i sure hope so. can't wait for this to come out though, for sure. glad i already have Cingular
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Behind the iPhone and Apple/Cingular Deal
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i sure hope so. can't wait for this to come out though, for sure. glad i already have Cingular
EDGE is 3G technology, utilizing HSDPA for high speed downloads. 3G (third generation) really refers to the latest HSDPA.Here's a link:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/93CA0BF6-6296-4DCF-88EA-9E27E617E96A.html
Cingular
I agree, Cingular seems to be the most customer-centric of all networks
available - the most fair regarding unused minutes, and the most promising
in terms of development. I look forward to signing on in June.....
By then, I'll bet 3G will be introduced as a "surprise" feature to be
enabled in the iPhone as Cingular makes its strides in upgrading to 3G.
I used Vericrap for years, and switched recently to Cingular. I couldn't stand Verizon's bs policy on crippling the bluetooth OBEX feature on all their phones in order to force customers to pay for services such as Get It Now, when Cingular and T-Mobile allow customers full access to all their phones' features (Vericrap was sued over crippling the bluetooth on the Motorola v710 and lost big time, but still refused to enable it on future phones as they admitted it's their right and business to do so). More over, Vericrap kept messing up my bill by not adjusting my plans when I phoned to increase my minutes or text messaging allowment, charging me $400-500/month in fees that should have been remedied.
I considered T-Mobile, as they have the cheapest plans, but then realized my friends who use T-Mobile, here in NY, California and Florida, had always dropped my calls when speaking to them from my Vericrap phone. So I switched to Cingular, LOVE IT. Have never dropped a call, my plan is GREAT, roll-over minutes allow me to have a cheaper monthly plan, calls are crystal clear, GSM allows me to use the phone when I'm overseas, customer service was PHENOMENAL. Representatives actually treat you with respect and courtesy (a refreshing change from most of America's big business "we don't care about you" corporations). I can make my own ringtone's and download them to my RAZR and am also able to send and recieve my own pictures for FREE.
As an aside, a lot of people have complained about Cingular's EDGE network. Personally, EDGE is improving with faster HSDPA rates over Vericrap's EV-DO network very quickly. I researched this a great deal with both companies. My only concern is iPhone's lack of 3G, especially given the phone's heavy need for bandwidth as Safari is a fully enabled browser requiring fast download rates for multimedia information. A LOT of people have noted that downfall with the iPhone, that is was EXTREMELY SLOW. I certainly hope this is corrected, as one of the most important features of the phone is it's multimedia web browsing capabilities.
I agree, Cingular seems to be the most customer-centric of all networks
available - the most fair regarding unused minutes, and the most promising
in terms of development. I look forward to signing on in June.....
By then, I'll bet 3G will be introduced as a "surprise" feature to be
enabled in the iPhone as Cingular makes its strides in upgrading to 3G.
If they only offer the iPhone in the UK on one network, and it's impossible to buy it sim-free/unlock it, there's no way I'll get one, even if it is on whatever network I happen to prefer at the time it's released here. I object to moronic marketing like this; if I want to buy an iPod, I don't have to buy a special service contract which I'm locked into to listen to my music, so why should I in this case. Sure, you can say most phones are bought locked to a specific provider on an airtime contract, but I can't think of any phones you can't also buy sim-free...
Overrate and derivatives are one word. One a side note, at this point you have nothing good to say and are practically trolling the board. Does that never get boring to you?
Trolling - because I'm not praising Apple at every turn? Because I consider that I have an open mind and see the negatives in Apple products ( AS WELL AS the POSITIVES ) instead of blindly thinking that all Apple products are 100% great?
If I can give reasons to why the iPhone isn't all that great - then I'm not trolling - and I can certainly give a lot of reasons for why the iPhone is over rated ( sic ).
