Department of Defense Ordering 650,000 iOS Devices? [Updated: DoD Denies]

[MacRumors]

The United States Department of Defense is reportedly ordering more than 650,000 iOS devices according to Electronista, which cites unnamed sources.

The report says the DoD will purchase 120,000 iPads, 120,000 iPad minis, 200,000 iPod touches and 210,000 iPhones. The devices will be used in a variety of situations, with more than 50% "headed to the battlefield, afloat, and to associated support commands." The rest will be used in office situations like the Pentagon.

Another source familiar with the situation told us that the iOS devices were intended to replace nearly all the older BlackBerry devices incompatible with the new BlackBerry 10 software release. Statistics gathered from devices deployed by the DoD show 470,000 BlackBerry devices in daily use, none of which use the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. Testing of the new operating system has been gravely impacted by the sequester, and the outright elimination of funds earmarked for the BlackBerry 10 platform may never be restored.

The site suggests that the actual order of the devices is being delayed due to the sequester, and the purchase will move forward once that is resolved by Congress.

Update: The Department of Defense has denied the claims made in Electronista's article, saying that it has no plans to end support for BlackBerry phones. Additionally, the spokesperson said DoD "mobility experts are looking into what has been reported and are not familiar with the figures quoted in that report/article."

The DoD says it supports more than 600,000 mobile devices currently, including 470,000 BlackBerry, 41,000 iOS, and 8,700 Android.

Note: Due to the content of the discussion thread associated with this post, we have moved the discussion to our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is now limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Department of Defense Ordering 650,000 iOS Devices? [Updated: DoD Denies]

[komodrone]

Angry Birds IS NOT A COMBAT SIMULATOR.

[Syndra]

Keeping the troops busy at the front I suppose.

[Rocketman]

Obama is an Apple President.

[Syndra]

Originally Posted by komodrone

Angry Birds IS NOT A COMBAT SIMULATOR.

Angry bird ballistics OP.

[jav6454]

Luckily the country isn't in a financial cris.... oh wait.

[alphaod]

Good. Buying American is always good (even it isn't actually made here).

[iGrip]

This is just a small drop in the ocean of sales by a company as big as Apple. It is kind of like Boeing bragging that they sold one more island-hopper type airplane to the military.

[Torrijos]

Originally Posted by iGrip

This is just a small drop in the ocean of sales by a company as big as Apple. It is kind of like Boeing bragging that they sold one more island-hopper type airplane to the military.

Its a good marketing strategy : "If it's good enough for the USA armed forces it's, probably, good enough for you non life-or-death corporate users"

[nt5672]

I have a hang nail, oh, but wait, it is the result of the sequester so it's ok.

Everyone understands that the sequester results in no reduction in government spending, right? Plus any spending approved for this month was not effected by the sequester unless Obama specifically stopped it. Since when did news become propaganda?

[iDemiurge]

All made in the PRC. Good idea.

[Dwalls90]

Originally Posted by jav6454

Luckily the country isn't in a financial cris.... oh wait.

Better than buying Blackberry or Samsung, or almost any other smartphone or tablet manufacturer company for that matter ... as they aren't American.

Buying American supports its own economy and a heavy percent will go back into their pockets as tax revenue.

[Medic311]

i wasn't aware that iOS was approved - at least not with the Dept of Army

last time i got notice, there were specific Android tablets that had been tested and approved by my local IT Command but not iOS

are there more details as to which specific military branches had approved iOS?

[cdsfire]

Oh man, they should have waited for the 5S.

[Deedlez]

Looks like iOS devices are starting to crack the corporate marketplace. I'm sure the "closed garden" safety of the Apple environment is a key reason.

[Mr. Retrofire]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

...200,000 iPod touches...will be used in office situations like the Pentagon.

I see. ;-)

[ArtOfWarfare]

And it's important that the military be using only the latest and greatest OSs on their mobile devices... why, again?

Sounds like needless spending, to me.

Recall, US taxpayers, that when you see a headline like this, it should say "Your money being used to order 650 K iOS devices."

[BobCollins]

While I am a long time Mac fan (my first Mac was a FatMac in 1984), this is a very poor decision by the DoD. They should be choosing open source solutions whenever possible and with smartphones and tablets, they have an easy choice, Android.

I watched and participated while our government's time and money were wasted with proprietary Microsoft DOS, Windows, etc. Microsoft continually jerked our DoD around and I see no reason to believe that Apple won't do the same.

I know fans of iOS will be happy to have their personal choice validated, but this is not a good direction for our tax money.

[Rocketman]

Originally Posted by nt5672

Since when did news become propaganda?

Election season 2007.

[Z400Racer37]

Aren't prosecutors gonna have to "let criminals go" and arent we "giving teachers pink slips already" because of how dire these sequester cuts are?

Nice...

[Swift]

Originally Posted by jav6454

Luckily the country isn't in a financial cris.... oh wait.

But we're not in a fiscal crisis. That's a political scam.

[TMar]

Our tax money lining Apple's pockets. Yes, choose the company with the largest markup not to mention the fact that they don't have a need for 240k ipads and really don't need 200k ipods.

[Mr. Retrofire]

Originally Posted by Deedlez

Looks like iOS devices are starting to crack the corporate marketplace. I'm sure the "closed garden" safety of the Apple environment is a key reason.

Not really. Obama's iPad contains modifications by the NSA. The DoD uses probably modified iDevices, special software and MIL-STD cases.

[Moshe1010]

Congress would reject that since the iPad mini doesn't have Retina display.

[sessamoid]

Originally Posted by BobCollins

While I am a long time Mac fan (my first Mac was a FatMac in 1984), this is a very poor decision by the DoD. They should be choosing open source solutions whenever possible and with smartphones and tablets, they have an easy choice, Android.

I watched and participated while our government's time and money were wasted with proprietary Microsoft DOS, Windows, etc. Microsoft continually jerked our DoD around and I see no reason to believe that Apple won't do the same.

I know fans of iOS will be happy to have their personal choice validated, but this is not a good direction for our tax money.

Android is only partly open, and aside from Motorola, all the hardware would be designed by foreign companies. The kernel of iOS is open source as well, so whoop de doo. The DOD has no interest in kernel hacking mobile OSs, so I doubt they care much.