Apple Tablet to Support Multiple Wireless Carriers Including Verizon?

[TraceyS/FL]

That's why i believe there's the dual option of 3G payg for the iSlates that predominantly stay at home and a subsidized model with unlimited 3G (God, that's a joke right there, false advertising i calls it).

The difference between failure and success is the cost Apple negotiates with the carriers for payg daily or per megabyte. Currently in the UK i can get 24hrs on T-Mobile for about £2 a day payg. If Apple can get that or better then i think we have a winner.

No one expects to get 3G for FREE, but perhaps Apple will take it on the chin for email downloads of a reasonable size and browsing the iTunes store. Everthing else is either payg or a monthly contract.

M.

I'm not sure what AT&T might offer in the way of payg daily, but Verizon here in the states is $15 for 75mb.

I'm not sure that they could get them to do something under $5/day (yours is what - about $3-3.50/day US? i'm being totally lazy and not looking that up right now). That is a HUGE reduction in "profit" for Verizon. But heck, if i could get a month for say $30 for a decent amount - i'd be buying a mifi.

So basically, the ability to have a payg on a daily basis for under $5 would rock - especially if i could fund it with iTunes cards. I can find them everywhere. Would have been nice if i had been able to do that last month while driving across the state.

It's going to be interesting. I can't see them being able to totally tie this type of a device (based on the rumors) to a traditional Data plan contract & cost. YOu want people to CONSUME, you need it "cheap" to consume. $30-50 is a lot of consumption money - who will have $$ left to buy content?

 

[MacFly123]

I believe that rumor. But, unfortunately, the shocking low price is the subsidized price. Apple still gets paid the same... just with AT&T, Verizon, etc chipping in on the amount above the "shockingly low" price*

*with 24-month contract.

I'd call a device as impressive as the iPhone a shockingly low priced device too (until you factor in the TOTAL price with the contract if you buy it at the shockingly low price, instead of paying up for the unsubsidized version).

Ya, I totally agree!

 

[Shin3r]

in three years I never wanted to talk on the phone and surf the web at the same time. and with the iphone it's not possible anyway to use it as a phone and use an app in parallel. so this is not a necessary feature for me, maybe for others.

Sir, you are 100% mistaken there. You can use both at the same time. Also, even if you weren't using both at the same time. It's nice to know that you can be accessing data and still receive a phone call, because otherwise straight to voicemail you go, all for just checking any updates on MacRumors.

 

[cmaier]

Sir, you are 100% mistaken there. You can use both at the same time. Also, even if you weren't using both at the same time. It's nice to know that you can be accessing data and still receive a phone call, because otherwise straight to voicemail you go, all for just checking any updates on MacRumors.

That's certainly the more common scenario. I had a sprint treo 650 for years, and i'd often miss calls because I happened to be dialed into the data network, for example when it was checking my mail in the background.

 

[decson]

This is what I would like to see!

The kindle provides limited 3G networking for the purpose of downloading books/journals. It also allows limited browsing of wikipedia and some blogs. EDIT TO MAKE IT CLEARER (Kindle embeds the cost of 3G into the price of the download, browsing of the amazon store, wikipedia and the limited blogs it allows access to appear on the face of it to be included in the up front cost)

What if Apple partially adopted this. So when you buy the iSlate, there's no cellular contract, but it's connected to 1 or other cellular network, ideally your preferred one that has the best coverage. When you buy something from iTunes, the cost to download it is embedded in the charge made to you. ie. instead of £0.79 for a song, you get it for £0.89. To rent a movie would be say £3.49 rather than £2.99.

The same with the rumoured periodicals, the cost to deliver is embedded in the subscription.

Now lets say you wanted to look up a website, rather than impose a monthly fee, though that could be an option. What if you could make a small micropayment say £0.50 for 24hrs, or you payed a reasonable amount per megabyte you were downloading. After all the majority of iSlate customers already have an iTunes account and are accustomed to making small payments for instant gratification. If it's all handled through iTunes, you have a slick already setup payment stream.

Now we all expect and like the idea of pulling out our iPhone and going to any website we feel like, but we pay a premium for that privilege. Would Apple be able to convince us that micropayments are the way to go for the tablet?

Some example pricing, just to get people thinking, note i may be over estimating the charges and underestimating Apple's ability to negotiate a good deal.

