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Verizon Seeking to Shut Out T-Mobile and Sprint From iPhone in U.S.?
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This is as bad as visa locking out American express. Remember the commercials. There ought to be a law to stop companies from doing this crap. I am on sprint and hope the iPhone does come here. Apple would make more money putting the iPhone on ALL carriers. Then let the carriers offer there own special programs to entice customers. Locking down would be counter productive. If version does do this, the customers are the ones who will pay through the nose on this crap!
That would be true if they weren't running in the background (like FB, Flickr, Twitter, etc), could actually be turned off (which they can't, as least on the HTC Incredible I briefly owned), and / or you could change the defaults (like Bing for search and maps on the Samsung Phones).
Verizon has done a hell of a job messing up Android on some of their phones.
Free Choice in 2011
Hey
, let the end-user decide which carrier to use.
I'd get an iPhone if I could use it on Sprint.
Hey
, let the end-user decide which carrier to use.I'd get an iPhone if I could use it on Sprint.
Interesting. In a more enlightened country, this might be considered racketeering, restraint of trade, collusion, conspiracy, price-fixing.
I'm not talking about the cost of the iPhone; rather, the cost of the wireless service.
I'm not talking about the cost of the iPhone; rather, the cost of the wireless service.
That's funny because T-Mobile seems to handle my Nexus One experience just fine. Also, the number of people using jail-broken iPhones on T-Mobile, even when limited to 2G networks is downright amazing to me.
Let the customer choose. Crazy, I know.
Until the iPhone is available on all the major carriers I won't be getting one which is a pity too, because I want one. I love my Nexus One but I'd rather have an iPhone, period. However, T-Mobile has offered excellent customer service with decent prices. I've already jumped ship from Verizon to Cingular to Sprint and not to T-Mobile and it's the first time I'm happy with the carrier.
Yup... Android capitalized on the pent-up iPhone demand in USA. Manufacturers/Carriers also gave away 2 phones for $100 for a while -- you will definitely see a large spike in activations and market share when you do that.
He is wrong far more than he is right if my memory serves correctly.
Žalgiris;11532717 said:
True -- but you have to admit that was brilliant of Google. While Apple changed the way carriers had to deal with phone manufacturers and the kind of features they needed to allow, Google changed the way manufacturers provided their operating system. Apple took ownership of carrier's customer in many ways -- by providing the enhancements directly through their own app store and music through their own music store (no more stupid carrier apps and carrier music sales). Google took ownership of the manufacturer's customers by making their operating system the face of the mobile phone -- the manufacturers only provide a handful of "value-add" items on top of Android. Android users can switch manufacturers as easily as they change channels on the television. Verizon markets phones from several manufacturers as "Droid" which further blurs the lines. People don't think "I want the next version of this HTC phone" -- they think "Who will come out with the next best Android phone?" When the dust settles, all that will matter is who has the customer's mind-share and marketing information -- everything else will just be considered a commodity (Internet Service, Wireless Service, Hardware). Apple and Google are both in very good positions.... A Verizon iPhone and the elimination of pent-up demand will finally help all those statistics have meaning.
Bing search, yes...which is crap VZ, but everything else you mentioned can be turned off through sync settings.
We've waited 4 years for an alternative to AT&T.
Don't make us hate you before you've even got it, Verizon.
Don't make us hate you before you've even got it, Verizon.
Huh? You lost me. I'm sure (if this is really true) that any one of the carriers could give the farm away for exclusivity. This is standard business and Verizon is smart for doing it. With Windows 7 Phone on AT&T, whom I guarantee signed similar deals, Verizon doesn't want to compete with 4 iphone carriers at launch. That would be a disaster for all. Plus, based on their recent supply history, I have serious doubts that Apple could supply 4 US carriers so quickly.
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Paying Apple to block competition? doesn't this smack of anti-trust? Not that the DOJ or FCC would care though.
You mean if APPLE does this. Verizon can ask, just like ATT and the original deal. It's up to APPLE, not verizon.
I want it on all carriers.
Verizon never complained about exclusivity. Companies do it all the time. Remember Palm Treo and Blackberry Bold? One carrier would get it first, then another carrier 6-12 months later. This only became an issue because of iPhone. Before iPhone, a phone would be guaranteed to hit another carrier a year later at the most. 5 Years is a tad excessive on any level.
Apples highest priority is to make the most money in the shortest period of time. NOW... before you attackers respond, read it again. I did _NOT_ say it's wrong to strive for great profits. I'm all for capitalism, just not greed so obscene, it's over the top. There's a balance achieved by the most profitable and highly respected _long _term companies world wide. They create win/win scenarios that keep them highly profitable without taking their customers last nickel. I want Apple to be as successful as anyone else, I've been a customer for well over a decade and enjoy their products. But there is a limit. In the past, Apples long term focus has always been high markups over market share. Recently with their push into Walmart & the mass market, it seems they are now seeking both high grosses & volume sales. It will be interesting to see the result.
Probably out working on actual anti-trust cases...
How are customers being hurt? If it costs too much don't get it... get it?
This is the best post on this topic. Everyone is blaming verizon but it is really not up to verizon if this happens it will all be on apple because in the end it really is up to them if they want to take the money from exclusivity or make it available on all the networks.
If this turns out to be true, I would be very sad. I do not want to switch from Sprint to another carrier (amazing coverage at 1/3 of the AT&T and Verizon monthly price). So, I would have to carry an iPod Touch and an Android Phone... I was hoping to carry an only an iPhone. 
I hope this rumor doesn't pan out. I've been holding out on upgrading my phone for real Sprint iPhone news.
I hope this rumor doesn't pan out. I've been holding out on upgrading my phone for real Sprint iPhone news.
Nope. He is much more often wrong than he is right. It looks like his predictions have nothing to do with reality and everything to do with market manipulation.