Comments on: iPhone Risk: Italia Independant! 3G Senza Una Lock-In?

By: cmaier

cmaier — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:52:34 +0000

hey - quit trying to trick us with them fancy European words.

By: surur

surur — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:42:51 +0000

Do I enjoy rubbing the noses of the iPhone snobs who claimed the iPhone would single-handedly change the carier business model into the facts of the real world? Why yes I do!

Lets call it WM Schadenfreude.

Surur

By: Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:08:23 +0000

His book, "I am WinMob and So Can You!", instant classic.

By: cmaier

cmaier — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:27:41 +0000

yeah. i mean, did you see the thread where he said WM is "open" while android is "closed?" The man's a brilliant humorist!

By: Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:25:40 +0000

It's a gag. dude.

Surur is like Steven Colbert. He takes a seemingly indefensible position and viewpoint and, while feigning to defend it, actually annihilates in grand comedic fashion.

Simply brilliant satire.

By: dstrauss

dstrauss — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:15:41 +0000

[quote=surur;1434241]So you agree that Apple failed to find a carrier in Italy who felt "first and exclusive regional access" was worth bending over backwards anymore?

Heaven forbid the JesusPhone came to this!

Italy is one of Europe's biggest smartphone markets, and it seems the iPhone failed to impress.

Surur

:rolleyes: Is it merely your mission in life to hunt down and destroy the iPhone? If it basically a child's/moron's toy and isn't a threat to your beloved Win Mobile platform, why not just give it a rest. Since it is so obviously inferior, and Apple's marketing/business model is a failure, then go back to your pontifications on the Windows mobile sites and enjoy your superior intellect Khan. ;)

By: Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:34:17 +0000

Apple TV is accounted for under the subscription model, as are/were unlocked German/French iPhones, so I don't think there will be a problem maintaining it in Italia.

By: marcol

marcol — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:22:49 +0000

How does the idea of a contract-free 3G iPhone coming soon (albeit to Italy) grab you?

With hindsight (and presuming the story is accurate) I guess it's not very surprising:

At 12.31.2007 the number of GSM and UMTS mobile lines operated by Telecom Italia amounted to approximately 36.3 million (of which 6.1 million are UMTS lines) with a growth of 12.0% as compared to December 31, 2006. This figure includes 30.8 million prepaid lines, which thus constitute 84.8% of total lines.

Link (4.6 MB pdf)

To offer the iPhone as contract-only in market so predominantly contract-free would be slightly crazy.

I wonder if this will impact on Apple's accounting and how updates will be handled. Will the Italians have to pay for updates (a la iPod Touch)? Do owners of iPhones bought unlocked in France and Germany?

By: surur

surur — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:47:43 +0000

Er... They already did in Germany and still do in France... (As required by French law).

Merely complying with the law is not a business model, its the law.

Surur

By: Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:44:49 +0000

Er... They already did in Germany and still do in France... (As required by French law).

By: surur

surur — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:34:17 +0000

They found a carrier who, based on their own pre-paid percentages, wanted to charge more per phone initially then incrementally based on subscription revenues. 400+200 right away ~= 400+(10x24 months). Tim Cook pretty much said this last con call. You must love quoting him

You mean like everyone else does it? What a revolutionary business model!!! Next they may even sell UNLOCKED IPHONES!!

Surur

By: Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:27:08 +0000

They found a carrier who, based on their own pre-paid percentages, wanted to charge more per phone initially then incrementally based on subscription revenues.

400+200 right away ~= 400+(10x24 months).

Tim Cook pretty much said this last con call. You must love quoting him

By: surur

surur — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:10:24 +0000

That's true, if you ignore any common principle of business. Carriers who wanted first and exclusive regional access paid a premium (revenue sharing) for it. ...

So you agree that Apple failed to find a carrier in Italy who felt "first and exclusive regional access" was worth bending over backwards anymore?

Heaven forbid the JesusPhone came to this!

Italy is one of Europe's biggest smartphone markets, and it seems the iPhone failed to impress.

Surur

By: Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:02:11 +0000

That's true, if you ignore any common principle of business.

Carriers who wanted first and exclusive regional access paid a premium (revenue sharing) for it. ...

By: surur

surur — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:06:46 +0000

With each new carrier Apple carries less and less weight, and the business model the other carriers agreed to looks more and more stupid.

Stupid AT&T, stupid, O2 and stupid Apple. Welcome to the real world.

Surur