I have little good to say about the iPhone, apart from the candy eyed interface. On other Apple subjects, I have more positive things to say about them.
glad i already have Cingular
same here! the timing works out amazingly, too, because I'll be eligible to upgrade phones in May.. so if they DO offer any deals on top for signing a new 2 year contract like the rumors say, I'll be set.
engadget was reporting the 8GB version at $399 and the 4GB version at $299. I don't know how reliable that is, but hot damn if it's true!
Well, the majority of the things I see you post are very negative and some make little sense I didn't know if yu were simply trying to get a rise out of people or what.
I just can't believe I'm seeing so many people actually defending and praising measures that restrict their usage of a very expensive product.
Yeah, yeah, free market, blah, blah, blah... You need some kind of regulation, because, as it has been proven here, the majority of people are IGNORANT and need protection from the big greedy corporations. Not to the extreme, but a nice and healthy dose of european regulation...
Just amazing... Some of you are just happy to leave your mobile phone provider with whom you've been with years, and which would probably give you a free phone every year(if they are at all like in the UK) to move to a new network, get a new number, and HAVE TO PAY $600!!! just to loyaly follow your favorite company... WOW, thats something...
Braced and ready for I have unleashed the anger of the "loyal capitalistic costumers" LOL...
Yeah, yeah, free market, blah, blah, blah... You need some kind of regulation, because, as it has been proven here, the majority of people are IGNORANT and need protection from the big greedy corporations. Not to the extreme, but a nice and healthy dose of european regulation...
Just amazing... Some of you are just happy to leave your mobile phone provider with whom you've been with years, and which would probably give you a free phone every year(if they are at all like in the UK) to move to a new network, get a new number, and HAVE TO PAY $600!!! just to loyaly follow your favorite company... WOW, thats something...
Braced and ready for I have unleashed the anger of the "loyal capitalistic costumers" LOL...
iPhone unlocked
Considering that it hasn't even been released yet, there's no reason
to be upset about how Apple and Cingular have been 'testing the waters' with their initial intentions. As soon as the iPhone is released, it'll be quite easy to purchase, unlocked, and hacked to your wildest desires. Until it is released though, no one will truly know how restricted things will be initially. FYI, Apple has to at least appear to be playing nice with Cingular (AT&T) to get the ball rolling. Once that happens, restrictions ought to loosen quite a bit.
Considering that it hasn't even been released yet, there's no reason
to be upset about how Apple and Cingular have been 'testing the waters' with their initial intentions. As soon as the iPhone is released, it'll be quite easy to purchase, unlocked, and hacked to your wildest desires. Until it is released though, no one will truly know how restricted things will be initially. FYI, Apple has to at least appear to be playing nice with Cingular (AT&T) to get the ball rolling. Once that happens, restrictions ought to loosen quite a bit.
I use Cingular (AT&T) for my family's service. Sprint for my company Blackberry.
Can't say I really have any complaints about Cingular (AT&T).
This is a great move for Cingular if they never make a dime out of the deal (and they will). Just to have an exclusive deal and be associated with Apple and the iPhone is worth a bunch. In addition to a ton of free press, they become a little bit "cooler" by being aligned with Apple.
Cell phone service providers are viewed like utility companies, no matter how competent they are, they send you a bill every month, nothing glamorous.
Love or hate Apple you cant deny they have an amazing PR machine. It can only help any carrier who is their exclusive partner.
Can't say I really have any complaints about Cingular (AT&T).
This is a great move for Cingular if they never make a dime out of the deal (and they will). Just to have an exclusive deal and be associated with Apple and the iPhone is worth a bunch. In addition to a ton of free press, they become a little bit "cooler" by being aligned with Apple.
Cell phone service providers are viewed like utility companies, no matter how competent they are, they send you a bill every month, nothing glamorous.
Love or hate Apple you cant deny they have an amazing PR machine. It can only help any carrier who is their exclusive partner.
