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Apple iPhone, Helio and VOIP?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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A market research company is (again) predicting that Apple will be entering the cellphone market soon. Visiongain argues that Apple seens the mobile phone market as a threat to its current iPod lead and is taking steps to address this by launching their own cell phone service and phone.

Rumors and speculation of an Apple-branded cell phone have been ongoing for years. Visiongain, however, is matching up Apple with Helio (interview) - an upcoming youth-oriented cell phone operator that operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). MVNOs are virtual cell phone providers which lease the wireless intrastructure from existing providers.

The company also suggests that Apple will somehow integrate Voice-over-IP (VOIP) technology into the phone service. This would presumably allow the phone users to talk directly to users of other VOIP internet services (Skype, iChat).

Helio is due to launch this spring, but appears to have its own set of exclusive phones and services.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2006/04/19/apple-iphone-helio-and-voip/
Great! I need a new phone! I can only home its before my verizon contract ends in june
 
I'd buy an Apple phone, mainly because you know the interface would actually make sense, and it wouldn't have tons of features that no one uses. It would be practical, but well designed and easy to use, with a beautiful iPod-like interface that plays songs from iTunes :D
 
What network would apple use, or would they just make the hardware available to everyone?
 
An MP3 Phone With A Rev Limiter!!!

Will Apple limit their "own" phone like they limited the number of songs that the Moto. iTunes phones will hold???
It reminds me of my first dirtbike...my dad installed a throttle limiter (to keep me safe...thanks dad!)...it took my friends and I a few minutes to figure out that device could be removed, which increased our "fun" factor immensely. The rev limiter could also be replaced to spare us the wrath of Dad.
Please Apple...don't shut me in...
 
I think an apple phone would be sweet expecially if it had a similar exterior to the MBP or powerbooks. Who removed my first post message! :mad:
 
although they might want to work in some spiffy new thing that could possibly lead them to needing their own cell phone service, i would rather they make it available to any service provider. i won't get it if i'm locked into another situation like iTunes+iTMS+iPod. that's pushing it as it is. iTunes+iTMS+iPhone+iAppleCellular would probably put most people off.
 
guffman said:
What network would apple use, or would they just make the hardware available to everyone?
Click to expand...

I don't care. Didn't the article say they are going to lease & resell through Helios? All carriers stink at something at some point... I just want a phone that works. please.
 
Well, I don't think I would be likely to use Apple as a cell carrier or phone maker simply because I would expect them to charge a premium. I don't mind paying that premium for a computer or an iPod, and probably would pay a bit for a really nice Apple phone (although, I tend to just get whatever the "best" free or at least under $10 phone I can get when I get a new plan).

However, if they set up some sort of automatic system where it goes to a VoIP service when in range of an Airport (or properly configured Mac with an APE card) and switches to normal cell service when out of range I would probably bite. My wife and I have a VoIP phone at home, and while we like the features and (mostly) the price, the service is pretty crappy. We're going to go all cell pretty soon, anyways, so this would be perfect for us (especially if there is a manual override so you can goto normal cell operation if the internet is particularly congested).
 
Wired article on Helio

There was a fairly good article on Helio in Wired magazine an issue or two ago. Even though I am not the target audience, I found it intriguing (hey, we boomers like music, games and cell service too!). Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find the article on wired.com, but I remember thinking exactly what this rumor says, that perhaps this could be a partnership for Apple for an apple-branded phone with iTunes service.
 
This is something I want, provided it had a decent camera too.

It would also be the thing get me to sign up for ITMS.
At the moment, bugger if I'm going to burn to CD and rip back in iTunes to get an mp3 to stick in my phone.
 
I have this feeling, that even if this iPhone would be launched this summer, us folks over here outside the US will have to wait till 2008 before being able to iChat on the iPhone... ;)

Be nice seeing it happen though :cool:
 
I call bullsh1t.

Helio are a CDMA network based off Sprint. If the Apple iPhone is a CDMA based phone then they're making a phone that only will work with a very small percentage of the market (i.e. 50% of the US market and nowhere else).

This would be a very stupid move, the international cell phone market for GSM phones massively outsizes that for CDMA phones. Why would Apple want to limit themselves so much?

There is a possibility that they could make a "dual-mode" phone or two different phones for different networks. I just can't see Apple doing this, they like to have "one-solution".
 
No limits

As long as I can use the phone to call anyone and anyone can call me I am fine with it. I can't think of anyone tha wouldn't find the a nano with a slide out keypad for dialing to be a slick as hell phone.

I like the idea of skypeout and all thier services but i am hesitant to get yet another login and contact info. VOIP and the idea that your phone integrates with your computer is a obvious next step as they are both for communicating. I just want to see some group really advance this niche industry enough so that i can make the investment at the right time. Much like MP3 player market Some group needs to come in with a solution that makes everyone get it. I hope its Apple but i really don't care who it is.
 
I think that apple phones would be pretty neat, but do you think that they will eventually make phones for other services like verizon?
 
Is it in the realm of the possible that Apple would
charge $0 or very low monthly fee hoping to sell
a boatloads of it's phones? Would that be unfair
competition? Although unlikely, I don't think it's
that far fetched. I think that Apple would gladly
lower the price of it's iTMS songs if they could,
to make the iPods that much more attractive.
I guess it all depends if Apple only plan to offer
the phone, or both phone and service. We'll see…

I'm a little fed up with cell phone service providers.
Those guys are always trying to bleed as much
money out of you as they can while telling you
you're making a terrific deal. They make you pay
for every little services. I think they're at the top
of the corporate greed scale, beaten only by the
music industry.
 
radian23 said:
Who removed my first post message! :mad:
Click to expand...
It was an admin, because spam like this isn't allowed on these boards.

I still don't believe that Apple will come out with a cell phone or even act as a provider. It's just made up by some analysts who think this might be a good idea. But I think we all know how much these analysts know...

I would be glad though, if Apple really came out with one. I'd bet it would be great. My phone is still in good shape, but I don't like it, so I would be in the market for a new one.
 
Yawn!!!

I could not care less about the an Apple cellphone. I just want it to either come out or be officially discredited by Apple. Between the "iPhone" and the next generation of "video iPod". There are about five new rumors a week. Meanwhile, there are no definitive reasons to believe either one even exists. They have become the new PowerBook G5. Both will always be due out "next Tuesday".

Although, I agree that Apple made the mp3 market what it is today and that cell phones are slowly encrouching on that market, I see one big difference. When the original iPod came out, there were not that many mp3 players out there. However, everyone already has a cell phone. It is a totally different market position for Apple to get in.

Most importantly, to me (and a lot of others), the phone is not the most important thing. It is the coverage. No matter how cool the Apple phone is if the provider that offers it (be it Cingular or Apple themselves) has lousy coverage where I need it (like the fact that I have never seen a Cingular phone get a good signal in my house, but my Verizon phone always does) then it is useless to me.

ps. That is a not a dig on Cingular's overall coverage, my old apartment was the opposite!!!
 
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