expected sales, some of which was attributed to the company's introduction of Verizon Wireless to its Sam's Club kiosks. In September RadioShack announced it will introduce Verizon Wireless in neary 450 Sam's Club wireless kiosks that it operates nationwide. Verizon -- the largest U.S. wireless carrier with about 80 million subscribers -- will make its hand-held devices and services available through Sam's Club wireless kiosks operated by RadioShack effective Oct. 1.

Radio Shack’s Kiosk Operations division is also launching their BullsEye Mobile Solutions inside of Target stores. Roll out begins in California with 104 stores. Nationwide roll-out total locations inside of Target is expected to be 1100 to 1500 locations by end of 2010, with eventually leading to a total of 1800 retail locations, including locations inside of Sam’s club. The Target locations will consist of three carriers which are Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. In addition, Radio Shack is already inside of Sam’s club locations but with one diffference; an additional carrier, Sprint are carried at the Sam’s club locations. Pricing will be extremely competitive with Best Buy and other retail locations.

Specifically, RadioShack reported a net income of $37.4 million, down from a net income of $49.1 million in third-quarter 2008. Sales from the company's 1,300 RadioShack stores dropped 15.7 percent and online sales fell 5.1 percent from the same quarter a year ago. Wireless represents more than one-third of RadioShack's total sales.  Company executives said that there was some uptick toward the end of the quarter because of netbook sales and other mobile products. Company executives said RadioShack benefited from having a full range of mobile products--the retailer recently added T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless to a lineup that includes Sprint Nextel and AT&T Mobility.

RadioShack is facing increased competition in mobile from the likes of Best Buy Mobile and Wal-Mart Mobile. Best Buy is expanding its Best Buy Mobile stores to more markets, and Wal-Mart recently started selling TracFone's prepaid service Straight Talk nationwide.

These retailers may soon be jumping on the consumer generated coverage map bandwagon, realizing their consumers are tired of looking at carrier generated coverage maps from 50,000 feet.  We think is most important for consumer generated coverage maps to reflect real customer experiences indoors and outdoors.  Its also, very important to have granular data down to the individual house, neighborhood, street and zip code level. Many of these retailers are trying to figure out what data is important and how they can the acquire it.  Keep your eyes open for mobile retailers who may soon begin offering beta map products soon.

Wireless Powered Cell Phones

Gigaom: Wireless Power Is Still Pretty Useless:

Your cell phone uses a lot more power when connecting a call than when it is has a low cell signal. Often, your battery can be strong enough to attempt a call, but not strong enough to find a signal. Bad cellular signals are a big contributor to battery drain problems. The weaker the signal the more battery drain. The stronger the cellular signal the less battery drain. It's amazing to me how many iPhone users tolerate their poor battery life and purchase external batteries.

The technology industry has invested a lot of marketing energy and dollars into getting consumers excited about wireless power, the promise is that it will free us from the size and feature constraints imposed by batteries. There’s a consortium of bigwigs from Nokia to Dell trying to advance a standard called Qi, and Intel and WiTricity are trying to develop an even more compelling technology that will transfer power over the air. But we’re still a long way from cutting the cord.

Consumers intent on living a wireless life have two new options this holiday season — both of which are getting a lot of attention: mats on which they can wirelessly charge their mobile devices. Unfortunately, this sounds far cooler than it really is. The two products — the Powermat, which goes on sale Sunday at Amazon, and the Duracell MyGrid, which went on sale earlier this month — use different techniques to charge a device, but both require the mat to be plugged into an outlet, which eliminates the wire to the device, but not the one to the wall.

After years of hope (and no little amount of hype), wireless power is finally getting into consumer's hands. However, the technology that is showing up on trade show floors and store shelves is a far cry from the truly disruptive promise of wireless power. As we cram more computing power into our mobile phones and use them to deliver the web, take photos and shoot video (as well as talk), a key limitation has become the battery. Anyone who has experienced a three-hour battery life after surfing on a Wi-Fi network knows first-hand that battery life can impede the enjoyment of a full-featured mobile device. And that problem is the one that wireless power will one day solve.

Below is a comparison of total system efficiencies versus the transmitting range of the various technologies. Efficiency describes how much power is wasted and how much heat is dissipated during power transmission. Inductive systems have the highest system efficiencies of any wireless system.