Cingular a good network? That's laughable. I think third party surveys show Verizon outranking Cingular and my own experience certainly bears that out. I left Cingular (then Cell One) in 1999 for Verizon and have never looked back. Phone and audio quality is just way better. And ultimately, that's what I want in a phone. I already have an IPod.
I left Verizon 4 years ago for Cingular and couldn't be happier. Never have had a problem with Cingular. I'm not saying Versizon was bad it's just that I hated the phones they were offering that year.
Overall I'm happy I switched because I'm getting the iPhone shortly after it ships. It's all the phone I've wanted for two years. It does everything I want. I don't run a business from my phone nor does my life need to be stored on my phone. I'm more than happy with the feature set of the iPhone. I want the mix that the iPhone offers. It will replace my 4Gb Nano with a 8GB Widescreen iPod (minus 500MB for OS X) and it more than replaces my aging Sony Ericsson phone.
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MacBook Pro 2.0Ghz / 4GB Nano / DELL 2.6Ghz Desktop
Overall I'm happy I switched because I'm getting the iPhone shortly after it ships. It's all the phone I've wanted for two years. It does everything I want. I don't run a business from my phone nor does my life need to be stored on my phone. I'm more than happy with the feature set of the iPhone. I want the mix that the iPhone offers. It will replace my 4Gb Nano with a 8GB Widescreen iPod (minus 500MB for OS X) and it more than replaces my aging Sony Ericsson phone.
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MacBook Pro 2.0Ghz / 4GB Nano / DELL 2.6Ghz Desktop
i sure hope so. can't wait for this to come out though, for sure. glad i already have Cingular
You still have to sign up for a new two-year contract. They can't sell the phone without a two year contract no matter what. So if you wanted the phone you would have to go through the same crap that I do.
Unless you want 2 "two year contracts" with Cingular
I agree with you to some extent. I am no big fan of Cingular.... don't hate them or like them. If my family and girlfriend were using Cingular and they didn't wany me to make a $250 deposit then I would be a Cingular customer. But they all use Sprint... and I am not paying $250 to leave them then another $250 to join Cingular and the $500 for the phone and the two months of service all in one month just to get an iPhone....
My main point: I don't think you can compare Cingular in 1999 to the Cingular in 2007... that is 8 years. You and I aren't the same person we were 8 years ago.
If you really just want a phone, then iPhone would be a bad idea. You can get phones for $30 fron any number of brands, so I don't see the problem.
My idea of a fashion statement is something that's irritating to use/wear/own and purchased only because it looks good, and Apple doesn't necessarily have that.
You are a youth hotel?
With monthly revenue sharing, no network branding and the suchlike, I think Cingular just realised how important it could be to have Apple on your side in the marketplace.
I'm glad about the lack of branding, I can't stand network logos on phones. Yuk.
The brand is still in the software display though. Usually the branding is subtle on most phones, so I don't have a problem with it.
The revenue sharing isn't unprecidented, I understand that RIM gets $5 for every Blackberry subscription. I know that RIM does provide services that do justify that cost, now we just have to see if Apple provides a recurring service or not. The revenue sharing is just another rumor though, so it's best not to get too worked up until there's more hard information available.
Actually, it's a good idea because it gives people a chance to let their contracts lapse rather than renew and be stuck with a different plan for another couple years.
You do realize that the first part is just a rumor, right? I don't remember any confirmations or denials of said free service. If they do offer it, I think it would be just the data plan, not the phone plan.
I thought the whole pro-greed it makes the world go round perspective was fashionable in the 90's, but became passé when the tech bubble burst and greedy enron and worldcom etc. screwed the less savy embracers of greed who invested money they didn't have to spare in these companies.
anyway, I get the point, b/c the problem of the 90's was the use of greed to justify making bad decisions and tearing down/not enforcing rules, rather than that motivation by profit changed at all.
Oh, and by the way, socialism isn't all that bad, read up on it. Most people want far more socialistic institutions than their talk regarding socialism indicate (public education, parks, healthcare, transportation, a sliding tax scale, etc.)
