Skip to main content

Are you an AT&T subscriber? Analysts say you may be part of a dying breed

att 5g evolution at t feat
Image used with permission by copyright holder

When the competition is this fierce, someone has to lose. And right now, the loser in terms of mobile service provision looks to be AT&T. According to a new report by Cowen and Company Equity Research, the Dallas-based carrier is losing more subscribers on a quarterly basis than any other American carrier. AT&T’s biggest threat is posed by T-Mobile, which is the company customers most often tend to defect to. Considering the Un-Carrier is one of the few that still offers unlimited data and boasts relatively low prices, it isn’t a huge surprise that it is doing a pretty good job of cannibalizing business.

“When asking postpaid subscribers that have been with their carrier (less than) two years which carrier did they previously have, the top answer for current Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon respondents was ‘previously AT&T,’” the research firm said in a letter to investors. This differs from the results of previous surveys in which responses to that questions have been “more mixed.”

Unfortunately, this less-than-stellar news probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to AT&T. The company has noted in its own reports that it has lost postpaid phone subscriptions in the last eight consecutive quarters.

AT&T, however, seems to see the silver lining in the situation. The company claims it has “pivoted to a more surgical retention strategy of keeping high-value/high-margin subscribers.” Indeed, the carrier recently made a move that seems to reflect this strategy — following in the footsteps of Verizon, AT&T hiked up its upgrade and activation fees, which will now set you back $25 instead of the previous $20.

Sadly, it doesn’t look as though AT&T will be making any sort of a major comeback in the U.S. market. “Considering the format of the question (those that left a carrier over the previous two years), we believe this trend will continue, especially considering AT&T’s pivoted focus to DirecTV (and DirecTV Now) and its broader integrated solution strategy,” the Cowen and Company report concluded.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
OnePlus 10T colors: Should you get the phone in black or green?
Renders of the OnePlus 10T and black and green. They're at angles and surrounded by sand.

The OnePlus 10T is official with extra-fast charging capabilities, a non-alert slider design, and Hasselblad branding-less cameras. The device still offers excellent performance with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. While the internals sound over the top, it's pretty typical for OnePlus's usual 'never settle' fashion.

But flashy specs aren't the only thing that the OnePlus 10T brings to the table. It also comes in a couple of color variants so folks can show their personality with their smartphone.
All colors available for the OnePlus 10T
The OnePlus 10T follows the same unified design language as the OnePlus 10 Pro. This means the camera module unifies with the edge of the smartphone -- much like the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It comes with a unibody rear glass cover made with "industry-leading technology," at least according to OnePlus.

Read more
Is the OnePlus 10T waterproof? What you should know about its IP rating
The OnePlus 10T laying face-down on the arm of an outdoor chair.

As phones have become entirely engrained into our lives, they're frequently placed in positions where they could face damage. Whether that's from falling out of pockets, being stepped on, or being chewed up by a pet — when you buy a new phone, you're making a major investment in a world where everything is a potential phone-killer. With the OnePlus 10T here, potential buyers are asking questions regarding how sturdy the device will be. More specifically, you're probably wondering if the OnePlus 10T is waterproof.

One of the biggest areas where device owners want their smartphones to be the most resistant is when it comes to waterproofing. Keeping devices dry can be a difficult task, so most people want to know what the OnePlus 10T can survive. From withstanding a drop in the pool to a quick splash from a knocked-over glass of water, there's a wide range of what waterproofing can mean. Most devices possess some level of waterproofing, which makes answering "is the OnePlus 10T waterproof" a little complicated.
The OnePlus 10T has IP54 water resistance

Read more
OnePlus 10T buying guide: everything you need to know
OnePlus 10T screen.

Following up on the OnePlus 10 Pro, OnePlus has finally announced the OnePlus 10T. It's a follow-up to the OnePlus 10 Pro and a cheaper model of what turned out to be a well-received phone. For folks who didn't like the Oppo-ification of OnePlus, there is no reprieve here from that yet. OnePlus takes further steps, including ditching the alert sider and keeping the divisive OxygenOS 12 software. But if those things don't bother you, the 10T is an interesting choice in a market not devoid of handsets to choose from.

Here's everything you need to know about it!
Review

Read more