Apple Plans To Crush Carriers And Offer Direct Mobile Service
Quote:
Apple’s next huge move isn’t into the television or banking industries according to one expert. Instead, Apple will take on carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless by becoming a direct mobile service provider. Veteran wireless industry strategist Whitey Bluestein, who has managed strategic deals for the likes of AT&T, Intel, T-Mobile, Verizon, Microsoft, Nokia and Best Buy, says Apple will soon begin to offer wireless service directly to iPhone and iPad users. Apple has the distribution channels, digital content portfolio and customer base to make the move, Bluestein says, and it also has more than 250 million credit cards on file for iTunes users who could be billed directly for wireless service.
NOTICE: If you see links to ads in the above post, blame the ad-linking software used by the owners of this website. I do not endorse these ad links. Don't click on them.
i, for one, welcome our new apple overlords. i can't wait until the day that my boxers are aluminium, designed by jony Ive and cost 40% more than the ones I'm wearing now...
Since Apple's focus is selling hardware and apps, do you think they would enter the wireless industry with very attractive plans? Like unlimited data and such for much less than AT&T, etc?
Since Apple's focus is selling hardware and apps, do you think they would enter the wireless industry with very attractive plans? Like unlimited data and such for much less than AT&T, etc?
Almost everything Apple does carries a premium price. Consumers would have to determine if Apple was offering an attractive enough service to offset that premium price.
__________________
Do NOT Touch this computer!!! Touching this computer WILL cause irreversible brain damage.
It's Un-Canadian to oppose a warming trend.
WARNING: If you see links to ads in the above post, blame the cheesy ad-linking software used by the owners of this website. I do not endorse these links. Don't click on them.
I think that Apple may well take the Wind Mobile model but from the hardware side view. Like the cost of OS X versus a new Windows update. If they were smart about it they would realize that their bread and butter comes from hardware that uses data - data that people want to horde or at least guard because it's so bloody expensive. If data were cheap then maybe more people would pay to use it, in more places, for more reasons.
They could smartly make data a cost recovery enterprise to fuel more hardware sales. I don't like the idea of too many eggs in one basket (and my Apple basket is already bursting at the seams), but if the offer recognized data as a necessary encumbrance to buying more hardware, Apple could well open up real competition. Now if they would only offer it up here and not just in the US. That's the real kicker.
The owner of Wind Mobile (and Egyptian billionaire) says that he regrets opening shop in Canada because the system is so heavily skewed toward the big providers who, by his estimation, have it too good here. So good, in fact, that they are among the only big TeleCos anywhere in the world that don't operate outside of their home country. He says that Canada is a lost cause, for now at least, when it comes to true competition because Canadians (like me) are willing to pay stupidly high fees for little service in return. The telecos we have now are in the service business.
If Apple stays in the hardware business FIRST and sees the services as necessary to promote hardware, this could be good.
i'm skeptical. Setting up and building a wireless network takes time, and is country/region specific. Apple is a global company. Doesn't make sense to me.
i'm skeptical. Setting up and building a wireless network takes time, and is country/region specific. Apple is a global company. Doesn't make sense to me.
my thoughts too...even if they have all the money in the world, this kind of thing takes time.
unless they just went out and bought a GSM provider in every country...then they could offer no roaming fees. would be a huge hook for businesses with frequent travellers.
NOTICE: If you see links to ads in the above post, blame the ad-linking software used by the owners of this website. I do not endorse these ad links. Don't click on them.
Linear Mode
