Do you think Apple made a mistake?

[difenbaker]

Hi there,

Do you think Apple made a mistake by going with Cingular?



cheers!

[carcomptoy]

I'm going to go with maybe. I don't want to say something outright and then just turn out to be completely wrong and be an idiot. The RAZR was on Cingular exclusively for a while, and look where it is now. Then again, it was available globally concurrently.

So my maybe is leaning more towards yes than no that they made a mistake. I mean, come on, consider that it's expensive with carrier subsidization anyway, why not just have it unlocked. There's nothing Cingular supports specifically aside from Visual Voicemail that the iPhone would be crippled without. An unlocked iPhone would work just as well, if not better on other networks.

[problematic]

I think they should've sold it unlocked.

[MikeUK]

I think they've made a good choice, it's a safe way to start out especially when you're knew to the industry, and they're going to be expanding it to other providers later on anway.

[stephanie]

I agree they should sell it unlocked. Then just offer a "carrier version" with additional features, like visual voicemail, push mail, and other stuff. That way the buyer would have a choice to buy it "bare" or "with add-ons", just like buying a car. :D

[Jose_R.A.M]

As in going with Cingular themselves or any network?

Just what's been posted here before, iPhone being apple's first phone, it needs to overwhelm us with the full experience of what their handset has been designed to do.

Selling it unlocked would be cool, people would buy it and stick their own sim into it, but then perhaps will never get to use carrier specific features which could raise the phone's functionality and improve user experience 10 fold.

Whether Cingular can be the one to provide that is another thing...but as MikeUK said, it's a safe way to start out nonetheless.

[mweb6161onMB]

I'm unfamilier with the US market, but tying into just one network in the European market is the kiss of death IMO!!

[crazyze]

I'm unfamilier with the US market, but tying into just one network in the European market is the kiss of death IMO!!

I agree

[TheZodiac]

I didnt vote because I think there are a multiute of answers. Since they went GSM, I do believe they should sell it unlocked. The thing is, there is a backend infrastructure that goes along with some of apples unique offerings with the iPhone. For instance, the Visial Voice mail that lets you pick and choose which voicemails to listen too. That service is in conjunction with software running at Cingulars end. Much like a Sidekick, which needs an agreement to feed web data through Dangers servers for internet access with Tmobile (and others).

Though, I am not totally displeased with "regular" voicemail, I wouldnt mind giving up that feature to stick with Tmobile and their IMMENSE hotspot infrastructure.

[carcomptoy]

But it seems like the only Cingular's providing for the iPhone is Visual Voicemail. That could be implemented by any other carrier. It's not like Cingular's going to provide 3G with it or music downloads...there's nothing really substantial that Cingular's providing.

It should have been unlocked especially since it was GSM. I would understand if it were CDMA, like with the Chocolate.