• This forum is for posting news stories or links from rumor sites. When you start a thread, please include a link to the site you're referencing.

    THIS IS NOT A FORUM TO ASK "WHAT IF?" TYPE QUESTIONS.

    THIS IS NOT A FORUM FOR ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO USE YOUR MAC OR SOFTWARE.

    This is a NEWS and RUMORS forum as the name implies. If your thread is neither of those things, then please find the appropriate forum to ask your question.

    If you don't have a link to a news story, do not post the thread here.

    If you don't follow these rules, then your post may be deleted.

T-Mobile to get iPhone, not Cingular?

schweb

schweb


Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
13,172
Reaction score
348
Points
83
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro | LED Cinema Display | iPhone 4 | iPad 2
Interesting article, the Apple-related section is at the end:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2025523,00.asp

Dotson singled out Apple's efforts on the desktop as a "great precursor of where I think the marketplace is headed in 3G," leading to speculation that T-Mobile, not Cingular, will host Apple's much-rumored iPhone project.
Click to expand...
 
K

kaidomac


Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
1,868
Reaction score
106
Points
63
Your Mac's Specs
G4 Cube
Exclusivity is dumb. In my area (Northeast US), Verizon has the best reception of any carrier. In other areas, other carriers have better reception. It would be a major bummer if only one of the carriers got rights to the phone...hope they come to Verizon later!
 
digital john

digital john


Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Messages
284
Reaction score
18
Points
18
Location
new jersey
Your Mac's Specs
20" iMac G5, 4G 40gb, G4 iBook
kaidomac said:
Exclusivity is dumb. In my area (Northeast US), Verizon has the best reception of any carrier. In other areas, other carriers have better reception. It would be a major bummer if only one of the carriers got rights to the phone...hope they come to Verizon later!
Click to expand...


I must say it was a very interesting article but....

I don't see Apple limiting themselves to just one carrier. I have done a lot of reading on the iPhone and from what I have gathered from everyone elses research, I believe that Apple will be "renting" wireless space from a variety of carriers, and sell the phone in Apple retail stores.

Unfortunately no one knows what the story is with the iPhone or whether one even exists at this point, so no one is neither right nor wrong.

Talk is cheap. Only time will tell...


john
 
iWonder

iWonder


Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
632
Reaction score
27
Points
28
Location
My world
Your Mac's Specs
iBook 12" G4, 30 GB, 768 MB RAM. iPod 5G 30GB.
digital john said:
Talk is cheap.
Click to expand...
On T-Mobile at least! lol, sorry i just had to say that...
 
campayne

campayne


Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
221
Reaction score
6
Points
18
Location
Golden, CO
Your Mac's Specs
White Mackbook 2g ram 2ghz, g3 powerPC 600Mhz, 30g video pod
wow thats a suprise
 
OP
schweb

schweb


Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
13,172
Reaction score
348
Points
83
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro | LED Cinema Display | iPhone 4 | iPad 2
digital john said:
I don't see Apple limiting themselves to just one carrier. I have done a lot of reading on the iPhone and from what I have gathered from everyone elses research, I believe that Apple will be "renting" wireless space from a variety of carriers, and sell the phone in Apple retail stores.
Click to expand...

I doubt that will be the case. Apple will not go into the MVNO business, or at least if they do, they won't be "renting from a variety of carriers. Cingular and T-Mo use GSM (as does most of the world), Verizon and Sprint use CDMA, others use variations of the two. It would make NO sense for Apple to cobble together a virtual network from various carriers simply due to the different wireless standards.

If anything T-Mo and Cingular will get the phone first. Much bigger market not only in the US, but any GSM capable phone in the world. Apple may sell the phone in their store, but I guarantee it's in partnership with one of the existing carriers.
 
digital john

digital john


Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Messages
284
Reaction score
18
Points
18
Location
new jersey
Your Mac's Specs
20" iMac G5, 4G 40gb, G4 iBook
schweb said:
I doubt that will be the case. Apple will not go into the MVNO business, or at least if they do, they won't be "renting from a variety of carriers. Cingular and T-Mo use GSM (as does most of the world), Verizon and Sprint use CDMA, others use variations of the two. It would make NO sense for Apple to cobble together a virtual network from various carriers simply due to the different wireless standards.

