An idea occurred to me that is most likely stupid and instead of being cautious and reasonable I decide to immediately post it to the Internet so as to more efficiently look like an idiot later. 
So, the theory is that if Apple is no longer in an agreement with AT&T over revenue sharing ... even if the exclusivity contract is still in swing (4 more years), it's not like Apple and AT&T are exactly "best buddies" anymore. There is also a lot of talk about how the iPod touch is now a "bad value" for what you get, and I am wondering if Apple might decide to change that in the near future.
It occurs to me that all the angst and agony over the complete abandonment of the "new model" of cell phone distribution Apple was touting only a few months ago, could be cured simply by producing an iPod touch that has everything the new iPhone has, sans the "phone" part.
It would have the same price and therefore be much more "worth it." It would also enable *some* kind of change to come to the cell phone market which appeared to be one of Apple's original goals. Only if customers have a choice to go somewhere else, will a company ever cater to them. If Apple *doesn't* do something then there is no (market driven or otherwise) reason that anything will ever change in the cell phone market.
Why for instance would Rogers in Canada ever offer a good price for data? Why would AT&T do it? They are both monopolies and have no pressure on them at all and you really have to be drinking the capitalist Kool-Aid to think that they might do it simply because the customers would appreciate it. Despite the rhetoric, a monopolist doesn't care a whit about their customers by definition.
One of my weak points is economics so please tell me where I am wrong, and please be verbose.
So, the theory is that if Apple is no longer in an agreement with AT&T over revenue sharing ... even if the exclusivity contract is still in swing (4 more years), it's not like Apple and AT&T are exactly "best buddies" anymore. There is also a lot of talk about how the iPod touch is now a "bad value" for what you get, and I am wondering if Apple might decide to change that in the near future.
It occurs to me that all the angst and agony over the complete abandonment of the "new model" of cell phone distribution Apple was touting only a few months ago, could be cured simply by producing an iPod touch that has everything the new iPhone has, sans the "phone" part.
It would have the same price and therefore be much more "worth it." It would also enable *some* kind of change to come to the cell phone market which appeared to be one of Apple's original goals. Only if customers have a choice to go somewhere else, will a company ever cater to them. If Apple *doesn't* do something then there is no (market driven or otherwise) reason that anything will ever change in the cell phone market.
Why for instance would Rogers in Canada ever offer a good price for data? Why would AT&T do it? They are both monopolies and have no pressure on them at all and you really have to be drinking the capitalist Kool-Aid to think that they might do it simply because the customers would appreciate it. Despite the rhetoric, a monopolist doesn't care a whit about their customers by definition.
One of my weak points is economics so please tell me where I am wrong, and please be verbose.