WCDMA was a technical disaster for the first few years in Europe --- handoff to GSM was problematic, the handset was large and short in battery life.
Plenty of discussions have been around the 3G iphone "decreasing" its price by $200 to $199 and then hiking the contract price by $360 (assuming it's $5 a month for SMS).
There are no benefits to Europeans if all they got was a "free" phone that normally sells at 600 euros --- and then the carriers get back more than 700-800 euros in contract plans.
AT&T charges the same $30 a month for a PDA data plan --- whether you have a 2G or a 3G PDA phone.
Plenty of discussions have been around the 3G iphone "decreasing" its price by $200 to $199 and then hiking the contract price by $360 (assuming it's $5 a month for SMS).
There are no benefits to Europeans if all they got was a "free" phone that normally sells at 600 euros --- and then the carriers get back more than 700-800 euros in contract plans.
Are you serious?
The tariffs in the UK at least haven't changed price at all BUT you now get a free phone on some tariffs, you've the option of a cheaper £30 tariff and they added BT OpenZone support and most importantly they've added Pay-As-You-Go. Effectively the handset price AND the tariffs have got cheaper with the 3G iPhone. Yeah, we got 'no benefits'.
The reality is that the US model of charging for incoming calls is dumb and it is the reason why the US is at least 3 years behind the rest of the world in mobile technology and mobile phones.
That's not the reason at all. While our carriers having a fragmented technology infrastructure is apart of it. Mostly its because the USA is the third largest country in the world. And is extremely expensive to upgrade wireless technology.
The tariffs in the UK at least haven't changed price at all BUT you now get a free phone on some tariffs, you've the option of a cheaper £30 tariff and they added BT OpenZone support and most importantly they've added Pay-As-You-Go. Effectively the handset price AND the tariffs have got cheaper with the 3G iPhone. Yeah, we got 'no benefits'.
I have said repeatedly that the 3G iphone in the UK is a great deal.
I have also said that their regular price contract plan is the same price as the iphone plan --- same minutes and same SMS at the same price, but without unlimited data That is not a great deal at all. So what if they give you a free 600 euro phone, they don't give you unlimited data with those regular price contract plans.
The geeks like you and me benefits, but the rest of the general population doesn't.
Whereas in the US --- the price for the "3G iphone" plan is the same as any of the PDA plan. And the price for the voice portion is the same as any regular voice plan.
That's not the reason at all. While our carriers having a fragmented technology infrastructure is apart of it. Mostly its because the USA is the third largest country in the world. And is extremely expensive to upgrade wireless technology.
Especially the fact that Verizon Wireless has more 3G customers than Vodafone's entire European empire (that has almost twice the total subscribers as Verizon Wireless in the US).
The US is not behind at all. They are ahead in 3G penetration rate than most European country. They are ahead in unlimited data plans.
I have said repeatedly that the 3G iphone in the UK is a great deal.
I have also said that their regular price contract plan is the same price as the iphone plan --- same minutes and same SMS at the same price, but without unlimited data That is not a great deal at all. So what if they give you a free 600 euro phone, they don't give you unlimited data with those regular price contract plans.
The geeks like you and me benefits, but the rest of the general population doesn't.
An unlimited data plan is £7.5 a month so a Nokia N95 8GB, 600 minutes, 400 texts and unlimited data is just £36 more expensive over 18 months than the iPhone plan. Hardly the scam you are trying to make it.
You are clueless about the plans in the UK and totally deluded if you think the US is not behind the rest of the world regarding mobile technology and mobile phones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by samab
Especially the fact that Verizon Wireless has more 3G customers than Vodafone's entire European empire (that has almost twice the total subscribers as Verizon Wireless in the US).
What are you talking about? There are no different plans for GSM and 3G so every Vodafone subscriber is a 3G customer if they have a 3G capable mobile and choose to use 3G on their handset.
An unlimited data plan is £7.5 a month so a Nokia N95 8GB, 600 minutes, 400 texts and unlimited data is just £36 more expensive over 18 months than the iPhone plan. Hardly the scam you are trying to make it.
You are clueless about the plans in the UK and totally deluded if you think the US is not behind the rest of the world regarding mobile technology and mobile phones.
What are you talking about? There are no different plans for GSM and 3G so every Vodafone subscriber is a 3G customer if they have a 3G capable mobile and choose to use 3G on their handset.
Verizon Wireless has 39 million subscribers with a 3G phone out of 67.2 million total subscribers.
Vodafone has about 24 million subscribers with a 3G phone in their entire European operation --- out of 110 million total susbcribers. And we are talking about Vodafone in UK (which is the center of the mobile universe in Europe), Germany (the largest European country in terms of population), Italy (the highest 3G mobile penetration rate in the world), and Spain.
Vodafone has about 24 million subscribers with a 3G phone in their entire European operation --- out of 110 million total susbcribers. And we are talking about Vodafone in UK (which is the center of the mobile universe in Europe), Germany (the largest European country in terms of population), Italy (the highest 3G mobile penetration rate in the world), and Spain.