If anything T-Mo and Cingular will get the phone first. Much bigger market not only in the US, but any GSM capable phone in the world. Apple may sell the phone in their store, but I guarantee it's in partnership with one of the existing carriers.
Click to expand...


Your post makes sense, but I don't think an iPhone would be a success if it is only available through those carrriers. The majority of people who subscribe to a mobile phone service is locked into a contract and pay hefty penalties if they cancel early.

Here is an interesting article on the iPhone and a possible MVNO deal http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1959
 
OP
schweb

schweb


Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
13,172
Reaction score
348
Points
83
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro | LED Cinema Display | iPhone 4 | iPad 2
digital john said:
Your post makes sense, but I don't think an iPhone would be a success if it is only available through those carrriers. The majority of people who subscribe to a mobile phone service is locked into a contract and pay hefty penalties if they cancel early.

Here is an interesting article on the iPhone and a possible MVNO deal http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1959
Click to expand...

Yes, that's true, but they did the same thing with the Moto iTunes phones, it was exclusive to Cingular for a period of time. I guarantee it will be exclusive to some carrier at least to start with.

I HIGHLY doubt Apple would go the MVNO route. Reason being is exactly what you said, people would have to break contracts. The amount of people out of contract who could switch is miniscule compared to if they had the phone available to existing carriers. I don't care how rabid Apple fans are, most would not spend upwards of $250 per line to break an existing wireless contract. :)
 
digital john

digital john


Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Messages
284
Reaction score
18
Points
18
Location
new jersey
Your Mac's Specs
20" iMac G5, 4G 40gb, G4 iBook
I see where you are coming from, I think the iTunes Motos are going to be miniscule compared to an iPhone....Unfortunately we will not be able to conclude this debate until there actually is an iPhone.

There might never be an iPhone and we could just be discussing, nothing. Lol
 
Y

yogi


Joined
Jan 14, 2005
Messages
2,078
Reaction score
155
Points
63
Hmm... I wonder whether we will see an "iPhone" as such. We might see some kind of mobile communication device, but I doubt it'll just be another phone.
 
C

cherrypop

Guest
As a shareholder and a consumer both, I will be disappointed if Apple ships a "locked" iPhone. There's no reason (that I'm aware of) for the iPhone not to be SIM-free.

Apple's all about simplicity and ease-of-use. That dictates that their iPhone customers not have to buy a new phone if they move out of the rumored TMobile or Cingular network coverage area.

Sony Ericsson has done very well with their unlocked handsets, I believe, for this reason. I've owned nearly a dozen SE phones, a W810i currently, and I wouldn't go back to a SIM-locked phone ever again.
 
boneheadz

boneheadz


Joined
May 22, 2005
Messages
378
Reaction score
7
Points
18
Location
Calgary AB
Your Mac's Specs
ibook G4, 17 inch intel imac
cherrypop said:
As a shareholder and a consumer both, I will be disappointed if Apple ships a "locked" iPhone. There's no reason (that I'm aware of) for the iPhone not to be SIM-free.

Apple's all about simplicity and ease-of-use. That dictates that their iPhone customers not have to buy a new phone if they move out of the rumored TMobile or Cingular network coverage area.

Sony Ericsson has done very well with their unlocked handsets, I believe, for this reason. I've owned nearly a dozen SE phones, a W810i currently, and I wouldn't go back to a SIM-locked phone ever again.
Click to expand...

Not sure what country you are in but as far as I know all SE phones have SIM cards. The SIM card does not lock the phone, it is just part of a GSM phone. If apple makes the iphone (I don't believe they will make one) and they don't go with a SIM card (GSM) phone, and choose CDMA, I would think it would fail. CDMA networks require the dealer to activate, can't port numbers and if the phone lands in the toilet all is lost. A SIM card stays with you no matter what phone you have.

bone
 
C

Corrosive


Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
162
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
Spring, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
Macbook Pro Retina
boneheadz said:
Not sure what country you are in but as far as I know all SE phones have SIM cards. The SIM card does not lock the phone, it is just part of a GSM phone. If apple makes the iphone (I don't believe they will make one) and they don't go with a SIM card (GSM) phone, and choose CDMA, I would think it would fail. CDMA networks require the dealer to activate, can't port numbers and if the phone lands in the toilet all is lost. A SIM card stays with you no matter what phone you have.

bone
Click to expand...

Sprint phones dont have sims
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top