How To Select A Cellular Amplifier

With an estimated four billion cell phones in use worldwide, and the reliance on mobile voice and data on the rise, a strong cell signal is more important than ever. Cellular amplifiers have emerged as a viable tool to address cellular connectivity. Wilson Electronics outlines criteria for selecting the right cellular amplifier to protect consumers and ensure cellular signals stay within reach. The leading provider of quality amplifiers and antennas for cellular phones and data cards, released the six criteria to select a quality cellular amplifier to address the issue of dropped calls, slow data and bad cellular signal strength.

Due to a lack of industry standards in the cellular amplifier market, consumers are at risk of purchasing an inferior product that will not help them stay connected. “The lack of appropriate industry standards for cellular amplifiers allows for numerous products on the market that, while holding FCC approval, do not have the technical specification to deliver on their claims to improve cell signal quality to any significance,” said Joe Banos, COO at Wilson Electronics. “If a product does not meet six core elements, the user is at risk of purchasing a technology that cannot deliver on its promises.”

To protect buyers from purchasing a low-quality product, a cellular amplifier must have bi-directional amplification, high downlink receiver sensitivity, high uplink output power, oscillation detection and shut down cell site overload protection and a 100 percent unconditional customer satisfaction guarantee. With these elements, cellular phone and data card users can be confident that the amplifier they are selecting will virtually eliminate dropped calls, increase data rates and provide a quality cell signal.

6 Tips How To Select A Quality Cell Phone Amplifier

1) Bi-directional amplification: Select an amplifier that is bi-directional, meaning an amplifier that boosts both the cell site’s incoming downlink signal and outgoing uplink signal. Some amplifiers on the market only boost the downlink signal to the phone, with no amplification of the uplink signal. In this scenario, users will show an increase in bars and might be able to receive calls, but will not have the power to reach back to the cell site for a reliable call. High power uplink amplification yields two benefits - better call reliability and longer battery life.

2) High downlink receiver sensitivity: Receiver sensitivity is an amplifier’s ability to pick up weak signals that a typical cell phone may not hear. The higher the receiver sensitivity an amplifier can provide the better. Buyer beware, some amplifier manufacturers claiming to have high receiver sensitivity are touting numbers collected in perfect cellular signal scenarios. Quality amplifiers should be tested in real-world, weak signal, environments to ensure unsurpassed receiver sensitivity.

3) High uplink output power: The lack of output power from the phone to the cell site is the reason most dropped calls occur. Lowering output power is the easy and low-quality method to prevent oscillation and to keep costs down through less expensive components and simpler designs. By cutting these corners, many amplifiers on the market today deliver less output power than a typical cell phone or data card. Higher output power, with no corners cut, ensures the strongest possible cellular connection.

4) Oscillation detection and shutdown: Similar to a microphone being too close to a speaker, oscillation, also known as feedback, can be attributed to improper installation. However, improper design of a wireless amplifier can also be the cause. This oscillation can make cell sites shut down, violating FCC regulations. A violation could lead to fines imposed by the FCC and confiscation of a user’s amplifier. An amplifier that has a reliable and proven method of quickly and automatically detecting oscillation and shutting down when needed will protect both the cell site and the user.

5) Cell site overload protection: A quality amplifier is capable of monitoring proximity to a cell tower and automatically adjusts its output power to accommodate this change in distance. An amplifier operating at full power when too close to a cell tower will overload the site and impair service to a large number of users. Like oscillation, cell site overload can lead to intervention by the cellular operator and the FCC, as well as put the user at risk to costly fines and amplifier confiscation.

6) 100 percent customer satisfaction guaranteed: Identify a company that stands behind its products and be skeptical of sellers and manufacturers that do not offer an unconditional money-back guarantee. Also, read the fine print to make sure the guarantee you are getting is legitimate. A company that stands behind its products and offers extended customer services to the end-user, such as a U.S.-based tech support helpline, is a good indicator that the product is of high quality.

Wilson Electronics delivers proven, tested cellular amplifiers for in-building and mobile applications with industry-leading performance and quality. For more information about Wilson Electronics’ products and services visit. WilsonElectronics.com