iPhone criticised by Finnish communications minister

[6163621]

I guess they have a point:

Finland’s communications minister has criticised Apple’s new iPhone product for it being sold only with a subscription which goes against the market norms in the country...

(Certainly it is pushing me more towards the N96 or E71 and then use Jokuspot to give a wifi gateway to my ipod touch).

 

[daihard]

I guess they have a point:

Finland’s communications minister has criticised Apple’s new iPhone product for it being sold only with a subscription which goes against the market norms in the country...

He certainly has a good point. I for one wish Apple allowed mutiple carriers to sell the iPhone so there would be a healthy competition (and cheaper plans).

 

[deannnnn]

Unfortunately it's normal here in the US.

 

[Sobe]

Yeah Finland has no vested in interest in helping Nokia compete with the iPhone



And before any of you Fins jump down my throat, I have several Fins as friends and used to work closely with many Fins in a lab where almost everyone was Finnish.

Your country certainly has some beautiful women.

I found them to be wonderful people across the board.

Slow to trust in general, but life long friends once you earn it.

 

[illutionz]

Unfortunately it's normal here in the US.

Yeah it is normal in the US for carriers to act like they're the BOSS. If AT&T is in Asia or Europe, they will be the manufacturer's B***H and have to provide service based on the device not the other way around like in here.

When 3G (UMTS) phones came out back in 2003, Hutchinson 3 network started to provide the 3G services including VIDEO CALL (which until NOW still not yet here in the US), Broadband speed data, and many others. Other network, started to follow.

In here, however, since the CARRIERS are the BOSS, they DICTATED which device gets sold in their store hence they can just deny devices that's way ahead in their time. Instead, they take their own sweet time (read: AT&T nationwide 3G coverage, and even worse is that myth called T-Mobile UMTS Network) and not provide customers with the latest technology available in the market.

Worse still, since US did not use the same network as the rest of the world, it is useless even to get cutting edge devices (read: Europe/Asia 3G phones)

Also, the problem is locked phones. Since the carriers are the boss here, mainly due to obscure network frequency meaning the phones that they offer are only available through them, these carriers are able to lock the phones with their ugly firmwares (read: VZW ugly red firmware, AT&T ugly orange, Magenta for T-Mobile, or Yellow for the dying Sprint). With the lock, it gives the carriers an enormous opportunity to lock down these people to not use other carriers. For example, in many South East Asia countries (where I'm from originally), people can buy subsidized phones but UNLOCKED!!! meaning they can use these phones with other carriers. Contributing to this, is the fact that there are a lot of mobile phone stores around to sell unlocked phones (just like you've seen in Chinatown except they're everywhere)

Now, there is iPhone, where it kinds of defy these norms. iPhone has no ugly menus and this sent shockwave throughout the industry. It boggles their mind that for a locked phones with 2 years commitment, iPhone gets to dictate what software gets into their phone. Little did these people know that numerous carriers have sold unlocked phones with a subsidized pricing.

Until the manufacturers are able to leverage themselves against these US carriers, and until the time people here stop buying FREE LOCKED PHONES with 2 YEARS commitment, the day where carriers offering subsidized unlocked phones are still a long long way.

/end rant

 

[6163621]

Finland might have a self interest, but Apple is the only vendor to try this nonsense here. All other phone vendors (don't know about Blackberry, never seen one) sell unlocked without contract. Some carriers on 3G are now offering OPTIONAL contract terms but they are still more irregular than regular as Finns like to change their phones rather a lot.

 

[Anuba]

Unfortunately it's normal here in the US.

EU countries tend to have a lot of market regulations, whereas the US tends to lean slightly towards anarcho-capitalism. Neither has found the perfect balance, but as long as you're on the customer end of things you're a lot better off in Europe.

As a European I've noticed in my dealings with US customers that they are often rambling on about their rights and guarding them fiercely long before these rights have been even remotely challenged. I think it's the result of having to fend for themselves on the US home market. Europeans are much more relaxed because they can always call on big brother if they get screwed.

