Except mobile phone service isn't hardware. Yes Apple charges a premium for hardware (including accessories) but they don't for services or a lot of their software.
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Apple Said to Consider Becoming a Mobile Carrier by Leasing Network Capacity in U.S. and Europe
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While they may study the idea to offer MVNO services, they may drop the idea due to the extreme complexity of cellphone carrier regulations. Look at the large army of lawyers that AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless have to keep on retainer just to navigate these complex laws.
One should remember that this was Steve's concept and plan for the iPhone from the start. The technology and other factors made it impossible. It is not impossible any more. But yes Apple is bring more and more products (Watch, Car) that providing service would benefit.
Long term this would be the perfect way to bypass the cable companies. I ditched my fixed line broadband a few months ago and now use a Mobile MiFi device connected to EE's 4G network. It's much faster and a lot more reliable than my fixed line broadband ever was. 5G will be coming in a few years which will end the need for most homes to have a fixed line connection if the networks can build sufficient bandwidth to cope with the demand.
Bad idea and Apple should not do it. There is no upside, and the downside is they will immediately become a competitor to the other wireless companies where they are currently a partner. This will cut them off from access to all the customers that currently use their phone on an existing carrier (i.e. everyone). This doesn't make any sense at all.
Gotcha. Hiring successful businessman makes Apple look like a mob. Seems legit.
I'm on that deal, and it's great. 4G coverage without any additional cost, and I even get any calls, texts, and data included if I travel to any of the following countries:
Australia
Austria
Denmark
Finland
France
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Macau
New Zealand
Norway
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
USA.
Weekend before last, I went to Copenhagen for a short break. I was able to leave data on without worrying about caps. Afterwards, I got a text saying that I'd saved approx £115 (call that $150) compared to ordinary roaming fees from other providers.
I much prefer to buy my own handset (Nexus 5 is my choice) and SIM deal separately. SIM Only deals are far more cost effective. Plus, I think you tend to care a little bit more about looking after a phone if you've bought it outright, rather than it being part of a package from a carrier, hence they tend to last a little longer in my experience....
In what world is service the same as support?
In fact, if everything was working perfectly fine and was easy to use, there would be no need for support altogether.
Orange has throttling over 2-5GB, Bouygues has the same, so does SFR. Free does have a 20GB cap, but it's so unbelievably slow in most areas, and the 4G network is so poor you'll never ever reach it anyway.
Sosh & co are cheap, but so is the support they offer.
That is a common misunderstanding. Yes, Apple charges premium prices for their hardware. But when it comes to software (iOS, iWork, etc) or services (Apple Music, iTunes) they are usually free or at-market-level prices. You could say that once you buy a device from Apple, you have also paid for the software and service side of it.
Yes and no... consider the highest source of revenue for Apple in services, the app store, Apple is absolutely charging exorbitant premiums for it. Most recently and evidently we saw it with the Spotify case, where Apple continues to insist on an outdated, inadequate 30% cut on monthly fees for Spotify subscribers.
Imagine T-Mobile innovating with uncarrier every year, they do absolutely AWESOME ridiculous stuff, that no carrier can touch. Can you see Apple matching T-Mobile? I can't. Maybe they can surprise us, but my point is, I'm sure Apple will provide something appealing, but I see Apple more likely to charge premium than not.
EU Roaming is a big issue depending on your location. First (german) carrier have skipt the charge for recieving calls in other EU contries. Normal charge is 5ct/min.
That could be a chance for a "big" virtuel carrier. But I doubt that this will happen soon.
That could be a chance for a "big" virtuel carrier. But I doubt that this will happen soon.
It's going to get a lot more sensible very soon.
Data roaming charges to end in EU within two years.
I'm on 3 in the UK and data roaming already comes out of my normal monthly allowance at no extra charge in a number of countries.
