Comments on: Apple mobile data service tipped for 2012 http://www.slashgear.com/apple-mobile-data-service-tipped-for-2012-01225496/ Feeding Your Gadget and Tech Obsessions Sat, 12 May 2012 14:23:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: LN http://www.slashgear.com/apple-mobile-data-service-tipped-for-2012-01225496/#comment-207141 LN Wed, 02 May 2012 15:28:00 +0000 http://www.slashgear.com/?p=225496#comment-207141 i would love this on a world-wide basis…no more ridiculous roaming costs!

]]> By: Tr3k4ever http://www.slashgear.com/apple-mobile-data-service-tipped-for-2012-01225496/#comment-207037 Tr3k4ever Wed, 02 May 2012 08:04:00 +0000 http://www.slashgear.com/?p=225496#comment-207037 I read an article a while back, that stated Apple could become an MVNO with all carriers and create an iPhone with the ability to access any network. Basically transparent to the end user, it would then look like the iPhone gets coverage everywhere. Also things like visual voice mail could be done on apple servers, and any new services they want without carrier approval. It would also make sense if they wanted to create an Apple branded TV. Think about it how can you really get people hooked on programming when they have to worry about there Data Cap on there iPhone?

]]> By: ChocolateBaker http://www.slashgear.com/apple-mobile-data-service-tipped-for-2012-01225496/#comment-206942 ChocolateBaker Tue, 01 May 2012 23:15:00 +0000 http://www.slashgear.com/?p=225496#comment-206942 I’m betting no. 
Spectrum bidding/purchases are public and there is no word of anything going on there. And even if Apple were buying spectrum, that’s only half of it. You need to build the towers to use that spectrum. There have been several articles about the lengthy process cell companies go through to get permission to build towers. The not-in-my-backyard syndrome makes it difficult.
Maybe buying T-Mobile? But why? There is no LTE there.
The only possibility I see by 2012 would be a roaming agreement with various carriers but I doubt that also. The telecoms would probably be ok with it because they would no longer have to pay the subsidy for the iPhone, but would still make money off selling data, but this is no favorable for apple.

Frankly, your last figure says it all. Apple makes their money because the telecoms subsidize the hardware cost of the iPhone. If Apple were to offer the iPhone with their own network scheme (roaming or otherwise) they would have to offer it at the same competitive price. Their profit on hardware shrinks to $3 per phone.
 

]]> By: casinrm http://www.slashgear.com/apple-mobile-data-service-tipped-for-2012-01225496/#comment-206916 casinrm Tue, 01 May 2012 21:49:00 +0000 http://www.slashgear.com/?p=225496#comment-206916 I forsee anti-trust regulators reading this article and getting high.

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