
What’s going on here?
T-Mobile upped its full-year outlook after a standout quarter, touting more postpaid phone additions in the US thanks to aggressive perks and competitive offers.
What does this mean?
T-Mobile welcomed 830,000 new postpaid phone customers last quarter, beating analyst forecasts by over 18% and raising its 2025 net additions target to as much as 6.4 million. The company’s winning strategy? Eye-catching trade-in deals, streaming bundle perks like Netflix and Apple TV+ under a five-year price lock, and buzzy promotions. All that added up to $21.13 billion in quarterly revenue, topping Wall Street’s expectations. Not to be outdone, rivals AT&T and Verizon also reported stronger sign-up numbers, making it clear that the battle for US wireless subscribers is heating up — and the whole industry is feeling the pressure to keep customers happy.
Why should I care?
For markets: Competition drives the pace of change.
Telecom giants like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon are ramping up efforts to grow and retain their customer bases, with all three posting upbeat results and higher annual targets. Their focus on innovation and improved deals reflects the need to stand out as overall subscriber growth slows, signaling more dynamic shifts ahead for industry leaders.
The bigger picture: More perks, more power to consumers.
With competition heating up, customers are likely to see better offers, steadier prices, and more value-packed bundles. This race for loyalty is sparking broader industry changes, forcing companies to step up on perks and guarantees — shaping the telecom space for both consumers and investors as 2025 approaches.