Latest On Apple's Phone: Cingular Out, MVNO In?

[MacRumors]

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Cingular officially announced today its new mobile music service, deciding to partner with Microsoft, Napster, Yahoo! Music, XM Satellite Radio and eMusic for a subscription-based service model.

Many have seen this event as an essential death-sentence to the rumor that Apple would be launching the 'iPhone' as Cingular-only initially. However, the possibility still exists that Apple could operate as a "mobile virtual network operator" (MVNO) on Cingular's network.

Early this year it was discovered that Apple was seeking RF engineers with EDGE experience (EDGE is a relatively high-bandwidth mobile network for GSM carriers such as Cingular). Around the same time, Apple acquired a large datacenter in California that was originally designed for MCI WorldCom.

A release date concerning Apple's phone has notoriously been a moving target for rumor sites to pin down. The latest consensus has appeared to pin down early 2007 with an introduction perhaps at MacWorld San Francisco, however some unconfirmed rumblings from MacRumors sources have been indicating that a spring release may also be in the cards.

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[rkriheli]

cingular sucks anyway.

[OwlsAndApples]

oh la la...nice to see some more developments...

[wyatt23]

gsm? c'm -t---mobile-

[PlaceofDis]

interesting. hopefully apple will release such a device for more than one carrier off the bat rather than go with an exclusive deal.

[prady16]

my article made it to first page!!

[Ja Di ksw]

I'm looking forward to the final release of the iPhone (or whatever it will be called), but not the reaction on the internet. People have been wanting this for so long, that unless it comes out with as good (better?) of video as the iPod, half a year on a single charge battery life, 7 MP camera, unrestricted song playing (hahahaha), GPS, web browsing to match computers, and, I dunno, let's say a it can build you a small, live puppy out of grass, people are going to be disappointed.

Edit: congrats prady16

[tcmcam]

Cingular is not the only GSM carrier in the USA.

T-Mobile is pretty big too. They have just purchased a ton of bandwidth for new high-speed services.

Remember the T-Mobile CEO saying "we have a similar vision as Apple" ?

That's why Cingular went with Microsoft, they know they didn't win over Apple. So, this is most likely going to be a T-Mobile partnership (whose corporate parent has a HUGE presence in Europe).

[slackersonly]

the iPhone has the be the biggest rumor engine of them all.

i think phasers with stun may be available sooner than this product.

[mahonmeister]

Originally Posted by maxterpiece

notorious is mispelled and so is consensus

feel free to delete this

Lol. Somebody didn't have the built in spell-checker turned on.

The iPhone will have to be very innovative to be a hit. Seeing that mockup posted awhile back, I'm not particularly excited. What will make it better then any other music phone out there? If anyone can do it, Apple can.

[donlphi]

I would prefer to see Apple connect with an EVDO carrier... Apple Airport extreme cards with EV-DO?

Thank god they got rid of cingular, or visa versa... TOO SLOOOOW.

[TheBobcat]

I would suspect perhaps the iPhone available with several different carriers. Do you really think Apple would go the MVNO route with only one phone to sell? Unless a smattering of iPhones are coming at us, I would suspect that it'll available just through GSM carriers. However, Apple could look to minimize risk by taking a bunch of money for exclusive rights to say, T-Mobile, but it doesn't seem like the Apple thing to do.

[buffalo]

enough of these darn iPhone rumors. I really need a new phone but don't want to wait until January / Spring. And since I have verizon, it probably won't work for either.

[dr_lha]

Originally Posted by donlphi

I would prefer to see Apple connect with an EVDO carrier... Apple Airport extreme cards with EV-DO?

Thank god they got rid of cingular, or visa versa... TOO SLOOOOW.

It would make no sense for Apple to go with a CDMA technology though. GSM is used by almost everyone in the world bar a few markets. With a GSM phone they have the whole European market for phones for example, with a CDMA phone they have a market limited to mainly Verizon and the few other carriers around the world who use CDMA (IIRC, some in S. Korea, some in Brazil and perhaps some other in North and South America).

Apple most likely don't want to have to make loads of different phones, so I'd expect the iPhone to be GSM Quad Band, therefore covering the largests possible market for mobile phones.

[mowenbrown]

Originally Posted by donlphi

I would prefer to see Apple connect with an EVDO carrier... Apple Airport extreme cards with EV-DO?

Thank god they got rid of cingular, or visa versa... TOO SLOOOOW.

GSM is not compatible with EVDO, all things considered I would put my money on a quad-band GSM phone as it would give you the largest subscriber base globally with a single unit. Also gives you global roaming.

Besides – Sprint & Verizon are like the Microsofts of the telco world. I can’t give them money, and I really want a smart phone that works with my new MBP.

[tobefirst]

Originally Posted by TheBobcat

Do you really think Apple would of the MVNO route with only one phone to sell?

This is essentially what ESPN did. Oh...wait. You're telling me that didn't work out so well? (;

[jonny3t]

Originally Posted by Ja Di ksw

it can build you a small, live puppy out of grass, people are going to be disappointed.

I've recently confirmed as unconfirmed some unsubstantiated rumors from trusted unreliable resources that the plants -> puppy feature is going to be in rev b 3 months after the first iCelly lands on the moon in 15 seconds!@!

I, too, am dreading whatever internet fanboy nit-pick reaction on this if and when it happens...

I always like the last 20 seconds of this one: [youtube warning!] - Where the @%! is my iPhone?

[ironjaw]

I'm pretty happy with my K800i Sony Ericsson with 3MP camera

[BWhaler]

Man, I really want Apple to get in this space.

Every phone on the market sucks.

The carriers are all dirt bags.

The integration between phone and computer is not happening since MS sucks, and there are too many walls between the players.

This is a huge market. Dive in Apple and change the game yet again.

We're waiting with our wallets open.

[longofest]

Originally Posted by mahonmeister

Lol. Somebody didn't have the built in spell-checker turned on.

Fracking Internet Explorer (don't ask... I HAVE to use it )

[prady16]

Originally Posted by BWhaler

Man, I really want Apple to get in this space.

Every phone on the market sucks.

The carriers are all dirt bags.

The integration between phone and computer is not happening since MS sucks, and there are too many walls between the players.

This is a huge market. Dive in Apple and change the game yet again.

We're waiting with our wallets open.

QFT....every word of it!

[mike n]

Originally Posted by maxterpiece

notorious is mispelled and so is consensus

feel free to delete this

ironically, you misspelled "misspelled."

cheers!

-mike n

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[kansast]

what does "(MVNO) on Cingular's network" mean ? In my area, Cingular absolutely STINKS.. even the city council called in Cingular reps to #$@# them out. It's been absolutely terrible since the AT&T/Cingular buyout.

I've since switched to Verizon which has a great network in our area anyway.. but I hate the phones.

Kansast

[iMikeT]

I'm already with Cingular. I hope that I don't have to switch carriers so I can have an iPhone.