About the RIAA analogy, I think it is right in that it is one buisness asking for a cut of another buisness they really don't have a right to, but the difference here is this: The RIAA acts as a near monopoly in music, while apple is nothing of the sort in the mobile phone field. Therefore the RIAA would be forcing the fees on apple because as a monopoly, it can threaten to cut off apple's supply of content, and apple has nowhere to go. Apple, though, can only deny a carrier a small part of the market, allowing the carrier a real choice to accept or decline the offer, making for fair negotiations.
I fail to understand why so many of you continue to summarize your opinions of-and personal experiences with-one or a few wireless carriers. It’s like trying to get a sense for whether American-made cars are as reliable as Japanese-made ones by having everyone who cared to say something describe their experiences with each of them. In total, we might end up with a few hundred remarks, all from different circumstances, some in half English, some based on a months worth of observations, some on a few years, all rather fragmented and difficult to compare. How bout summaries based on 10,000 responses to standardized questions with sensible analyses and people who address these issues for a living?
To those that continue to pass on your views about Verizon and Cingular, why not defer to studies and statistics, which, for example, have an N greater than one or two. Your experiences for how well your Sprint phone worked while you were living in Orlando means nothing to most of us. And every time you mention it you’re opening the door to more people who may or may not have had experiences that are similar to yours.
The influence of provider on experience is probabilistic. Some companies will suck for some people at some points in time with some phones in some locations, and some won’t. Cingular has ~61 M customers, Verizon has ~59 M, and T-Mobile has ~25 M. We should, at least try, to deal with something this complicated like people who have, at least once in our lives, heard of something like a t-test and an analysis of variance.
It takes a few seconds for most of us to find good articles on this subject. Here are some quotes from those that compare wireless carriers:
consumerreports.org:
consumerreports.org (from wsj):
consumersunion.org:
consumersearch.com:
J.D. Power and Associates (from cnnmoney.com):
boston.com:
To those that continue to pass on your views about Verizon and Cingular, why not defer to studies and statistics, which, for example, have an N greater than one or two. Your experiences for how well your Sprint phone worked while you were living in Orlando means nothing to most of us. And every time you mention it you’re opening the door to more people who may or may not have had experiences that are similar to yours.
The influence of provider on experience is probabilistic. Some companies will suck for some people at some points in time with some phones in some locations, and some won’t. Cingular has ~61 M customers, Verizon has ~59 M, and T-Mobile has ~25 M. We should, at least try, to deal with something this complicated like people who have, at least once in our lives, heard of something like a t-test and an analysis of variance.
It takes a few seconds for most of us to find good articles on this subject. Here are some quotes from those that compare wireless carriers:
consumerreports.org:
Complaint data obtained by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org, from the Federal Communications Commission show that Cingular and AT&T, which combined last year to form the nation's largest wireless phone company, have the worst combined complaint record for 2004. AT&T alone has had the worst complaint record two years running.
The combined Cingular/ AT&T had a complaint rate nearly four times the rate for Verizon Wireless, the nation's second-largest carrier.
The combined Cingular/ AT&T had a complaint rate nearly four times the rate for Verizon Wireless, the nation's second-largest carrier.
consumerreports.org (from wsj):
Verizon topped the Ratings in each city, as it did in the previous two surveys. In 10 cities, it wasn’t ahead of the pack in a statistically meaningful way, however. And Verizon wasn’t problem-free. It simply had fewer problems than other carriers.
consumersunion.org:
Cingular and AT&T Wireless, which merged late last year to form the nation’s largest cell phone company, have the worst combined complaint record for 2004, according to records obtained by Consumers Union from the Federal Communications Commission through the Freedom of Information Act. AT&T Wireless also had the worse complaint record for two years running, the data showed.
consumersearch.com:
Best wireless service, domestic U.S.
