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Apple in Tablet Discussions with Both AT&T and Verizon

Ok. Let me tell you something. I owned 4 Macs two desktops and two portables. Three iPods including an iPod touch that I use everyday with my android phone. I want a tablet so I can give my touch to my wife and start using the tablet at work... as a bigger iPod touch with my apps and all. Get it? No ATT in my life.
 
These rumors are 5 days behind the times. On Monday, I wrote this:

Name: iSlate
Price points: $799 & $899
GUI: Unbelievably cool and NOT just a "big iPhone"
WiFi: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Built-in cellular data: Optional
Ability to be legally tethered to iPhone data: Yes (with additional cost monthly tethering plan)
Ship date: March 26, 2010

On January 27, I will be proven right on all counts!

Mark
 
HiRez said:
I think I'm going to be waiting for version 2 of this thing. Just too many things that need to be worked out. One thing that I hope happens is for wireless providers to offer a discounted package if you have both an iPhone and a tablet with them. Paying for all these separate data services each month is really starting to get expensive.
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That would be the smart move. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be smart enough to resist the temptation to get this thing as soon as it is available. :p
 
Mr. Gates said:
I can Have wifi ANY PLACE i GO ! Why would I suddenly want to pay for it? I actually kind of kick myself for getting an iPhone ! .....Better to have a $#!tty phone with an iPod Touch ! ( WIFI and all ...)
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That's exactly what I have always done. My wife has an iPhone she bought while we lived in Thailand so it is not jailbroken and not tied to any service plan. We have the same carrier and the same plan. My little stupid phone gets two bars when standing next to my wife who has no service detected. Somebody has some sort of antenna issues.

I don't have a data plan and I don't want one. The Newton (lets all call it what we want while we can) is not likely to leave my house very often and can thus access the home network.
 
Yankee617 said:
Agreed. Anyone buying a Tablet should be able to use it in either, or BOTH, networks.
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Yes, it would suck to be stuck with one or the other permanently. Verizon has more coverage, but at&t is much, much faster in my experience (at least where I live).
 
What could they be discussing at this late date?

It's pretty late in the game for Apple to decide between carriers. More likely they've had the deal(s) in place for months.

If they're discussing anything days before the announcement, it's something trivial like what color shirts the AT&T and Verizon reps will wear when they stand on stage during the announcement.
 
mattster16 said:
Yes, it would suck to be stuck with one or the other permanently. Verizon has more coverage, but at&t is much, much faster in my experience (at least where I live).
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While I am very confident that OPTIONAL 3G will be built in covering both kinds of 3G networks (AT&T & Verizon), I don't know if I would think about this Tablet as getting "stuck", mostly because I suspect this Tablet will be more iPhone/Touch vs. Mac. By this, I mean, if you buy an iPhone, within about 2 years, you're feeling a lot of hardware envy/(self) pressure to step up to the iPhone 3G Mach 4, and so on such that the (iPhone) product you own is feeling increasingly obsolete. I very much expect this giant iPhone + device to be like that... that the Tablet that is rolled out 2 years from now will be so much "more" than this first one, we'll want to upgrade. And the one that rolls out 1-2 years after that one will be so much "more", we'll want to upgrade again.

I think Apple loves that piece of this kind of hardware sales, unlike the Mac-side where you can go many more years without feeling as much of an overwhelming need to upgrade. For example, I'm still getting by just fine on the laptop side using a Powerbook G4 (though it's time to retire is finally drawing near).
 
MattBaker said:
It's pretty late in the game for Apple to decide between carriers. More likely they've had the deal(s) in place for months.

If they're discussing anything days before the announcement, it's something trivial like what color shirts the AT&T and Verizon reps will wear when they stand on stage during the announcement.
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Or Apple is so hooked to secrecy that they can't risk trusting either with many details about this new thing... so they've saved most of the details until very close to when they show it.

I take this rumor- if true- to mean that it is going to get shown to us next week, but not be available for several more months. Apple gets both players to commit to their parts now, then irons out fine details about both plans later.
 
My prediction on the 3G data plans

Here's what I think:

1. 3G data plans will be available from both Verizon and AT&T

2. Data will not be a cheap add-on, although it will be optional (of course there will be wi-fi).

3. There will be discounts to incentivize multi-year contracts. Look for $30/mo. plans with substantial discounts for 2 and 3 year commitments.

I have absolutely no basis for any of this, except it seems logical. No one is going to give away cheap data, this device will be too much of a potential golden goose. However, long-term customer retention is in the phone company's interest, hence the multi-year discounts.
 
I just noticed that my att wireless phone bill email came title; "Your AT&T Mobility Bill is Ready to View" instead of your At&T Wireless bill is ready. Hint of what is to come for itablet coverage?
 
sishaw said:
Here's what I think:

1. 3G data plans will be available from both Verizon and AT&T

2. Data will not be a cheap add-on, although it will be optional (of course there will be wi-fi).

3. There will be discounts to incentivize multi-year contracts. Look for $30/mo. plans with substantial discounts for 2 and 3 year commitments.

