Apple in Tablet Discussions with Both AT&T and Verizon

[grayskies]

I hope it's not required to have a service. It's nice to be connected but it always seems when I need to be connected away from a hotspot, I can't get a good signal.

I've contemplated dumping my phones ( probably not gonna happen ) because I'm sick of paying high monthly plans. (crappy services too)

I think this product is gonna be costly...making contract subsidies look enticing.

 

[mlblacy]

Verizon will give you the same $30 extra a month treatment. Dont worry.

yes... but it will cost you $45, lol...

 

[grayskies]

Son, I used to pay $5/hour for text scrolling up my black and white monitor at 1200 baud. You kids don't know what rape is. Get some historical perspective.

- good point

But, more things almost require internet service. DMV charges extra money for transactions in person, pushing people to online transactions.

It not a great argument but, as you say, some perspective.

Apple and Oranges. These days people get a subsidized product in return for their money. Just to name one, but pretty important difference. I mean some things may look pretty cheap these days, but it is the additional contract that will bother most people. And content won't be free forever so.... Making it even more expensive. And as a dad of four children, all having their own contract already (six in total) I am getting pretty sick of it yes.

Do I want to pay for yet another contract? No. I do not. But I also know that this isn't going to change anything.

Ouch...I thought two contracts was bad.

 

[BryanLyle]

I'll just use my MiFi (from Verizon) for my internet connection. Apple is not a big fan of creating two versions of a product, so I would find it hard to believe they would do it for this.

 

[Kar98]

I doubt there would need to be two versions. It seems like it would be big enough to fit both cdma and gsm chips. and whats with all the fox news articles lately?

Came to post that.
And you're right. In fact some Verizon phones do come with both CDMA and GSM built in.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

The upcoming Apple tablet is expected to have Wi-Fi connectivity, but has also been said to have optional 3G service for internet use when away from a hotspot.

Sheesh. Which syllable of OP-TION-AL do you guys not understand?

If you think Apple is going to include free 24/7 3G connectivity then you need to get off the meds. They might include 3G connectivity when d/ling iTunes media, but across the board "no extra charge" service, not happening with this bandwidth sucker.

Big deal? No. Free Wi-Fi hotspots are everywhere these days.

 

[infiniteentropy]

Big deal? No. Free Wi-Fi hotspots are everywhere these days.

Maybe in some big cities like San Francisco... I'm near Grand Rapids, MI (#1 in poverty growth this year! Go team!) and really Wi-Fi hotspots are still difficult to come by apart from coffee shops. I used to use a RAZR with an iPod Touch but found myself increasingly cut off from my e-mail and such when not in the office or at home. Which led me to the iPhone contract I'm regretting at times now... heh.

Anyways, yeah, there are still some fairly big metro areas (Grand Rapids is over 1M people, has been for a decade) that just haven't "gotten there" yet. So for those of us in that situation, the 3G / EDGE connection is the only way to stay connected when not stationary. Sad but true...

 

[jonnysods]

With less than a week to go before the press announcement, they would be negotiating still on major features like carrier deals?

Doesn't seem like Apple to have things not 100% lined up?

 

[Ports]

Free Wi-Fi is the key folks:

 

[ldkaplan]

I'll be so mad if I need to sign another 2 year commitment with ATT for $30 a month for the tablet. That is nothing short of rape

It's only rape if you can't walk away.

You wanting a cool gadget, buying a subsidized device and paying a monthly fee is consensual. Nobody making you buy an item that you don't need.

 

[kdarling]

Will this be the start of tiered data plans?

You know...

The CEOs of both ATT and Verizon have been talking up tiered data plans lately.

Perhaps it's all preparation for the coming tablet's communication plan(s).

Perhaps no plan needed if paying via book / magazine sales, then tiered plans for music / video / web access.

 

[thaprofessor33]

I am only buying one if there is no monthly fee attached.

 

[levitynyc]

If I can tether my iPhone, then I'm in.


Otherwise I always have my MacBook with me if I need more screen real estate than my iPhone.

 

[azentropy]

I'm not going for another device that has a monthly, and not sure if WiFi only on a $700+ device would do it either.

I'm thinking possibly that the rumor that the tablet will have two dock connectors is that maybe you can dock (tether) it to an iPhone to get 3G, and then dock it to power/computer as well. Of course AT&T will probably still charge extra for that tethering...

