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Bryson
Rocket Surgeon
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The Canadark
 
2007-04-12, 04:15

I hope you aren't suggesting you were right all along, Mr Baldwin:
Quote:
The phone will be UMTS/HSDPA Only. No GSM. (shock and Aww)
If you don't belive that...why the hell did Apple put ONLY an Express Card/34 slot on the MacBook Pro when you couldn't buy an cards for the slot?

One of my friends works as a Cingular sales rep and Cingular recently sent out a memo that 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) coverage was now in every market with a population over 100,000 people. In another memo shortly after that Cingular instructed sales reps to sell 3G phones, becasue the GSM network will be phased out in the future like the TDMA network.
Cingular is going to shift it's services to a Packet Data voice service....in other words VOIP.
For the simple reason.....it's cheaper.....and that means....more moeny for us!

So....what's Apple to do?
Create an MVNO...but with a little class.....
I recently read about how much phone manufactures hate carriers, because of their specific demands.
Plus, if it were to be on Cingular, like ThinkSecret has suggested, it would break Cingular Music offering, which is based upon Windows Media file format.
MVNO is simply the best option for Apple, because it lets them do whatever they want. Steve & Co. cannot stand being out of control (a la iTunes fixed pricing)
There has been a ton of speculation over whether the MVNO will be though Cingular or Tmobile...
but, sit back for this...
how about both of them?
why not?
The phone would simply use whichever network was availible, and if both were available it would use which ever was cheaper for Apple.
and since this phone is packet data only (UMTS/HSDPA), the prices will actually be a lot cheaper than what people think...
(in my perfect world, and all things apple simple....$59 a mouth, the wireless sweet spot, for Unlimited Voice, Data, and Text)
actually, its not outside of the realm of possibility, considering that Cingular offers unlimited Data on a laptop card for $79 ($59 with a voice plan) and since I can pay a bit extra on skype or vonage and make unlimited calls on my laptop....whats the difference?

Oh yeah...and Apple isn't going to do the silly contract subsidizing thing...if people will pay $299 for an iPod, they will pay $299 for a phone....
You will actually be able to just "buy the damn phone", and nothing is really required...this way you can buy it as a gift or just for yourself...

The phone will be unlocked when purchased, but, you will be encouraged heavily to sign up for Apple's MVNO. If you live in the USA, it's really the best choice, because going with either Tmobile or Cingular, will gain you LESS coverage.
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