What, Apple wants a cut of my contract because I bought their hardware? They don't need a cut of my contract, in fact they don't deserve a cut of it. I'll pay them for what I buy from them, the hardware.
Sell the iPhone unlocked for £300-400. Sold.
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T-Mobile to Sell iPhone in Germany: November 1st?
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What, Apple wants a cut of my contract because I bought their hardware? They don't need a cut of my contract, in fact they don't deserve a cut of it. I'll pay them for what I buy from them, the hardware.
Sell the iPhone unlocked for £300-400. Sold.
Budweiser
I'm not any kind of beer expert but Budweiser is pretty good Czech beer brewed in Ceske Bud-ejovice for several hundred years (vivat Wikipedia)! American version has nothing in common with the original brewery except the name. American Budweiser can't sell "Budweiser" in Europe because Czech brewery is selling their beer there and they are protected by EU. We can buy Czech Budweiser in USA but the name is different because of American Budweiser - they are selling it as Czechwar. Another Czech beer we can buy here is Pilsner and we have even Penn Pilsner brewery in Pittsburgh brewing beer with taste similar to original Pilsner (not alcalic tho..).
I'm not any kind of beer expert but Budweiser is pretty good Czech beer brewed in Ceske Bud-ejovice for several hundred years (vivat Wikipedia)! American version has nothing in common with the original brewery except the name. American Budweiser can't sell "Budweiser" in Europe because Czech brewery is selling their beer there and they are protected by EU. We can buy Czech Budweiser in USA but the name is different because of American Budweiser - they are selling it as Czechwar. Another Czech beer we can buy here is Pilsner and we have even Penn Pilsner brewery in Pittsburgh brewing beer with taste similar to original Pilsner (not alcalic tho..).
T-Mobile is the mobile branch of Deutsche T-com which used to be the only phone company in Germany before they allowed private companies into the market in 1998. Many Germans still bear a grudge against the former monopolist, and would rather not do business with them.
When the iPhone comes to Germany, it will have to have UMTS. EDGE as a fallback might be possible. T-com operate a fairly large WiFi network over here.
Pricing and network will be individual for each European country.
Only recently, the big four German mobile phone networks are evolving from "heavily subsidizing" to "bring your own phone" plans. This way, people get used to the real-world price of a cell phone device. The iPhone would fit that concept nicely.
You will not be able to use your U.S. SIM card in a German T-Mobile branded iPhone, that's sure. BTW, iPhone voicemail requires dedicated software on the server side of the network.
When the iPhone comes to Germany, it will have to have UMTS. EDGE as a fallback might be possible. T-com operate a fairly large WiFi network over here.
Pricing and network will be individual for each European country.
Only recently, the big four German mobile phone networks are evolving from "heavily subsidizing" to "bring your own phone" plans. This way, people get used to the real-world price of a cell phone device. The iPhone would fit that concept nicely.
You will not be able to use your U.S. SIM card in a German T-Mobile branded iPhone, that's sure. BTW, iPhone voicemail requires dedicated software on the server side of the network.
Because the market is saturated. The carriers will not gain marketshare by finding new customers, because everybody already has a cell phone. They want to make you switch, that's all.
BTW, as I mentioned before, iPhone voicemail needs server side support.
Apple are a hardware maker, not a service provider. This has nothing to do with them. They're making about 50% profit per iPhone sold, which is a very good margin. Sell it unlocked, open up your market and sell far more phones.
Unlocked they can sell to 100% of the market. What does carrier marketshare have to do with this, or the iPhone? Not a thing.
Big deal. The most overrated and least used iPhone feature. I know most people would easily give it up for an unlocked phone. I certainly couldn't care less about this feature. Is it worth locking out at least 80% of the market from buying your product for this feature?
I agree. I remember the time when it seemed everybody in the USA had an iPod, and Germans were still going i-What? It seems Germans usually put off anything new, that they don't know, especially when it's pricey. It took ages until iPods became common here as well.
On the other hand, critical customers might improve the product. In countries with even more electronic gizmos, like Japan or Korea, the iPhone might not surprise people as much as in the States. I hope Apple can show innovation in these countries too, by updating the iPhone appropriately.
I never had a phone i was happy with. Nobody pays that much attention to design and UI as Apple. Still I don't choose my network becouse of the phone...
Finally someone who thinks the same. I do fancy the iPhone, but I'm pretty sure that the phone will stay an EDGE-only thing in Europe. EDGE--->not really hot, still the carriers will use the iPhone to charge more, becouse people are willing to pay.