 

[AidenShaw]

Qualcomm Gobi

There will probably be a card slot to choose between different carrier styles—I mean even T-Mobile has a different GSM style than AT&T, and I don't they'd rule out smaller companies.

For 3G (not voice), one chip/antenna can do it all:

http://www.gobianywhere.com/consumer.php

Wireless Freedom with carrier choice
•Choose from multiple carriers worldwide for the best coverage and rates
•Switch wireless carriers at any time through the life of your laptop
•Free yourself from cords, cards, plugs or hunting for hot spots, you can even cut the cord to your home based Internet service

Dell offers a gobi option - so when you get a Dell with 3G it is not bound to a carrier. The 3G radio even handles GPS with the same chip.

 

[NoExpectations]

Then don't buy it!

I'll be so mad if I need to sign another 2 year commitment with ATT for $30 a month for the tablet. That is nothing short of rape

You have a choice...get a discount with a 2 year contract OR pay full price.

Jeez.


For me, if they offer 2 types, CDMA or GSM, why would I get the CDMA (US only) versus the GSM (Global access)?

 

[Winni]

I'll be so mad if I need to sign another 2 year commitment with ATT for $30 a month for the tablet. That is nothing short of rape

Then don't let them "rape" you. You can live a very happy life WITHOUT Apple's gadgets. In fact, your life will probably be happier without any electronic toy device or the addiction to always have the latest and greatest trendy toy. After all, so far the world has worked pretty well without a tablet PC, and nobody has yet told us where this thing will improve the quality of a consumer life or what it enables us to do what we cannot already do today without it.

As far as I am concerned, this thing will probably be as useless as a sand flea in my butt.

 

[xerent]

If the tablet has bluetooth, tethering will work, but jailbreaking might be required.

 

[Stella]

If the tablet has bluetooth, tethering will work, but jailbreaking might be required.

Tethering will also work if the Tablet has Wifi.

Tethering over BT (2.x) would be a bit brutal.

 

[jocknerd]

I don't want any built-in service

Apple, don't screw this up and force me into getting a data plan for this thing. Its not a phone. Tell people to use it like I want to. If you can't access WiFi, then bring along a mi-fi for your 3G coverage. Portable and works on more than one device.

If you sell this device and it requires me to sign up for a data plan, I'll walk away.

 

[wolfpackfan]

I'm hoping the Tablet will have 3G with some sort of subsidized cost (like some of the netbooks have now). If so, I will get one and sign up for the plan (hopefully not at $60). Then I plan to downgrade my iPhone to a regular old cell phone and drop the data plan basically letting the Tablet replace my iPhone. I'll just use my iPhone as a Touch (or end up giving it to my daughter who's original iPhone is in sad shape).

 

[wolfpackfan]

Apple, don't screw this up and force me into getting a data plan for this thing.

No where at all has it ever been suggested that a data plan would be mandatory. Not sure where folks are coming up with this idea. If they do offer 3G it will be completely optional.

 

[dcurtis]

Do you think that maybe Apple is trying to setup something where they pay AT&T / Verizon a fee per download on the network?

Also, if you're on Verizon or AT&T and you have multiple devices, shouldn't you really be allowed to run two to three devices on your account? Data costs for these phone companies is ridiculous. Get the damn network built and get people their coverage then sit back and rake in the money. People thinking too much in the *now*.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

With less than a week to go before the press announcement, they would be negotiating still on major features like carrier deals?

Doesn't seem like Apple to have things not 100% lined up?

...like using the name iPhone owned by a completely separate corporation?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

You know...

The CEOs of both ATT and Verizon have been talking up tiered data plans lately.

Perhaps it's all preparation for the coming tablet's communication plan(s).

Perhaps, but this is Verizon & AT&T we're talking about... companies that have worked very hard to crush and/or buy their way to pseudo-monopolies. I think it is wishful thinking to imagine that a tiered structure might reduce their average subscription fee per customer for customer benefit. Instead, I would imagine they would flex their monopolistic muscles to start from that point and build tiered pricing upwards. More simply, if you are paying $100/month for a service now, the tiers would be more likely along the lines for $100, 125, 150, etc vs. $50, 75, and 100.

That's how such stuff goes when monopolies or near-monopolies are allowed to merge & purge their way to dominance. End users (us) don't win at their expense.