 

[illutionz]

Finland might have a self interest, but Apple is the only vendor to try this nonsense here. All other phone vendors (don't know about Blackberry, never seen one) sell unlocked without contract. Some carriers on 3G are now offering OPTIONAL contract terms but they are still more irregular than regular as Finns like to change their phones rather a lot.

Yeah in USA they usually do not change their phones that much because the carriers dictates what phones are being sold here. In order to get latest and greatest phones, you have to go through internet and for some people, this is a no go (due to high unsubsidized price or just average joe's scare of buying expensive stuff over the internet). Heck some of these stuff are not even designed with US frequency in mind, rendering the UMTS/HSDPA feature useless.

It is incredible to see how corporate america is keeping their average joe citizens from using latest and greatest technology when they are touted to be the best country in the world.

 

[samab]

Yeah it is normal in the US for carriers to act like they're the BOSS. If AT&T is in Asia or Europe, they will be the manufacturer's B***H and have to provide service based on the device not the other way around like in here.

When 3G (UMTS) phones came out back in 2003, Hutchinson 3 network started to provide the 3G services including VIDEO CALL (which until NOW still not yet here in the US), Broadband speed data, and many others. Other network, started to follow.

Which is a good thing --- because basically every single 3G "killer app" (that Nokia and other handset manufacturers hyped up) from video calling to MMS is a dud.

The only 3G killer app that lives up to the claim --- is location based services like turn-by-turn navigation. And the US is years ahead of Europe on this technology.

 

[branjosef]

You know the finnish...they are so finnicky !!! They just need to go back to mexico where they came from...damn foreigners !!! -spoken like a true American Just playin

 

[illutionz]

Which is a good thing --- because basically every single 3G "killer app" (that Nokia and other handset manufacturers hyped up) from video calling to MMS is a dud.

The only 3G killer app that lives up to the claim --- is location based services like turn-by-turn navigation. And the US is years ahead of Europe on this technology.

Dud or not a dud, it is still good to have video calling capabilities along with our 3G phones. Afterall, what's the use of 3G aside from a "zippy" (Steve's word) data transfer?? If we can get Video calling why not? Video call minutes will just get deducted from your allocated minutes hence there is no harm of implementing it.

If I could get extra stuff that I can use, why not? Wouldn't you want someone to give you a magazine on top of your newspaper? Especially if the magazine is included in the newspaper subscription.

PS: while I do agree with you that MMS is a failure, the amount of thread in iPhone forum asking for MMS are astounding for a failed product. It boggles my mind...

 

[samab]

Dud or not a dud, it is still good to have video calling capabilities along with our 3G phones. Afterall, what's the use of 3G aside from a "zippy" (Steve's word) data transfer?? If we can get Video calling why not? Video call minutes will just get deducted from your allocated minutes hence there is no harm of implementing it.

If I could get extra stuff that I can use, why not? Wouldn't you want someone to give you a magazine on top of your newspaper? Especially if the magazine is included in the newspaper subscription.

Except that nobody in the world gets their video calling deducted from their allocated voice minutes. You are likely going to get 500 voice minutes and 20 video calls minutes per month.

It is wasteful to have a few hundred million 3G phones with a secondary frontfacing camera (for video calling) --- which nobody ever uses. Europeans could have a much lower voice plans if the carriers stop selling phones with 2 camera (thus lower handset subsidies for them to have to get back).

 

[aristotle]

I'm sorry but as proud as I am to be Finnish born, I have to say that most Nokia phones are only slightly better than what Motorola has put out with their Krzr/Razr series in my experience.

My first cell phone was one of those brick flip phones from Motorola on Telus and my second one was a Nokia with Fido.

The iPhone is about half a decade ahead of Nokia phones in terms of ease of use and a full decade ahead of Motorola's current offerings.

 

[zer0tails]

HAHA...he only says that because he has to remain patriotic, AND he is ineligible for an upgrade lol...

 

[illutionz]

HAHA...he only says that because he has to remain patriotic, AND he is ineligible for an upgrade lol...

Motorola lol... they don't make phones... they make crap

 

[neski]

i really dont know how they only have one provider. In australia we have 3 Optus Telstra and Voda. I have to say that optus plans are the best by far. but still at least we have a choice.