AT&T Losing iPhone Exclusivity on Wednesday?

[MacFly123]

I think a Tablet is more deserving of a 'One More Thing' than just the iPhone going to Verizon or T-Mobile. I could be wrong.

but Steve hasn't done a great 'One More Thing' since the iPhone was announce at MacWorld 2007,

True, the "one more things" have been a little week lately! But when the entire keynote will probably be devoted to the Tablet, it makes it hard to have it be "one more thing" or else his keynote would only be about 5-10 minutes before he got to the "one more thing" lol!

P.S. The iPhone at Macworld 2007 was NOT a "one more thing". You can watch it here and see for yourself if you don't believe me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9RL6xKsU4E&feature=channel
About 6:00 in.

Non exclusivity has nothing to do with the french government. Except in France of course where orange did manage an exclusivity deal. There were other countries, such as Australia, that did not have exclusivity and the iphone is getting close to being the most common smartphone. In the UK, Orange also managed an exclusivity deal, but clearly it was much more temporary than in the US.

In the US, the only carrier willing to give the iphone a try was AT&T, and thus AT&T were able to demand a long term exclusivity clause. No harm to them if the iphone didn't work out, a total win for them if it did.

And a verizon phone this week? Unlikely. All those CDMA iphone 3GSs to be produced for only six months until the next iphone comes out? I doubt it. Why would you take out that contract?

It has everything to do with them because Apple only sought exclusive deals prior to that. It was the French government that FORCED Apple to break that exclusivity, and from then on they began to see that it was beneficial and they could still retain the unit cost per phone. After that was government mandated, they began to open to multiple carriers in other countries too. This is a well known fact that was widely reported!

 

[twoodcc]

i really don't think this will happen on wed

 

[dgree03]

Food for though but that is not valid unless you compare it to AT&T. For the most part when you compare AT&T and Verizon they work out to be almost exactly the same after you include the nickel and diming for each one. They both do it to death. If you look at them both over the long term guess what you discover. The cost of the respect cell phone plans on both companies work out to be pretty close to one another. Bouncing back and forth on who cost more.

Spirnt is the most upfrount about their monthly cost and has least amount of adds in.

T-mobile is the worse on the nickel and diming add in. Their basic plans offer the LEAST amount of extras. now the nice then is you can add in what you want and need and do not have to pay for any extra.

How does t-mobile nickel and dime?

I have even more plus family plan... unlimited text, Data and 700 mins... free visual voicemail... all for 109.99

I dont see where the nickel an diming comes from?

 

[kdarling]

Verizon is not getting the iPhone and it most certainly is not getting iPhone exclusively The majority of iPhone sales now are outside of the US and all of those countries use GSM. It would be suicide to release the next iPhone on a carrier and standard that only worked in the US.

True, no one believes the next iPhone model would only work on Verizon. Most people think either a dual mode or two submodels.

As for market, Americans are still 40-45% of world iPhone sales. Over 10% of ATT customers currently use one. (Although many more have been bought.)

There's been, what, about 21 million 3GS models sold worldwide? Think how much happier Apple would be if 10% (9 million) of Verizon customers also had bought one? That'd be almost a third of world sales.

Agreed. I've never understood the Verizon religion.

I didn't either until I moved to the Northeast, home of Verizon. If you're a business person who needs reliable connections, you get Verizon. End of story.

Here, dropped Verizon calls are unheard of for most people, whereas people on ATT often have to apologize for drops and/or have no 3G data inside buildings. (This is improving as ATT switches bands.)

Apparently it's the opposite situation in some places like Florida: I rarely see any ATT complaints from people there.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

How does t-mobile nickel and dime?

I have even more plus family plan... unlimited text, Data and 700 mins... free visual voicemail... all for 109.99

I dont see where the nickel an diming comes from?

Last time I look at T-Mobile you had to do lot of add in to get things like Unlimited NW, and Unlimited M2M. Not big stuff but just had to do a lot of add ins. Total prices still worked out to be lower than AT&T and Verizon. They just have more add in than everyone else.

Agreed. I've never understood the Verizon religion. I'm not saying I like AT&T (I don't), but I have no reason to dislike them based on their service, which also works fine for me where I live and work.

AT&T's texting plan prices are criminal though.

I view all carriers as equally evil. That said, the more carriers Apple can sell its phones through, the better for me (and the worse for Apple's competitors).

I think AT&T and Verizon texting plans are criminal. All that money for texting is pure profit.

I am with you on not understanding the Verizon religion. Now it is not as bad as the apple religion. I know I will not go with them after Verizon tick me off. They lied to my family and I multiple times. The we will be out in Lubbock in the next 6 months. 6 months my ass. They finally got everything working out there over 3 years later so for about 3 years it was no voice mail notification, no text message just basic phone service and that was it. We dump them at the end of the year and moved on. The rest of it came from people I knew complaining about the Verizon phones not working. They were losing customers in droves.

