In August Wired edition:

Wired: First, carrier fought number portability. Now you won’t unlock out phones. Why shouldn’t I be able to take my handset from Cingular to another carrier?

Ryan (Cingular VP): It’s about user experience. If you had a T-obile phone and switched to Cingular, you could run into problems getting mobile browsing and picture messaging working. Cingular’s customer care may not be in a position to know exactly how a T-Mobile phone is configured, and vice versa.

I nearly chocked on “it’s about user experience”, thinking maybe it is a joke. But sadly, it isn’t.. Sadder still they still think their customers are silly people who couldn’t configure their mobile phone.

Well, here’s a clue for you, Mr Jim Ryan. Look at your mobile subscribers numbers and check out the percentage of below 20s. And then go back home and asked who can programme the VCR. You may not know how but I am willing to bet your children can.

Sorry, please call a customer tie-in tactic as a customer tie-in tactic and stop hidding behind this vile “it’s about user experience” excuse.