with the newer iPods, can the search function be set to search through the Comments in a track, or does it only search through the Artist/Album/Song titles?
My opinion is that the iPhone will have EDGE because of battery issues. If you look at it from a US centric perspective you can see how the debate between Verizon and Cingular makes sense, but looking at a worldwide perspective it just doesn't. The majority of networks used in the rest of the potential Apple markets are GSM (and recently UMTS) based...
However my opinion is that Apple did a BAD move in creating only an EDGE capable phone. Potential in the US for a UMTS phone might not be that big right now (AT&T has to build its network). But...
People are locked in a 2 YEARS contract. In mobile phone market terms this is definitely a huge amount of time. In 2 years UMTS will be ubiquitous also in the US (major cities at least) and people will be stuck with their iPhone which is slow...
I think there is no way Apple is going to persuade European carriers to sell the EDGE iPhone (the main carriers here simply "skipped" EDGE in favour of UMTS) unless, of course, the iPhone turns out to be HUGE in term of sales. I think european carriers are currently all waiting to see what happens as the iPhone hits the stores.
It could have been different if the iPhone had UMTS right away. But this would raise issues as most carriers are also content providers (as Apple is). I see troubled negotiations ahead for the iPhone here in Europe (with major carriers at least). No one will be willing to give up his piece of the cake!! Will customers buy music on Vodafone store or the iTunes music store? Screensavers, apps, ringtones??
These markets are much more developed here compared to the US and the money carriers make is a LOT. So Apple would have to come to terms with some requests if it wants backing of a major carrier. I suspect that the lack of willingness to come to terms is the main reason behind the choice of Cingular as carrier.
CARRIER:
If this thing sells a lot, people will buy music from the iTunes store and I'll lose a lot of potential money. And this thing is gonna have an "Apple" branded interface, not an ORANGE or VODAFONE or whatever... Hey! My customers will be in love with Apple and not with me! I don't wanna sell it.. Unless it's a huge cash cow. (and maybe unless I lock my customer for 10 years or so to make up for the money I loose by not being able to sell him the latest nude pole dancing girl to put as a screensaver)
APPLE (or, better said, Mr. Jobs):
If I have to make the same useless and crappy designed interface as everyone else just to have the backing of a carrier, I'll keep the iPhone as a US only phone.
I don't want anyone to tell me how I should do stuff and how my software has to be looking like. And I don't want them operators to start messing with my precious Leopard just to put crapware in it. Ah... And NO I AM NOT LETTING YOU PUT A STICKER THAT SAYS "VODAFONE LIVE" besides the APPLE LOGO.
Do you still want to sell my precious iPhone?
HMMM...
I see troubled times ahead. Particularly if this device sells well in the US.
BUT...
I like the idea of changing something in the European cell phone and carriers market. They currently seem to have settled and no one takes daring steps of innovation. I really don't like the current configuration where you pay a lot just to have phones who look differently but basically do the same stuff. And also carriers are getting soooooo greedy. They sell music on phones at twice the iTunes store price (and you can only store them in the phone... TALK ABOUT LOCK IN!!)
Comments
However my opinion is that Apple did a BAD move in creating only an EDGE capable phone. Potential in the US for a UMTS phone might not be that big right now (AT&T has to build its network). But...
People are locked in a 2 YEARS contract. In mobile phone market terms this is definitely a huge amount of time. In 2 years UMTS will be ubiquitous also in the US (major cities at least) and people will be stuck with their iPhone which is slow...
I think there is no way Apple is going to persuade European carriers to sell the EDGE iPhone (the main carriers here simply "skipped" EDGE in favour of UMTS) unless, of course, the iPhone turns out to be HUGE in term of sales. I think european carriers are currently all waiting to see what happens as the iPhone hits the stores.
It could have been different if the iPhone had UMTS right away. But this would raise issues as most carriers are also content providers (as Apple is). I see troubled negotiations ahead for the iPhone here in Europe (with major carriers at least). No one will be willing to give up his piece of the cake!! Will customers buy music on Vodafone store or the iTunes music store? Screensavers, apps, ringtones??
These markets are much more developed here compared to the US and the money carriers make is a LOT. So Apple would have to come to terms with some requests if it wants backing of a major carrier. I suspect that the lack of willingness to come to terms is the main reason behind the choice of Cingular as carrier.
CARRIER:
If this thing sells a lot, people will buy music from the iTunes store and I'll lose a lot of potential money. And this thing is gonna have an "Apple" branded interface, not an ORANGE or VODAFONE or whatever... Hey! My customers will be in love with Apple and not with me! I don't wanna sell it.. Unless it's a huge cash cow. (and maybe unless I lock my customer for 10 years or so to make up for the money I loose by not being able to sell him the latest nude pole dancing girl to put as a screensaver)
APPLE (or, better said, Mr. Jobs):
If I have to make the same useless and crappy designed interface as everyone else just to have the backing of a carrier, I'll keep the iPhone as a US only phone.
I don't want anyone to tell me how I should do stuff and how my software has to be looking like. And I don't want them operators to start messing with my precious Leopard just to put crapware in it. Ah... And NO I AM NOT LETTING YOU PUT A STICKER THAT SAYS "VODAFONE LIVE" besides the APPLE LOGO.
Do you still want to sell my precious iPhone?
HMMM...
I see troubled times ahead. Particularly if this device sells well in the US.
BUT...
I like the idea of changing something in the European cell phone and carriers market. They currently seem to have settled and no one takes daring steps of innovation. I really don't like the current configuration where you pay a lot just to have phones who look differently but basically do the same stuff. And also carriers are getting soooooo greedy. They sell music on phones at twice the iTunes store price (and you can only store them in the phone... TALK ABOUT LOCK IN!!)