Apple Turning Cell Phone Market Upside Down? 320
joek writes "This MacRumors analysis puts some of the iPhone/Cingular pieces together and suggests that Apple may be turning the the cell phone market upside down. Everyone assumed that Apple's $499/$599 prices for the iPhone was subsidized by Cingular. But, it appears that Apple is not allowing mobile carriers to subsidize the iPhone. Why? Because when Apple comes out with the Touch iPod, they don't want it compared in price to a discounted/subsidized iPhone. Add to that rumors that Cingular may heavily discount service (but according to a Cingular rep, they will not be giving away service, as previously suggested) to attract Verizon customers. Without kicking in $100-$200 against the price of the phone, Cingular can discount the service as an incentive. Other cell phone manufacturers will certainly be interested in the outcome of this new model."
Re:I much prefer... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I much prefer... (Score:3, Informative)
To grasp what rights we ham operators have, look at this PDF CHART [doc.gov] to understand the spectrum here in the US.
Re:While I would love an iPhone (Score:4, Informative)
#1 Reason to Buy iPhone...It Works (Score:2, Informative)
I have had so many phones that had crap that didn't work, every new phone had a different keypad buttons and menus & icons, and menu structure, and non were consistent or easy to sync (if possible at all) and the bluetooth earphone reliability was iffy.
Physically most wound up with so much lint in them, I'ld have to figure out how to disassemble them to blow the lint out. Antennas would break, battery cover doors would not latch right, and tape was the norm, and god help me if I had to read a screen in open sun.
I expect to buy 2 iPhones, one for my wife who can barely figure out how to do basic uses on her "LG" phone, so for once she can have her entire phone book on the iPhone along with calendar and notes, etc. This may be the godsend that finally means I can get her to stop using the inch thick phone & calendar book with the pages that get torn out.
For me to be able to move on and off the the phone, & web means I can simplify keeping in touch as just a starting point.
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
The iPhone IS Subsudized (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Verizon? (Score:3, Informative)
Comment removed (Score:3, Informative)
Re:While I would love an iPhone (Score:3, Informative)
Only if your T-mobile phone is a quadband phone. T-Mobile and Cingular do not generally use the same frequency bands for GSM.
Re:About time (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Already the case in Europe (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Snowball's chance..... (Score:3, Informative)
Basically this means you should simply add up how much you would pay just for the service during the 2 (or 1) years of the contract (e.g. EUR 600), and beat half this amount worth of phone + accessories (e.g. EUR 300) out of the shop where you buy the contract+phone (if you don't need such an expensive phone, maybe you want a carkit instead...just ask). If they are not willing to do this, simply explain that you will then buy a SIM-only contract and buy the phone yourself and it'll still be cheaper for you. Make sure of course to look up the real (internet) prices for the phone you want to buy, and do not take their sometimes ridiculously inflated prices as the "real" price.
If you get significantly less than EUR 300 worth of stuff out of entering a 2-year EUR 600 contract (that's EUR 25 a month, which should include a lot of "free" minutes), you're basically getting screwed.
I guess it doesn't work like that in the US, then...?
Re:Already the case in Europe (Score:3, Informative)