Apple SIM Included With iPad for Customer Convenience, but iPhone Not Likely to Join In

[BruiserB]

Apple SIM Included With iPad for Customer Convenience, but iPhone Not Likely ...

Why should anyone "suck up" and deal with another company damaging hardware (the SIM card) they own?

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There is no misunderstanding. We are talking about the SIM card, not the iPad. Apple created a SIM card that can be reprogrammed and AT&T "damages" it by removing that ability.

AT&T does not have the right to damage my physical property. It is owned by me, not AT&T!

I guess I don't consider locking my SIM card to be damaging my purchased hardware. I do consider it a bad move by them though and it makes me less likely to choose their service. I do think you're overreacting a bit...let your voice be heard by giving your business to a carrier that doesn't lock your card.

Basically I consider the SIM card a "consumable" like maybe a AA battery might be for a remote control. If the manufacturer includes one, I don't get upset because using my product "damages" the battery they included. It was included as a courtesy to make it easier to get going sooner.

 

[BuffaloTF]

Why should anyone "suck up" and deal with another company damaging hardware (the SIM card) they own?

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There is no misunderstanding. We are talking about the SIM card, not the iPad. Apple created a SIM card that can be reprogrammed and AT&T "damages" it by removing that ability.

AT&T does not have the right to damage my physical property. It is owned by me, not AT&T!

They haven't damaged anything, this also isn't a hard concept. It's an actual function of a programmable SIM card, not a hack. It's operating as designed and with consumer acceptance of the action, not subterfuge. But if you insist on calling it "damaged"... well, then you, yourself, have "damaged" it, after being told by a gigantic screen prompt that doing so will make it an AT&T SIM and then hitting yes. It's one sentence long to get through exactly what's happening, two sentences long total, which will also allow you to learn what it means if you want to switch carriers... this isn't the new iTunes Terms & Conditions that gets you signed up for the Human Cent-iPad experiment by clicking yes for not reading it.

 

[lostngone]

They haven't damaged anything, this also isn't a hard concept. It's an actual function of a programmable SIM card, not a hack. It's operating as designed and with consumer acceptance of the action, not subterfuge. But if you insist on calling it "damaged"... well, then you, yourself, have "damaged" it, after being told by a gigantic screen prompt that doing so will make it an AT&T SIM and then hitting yes. It's one sentence long to get through exactly what's happening, two sentences long total, which will also allow you to learn what it means if you want to switch carriers... this isn't the new iTunes Terms & Conditions that gets you signed up for the Human Cent-iPad experiment by clicking yes for not reading it.

Sorry it IS damaging it, just because it is done via software doesn't change anything. If it is programmable then they can and should un-program it when after my service it over with them.

 

[octothorpe8]

Why should anyone "suck up" and deal with another company damaging hardware (the SIM card) they own?

In principle: you're 100% right

In practice: how much do SIM cards cost and seriously how is this fight worth it?

 

[lostngone]

In principle: you're 100% right

In practice: how much do SIM cards cost and seriously how is this fight worth it?

True.

However I believe we shouldn't give AT&T a pass on the "limited-unlimited data plan" or the "no-so universal sim plan".

AT&T is all about $$$ and they will keep pushing with this type of corporate attitude until we push back.

 

[BruiserB]

True.

However I believe we shouldn't give AT&T a pass on the "limited-unlimited data plan" or the "no-so universal sim plan".

AT&T is all about $$$ and they will keep pushing with this type of corporate attitude until we push back.

Taking your business elsewhere is pushing back! Let ATT see record low iPad data plan enrollments while T-mobile reports record highs.

 

[XtraSmiley]

Because CDMA didn't take off outside the US. SIMs are wonderful for consumers as they let you switch carriers easily. If they weren't there then likely it would be like it is with CDMA carriers where they don't allow phones that were originally for other carriers onto their network. At best you'd have two or 3 carriers available for any particular model, and you couldn't switch to an unsupported carrier like you can with a sim card.

Or maybe it's 2014 and someone could make a phone that could switch carriers on the fly? People get locked in on old thinking when it comes to this stuff.

 

[diamond.g]

..."Joswiak noted most consumers go directly to their carriers to buy iPhones, while the iPad more often is sold through Apple's retail channels."

Where did Joswiak get such a ridiculous idea? When a new iPhone is released, there are lines around the block at every Apple Store. Has anyone ever seen such a line at even one AT&T or Verizon store? NO!

Clearly folks are standing in line at the Apple store and paying full price for unlocked iPhones in droves...
Apple can't sell nearly as many iPhones without carrier subsidy, proof? See original iPhone (with included price drop).

Or maybe it's 2014 and someone could make a phone that could switch carriers on the fly? People get locked in on old thinking when it comes to this stuff.

Because quite frankly it puts the power back in carriers hands. With removable SIM they can't keep you from using whatever phone you want. Clearly if Apple could have prevented AT&T from permanently reprogramming the SIM they would have. Which is why the other user said CDMA, each carrier had to have a database of supported devices and it was really easy for them to not take any device a user wanted to use.

 

[0007776]

Or maybe it's 2014 and someone could make a phone that could switch carriers on the fly? People get locked in on old thinking when it comes to this stuff.

Yeah technically it wouldn't be hard to do. The problem is it then puts all the power with the carriers to decide if they want to go along with it or not, and despite it being 2014 people's greed hasn't changed much over the years so there isn't much desire for the carriers to do that.