Well it's all they can do. After all, if carriers suddenly lost the ability to make exclusivity agreements for handsets how would they compete for customers then? Providing reliable phone service and good customer care?
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Verizon Seeking to Shut Out T-Mobile and Sprint From iPhone in U.S.?
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It is possible to buy the iPhone outright in the USA at a full, unsubsidized price.
But generally, you have to already be an existing AT&T customer to be eligible for that option. The consequence of that decision, is that you don't have to extend your contract to buy the phone - and hence, if you were already off-contract before you made the unsubsidized purchase, you'll still be off-contract after making the purchase.
The last time I saw it worked out, if you were eligible for the fully subsidized price, it turned out to be cheaper to just buy the subsidized phone, accept the 2-year contract, and then swallow the ETF if you wanted to cancel early. That may have changed with the most recent increase in the ETF -- I haven't seen the numbers worked out since then.
However, even if you did buy the phone outright, in the USA, all iPhones are SIM-locked to AT&T regardless of whether or not they're subsidized, so you still couldn't "choose what carrier you want". Even if you could, there is a very limited selection of technologically-compatible carriers in the USA, so you wouldn't have much of a choice. In terms of carriers with nation-wide service, T-Mobile is the only company that's partially compatible, and even then you will get EDGE coverage only. (There may also be some smaller regional carriers that are also technologically compatible -- but I don't have a list.)
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YES!!!
This trend will die. Apple can (and does) exploit this because the iPhone is "new media". For a while, nobody gave a damn and blackberry wanted their devices on every possible network. Apple knows the iPhone is so hot it can still sell units and also get paid for exclusivity from AT&T while creating a public demand. Now it's creating a corporate demand and Verizon is taking the bait...
Make no mistake, given the chance, Apple will eventually drop them all and build their own towers. They're going for the gold. Forget Brawndo in 2505, it's Apple all the way.
Personally the Apple GUI (Graphical User Interface) is better then the Android experience, but that is stating my opinion only.
Sure I like the Android OS to some degree, however I think Google would have been much better off finding one or two hardware mfg's to deal with, as they try and throw Android OS onto multiple platforms with multiple versions, does not seem to be working out.
It would have been better if they had stayed with like 3 devices and maybe 3 versions of their OS priced accordingly.
Say a high end Motorola X with their latest OS for $299.99
Maybe an HTC or Motorola Mid tier with lower version OS for $199.99
An entry level phone with slim down version of the OS for $99.99
I think the Android issue now is there are way too many phones on many different carriers with way too many different features.
Look at Apple's model, they have three phones running the same OS but with different features so there is an entry level 3Gs 8GB, then you step up to the iPhone 4 16GB, and then iPhone 4 32GB. They are selling a ton, now imagine the same selection on all different carriers, Apple would leap ahead of all other device makers be that RIM, or Android, and Microsoft is not even in the same ball park now that Apple is supporting the Enterprise customers.
Sure I like the Android OS to some degree, however I think Google would have been much better off finding one or two hardware mfg's to deal with, as they try and throw Android OS onto multiple platforms with multiple versions, does not seem to be working out.
It would have been better if they had stayed with like 3 devices and maybe 3 versions of their OS priced accordingly.
Say a high end Motorola X with their latest OS for $299.99
Maybe an HTC or Motorola Mid tier with lower version OS for $199.99
An entry level phone with slim down version of the OS for $99.99
I think the Android issue now is there are way too many phones on many different carriers with way too many different features.
Look at Apple's model, they have three phones running the same OS but with different features so there is an entry level 3Gs 8GB, then you step up to the iPhone 4 16GB, and then iPhone 4 32GB. They are selling a ton, now imagine the same selection on all different carriers, Apple would leap ahead of all other device makers be that RIM, or Android, and Microsoft is not even in the same ball park now that Apple is supporting the Enterprise customers.
So what's the latest thinking on any timing that Verizon will offer the iPhone? I certainly understand it would only be a guestimate, but I'm wondering what the latest rumors are.
I'm a frustrated Blackberry Storm user (but with Verizon, company preferred service) and hope to be able to get an iPhone soon.
Any thoughts? Appreciate any responses.
I'm a frustrated Blackberry Storm user (but with Verizon, company preferred service) and hope to be able to get an iPhone soon.
Any thoughts? Appreciate any responses.