Considering all factors, reviews say Verizon has the best call quality. Verizon customers experience fewer dropped calls and circuit overloads than with other carriers. While plan prices may not be the cheapest, rates are competitive. Verizon works on the CDMA network, which is not compatible with European or Asian GSM networks; T-Mobile -- which ties for first or finishes a close second to Verizon in most reviews and which received J.D. Power's top rating for customer service..
Cingular has been in the hot seat for its latest ad campaign claiming that "the leading independent research company" has proven Cingular has the fewest dropped calls. Cingular doesn't identify this mysterious "research company" in its ads or on its website. While you might assume Consumer Reports is the publication being referenced, that's not the case. It turns out that the referenced study was conducted by a company called Telephia Corp., but according to an investigative article by Bruce Mohl published in the Boston Globe, neither Cingular nor Telephia will release the results of this study to anyone.
Cingular isn't the only wireless company that makes big advertising claims, but Cingular's claims are perhaps least supported by any of the available independent testing data. In the large survey conducted by J.D. Power, Cingular is rated lowest in overall call quality in four of six regions. In the remaining two regions, subscribers rate overall call quality in the bottom two. In the survey at PC Magazine, readers rate Cingular call quality higher than that of Sprint/Nextel and Qwest, but significantly lower than Verizon, Alltel and U.S. Cellular...
In the most recent J.D. Power study, T-Mobile's wireless service (plans start at *est. $30) performs particularly well, ranking highest in all six regions (including four ties), for overall customer satisfaction. Verizon Wireless (plans start at *est. $40) ties with T-Mobile in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, North Central and Southeast regions. Verizon's main strengths are call quality, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, where Verizon call quality is significantly better than that of T-Mobile. Most companies share the award for the best customer service nationwide.
Results from other surveys generally agree with the results of the J.D. Power study, with Verizon and T-Mobile trading places for first and second, depending on region. At Consumer Reports, editors say that users in metropolitan areas should go with the cell-phone plan that gets the highest rating. Since Verizon and T-Mobile both rank highly in most regions, your best bet is to ask around -- find out how happy friends and neighbors are with their cell-phone service. Additionally, websites like CellReception.com can give you a good idea of what you can expect in your specific area. This website is a great source for identifying service 'dead spots.'
While Verizon and T-Mobile are usually ranked highest overall, smaller wireless provider Alltel (plans starting at *est. $40) ranks highly in a couple of areas, including Phoenix and parts of the Southwest, and parts of the Southeast, such as Miami. Sprint/Nextel and Cingular almost always rank lower. In most of the country, reviews say T-Mobile deserves first consideration. T-Mobile's pricing is usually less expensive than Verizon; for the same $40, T-Mobile gives you 600 minutes plus unlimited nighttime and weekend calling. Verizon's $40 plan gives you 450 anytime minutes plus unlimited nighttime and weekend calls. If you live in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic, however, Verizon is the better choice, since its scores for call quality in those regions is better than that of T-Mobile.
Considering all factors, reviews say Verizon has the best call quality. Verizon customers experience fewer dropped calls and circuit overloads than with other carriers. While plan prices may not be the cheapest, rates are competitive. Verizon works on the CDMA network, which is not compatible with European or Asian GSM networks; T-Mobile -- which ties for first or finishes a close second to Verizon in most reviews and which received J.D. Power's top rating for customer service..
Cingular has been in the hot seat for its latest ad campaign claiming that "the leading independent research company" has proven Cingular has the fewest dropped calls. Cingular doesn't identify this mysterious "research company" in its ads or on its website. While you might assume Consumer Reports is the publication being referenced, that's not the case. It turns out that the referenced study was conducted by a company called Telephia Corp., but according to an investigative article by Bruce Mohl published in the Boston Globe, neither Cingular nor Telephia will release the results of this study to anyone.
