Setting the iPhone free from AT&T

[camarobh]

I have had no issues with AT&T and my iPhone service (in fact my family has six iPhones, all with no AT&T issues). But I came across this MSNBC article today and didn't see it posted when I searched the forum.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29510498/

 

[alphaod]

Sounds good to me; that means all phones sold in the US need to unlocked or this wouldn't be fair towards Apple.

 

[Rayfire]

We'll see how this one goes, I never thought people would go that far.

 

[Gix1k]

Let her free!!!! W/out exclusive handsets, carriers are gonna have to step the service game WAAAAAY up. I had no desire to get ATT, but I did for the iPhone, so i'm part of the 40%. Therefore, if I was able to get this on Sprint...I probably would have. Next thing...DUMP CDMA and make it so I can take my phone to ANY of the carriers.

 

[marine610610]

Ill be the first to say i that i hate ATT...

That being said, who do these "critics" think they are? Its a free market jack, if you don't like ATT then don't buy an iPhone until it comes to a carrier of your choice. If im running a for profit company im looking to maximize that profit.
Its a buisness decision. If enough people held out and let Apple know that they would gladly buy an iPhone on Verizon, Sprint etc, then it would eventually happen.

What nerve...

 

[Moi un Mouton]

.....If im running a for profit company im looking to maximize that profit. .......

What nerve...

I think that's maybe why we have laws and commissions regulating abusive business practices

 

[rjohnstone]

I think that's maybe why we have laws and commissions regulating abusive business practices

Define "abusive".
It's a business model that has been in place for along time.
Nobody really complained that much about this business model until the iPhone came out.
The point is really moot though here in the US as there are only two GSM carriers anyway. And when it comes to 3G, even those two GSM carriers are not compatible with each other on the 3G side.

There are no laws that force a manufacturer to make a compatible version of the phone for GSM and CDMA carriers. Such a law would be abusive.

Apple went with a design that would work in the global market (GSM) and AT&T happened to be the carrier they chose here in the US.

Had they gone with Verizon, they would have been forced to make two models (CDMA and GSM) just to compete globally with the phone.

One model = lower design and manufacturing costs.

Steve never does anything for the people. He just makes you believe he does. It's really all about the money.