One industry expert thinks Apple is about to launch its own mobile service, and cut out those pesky carriers and their bothersome contract terms. Of course, in order to do so, Apple would still need to cut deals with carriers to operate on their networks, becoming a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), much like Virgin Mobile, which runs on Sprint's network in the US. Still, being a carrier, even a virtual one, would allow Apple to do things like sell data plans via the iTunes store, and more directly control the customer experience for iPad and iPhone users -- something the company has always been very good at. Here's how Whitey Bluestein puts it:
Apple will provide wireless service directly to its iPad and iPhone customers. First, Apple will sell data packages bundled with iPads. Then it will sell data and international roaming plans to iPhone customers through the iTunes Store. And in time — sooner than many think — Apple will strike wholesale deals with several mobile operators so that Apple can provide wireless service directly to its customers, as Apple Mobile.
gigaom.com/apple/how-apple-will-become-a-mobile-ca...
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Should Apple be your next wireless carrier?
Why not just buy a carrier outright? At&t had planned to acquire T-mobile for $34b. Apple has 3 times that amount in the bank. It would immediately boost T-Mobile's network with a much needed influx of new subscribers, and it would give Apple total control over plan prices.
Yeah, and then they'd have to "take care" of all those disgusting android/BB/other non-iphone/ipad existing clients....
I don't see it happening. For Apple to go this route it would have to launch it worldwide to be completely successful. Considering how difficult it would be to secure a foothold everywhere Apple sells phones, it's doubtful.
Sure, you could say that the iPhone started in the U.S. so it makes sense that the U.S. would be the place they start with wireless, but it still feels like an overreach and a misstep to me.
Sure, you could say that the iPhone started in the U.S. so it makes sense that the U.S. would be the place they start with wireless, but it still feels like an overreach and a misstep to me.
1) If they become an MVNO they still rely upon the reliability of the host network. We all know (well, here in the UK anyway), that MVNOs do not really offer anything other than superficial rebranding. Same with landlines. Here, if BT go down, so do those that lease their lines. As they say, it's lipstick on a pig. 2) The only way forward is P2P. IE, Apple (or another as yet unheard of upstart that may or may not exist) creates an ecosystem that allows devices to communicate directly with each other via a robust intelligent distributed mesh network. Goodbye airtime providers, hello wireless liberty! 3) It's going to happen, promise! #theoknows
I think if Apple was going to do it's own carrier it would done it in 07. Many of the MVNOs have been bought out by their respective carrier and are now just white label branding for their prepaid options. This idea circulates every few years to no end. Do must carriers suck? Yes and terribly so. Could Apple be better? Maybe, but that would mean spending a lot of cash globally to fix a problem that currently dosent exist or really need to be fixed. I get the idea for complete vertical integration, but at what cost to profits.
Will someone just please sell reasonably priced unlocked phones on the various carriers and give us a choice rather than waiting for that upgrade date or switching carriers? Oh that would be sooooooo nice.
I think its more than evident Apple does not like spending its own money. I dont believe they would make such a restructure because It would cause them to have to go in their own pockets. Apple is notorious for giving the consumer a little at a time but with just enough to justify upgrade. I'm guilty of buying a new phone and now new iPad every single darn year even when their isnt much of a hardware change, but Apple has figured out the software game and as long as they continue to open up to developers and still be able to maintain control of the platform. They will ride this horse until it falls over. Striking wholesale deals to provide their own branded wireless service ? Nah I'm sure they'll conclude that money can be spent else where or remain in their ever growing pockets. And not to mention why would Verizon AT&T and Sprint just roll over when they'd stand to lose millions of customers to die hard apple fans who go with the stigma apple is just better because its apple.
Apple would be a horrible service provider. In order to be competitive they have to offer more than an iphone. Apple is only a PART of the mobile universe and seeing how they're handling their closed ecosystem, I can't imagine how much hell it would be to operate on a network service they provided. They might even limit calling to between iphones, GREAT!
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