Open Letter To Steve Jobs

johnnyluu · Jun 28, 2008

Has anyone else seen this?

OPEN LETTER TO STEVE JOBS

Is it just me or does this strike you as incredibly stupid?

I mean, you wouldn't ask Sony, Nokia, Samsung, LG or any other manufacturer of mobile handsets to get involved in how much carriers decide to charge for their monthly plans because that would be ridiculous.

Besides which, how powerful to they believe Steve is?

D3v1L80Y · Jun 28, 2008

Sounds like someone needs to dial whine-one-one and get the Whaaaaambulance on the case.

harryb2448 · Jun 29, 2008

Happening everywhere! Here in Australia Optus and Vodafone iPhone sellers, and others such as Ericsson are startin g identical petitions. Boy some of them must be scared after running smear campaigns.

cwa107 · Jun 29, 2008

Ultimately, it's just going to come down to how well it sells in those markets. I'd imagine if the pent up excitement turns into lackluster sales upon release, Apple and their respective vendors will get the hint and make some changes. Look at the iPhone's initial launch in the US. It was out for just a couple of months when they dropped the price by a third (as I recall).

baggss · Jun 29, 2008

Apparently it has escaped these people that if you don't like the terms of service, you don't HAVE to by an iPhone.

INTELligent · Jun 29, 2008

Just be glad that it's brought to Jobs' attention, his device is supposed to change the world, not only change the US. If that communications company is gonna charge "unfair" rates then that might stunt Jobs' product. And if he thinks that those rates will do that then he has the ability to really hurt that company. That company knows that ppl are itching to get the iPhone and if Jobs' pulls the plug on them, they could lose a sum of money. Therefore, Jobs > Rogers Communications.

z4k · Jun 29, 2008

The Service Providers POV is " You want the iPhone 3G" You pay the rates. It's easy. For those 6000 that sign the petition how many do you think will stick to it? How many others will pay what the provider asks not caring about a petition...

johnnyluu · Jun 29, 2008

INTELligent said:
Just be glad that it's brought to Jobs' attention, his device is supposed to change the world, not only change the US. If that communications company is gonna charge "unfair" rates then that might stunt Jobs' product. And if he thinks that those rates will do that then he has the ability to really hurt that company. That company knows that ppl are itching to get the iPhone and if Jobs' pulls the plug on them, they could lose a sum of money. Therefore, Jobs > Rogers Communications.

That's a fair point INTEL (can I call you INTEL?) but what what most people are forgetting to realise is that all of the carriers in the world existed and have been making a shed load of money well before Apple introduced the iPhone to the market.

For however many people will get or want the iPhone there will be and are several times as many people happy with other handsets. Without the iPhone the mobile communications market will continue to thrive as it has done so since mobile phones were brought to the mass-consumer.

Whether the iPhone sells successfully or not, or even if 'Jobs' pulls the plug on them', the carriers' businesses aren't really affected. If someone wants/needs a phone they will get a phone, iPhone or not, the carriers still get to sell their monthly plans and they still make money.

Sure they would see an increase in profits with the iPhone, but without it they certainly wouldn't incur any losses. Unless the carriers have to pay Apple for the handsets in bulk prior to selling them on. In which case, if they are charging outrageous prices for their monthly plans and the iPhones aren't selling, it's in their own interests to lower their prices.

All of these factors don't really have anything to do with Apple directly.

Which brings me back to my original point that complaining to the handset makers about extortionate carrier charges is pointless and that Steve doesn't have any great power in this particular market.

skaheadpunk · Jun 29, 2008

OH MY GOD!

They're having to pay the same rates as the British. Big deal.

takadante · Jun 29, 2008

They need to stop complaining about the prices and either get the phone or look for an alternative. If you consider how many iPhones were sold when it first came out, 6,000 people really doesnt matter to Mr. Steve Jobs.

Just my 2 cents. =]

cuhnool · Jun 29, 2008

baggss said:
Apparently it has escaped these people that if you don't like the terms of service, you don't HAVE to by an iPhone.

Exactly. i agree 110%.

INTELligent · Jun 29, 2008

johnnyluu said:
That's a fair point INTEL (can I call you INTEL?) but what what most people are forgetting to realise is that all of the carriers in the world existed and have been making a shed load of money well before Apple introduced the iPhone to the market.

For however many people will get or want the iPhone there will be and are several times as many people happy with other handsets. Without the iPhone the mobile communications market will continue to thrive as it has done so since mobile phones were brought to the mass-consumer.

Whether the iPhone sells successfully or not, or even if 'Jobs' pulls the plug on them', the carriers' businesses aren't really affected. If someone wants/needs a phone they will get a phone, iPhone or not, the carriers still get to sell their monthly plans and they still make money.

Sure they would see an increase in profits with the iPhone, but without it they certainly wouldn't incur any losses. Unless the carriers have to pay Apple for the handsets in bulk prior to selling them on. In which case, if they are charging outrageous prices for their monthly plans and the iPhones aren't selling, it's in their own interests to lower their prices.

All of these factors don't really have anything to do with Apple directly.

Which brings me back to my original point that complaining to the handset makers about extortionate carrier charges is pointless and that Steve doesn't have any great power in this particular market.

Just another thing, if Jobs sees that it is a problem then he might be able to pull strings on the company's investors. If you feel a company's investors with doubt then you've just about ruined that company. And investors are not heartless, penny-pinching ppl, they do have morals.

Even if a said market will still exist without the iPhone, it won't eliminate the demand for the device. If a company is gonna dive into the iPhone market, they'd better please their customers. Once again, the investors are not heartless and they're not going to spring for something that seems like it might lose money. There are so many factors that can play against the company...

cuhnool · Jun 29, 2008

Because of lowered prices, more people can get it now. The thought of buying a $500 phone was crushing to most. out of the nearly thousand kids in my high school, i would say the kids who had an iPhone would be 1 out of every 45. Now, I would say it would be 25 of every 45 with the 3G. And i go to a private catholic school, where tuition is around 9K/year. a lot of rich people, to be honest.

johnnyluu · Jun 30, 2008

When this stupid exclusivity nonsense has run it's course, everything will be better. By that time the iPhone should be even better.

I suppose if you don't need it and just want it, you should wait a couple of years.

At least here in the UK we have the option of buying it without a contract, with the hope that someone will figure out how to jailbreak it.

cuhnool · Jun 30, 2008

johnnyluu said:
When this stupid exclusivity nonsense has run it's course, everything will be better. By that time the iPhone should be even better.

I suppose if you don't need it and just want it, you should wait a couple of years.

At least here in the UK we have the option of buying it without a contract, with the hope that someone will figure out how to jailbreak it.

Well, i think we can buy it without a contract, too

I don't know though, my friend has one, but they switched form Verizon to AT&T, so he was already covered. Although, when he gets his 3G, he will be selling his iPhone to me for about $100, and I'm just going to unlock and jailbreak it, because my cell provider is T-Mobile.

bryphotoguy · Jun 30, 2008

So, how is it Steve Job's problem that Rogers Communication charges "too much" for their phone services. I thought he worked for Apple.