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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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Though he only sued Samsung and had coffee with Eric Schmidt (after he left Apple's board).
You have not fully factored the magic of Fi. It's where it's name comes from- Fi as part of Wi-Fi. It's making a system to allow your phone to run most of the time on Wi-Fi and only use a carrier when Wi-Fi is not available that makes Fi a game change. It's the future of mobile. I hope Apple does clone it, but with Apple's special touches.
I'm well aware of the Wifi aspect of the service, and I find it useless.
It gives carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile excuses for their poor reliability and in-building penetration issues.
I kind of see your point. But at the same time, I just want my phone to work. Auto-connecting me to my home wifi when I'm outside where the signal is so weak that everything is so slow that it feels like my phone is broken.. versus switching to LTE with good speeds so my phone is usable. There is only one correct user experience choice. And it's not the one iOS makes.
Sprint and TMO have nothing like the Wi-Fi service that Fi has..... Because the magic is not that it can use Wi-Fi- It's that it can FIND Wi-Fi and auto connect to it. It's also that it can bond 2 carrier networks together that have lesser coverage to provide one that does not.
On a Off topic note- Wi-Fi calling has totally changed the Quality of TMO and to a lesser degree Sprint. It's hardly useless.
Fi, creates a VPN first, *for everything* when connecting to "found" / open access Wi-Fi, right? ...Right??? Otherwise, that is hella scary.
Granted this is Google -- I'm sure they metadata mining the heck out of your usage. That doesn't mean they should let anyone else indiscriminately capture and log your data and voice calls.
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Yep, it's going to be very interesting to see what future plans include and for how much, as well as which companies sign up.
Apple is currently in early talks to launch its own mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in both the United States and Europe, according to information gathered by Business Insider. A few sources close to Apple suggest that the company is testing the service right now in the United States, with early negotiations beginning in Europe to bring the MVNO service overseas.
If completed, Apple would essentially become its own network carrier, freeing the company and iPhone users from any particular current carrier like T-Mobile or AT&T, and allow users to pay for the usual data, calls, and text services directly from Apple. The MVNO would allow Apple to lease space from network carriers already in the business of providing data to customers, with the Apple SIM card -- already included in the cellular versions of the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 -- picking up and switching between carriers on the fly for the best service possible.
As Business Insider points out, the testing of the MVNO service doesn't guarantee its eventual arrival for customers using an iPhone in the United States and Europe. But, if the company does intend to eventually become a carrier itself, it would be a fairly long-term goal of five years or more to be fully implemented.
Speculation surrounding Apple becoming its own wireless provider has been swirling for a decade now, resurging in various rumor and patent stories every now and again over the years. With Apple rumored to be in "advanced talks" with mobile standards organization GSMA in the production of a standardized mobile electronic SIM card -- which would allow customers to avoid being locked into a dedicated network carrier -- the company appears to at least be positioning itself for the possibility of a future MVNO launch.
Article Link: Apple Said to Consider Becoming a Mobile Carrier by Leasing Network Capacity in U.S. and Europe
LOL. A car maker, watch maker, AND a mobile carrier? This is getting humorous...
At Apple prices! You can put two iphones on an unlimited plan for say.... $300 a month? OMG!!
Actually MobileMe eventually transitioned into iCloud as we know it today which is extremely successful and easy to use. So while MobileMe wasn't a success, it's users automatically transitioned to iCloud because of Apple tight integration tactics. Success!
Apple Maps isn't bad, it isn't as good as google maps that has been around for 8 years. But for a 2-3 year map product it's very good and will get better with iOS 9 this fall.
Apple Music is successful, a little buggy or slow at times but it is working great as expected. I have tons of friends that used to use other music services now using Apple Music and cancelled their other paid subscription. They are very pleased that they can also watch music videos too. The only thing they didn't like was the redesigned music app which had a slight learning curve.
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Me: "I'll take 'These But Not This' for $800 Alex."
Trebek: "Apple excels at these, but this is their Achilles."
Me: "Hardware, software, and unfortunately services."
/pumps fist
Trebek: "Oooh sorry Mustang, your answer must be in the form of a question."
/bum-rush's Trebek's podium.
They would definitely be cheaper. They a
Are you kidding me? It said it's been in the works for years. If they come out with this it wouldn't be copying anyone.
If Apple wants good coverage, they have to use Verizon or AT&T. How many people here think either of those carriers is going to lease capacity to Apple to provide unlimited data at cheaper rates than they offer themselves. And neither offers unlimited data to new customers. Raise your hands.
But it's getting closer to what many people here want, Apple to control everything in their lives. Soon it will be Apple supermarkets, power companies, hospitals......... The possibilities are endless.
Oohh..Hospitals..new meaning to Applecare. "Can I extend my heart bypass for 2 years".
I'm surprised Apple hasn't sued even though Apple Jacks have been around longer than Apple.
Most MVNOs are second tier resellers, sometimes owned by the major carriers, designed to appeal to buyers looking for cheap rates. APPLE could by airtime from all of them, in big enough chunks, to demand top tier service and manage connections to maintain service levels without having to roam. I doubt they would price like the current MVNOs but focus on service and unlimited data to make the ancillary products more compelling. For example, sell HBO through iTunes and offer it on mobile devices as well as AppleTV. No need for a DVR as you could stream and d/l content; and thus change the whole competitive landscape relative to cell phone and cable markets. If they pull it off you cut cut the cable and inernet access so you TCO could go down even if you pay more for cellular service. It could be a brilliant strategic move, or if it fails, only burn a little of Apple's cash.
A valid point, but given Apple would own the hardware they could build that into the hardware and not worry if someone else's hardware can't handle it. Given their ecosystem focus I could see a Apple only solution, across phones, TV and Macs. They've started down that road integrating messaging and phone calls across iOS and OSX, this is a logical next step.
Screwed is relative. I can go anywhere in the U.S. and not worry about roaming charges, whereas the last time I was in Europe I needed a new SIM when I left the UK and went to Portugal, which meant I either paid to roam or needed to give folks a new number.