Secret of Apple iPhone's expansion in UK

[MacBytes]

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Category: Apple Hardware
Link: Secret of Apple iPhone's expansion in UK (http://www.macbytes.com/link.php?sid=20091001171345)
Description:: London - Apple expanded in the UK mobile market as Orange and Vodafone are to offer its popular iPhone for frenzy consumers, signaling a subtle shift in power away from the network operators towards the manufacturers.

According to the Times, thousands of customers have signed up despite having no idea when they will get one in their hand or what it will cost.

Together, the two carriers will bring to an end a two-year exclusive contract held by rival O2 which overtook Vodafone as the largest mobile network in the U.K. largely on surging consumer interest in the iPhone. O2 has scooped some of the country's highest-paying customers, thanks to its exclusive deal with Apple.

However, the success of the handset highlights the subtle shift in power away from the network operators towards the manufacturers, according to a Times report on Wednesday.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20090930/secret-apple-iphones-expansion-uk.htm

Posted on MacBytes.com (http://www.macbytes.com)
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[jayducharme]

Up to the turn of the century, the likes of Nokia and Motorola could charge operators what they liked for phones, as consumers cared little which operator they joined as long as they got a snazzy handset.

Is this really true? To me, most handsets were pretty much the same. The only difference was the screen and a few other minor features. I bought a cell phone because I needed a mobile phone, not a personal computing device. IMO, none of them -- including RIM and Palm offerings -- could substitute for what a computer could do. They were handheld organizers with a phone and really constrained multimedia capabilities.

But Apple's success has shown the lure of a flashy new device and operators will now pay whatever it takes to ensure they don't miss out on the next big thing

Somewhat. I think that Apple has set the bar really high for what a mobile device can do, and other carriers now want devices like that (probably mostly attracted by the higher data plans the customers pay for). So manufacturers are now scrambling to catch up. I don't think the game has changed as much as the article implies.