You may very well be right. However, data usage on iPhones much, much higher than on other phones so might be a way to nickel/dime consumers (another $5 for 3G) and not tick off people in the hinterlands who don't have access to 3G, but otherwise would pay same amount as the "city folks."
Besides the fact that carriers are not and have not ever made that distinction, I think this would be too complicated for a number of reasons.
1) Managing the functionality - I'm not an telecom engineer so I don't know, but I would guess that they wouldn't be able to enable conditional access to UMTS different than EDGE. Basically, how would they block you from connecting to a UMTS tower if you have a 3G phone while at the same time letting you connect to the GSM/EDGE tower. That seems way too complicated and expensive.
2) AT&T's 3G/UMTS network is constantly being built out, so people who have EDGE now will eventually get 3G. Also, people are moving all the time, switching jobs, etc. This all leads to people constantly switching their data plan depending on if they get 3G coverage or not, which would be a major billing headache.
3) Most importantly of all, Apple wouldn't allow this to happen as it would be WAY too confusing for joe six-pack to figure out. Remember, they want the utmost simplicity for the iPhone -- they already reduce the plans and options to 3 or 4 simple choices to make things easier. Why on earth would they want to complicate it so much.
Furthermore, Steve will never port touchOS to x86 devices because HE DOESN'T WANT THEM TO RUN WINDOWS. That's why Apple will, in fact use the newly acquired chip technology soon, if not immediately.
I wouldn't say that, depending on what happens to Intel's ATOM and/or other x86 processors from the like of VIA, etc. They may have a strategic advantage in the future over using ARM's future processors. For now, the technology just isn't there yet, and it has to be seen whether there will be an intrinsic advantage as they have already done all the difficult work porting OSX to ARM. Also, I *highly doubt* they ever do anything with the POWER architecture again.. remember, they did not buy PA SEMI for their products or POWER technology.
Would love it if this rumor came true but it doesn't jibe with the AT&T employee vacation blackout June 15-July15. Perhaps announcements vs. availability is the key here.
I think you have the key here. Everyone keeps saying that all the evidence points to June -- but that may be a RELEASE/SHIPPING in June, and an announcement much sooner. No way would they sit here for another 4+ weeks saying "we have no information when the iPhone will be available".
As you mentioned, that theory also fits the AT&T vacation blackout. They need to train their people and increase store workers for the RELEASE in the June AFTER the announcement is made this week or next.
I have written this post last February:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/4922207/
if we cannot have psychical keyboard on it .. allow to connect a bluetooth one. still hoping and still waiting ;-)
Yanke
I don't doubt at some point Apple will have a
psychical keyboard/input device for a future iPhone, but I just don't think it will be ready for iPhone 3G