Al a carte
Purchase price = £599
Download of tune = £0.89 (10p more)
Download of rental movie = £3.49 (50p more, yes i know it's not proportional)
subscription to 12 monthly periodicals = £23.99 (embedded cost of delivery)
24 Hrs browsing = £0.50 (250MB cap probably) or
1 Megabyte = £0.05

Subsidized model
Purchase price = £399
Monthly data charge 24mth contract = £15.99
Download of tune = £0.79 (perhaps with some free tunes/month)
Download of rental movie = £2.99 (perhaps with a free couple of rentals)
subscription to 12 monthly periodicals = £21.59 (delivery not charged + free samples)
Browsing = included in the deal

When you are on a wifi network the prices in iTunes automatically change to reflect the standard rates we see on a PC or Mac. Perhaps they'll have some neat way of making it obvious that there's a delivery charge on 3G.

Anyway, food for thought.

M.

Well we can hope! but this makes much more sense to me, already paying for broadband, iPhone, I really do not want another data package. Also, as with iPhone (well here in UK) you can get free wifi spots perhaps that type of package I would pay for if it was reasonable. Majority of where I would use it has wifi, so would work for me!

G

 

[andiwm2003]

Sir, you are 100% mistaken there. You can use both at the same time. Also, even if you weren't using both at the same time. It's nice to know that you can be accessing data and still receive a phone call, because otherwise straight to voicemail you go, all for just checking any updates on MacRumors.

well, of course you can browse the web and recieve a call. but as soon as you are talking you hold the phone to your ear and it's over with surfing. and when you take it off your ear and check the calendar your partner thinks the call failed and hangs up. websurfing and talking at the same time is simply not convenient enough on the iphone to bother. and no i usually don't have headphones around. as i said in my post it's not a useful feature for me, maybe for others.

 

[Robert M.]

I plan on using the iSlate(?) at home (in my living room) or when I'm on Campus. Both of those places have Wi-Fi. So I don't need 3G! I already have an iPhone 3GS, so I don't need 3G on this thing. Really I don't see anyone besides "the hardcore crowd" getting 3G on this thing! Maybe if they don't have an iPhone...but if they do then what's the point?

Are they going to need it to buy subscriptions and books in their car? Or in the middle of nowhere? Maybe people want to just surf the web anywhere? But Safari on the iPhone is good enough for that... If not then they should already have a 3G card for their MB/MBP.

I think they should just make the Appstore open for everyone all the time. Like you can always connect to buy something. Sadly, I know that probably won't happen. And they could leave the 3G for people that want to surf the internet on the go. I know some of you guys will get a 3G plan with this but to me it would be a waste.... (Unless you're a nomad that's always on the move lol)

 

[cmaier]

I plan on using the iSlate(?) at home (in my living room) or when I'm on Campus. Both of those places have Wi-Fi. So I don't need 3G! I already have an iPhone 3GS, so I don't need 3G on this thing. Really I don't see anyone besides "the hardcore crowd" getting 3G on this thing! Maybe if they don't have an iPhone...but if they do then what's the point?

Business travelers (like me) who would carry this thing instead of a MB or MBP because they mostly just need to read, not edit, documents, will want 3G, for the same reason they buy aircards.

 

[Robert M.]

Business travelers (like me) who would carry this thing instead of a MB or MBP because they mostly just need to read, not edit, documents, will want 3G, for the same reason they buy aircards.

That's true! That's what I meant by "nomads" at the end

So I understand needing one for that reason.

 

[chstr]

Will the 1st gen be overpriced like the 1st gen iPhone?

is a clear sky blue?

 

[psxp]

No purpose. But for the people who don't own iPhones, having 3G capability built into this device is tremendously appealing. We shouldn't assume the market for the Tablet is iPhone owners. I wouldn't think Apple is trying to compete with itself, nor trying to penetrate a market as small (large) as the iPhone-owner market as their primary objective.

other phones support tethering.. (if enabled.. )

 

[kdarling]

Sir, you are 100% mistaken there. You can use both at the same time. Also, even if you weren't using both at the same time. It's nice to know that you can be accessing data and still receive a phone call, because otherwise straight to voicemail you go, all for just checking any updates on MacRumors.

Automatically going to voicemail while using data is only true on GSM EDGE.

Under CDMA EVDO, incoming calls take priority (unless you set your phone otherwise). The data stream is paused and the user allowed to answer the call or not. When you hang up, the data continues again.

Nowhere near as nice as simultaneous voice+data, but not as bad as EDGE.