I'm absolutely fine with them pushing back the release of the iPhone until next year if they have to in order to avoid repeating the unbelievable blunder of not including LTE tech compatible with networks other than U.S. ones. Multiple models with different chips, or a single global one if this chip manufacturing hitch makes that possible. Just don't do that stupid thing again, Apple. Puhleaze.
I don't see how anyone thought it would be released before the fall.
Exactly. Your average Apple customers doesn't know or care, as long as it's still fashionable, they're in.
I think the most important paragraph was the most important one.
That would certainly be handy but Qualcomm makes that decision.Tangentially related: Intel is open to using their fabs to produce SoCs for apple: http://t.co/QIx2nwbp
That would certainly be handy but Qualcomm makes that decision.
No matter what since this product is likely to have an almost 3 year life cycle, just double the production lines supporting it.
Rocketman
The iPhone was never going to launch in June:
1) No iPhone has ever been released without a new version of iOS to go along with it.
2) iOS 6 has not even hit beta stage yet. It would have done so already like in years previous to 2011.
3) The current iPhone would only be 9 months old in June.
4) Because LTE networks are just being built, the longer they wait, the more of them there are.
5) There is almost zero chance TSMC would have produced enough Qualcomm LTE chipsets for a June launch. That means they would be making them in volume right now, which I doubt since Qualcomm has prioritized its 28nm orders for the MSM8960 for launch in phones right now.
The one thing Apple cannot keep secret is road maps of partners products and their past history. Combine the two together and you can see why any suggestion of a June launch is delusional.
If the next iPhone gets LTE, I'm buying with either Verizon or T-Mobile (since AT&T doesn't cover Philly with LTE and T-Mobile has low prices).
I don't mind waiting as long as the next iphone is a redesign over the 4 and not just add in LTE.
Maybe that Apple will use those specific chips, maybe? I have no clue. And I don't really care what Apple uses. I'm just content to wait to see what Apple does with the next iPhone. Plus, I know millions of people will buy it, there will be lines around the block on release day and all that. Just the usual.
How do you estimate the early termination fee? (By that I mean early upgrade fee.) I think the subsidy comes out to $450, and that it's recouped over 18 months, so that basically you can estimate the early termination/upgrade fee at $25/month remaining out the first 18 months. So after a year, it would be 6x25, or $150 for the early termination/upgrade fee. Is that correct?
Voice already isn't the primary use of smartphones, SMS revenues are beginning to dry up due to iMessage, BBM, Whatsapp and other messaging services, and carriers haven't figured out how to charge for data yet other than silly caps. And when a Voice over LTE arrives, there will be zero difference between that and a Skype call, it's all IP Telephony that's at that point (so why should I pay $40 for 450 minutes when a Skype package is FAR cheaper?)