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T-Mobile at CES 2014: Uncarrier 4.0 with CEO John Legere

T-Mobile has announced that it is going to start paying early termination fees for people who switch to T-Mobile. That's the big news for consumers, but John Legere's willingness to trash talk the the competition might be the real story. Here's everything T-Mobile did at CES 2014 — including getting kicked out of an AT&T party.

We've put together a supercut of Legere's best moments from his previous presentations. You can look at that below, and stay tuned for more from T-Mobile's event at CES.

  • Ross Miller

    Jan 9, 2014

    Ross Miller

    Watch T-Mobile CEO John Legere's CES 2014 press conference in just over five minutes

    We expected T-Mobile CEO John Legere to be explicit at CES 2014 this year... but we weren't prepared for him handing out report cards to the competition, and (jokingly) threatening to shoot a journalist.

    That's Magenta's modus operandi these days, and the Uncarrier 4.0 also took the time to announce some impressive growth figures and aggressive offers for people who switch plans. Catch up on the (NSFW) presentation in just over five minutes.

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  • Chris Ziegler

    Jan 8, 2014

    Chris Ziegler

    T-Mobile CEO John Legere refuses to deny acquisition by Sprint

    John Legere
    John Legere

    John Legere — never a man to mince words — failed to deny that his company would be purchased by Sprint and corporate SoftBank this year, as has been recently rumored. In response to a question about the deal at T-Mobile's CES press conference today, Legere said, "I can tell you that the T-Mobile brand, attitude, and identity is here to stay."

    That seems to suggest that a combined company would adopt T-Mobile's branding (and Legere's trademark tirades) rather than Sprint's, whose identity is arguably fading fast as T-Mobile goes full-bore on all fronts with Legere at the helm. "What we're doing, in any [acquisition] scenario, will prevail," Legere added.

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  • Chris Welch

    Jan 8, 2014

    Chris Welch

    John Legere says he'll challenge AT&T's 'fastest network' claims with cease and desist letter

    A major point of T-Mobile's CES presentation today was the carrier's fast data speeds. CEO John Legere boldly proclaimed that his company now has the fastest 4G LTE network in the United States, claiming superiority over rivals AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint. And he's apparently going to try backing up the claim — legally. Legere said that he plans to serve AT&T with a cease and desist letter over its own "fastest network" advertising.  "I'm going to send a cease and desist letter to AT&T telling them to stop their ads saying they are the fastest," he said. "You know how many billboards they are going to have to take down?"

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  • Adi Robertson

    Jan 8, 2014

    Adi Robertson

    John Legere says AT&T is desperate, Sprint is 'a pile of spectrum waiting to be turned into a capability'

    True to form, T-Mobile CEO John Legere has started his press conference by roasting every one of his major competitors, all while holding a Red Bull. Legere has been outspoken in his distaste for other carriers — a name his company has ostentatiously rejected — and today, he attacked AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon for bad service, high prices, and generally being uncool. "I give Verizon huge credit for admitting their network is overloaded," he said. "But in this industry you should be able to leave if the network doesn't live up." He mocked Sprint for asking customers to "pardon our dust" as it upgraded its network: "Sprint is a pile of spectrum waiting to be turned into a capability," he said. CTO Neville Ray piled on: "My goodness, 'Pardon our dust?' It's a shitstorm!" (Sprint has actually been rumored to be making a bid for T-Mobile.)

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  • With over 1.6 million new customers, T-Mobile's Q4 2013 was its 'best quarter' in 8 years

    T-Mobile's bold new strategy is turning the company around. CEO John Legere announced today that Q4 2013 was his company's "best quarter" in eight years, seeing the addition of 1.645 million customers — a dramatic change from having lost 32,000 customers that quarter the prior year. Postpaid saw a one the biggest changes, adding 869,000 customers last quarter compared to losing 515,000 that quarter in 2012.

    In total, T-Mobile added 4.4 million new customers in 2013, which the company is largely crediting to its Uncarrier initiative — a combination of network improvements, consumer-friendly changes, and Legere's freewheeling press conferences. With the numbers in, Legere sounds more confident than ever about T-Mobile's ability to change the wireless industry's status quo. "We are either going to take over this whole industry, or these bastards will change and we'll still be wildly successful," Legere says. "I'm going to love watching the peckers scream."

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  • Sean Hollister

    Jan 8, 2014

    Sean Hollister

    T-Mobile will now pay $350 for you to leave AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon

    Just as predicted, T-Mobile's latest hyped-up plan to change the cellular industry is this: the company will pay your early termination fee if you agree to switch. Starting tomorrow, the company will pay you up to $350 per line to cover early termination fees and release you from a contract with AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon.

    Unfortunately, there are quite a few catches. You'll also need to trade in your existing phone, buy a new T-Mobile phone, sign up for a new T-Mobile plan, and even port your existing phone number to T-Mobile — in case you weren't going to do that anyway.

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  • Ross Miller

    Jan 8, 2014

    Ross Miller

    Watch the best of T-Mobile CEO John Legere (so far)

    T-Mobile CEO John Legere hypnotizing
    T-Mobile CEO John Legere hypnotizing

    T-Mobile CEO John Legere is notorious for his brash demeanor (a rarity among CEOs) both in person and especially on Twitter. He's already been kicked out of an AT&T party this week, and today at 12:30PM PT / 3:30PM ET he'll take the stage to definitely entertain and hopefully match that bravado with some actual industry-shaking announcements. Yes, we'll be live-blogging T-Mobile, of course — while you wait, check out the best of John Legere (so far). Warning: it's rather profane.

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  • Rich McCormick

    Jan 7, 2014

    Rich McCormick

    T-Mobile CEO John Legere kicked out of AT&T's CES party

    T-Mobile CEO John Legere - not bad intense face
    T-Mobile CEO John Legere - not bad intense face

    The spat between T-Mobile and AT&T intensifies. Four days after T-Mobile CEO John Legere called competitor AT&T out publicly for its "desperate moves" after it offered customers $200 in credit for switching from T-Mobile, the flamboyant Legere has been ejected from AT&T's CES party.

    CNET's Roger Cheng tweeted to say he'd spotted and posed for a picture with Legere at the event in Las Vegas.

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