The big players in Lubbock Texas while I was there was sprint, Cingular/ATT and Nextail (until sprint bought them). Verizon was losing them every year.


I would like to add I never understand why people choose AT&T for the iPhone then turn around and bitch about the service. Verizon adds are right about one point. Choose your network first then choose a phone. I am on AT&T because their network works everywhere I spend my time.

 

[Maverick1337]

I live on campus at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and last year I was in the dorms that were made of solid concrete. Concrete walls in our rooms we couldnt even hang anything on the wall. However, I got perfect reception and service. Never a dropped call or anything. I move to the other side of the campus to on-campus appartments where the walls are plain plaster, nothing special and I dont get service inside my appartment. I am forced to lean out the window to get service and when I do i get full 5 bars of 3G. How does anyone explain that? Why doesn't service go through normal walls but does through solid concrete?

 

[doctor-don]

I live on campus at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and last year I was in the dorms that were made of solid concrete. Concrete walls in our rooms we couldnt even hang anything on the wall. However, I got perfect reception and service. Never a dropped call or anything. I move to the other side of the campus to on-campus appartments where the walls are plain plaster, nothing special and I dont get service inside my appartment. I am forced to lean out the window to get service and when I do i get full 5 bars of 3G. How does anyone explain that? Why doesn't service go through normal walls but does through solid concrete?

Maybe the cell tower is on the side of the buildings that have concrete wall. If the plaster / drywall apartments are further away from cell towers, and if these apartments have required fire walls, then the signal will be attenuated. Much depends on what is in the way of the signal.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I live on campus at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and last year I was in the dorms that were made of solid concrete. Concrete walls in our rooms we couldnt even hang anything on the wall. However, I got perfect reception and service. Never a dropped call or anything. I move to the other side of the campus to on-campus appartments where the walls are plain plaster, nothing special and I dont get service inside my appartment. I am forced to lean out the window to get service and when I do i get full 5 bars of 3G. How does anyone explain that? Why doesn't service go through normal walls but does through solid concrete?

Concrete hurts signals but metal is by far worse. Could be any number of things. Tower placement. Could be the cold concrete walls have very little steel in them and the plaster walls are using metal studs. All that extra metal would wipe out the cell signal very quickly.

 

[dgree03]

Last time I look at T-Mobile you had to do lot of add in to get things like Unlimited NW, and Unlimited M2M. Not big stuff but just had to do a lot of add ins. Total prices still worked out to be lower than AT&T and Verizon. They just have more add in than everyone else.

Oh ok, well now(Even More PLUS) there isnt a add on for Unlimited n/w or m2m calling. Its all on price.. the only add-ons are insurance, extended warranty, Unlimted UMA and parental controls.

That is far far less than att.... you need a blackberry plan for blackberries.. you need a smartphone plan for smart phones... you need a iphone plan for iphones... but they all use the same data streams!? I dont understand that

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Oh ok, well now(Even More PLUS) there isnt a add on for Unlimited n/w or m2m calling. Its all on price.. the only add-ons are insurance, extended warranty, Unlimted UMA and parental controls.

That is far far less than att.... you need a blackberry plan for blackberries.. you need a smartphone plan for smart phones... you need a iphone plan for iphones... but they all use the same data streams!? I dont understand that

So if I understand it right it looks like T-Mobile plans now has the standard stuff everyone else has. No more nickel and dime crap.

Now if only Verizon and ATT would just thrown in Text messaging for free they would match up with Sprint and T-Mobile/ Sprint finally.

I will say that is a nice improvement. Now I just wish AT&T went with UMA over the microcell crap. UMA is so much better.

 

[dgree03]

So if I understand it right it looks like T-Mobile plans now has the standard stuff everyone else has. No more nickel and dime crap.

Now if only Verizon and ATT would just thrown in Text messaging for free they would match up with Sprint and T-Mobile/ Sprint finally.

I will say that is a nice improvement. Now I just wish AT&T went with UMA over the microcell crap. UMA is so much better.

Yes it is, at least it is for even more plus plans(dont know about even more plans)... which is so simple and easy..

Every cell company should throw text in for free... its ridiculous that we have to pay for that...

and $30 for data? my cable connection cost $39.99 for 15/5mbps... but i have to pay $30 for MAYBE 1/384??

thats why i left att... they are raping iphone users blind...

 

[NeuralControl]

Metro PCS has the absolute best plans in the US. $40 for unlimited calls, web, and texts. Unfortunately, I do not know a single person who is on PCS. I'm sure the service is terrible, but it would be really nice if the big companies took a page from their book and lowered their prices considerably. I agree with the previous posters; customers are getting shafted by the price of text messages. Ridiculous.