I have absolutely no basis for any of this, except it seems logical. No one is going to give away cheap data, this device will be too much of a potential golden goose. However, long-term customer retention is in the phone company's interest, hence the multi-year discounts.
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This.

And an iPad on Verizon makes an eventual iPhone on Verizon a foregone conclusion!!!!!
 
Ammo said:
This.

And an iPad on Verizon makes an eventual iPhone on Verizon a foregone conclusion!!!!!
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Yup. It wouldn't surprise me too much if it were announced also on the 27th, coming later in the year.
 
Not another device that comes with a mandatory monthly payment.

It's the only dealbreaker.
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Yep, mandatory wireless contracting would be an absolute dealbreaker for me. I am sick of the new industry strategy that turns every technology purchase into a recurring monthly charge. This idea of 'cloud' computing is nothing but a way for corporations to force people to "pay per play" to access information/media. The overarching goal is to remove the concept of discrete individual ownership: it's their device, their network, their media, their files, etc... and you are contractually obligated to keep paying and paying for the privilege of renting it.
 
Riemann Zeta said:
Yep, mandatory wireless contracting would be an absolute dealbreaker for me. I am sick of the new industry strategy that turns every technology purchase into a recurring monthly charge. This idea of 'cloud' computing is nothing but a way for corporations to force people to "pay per play" to access information/media. The overarching goal is to remove the concept of discrete individual ownership: it's their device, their network, their media, their files, etc... and you are contractually obligated to keep paying and paying for the privilege of renting it.
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Verizon aircards don't even require contracts, so I doubt this will.
 
Not that I am remotely interested in a big iTouch..but if this comes with mandatory internet connectivity then it is going to be a huge deal breaker for many people.
I already pay way too much for my cable and iPhone access. This had better be an option.
 
I"m still really hoping that Apple pushes the "big 2" into a pre-paid type of access.

I'm willing to pay $30 for a card - say even 2gb - that doesn't expire in 30 days. Heck, given the data numbers i've seen thrown around - i'll go 1gb that lasts 90 days or so.

I was hoping to get the Verizon Palm Pixi with the wifi feature.... but i'm not paying the tethering charge for it. I don't need data on the phone part - just give me the wifi for my Touch. I'm back to pondering a MiFi for now. I'm out of contract Verizon and don't have to have data on my Treo - i'm just waiting to see how it all plays out....

But i'll keep dreaming for a new method of delivering data to this device...
 
ThunderSkunk said:
That's my plan as soon as this service contract it up.
...unless it's still less to take the $200 penalty, and use an iPod touch & Skype starting now. Need to figure that out yet.

American cell companies straight-up suck, and I'm tired of supporting their gluttony and laziness by throwing money away at them.
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Same here. I already use my iPod Touch + Skype and it is so much cheaper this way! The only problem is finding the Wi-fi hotspots to get service for my Skype! So, it's not a complete fix, but i'd like to get rid of my cell phone and just use my iPod. It doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon though...
 
Chupa Chupa said:
Have you been watching Verizon lately? They just jacked up their ETF rates for smart phones to $350. Their data plans have always been the most expensive too. They have better 3G coverage but that is about all they have going for them. If you think they are more consumer oriented than ATT you are going to become disappointed quickly. All wireless companies suck. I think it's just a story of the grass is greener when it comes to Verizon, but people will find out Verizon just painted the brown grass and it will rub off.
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I'm with Verizon and while their fees are higher, the service is better.

And this is exactly why many of their customers choose them. Verizon will never be a cheap provider like Cingular/AT&T.

I probably had two dropped calls in two years, and only once I had to dial twice because the first time the circuit was full.

Let the bandwith consuming devices go elsewhere - or pay a premium at Verizon.

T-Mobile would be another possibility. They are less pricey than verizon, and their customer support is worse.
 
/dev/toaster said:
Uh ... the EVDO card I have required a 2 year agreement with Verizon.
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You may have bought it that way, or from a retailer that only sells it that way, but verizon allows pay-as-you-go on their aircards. They also allow monthly contracts. The pay-as-you-go just changed the way it works (it's what I use), but it's still available. Now you pay for a day, a week, or a month, each with a cap (I think it's 50MB, 250MB, 500MB or something like that).
 
Chupa Chupa said:
Have you been watching Verizon lately? They just jacked up their ETF rates for smart phones to $350.
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Meaningless to the majority of people who don't switch carriers all the time. Or just buy the phone outright and it's meaningless to you, too.

Their data plans have always been the most expensive too.
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They've been the same price as ATT's data plans for at least a couple of years now.

They have better 3G coverage but that is about all they have going for them.
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All? That's a major reason to sign up with a 3G provider... you pick one that has coverage and speed and capacity where you live and travel.
 
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