Cingular isn't the only wireless company that makes big advertising claims, but Cingular's claims are perhaps least supported by any of the available independent testing data. In the large survey conducted by J.D. Power, Cingular is rated lowest in overall call quality in four of six regions. In the remaining two regions, subscribers rate overall call quality in the bottom two. In the survey at PC Magazine, readers rate Cingular call quality higher than that of Sprint/Nextel and Qwest, but significantly lower than Verizon, Alltel and U.S. Cellular...
In the most recent J.D. Power study, T-Mobile's wireless service (plans start at *est. $30) performs particularly well, ranking highest in all six regions (including four ties), for overall customer satisfaction. Verizon Wireless (plans start at *est. $40) ties with T-Mobile in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, North Central and Southeast regions. Verizon's main strengths are call quality, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, where Verizon call quality is significantly better than that of T-Mobile. Most companies share the award for the best customer service nationwide.
Results from other surveys generally agree with the results of the J.D. Power study, with Verizon and T-Mobile trading places for first and second, depending on region. At Consumer Reports, editors say that users in metropolitan areas should go with the cell-phone plan that gets the highest rating. Since Verizon and T-Mobile both rank highly in most regions, your best bet is to ask around -- find out how happy friends and neighbors are with their cell-phone service. Additionally, websites like CellReception.com can give you a good idea of what you can expect in your specific area. This website is a great source for identifying service 'dead spots.'
While Verizon and T-Mobile are usually ranked highest overall, smaller wireless provider Alltel (plans starting at *est. $40) ranks highly in a couple of areas, including Phoenix and parts of the Southwest, and parts of the Southeast, such as Miami. Sprint/Nextel and Cingular almost always rank lower. In most of the country, reviews say T-Mobile deserves first consideration. T-Mobile's pricing is usually less expensive than Verizon; for the same $40, T-Mobile gives you 600 minutes plus unlimited nighttime and weekend calling. Verizon's $40 plan gives you 450 anytime minutes plus unlimited nighttime and weekend calls. If you live in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic, however, Verizon is the better choice, since its scores for call quality in those regions is better than that of T-Mobile.
J.D. Power and Associates (from cnnmoney.com):
For their Wireless Network Quality Assessment Study, the market research and customer satisfaction survey company polled 16,800 wireless telephone customers. Wireless companies were ranked on a scale, with 100 representing an average score. Scores above 100 represented better network quality.
Verizon (VZ: Research, Estimates) scored best at 104. Nextel (NXTL: Research, Estimates) and Cingular followed, with scores of 103 and 101, respectively.
AT&T Wireless (AWE: Research, Estimates) was average while Sprint PCS (PCS: Research, Estimates), with 95, and T-Mobile, with 94, were below average. Alltel (AT: Research, Estimates) was ranked last with a score of 93.
Verizon (VZ: Research, Estimates) scored best at 104. Nextel (NXTL: Research, Estimates) and Cingular followed, with scores of 103 and 101, respectively.
AT&T Wireless (AWE: Research, Estimates) was average while Sprint PCS (PCS: Research, Estimates), with 95, and T-Mobile, with 94, were below average. Alltel (AT: Research, Estimates) was ranked last with a score of 93.
boston.com:
Cingular Wireless is running ads everywhere saying it has the fewest dropped calls of any cellular phone carrier, but what's missing from the massive campaign is evidence to back up the claim.
A Cingular spokeswoman said the research company was Telephia Corp. of San Francisco, and referred questions about the study to a spokesman there. The Telephia spokesman declined to provide any information, saying Cingular shouldn't have even mentioned the company's name to a reporter.
Without the study, it's hard to know how significant the Cingular claim is. Did the company have the fewest dropped calls by a wide margin or a tiny margin? How did it fare on other yardsticks of network reliability, including calls that don't go through, static, echoes, voice distortion, and notification failures for voice and e-mails?
Both Verizon and Sprint have their own credibility issues. Sprint doesn't offer any backup in its ads for its claim that it has the most powerful network in Boston. A spokesman said the claim refers to the wide variety of services Sprint can offer.