Being on i.e. Vodafone in the UK, and travelling to Germany using also Vodafone is still roaming. Only 3 acts as one network, but they are in 4 or 5 countries.
Visual Voicemail looks dope, but yeah, id take the phone without it for being unlocked.
John Powers is the stuff yer after.
Or if your feeling flush, a bottle of Middleton is pure amber goodness.
Bush, is for the tourists or mixing, unless your referring to Black or one of the nicer limited editions.
M.
From a 3g point of view Apple's timing is actually excellent. Apart from the business crowd, where 3g modems with laptops really rock, 3 hasn't taken off quite as fast as the operators hoped. In Denmark the ad campaigns have only lessened slightly since its inception.
The mobile market doesn't need a killer app. It needs a killer platform. It needs a reason for me to use the damn thing, and the sucky phones out there don't do it for me. In Denmark they're running a test where 6 (I believe) TV stations are running an experiment delivering TV directly to mobile phones, but which phone would we use to watch it on?
Apple is in an incredibly strong bargaining position vis a vis the 3g networks, and I really hope that they leverage it as soon as possible.
I haven't bought a 3 phone yet, precisely because there is no compelling user hardware/interface, but now there is. C'mon Apple. 3g phones announced at MacWorld.
My .02
Apple gets a share of the monthly fee the end user pays to AT&T.
Have you really seen usage statistics of the first four days, broken down to voicemail use, and customer satisfaction with the new system?
I guess not.
With all due respect, it's not about what you want, it's about what Apple wants and if they want a contract cut then they are going to find a way to get one, and that means having exclusivity deals with the telco(s).
That is the answer to your original question.
Sure, I'd love an unlocked iPhone, but the reasons why there aren't one are quite obvious.
Spiegel Online Analysis
They compare the Edge net availability of Vodafone against TMOB. Edgewise TMOB seems to be the frontrunner. So if Apple is producing an UMTS iPhone version for Europe, there is still a chance to avoid German Telekoms greymagenta empire.
http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/mobil/0,1518,492391,00.html
They compare the Edge net availability of Vodafone against TMOB. Edgewise TMOB seems to be the frontrunner. So if Apple is producing an UMTS iPhone version for Europe, there is still a chance to avoid German Telekoms greymagenta empire.
http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/mobil/0,1518,492391,00.html
hiya, long time reader, no time poster
I don't know why people think that apple WOULDN'T release a 3g phone in europe. Think about sony Ericsson. The k800i was out 6 months before the k790 yet the k790 had edge instead of 3g and was released in europe. They actually did the reverse of what apple almost inevitably will do. America won't be pissed off, EDGE is really the ideal solution for them. 3G for us. Look at the k790/k800
I don't know why people think that apple WOULDN'T release a 3g phone in europe. Think about sony Ericsson. The k800i was out 6 months before the k790 yet the k790 had edge instead of 3g and was released in europe. They actually did the reverse of what apple almost inevitably will do. America won't be pissed off, EDGE is really the ideal solution for them. 3G for us. Look at the k790/k800
Sure, 3G iPhone would be great. But they went for EDGE and they are a bit blind for other markets, other then the US. I'd love the phone on 3, but they won't get the deal.
I love Denmark!!! You guys rock!!! So, when can I come visit...I can use my phone there as if at home...
It IS available here, but, hey, guess what I pick up at my supermarket, where Bud sits right in between Duvel and Stella on the shelf....
I hate both Vodafone and T-Mobile. Vodafone is arrogant and T-Mobile has the worst customer service and signal coverage ever. I guess I'll just stick with my Nokia N73 and Telfort, then.
According to N-TV (a German news channel) T-Mobile has denied that they have the contract. Negotiations are still on going they said.
Here is the article in German ( from another report)
http://www.n-tv.de/822861.html
Here is the article in German ( from another report)
http://www.n-tv.de/822861.html
Given the 3G situation discussed here, the next rev of iPhone may have tri-mode for data: EDGE/3G/WI-FI. Just a speculation.
Also, let us not underestimate EDGE being the main reason for Apple talking to T-mobile for Europe. Jobs said that current 3G chips are not feasible for his engineering guidelines in terms of battery drain and size ( packaging ). He is not going to reverse that statement in a few months.
Also, let us not underestimate EDGE being the main reason for Apple talking to T-mobile for Europe. Jobs said that current 3G chips are not feasible for his engineering guidelines in terms of battery drain and size ( packaging ). He is not going to reverse that statement in a few months.