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Re: Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Germany

Posted by Michiel on November 24, 2007, 11:54 am, in reply to "Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Germany "
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Yes, that also sums up my point. Basically, if that's all the European law is, then it really isn't that different from what we have here, and residents of Europe might want to think twice about the worth of the laws they actually have.
GSM networks are set up under the premise of openness. Any phone that operates on the same frequency should work on any network, and that's why the SIM was created as a removable module. The stated reason for allowing subsidy-locking (the original term for SIM locking) was that carriers were subsidizing the purchase price of a phone in exchange for a fixed-term contract, and thus wanted to make sure that they recouped their costs. It seems fair enough. The subsidy varies based on the length of the contract and initial cost of the phone, but €200 is pretty typical in Europe for a 2-year contract. What T-Mobile and Apple are doing is turning the concept of SIM-locking on its head. They are basically saying that, even though the phone isn't sold with a subsidy, T-Mobile wants an entire year's worth of revenue (the basic iPhone plan is €49/month there) for the privilege of buying the phone unlocked. That's unprecedented, and if Apple gets away with it, then other manufacturers of hot phones will try it, too. The iPhone wasn't the first phone with all this hype, and it won't be the last. However, if this pricing starts to become the norm, then we as consumers are worse off for it.
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piccologato
Journeyman

Reged: 02/12/07
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Re: Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Ger [Re: JakeB]
#552931 - 11/21/07 02:55 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

Its all in the viewpoint. A few points of mine.
1: don't buy it if you think its not fair. Oh boo hoo I can't get an unlocked iphone. Its not like they have a monoploly. Apple is a peon in the cell phone market.
2: I buy mac products for a premium because they're great. The thing is they make a nice profit, but they probably spend more on R&D to then come out with even greater products.
3. The reverse (an analogy here) is the PC market in which profit margins are often so small that in order for companies to survive they must create and sell crap. Lets not make Apple into one of those companies.
gato
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MacCheetah3
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Reged: 04/02/01
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Loc: MN, USA or also known as Hell ... Re: Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Ger [Re: JakeB]
#552939 - 11/21/07 03:11 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

Hi
It is now being offered to certain parties. You got [part of] what you want. Go bring out the champagne.
As a note, of course, the unlocked iPhone is not going to be offered at the same price as the locked version. If T-Mobile / Apple put the unlocked price somewhat higher than what is needed to continue enticing buyers to the locked version, that's their choice and they obviously feel it is the best one.
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MacCheetah3
Apple MacBook (Black) 2.16GHz C2D, 2GB, 160GB (5.4K), DL-SD + 80GB iPod (Black, 5.5G)
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MacCheetah3
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Reged: 04/02/01
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Loc: MN, USA or also known as Hell ... Re: Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Ger [Re: MW Forums]
#552941 - 11/21/07 03:18 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

Hi
Somehow I feel the urge to quote a certain elderly man, "Well, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which gets filled first." Some got their wish but are now wishing for something else or some just have unreasonable ( unrealistic? ) wishes.
Have fun!
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MacCheetah3
Apple MacBook (Black) 2.16GHz C2D, 2GB, 160GB (5.4K), DL-SD + 80GB iPod (Black, 5.5G)
Debug Computer Services http://www.click2debug.com
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KPO'M
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Reged: 11/29/01
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Re: Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Ger [Re: piccologato]
#552943 - 11/21/07 03:20 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

Quote:
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Its all in the viewpoint. A few points of mine.
1: don't buy it if you think its not fair. Oh boo hoo I can't get an unlocked iphone. Its not like they have a monoploly. Apple is a peon in the cell phone market.
2: I buy mac products for a premium because they're great. The thing is they make a nice profit, but they probably spend more on R&D to then come out with even greater products.
3. The reverse (an analogy here) is the PC market in which profit margins are often so small that in order for companies to survive they must create and sell crap. Lets not make Apple into one of those companies.

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1) Another option is to buy it and unlock it, which is what I've done.
2) and 3) It isn't as if Apple doesn't have a tidy profit margin selling it for $600 in Europe even with a 2-year contract. The $900 premium T-Mobile is charging for the unlocked version is just their way of thumbing their noses at the court order. At the end of the day, consumers are still stuck choosing wireless carriers based on the phones that they sell, rather than based on who offers the best actual wireless service.
What's next? Will Apple strike a deal with AT&T when they release a hot new Mac or browser so that it adds all these new features, but works only if you subscribe to AT&T DSL? That's basically what they did with the iPhone.
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KPO'M
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Re: Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Ger [Re: MacCheetah3]
#552947 - 11/21/07 03:26 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

Quote:
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Hi
Somehow I feel the urge to quote a certain elderly man, "Well, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which gets filled first." Some got their wish but are now wishing for something else or some just have unreasonable ( unrealistic? ) wishes.
Have fun!

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Since €399 is a reasonable price with a 2-year contract, and just about every other phone goes for €200 more without a contract than it does with a 2-year contract, then €200 seems like a reasonable premium for the unlocked iPhone, possibly a little more given the newness of the phone and fresh demand, but €600 seems unreasonable. All the phone-specific value of the iPhone should be and is already built into the €399 selling price, which is at the high-end for a carrier-locked phone.
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kwill
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Reged: 06/04/04
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Re: Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Ger [Re: KPO'M]
#552954 - 11/21/07 03:53 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

The obvious purpose of the pricing is to help consumers see the value in purchasing the phone WITH the contract. Rationalizing how much the unlocked phone SHOULD be is pointless. In fact, since it was meant to alienate the average person, it is actually about €9000 less than it could have been.
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theroadrunner
Stranger