No exclusivity on June 8th!?

[Rs8dude]

Hardmac.com:

According to an information published by the AFP quoting a source close to the project, Apple might drop all exclusive agreement with carriers to give customers more freedom and not be bound to a carrier and/or a subscription plan.
We are particularly surprised by this announcement as all our information indicated that Orange secure an exclusive partnership again for France till November 2009, as AT&T did in USA.
In the same news, AFP announced that those new models will be unveiled on June 8th, and available in stores in July.

http://www.hardmac.com/news/2009/06...led-on-june-8th-without-exclusive-partnership

 

[GoCubsGo]

Not a chance because Apple will have to implement different technology to invite Verzion and other CDMA carries to their playground. Besides, Verizon would want VCast whereas Apple would demand iTunes ... there's no way one will back down at this point.

 

[skwoytek]

Not a chance because Apple will have to implement different technology to invite Verzion and other CDMA carries to their playground. Besides, Verizon would want VCast whereas Apple would demand iTunes ... there's no way one will back down at this point.

Saying Apple is going to drop exclusivity doesn't mean they'll manufacture a CDMA iPhone. CDMA isn't that popular outside of the United States. The current iPhone works on almost every other carrier in the world - so it could be true. T-Mobile for example could get the iPhone. But I think the exclusivity with AT&T will remain. Of course, while Apple is loyal to AT&T, AT&T touts quite a few of Apple's competitors' phones - I'd dump them.

That said, I agree - it will not be on Verizon this time around.

 

[JCastro]

Saying Apple is going to drop exclusivity doesn't mean they'll manufacture a CDMA iPhone. CDMA isn't that popular outside of the United States. The current iPhone works on almost every other carrier in the world - so it could be true. T-Mobile for example could get the iPhone. But I think the exclusivity with AT&T will remain. Of course, while Apple is loyal to AT&T, AT&T touts quite a few of Apple's competitors' phones - I'd dump them.

That said, I agree - it will not be on Verizon this time around.

Absolutely agree! Not a chance!

 

[hazza.jockel]

On MacBreak weekly a few weeks ago one of the people on the show (can't remember his name) said he had heard from a high up Verizon and several not so high up that they were getting an iPhone in June. So there might be some truth to this?

I don't really care cause I don't live in the USA.

 

[manorpark]

I hope this is true and Vodafone get it in the UK, I can then stop using my piggyback sim and they are a much better 3G network than O2 anyway.

MP

 

[yetanotherdave]

I hope this is true and Vodafone get it in the UK, I can then stop using my piggyback sim and they are a much better 3G network than O2 anyway.

MP

That's what I'm hoping for too.

I wonder if apple do this they will unlock the phones with an update or something, I'd really like to be able to use my current hardware if possible when I come to ditch o2. I'll likely get a sim only plan from vodafone and use it in my current 3g.

 

[manorpark]

Dave

It would be nice but I don't think O2 would do that, it would be an open invite for people to leave and go to VF, Tm or 3. Those companies would be falling over themselves to offer cheap deals to tempt people away.

I think any open air agreement would apply to the V3 phone forwards but as I want the new hardware I would be ok with that.

MP

 

[yetanotherdave]

Dave

It would be nice but I don't think O2 would do that, it would be an open invite for people to leave and go to VF, Tm or 3. Those companies would be falling over themselves to offer cheap deals to tempt people away.

I think any open air agreement would apply to the V3 phone forwards but as I want the new hardware I would be ok with that.

MP

o2 may not get a choice, if apple do it via software update. When I left vodafone (with regret, for o2 and the iphone) vodafone were heppy enough to send me an unlock code for my nokia n73. There's not reason why o2 wouldn't do the same when my contracts up.

 

[fishkorp]

Verizon also said they're getting the Pre "in 6 months" and that has been squashed by Palm and Sprint. It's probably people making b.s. claims to get their subscribers to stay with them and not leave for the next hot phone.

If Verizon did get an iPhone (and I still doubt they will until LTE) then it would probably be the cheap China iPhone, not the iPhone with video, 32GB, etc.

 

[dccorona]

Saying Apple is going to drop exclusivity doesn't mean they'll manufacture a CDMA iPhone. CDMA isn't that popular outside of the United States. The current iPhone works on almost every other carrier in the world - so it could be true. T-Mobile for example could get the iPhone. But I think the exclusivity with AT&T will remain. Of course, while Apple is loyal to AT&T, AT&T touts quite a few of Apple's competitors' phones - I'd dump them.

That said, I agree - it will not be on Verizon this time around.

If you expect Apple to refuse to do business with anyone who also offers phones from their competitors (Palm, Blackberry, HTC, etc.), then you must expect them to start their own cellphone service. No company is going to give those phones up for Apple. It's just not smart. No other cellphone company expects someone to drop their competitors, especially for one device. The iPhone only covers part of their market. If they only had the iPhone, then they'd lose all customers who want a physical keyboard or some other feature the iPhone doesn't offer (for example, compatibility with Lotus Notes, a software many businesses use for their email)

 

[skwoytek]

If you expect Apple to refuse to do business with anyone who also offers phones from their competitors (Palm, Blackberry, HTC, etc.), then you must expect them to start their own cellphone service. No company is going to give those phones up for Apple. It's just not smart. No other cellphone company expects someone to drop their competitors, especially for one device. The iPhone only covers part of their market. If they only had the iPhone, then they'd lose all customers who want a physical keyboard or some other feature the iPhone doesn't offer (for example, compatibility with Lotus Notes, a software many businesses use for their email)

I misspoke; I didn't mean dump them as a carrier. I meant unless Apple is getting a really special deal that other manufacturers aren't getting, then dump their exclusivity. In case you haven't seen the news, the iPhone has done wonders for AT&T's subscriber stats. On the other hand, AT&T is holding Apple back.

I know more people who want the iPhone but won't because of AT&T, than I do people who switched to AT&T for the iPhone. AT&T is the single largest complaint about the iPhone in the U.S. AT&T is getting the good end of the deal. Apple has somewhat changed the way carriers look at their handset manufacturers - which is the one thing Apple got from AT&T in the first place.