 

[chstr]

Metro PCS has the absolute best plans in the US. $40 for unlimited calls, web, and texts. Unfortunately, I do not know a single person who is on PCS. I'm sure the service is terrible, but it would be really nice if the big companies took a page from their book and lowered their prices considerably. I agree with the previous posters; customers are getting shafted by the price of text messages. Ridiculous.

isnt it only in nyc? and Im sure they dont have any decent phones, which is why data is so cheap

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I live on campus at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and last year I was in the dorms that were made of solid concrete. Concrete walls in our rooms we couldnt even hang anything on the wall. However, I got perfect reception and service. Never a dropped call or anything. I move to the other side of the campus to on-campus appartments where the walls are plain plaster, nothing special and I dont get service inside my appartment. I am forced to lean out the window to get service and when I do i get full 5 bars of 3G. How does anyone explain that? Why doesn't service go through normal walls but does through solid concrete?

Oh me me me me..... (ok, i can't explain the wall thing!)

6-7 years ago, there was about ZERO AT&T/Cingular coverage in that area.

When Best Buy opened, they didn't sell Verizon contracts. "We" (my boss the General Manager that opened the SLO store, that had AT&T and couldn't get his phone to work during the job fair) told the powers they HAD to sell Verizon in that store. No choice - or they wouldn't be selling wireless. Period.

AT&T promised service was coming....

heck, they tried to sell us phones for our guys (at my families biz) to use instead of radios.... except they couldn't tell us how they'd call us from the farm fields off of 101 up north.

SOOOO, the network is "NEW". I'm sure it was built right and not adapted from the prior technology which apparently has been a problem in some areas.

But before that, Verizon was king on teh Central Coast. LOL, our friends moved to Bakersfield and used to laugh at the people that came over to Pismo... and couldn't get their phones to work

ANYWAY..... it wasn't always that way son! LOL!!! Report the dead area. Daily!

Just sign me.... a 3rd generation Central Coaster

 

[FSUSem1noles]

As of right now I can't see WHY apple would want to put the iPhone on Verizon, it would defeat the purpose of the phone, using voice and data simultaneously..

With Verizon as of right now, you can't do that...

 

[Maserati7200]

I have a feeling that if At&T looses exclusivity with the iPhone, it's stock price will plummet. Not that it's doing too great at this point anyway (currently $25.58/share)

i really don't think this will happen on wed

It probably won't happen on Wednesday, but it probably is going to be announced then.

 

[NeuralControl]

isnt it only in nyc? and Im sure they dont have any decent phones, which is why data is so cheap

They have expanded. NY, NJ, PA, and some other states are definitely covered now.

 

[kdarling]

As of right now I can't see WHY apple would want to put the iPhone on Verizon, it would defeat the purpose of the phone, using voice and data simultaneously..

The first iPhone couldn't do it either. Nor can any later models in areas without 3G, which is still a lot of ATT territory.

While some do need the capability, other people first want reliable voice and data communications.

 

[Randall]

I would be very surprised if AT&T lost exclusivity of the iPhone. I would be less surprised with a new version of the iPhone that lets you run multiple apps at once was unveiled, with a processor that rivals the droid in speed, but with reasonable battery life.

 

[TheTosh]

Vodefone New Zealand losing Exclusivity on iPhone too...

I went to a Telecom Store and i was told that the iPhone is coming to Telecom (NZ's) XT Network... The sales person failed to say if it was going to be the Current 3GS or the "New 4G iPhone", But did say it was coming soon...

Read the Story on TECHGEEK.com.au

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Metro PCS has the absolute best plans in the US. $40 for unlimited calls, web, and texts. Unfortunately, I do not know a single person who is on PCS. I'm sure the service is terrible, but it would be really nice if the big companies took a page from their book and lowered their prices considerably. I agree with the previous posters; customers are getting shafted by the price of text messages. Ridiculous.

I knew a few people on Metro PCS. Now it was cheap is why they went with it but it has draw backs and that is there calling area is very limited and really only handful of the major cities. Out side of that you get charged 0.19 cent a min and have no data (do have unlimited txt). Inside the cities you get unlimited everything.

Part of the reason they are so much cheaper is because they are limited to only to major cities and do not have anything in the country side so they are not dealing with "the last mile problem" the big players have to deal with.

 

[Peace]

I just watched my local news and they said the iPhone was coming to T-Mobile in April and Verizon in "Late 2010".

 

[Littlewizkid]

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Verizons data may be slow but most places with ATT 3g also have WiFi. I mostly use WiFi anyways so as long as I can call and text on a network without outages then it does what I need

 

[tmill56]

oh how i hope this is true

anyones guess but how great would that be....

 

[jayeskreezy]

I think it'd just be smarter for them to release it on all carriers like how its in canada and the other countries of the world. Apple knows their making more money selling the iphone to different carriers.

Well, I like ATT and I'll stay with them, BUT I think it'll be beneficial for current customers because in order to compete ATT will have to stay competitive with pricing.