Verizon bases its reliability claims on its own testing, supposedly available at its website. But a detailed breakdown of the tests isn't provided, there's no information on Boston, and what little is available on four other markets dates to 2003.
A Cingular spokeswoman said the research company was Telephia Corp. of San Francisco, and referred questions about the study to a spokesman there. The Telephia spokesman declined to provide any information, saying Cingular shouldn't have even mentioned the company's name to a reporter.
Without the study, it's hard to know how significant the Cingular claim is. Did the company have the fewest dropped calls by a wide margin or a tiny margin? How did it fare on other yardsticks of network reliability, including calls that don't go through, static, echoes, voice distortion, and notification failures for voice and e-mails?
Both Verizon and Sprint have their own credibility issues. Sprint doesn't offer any backup in its ads for its claim that it has the most powerful network in Boston. A spokesman said the claim refers to the wide variety of services Sprint can offer.
Verizon bases its reliability claims on its own testing, supposedly available at its website. But a detailed breakdown of the tests isn't provided, there's no information on Boston, and what little is available on four other markets dates to 2003.
Yet another reason why I do not like Verizon and cannot wait until my contract is up
I have heard of t-tests and ANOVA, as well as correlation and regression, and your post is interesting, but isn't this a mac community discussion forum (see top of any macrumors page)?
The idea is you read all the analysis elsewhere, then post your thoughts / opinions... Or am I wrong there? I actually find it more interesting to hear other peoples' opinions on the subject.
What I don't understand is how is Apple going to benefit from locking the iPhone into Cingular as opposed to selling the iPhone unlocked so ANYONE can use it with ANY carrier (that is GSM, so in the USA that would be Cingular and TMobile only because they are the only GSM carriers in America, unfortunately)
Yawwwwnnnn
. Thanks for essentially slamming my comment and personal experience. While your point may have some weight, my "opinion" is backed up by huge lawsuits against Verizon (google "California v710 bluetooth Verizon"). While these so-called independent companies that have studied North American mobile service providers are interesting, I believe you give them too much weight as you claim we give our own opinions too much weight. Frankly, all these companies and customers, well, how does that saying go, "opinions are list a$$holes, everybody has 'em". People are simply describing their own personal experiences to 1) vent and 2) inform others as to warn them or share in similar experiences. In the end, what matters most is the fact that paying far too much for mobile service is still screwing everyone in North America. As has been discussed on other threads on Macrumors, it seems Europeans are bewildered by how much U.S. (and Canadian) companies are putting the screws to its customers by charging for such things as incoming text messages and incoming phone calls (something I always believed to be quite ludicrous). Any one recall the lawsuit against Verizon ten years ago or so in which it was claimed (and proven) that Verizon used software to "trick" users into thinking they had a voicemail when they did not, thereby charging them minutes every time one of their millions of subscribers called to check? Bottom line, American big business will do anything to make money of the unsuspecting and naive American consumer, including having "exclusive rights" to a particular product cough*iPhone*cough*cough charging huge sums of money, putting more subscribers into their service, making big bucks off activation fees (everyone has forgotten that companies still charge a $30 activation fee for new service), and enforcing the "we are the biggest service provider" image by adding more people into their network. Companies don't care about the individual; they care about the bottom line. In the end, we're all getting screwed, so we can moan, groan, compare "our" service providers johnson sizes, ad nauseam, it doesn't mean any thing. Until companies actually care about its customer base, this is all meaningless drivel.
I can't see them locking to one network in the UK. It would be suicide here. Also, no go for a 2 year contract. Phones change so much... in one and a half years time (3 if you're in the UK as it won't be here for nearly a year) the phones will have moved on a hell of a lot.
Maybe Apple want a turn around every 2 years on their models....
I dunno. It is upgrade time for me. I might get a 12 month contract now and see what happens later. There are some awesome phones out in the UK now...