The Telegraph reports today that Apple has scrapped plans for its own brand of SIM card after carriers threatened to stop selling the iPhone. Theoretically, the integrated SIM could have removed carriers from the purchasing process. Sorry consumers!
The carriers were unsurprisingly pleased with themselves following the news:
A senior source at a mobile operator said: “Apple has long been trying to build closer and closer relationships and cut out the operators. But this time they have been sent back to the drawing board with their tails between their legs.”
Nevertheless, rumour has it Apple is still going forward with an integrated SIM card in its next gen iPad. According to an anonymous Telegraph source, these iPads will sport subtle tweaks, like the aforementioned SIM and a redesigned mute button that replaces the locking slider on the side of the tablet.
Sicarius123
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 7:48 AMSorry consumers? More like thank christ consumers.
Nodeity
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 8:47 AMThis is one of the big reasons I will not buy stuff from “Jobs” This kind of proprietary bullshit is just adding to the growing monopoly that is “Apple”
Your Mate Alex
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 10:16 AMI have a shitty optus plan for the next 8 months. where you get shitloads of data included that you unreliable because of their shitty network. If i had the opportunity to add a gig telstra prepaid data pack to it for $10 without having to switch sim cards, it would be a massive win. How is being locked to a provider good for the consumer?
johnd
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 10:47 AMThe telcos want to maintain their strangle hold on consumers. They are terribly frightened that they will become just the providers of pipes for voice and data.
Apple has already pissed them off by controlling the software update process (witness the current Android mess where telcos still control the update process).
The last thing that Telstra et al want is to allow the customer to change easily. Imagine being able to choose your carrier on a day-to-day basis as prices fluctuate, the same way you buy petrol.
Your Mate Alex
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 11:42 AMthat’s a given. I am surprised that apple caved on this one. what are the telcos going to do? not stock apple products? that just means that whichever telco doesn’t boycott them gets all the business. then once they go to the other telco who wears the financial risk on the handset, are they going to knock back selling zero risks data packs to steal some of the other telco’s profit? I don’t believe after the dust settles that the telcos can afford to do it? Apple still can’t make enough handsets to match the supply? What other product on earth is there that has that problem?
boc
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 1:40 PM@Your Mate Alex
Using Australia as an example – if Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone gave Apple the big FU over this, do you think everyone would flock over to 3 Mobile and Virgin Mobile just for the iPhone? Especially when the competition are introducing more and more appealing alternatives?
The situation would be even worse in the USA especially with Android phones outselling iPhones now.
Also if you could only get an iPhone by buying it outright at an Apple store, how many people do you think would get one?
Telco contracts are by far the most effective way of getting phones to users.
Greg
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 6:25 PMProbably should have done some research before signing up for 12 months, ay?
James
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 12:41 PMIt’s the carriers networks. They built them, they paid for them. If you don’t like their plan don’t sign up. Where does Apple get off telling other companies how they’re going to use their infrastructure?
moggyx
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 1:40 PMIt truly is amazing just how much Apple can and does get away with. The brand power of that company is simply amazing in that it can dictate terms where carriers would simply just tell other manufacturers to go fornicate themselves repeatedly.
You have the afore mentioned firmware updates without customisation by carriers, The one and only iTunes store, then the iPhone 4 came with a new form of SIM and every carrier just picked them up and started putting them out there.
This move almost seems like a brazen “What crazy thing can we pull off next”.
G
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 1:50 PMexactly!
But the main thing is – people are hearing that they want to intergrate a sim into the device right? You still need the network to flash the sim right? Which means you’re still on contract… Right?
If anything it makes it easier to clear the sim yourself and not have a locked phone – but mark my words, if that happends – usage rates will increase. If they can’t make money on selling on phones, telco’s will raise rates…
matt
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 4:38 PMits funny, I hate Apple’s controlling ways more than anyone.
except that the telcos ARE WORSE!
why can’t they just CHARGE for the use of their infrastructure!? you don’t have to use energex branded electronics, bought from Energex stores, in order to be able to plug into the electric socket!? you aren’t blasted with advertising of the water company as you take a shower!?
internet and telecommunication is a UTILITY, just like any other utility. It never ceases to amaze me how much influence the carriers have over who and how people use it.