Where did you get the information that Vodafone has 24 million subscribers in Europe with a 3G capable mobile?
Also Vodafone in Europe is in Albania, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Cyprus, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey and UK.
Where did you get the information that Vodafone has 24 million subscribers in Europe with a 3G capable mobile?
Also Vodafone in Europe is in Albania, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Cyprus, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey and UK.
The information is inside Vodafone's financial filings --- and the 24 million subscribers with a 3G mobile phone includes all the other Vodafone's "minor" European operations which is under the "other" column (see page 10).
Comments
Plenty of discussions have been around the 3G iphone "decreasing" its price by $200 to $199 and then hiking the contract price by $360 (assuming it's $5 a month for SMS).
There are no benefits to Europeans if all they got was a "free" phone that normally sells at 600 euros --- and then the carriers get back more than 700-800 euros in contract plans.
AT&T charges the same $30 a month for a PDA data plan --- whether you have a 2G or a 3G PDA phone.
Plenty of discussions have been around the 3G iphone "decreasing" its price by $200 to $199 and then hiking the contract price by $360 (assuming it's $5 a month for SMS).
There are no benefits to Europeans if all they got was a "free" phone that normally sells at 600 euros --- and then the carriers get back more than 700-800 euros in contract plans.
Are you serious?
The tariffs in the UK at least haven't changed price at all BUT you now get a free phone on some tariffs, you've the option of a cheaper £30 tariff and they added BT OpenZone support and most importantly they've added Pay-As-You-Go. Effectively the handset price AND the tariffs have got cheaper with the 3G iPhone. Yeah, we got 'no benefits'.
The reality is that the US model of charging for incoming calls is dumb and it is the reason why the US is at least 3 years behind the rest of the world in mobile technology and mobile phones.
That's not the reason at all. While our carriers having a fragmented technology infrastructure is apart of it. Mostly its because the USA is the third largest country in the world. And is extremely expensive to upgrade wireless technology.
Are you serious?
The tariffs in the UK at least haven't changed price at all BUT you now get a free phone on some tariffs, you've the option of a cheaper £30 tariff and they added BT OpenZone support and most importantly they've added Pay-As-You-Go. Effectively the handset price AND the tariffs have got cheaper with the 3G iPhone. Yeah, we got 'no benefits'.
I have said repeatedly that the 3G iphone in the UK is a great deal.
I have also said that their regular price contract plan is the same price as the iphone plan --- same minutes and same SMS at the same price, but without unlimited data That is not a great deal at all. So what if they give you a free 600 euro phone, they don't give you unlimited data with those regular price contract plans.
The geeks like you and me benefits, but the rest of the general population doesn't.
Whereas in the US --- the price for the "3G iphone" plan is the same as any of the PDA plan. And the price for the voice portion is the same as any regular voice plan.
That's not the reason at all. While our carriers having a fragmented technology infrastructure is apart of it. Mostly its because the USA is the third largest country in the world. And is extremely expensive to upgrade wireless technology.
Especially the fact that Verizon Wireless has more 3G customers than Vodafone's entire European empire (that has almost twice the total subscribers as Verizon Wireless in the US).
The US is not behind at all. They are ahead in 3G penetration rate than most European country. They are ahead in unlimited data plans.
I have said repeatedly that the 3G iphone in the UK is a great deal.
I have also said that their regular price contract plan is the same price as the iphone plan --- same minutes and same SMS at the same price, but without unlimited data That is not a great deal at all. So what if they give you a free 600 euro phone, they don't give you unlimited data with those regular price contract plans.
The geeks like you and me benefits, but the rest of the general population doesn't.
An unlimited data plan is £7.5 a month so a Nokia N95 8GB, 600 minutes, 400 texts and unlimited data is just £36 more expensive over 18 months than the iPhone plan. Hardly the scam you are trying to make it.
You are clueless about the plans in the UK and totally deluded if you think the US is not behind the rest of the world regarding mobile technology and mobile phones.
Especially the fact that Verizon Wireless has more 3G customers than Vodafone's entire European empire (that has almost twice the total subscribers as Verizon Wireless in the US).
What are you talking about? There are no different plans for GSM and 3G so every Vodafone subscriber is a 3G customer if they have a 3G capable mobile and choose to use 3G on their handset.
An unlimited data plan is £7.5 a month so a Nokia N95 8GB, 600 minutes, 400 texts and unlimited data is just £36 more expensive over 18 months than the iPhone plan. Hardly the scam you are trying to make it.
You are clueless about the plans in the UK and totally deluded if you think the US is not behind the rest of the world regarding mobile technology and mobile phones.
What are you talking about? There are no different plans for GSM and 3G so every Vodafone subscriber is a 3G customer if they have a 3G capable mobile and choose to use 3G on their handset.
Verizon Wireless has 39 million subscribers with a 3G phone out of 67.2 million total subscribers.
Vodafone has about 24 million subscribers with a 3G phone in their entire European operation --- out of 110 million total susbcribers. And we are talking about Vodafone in UK (which is the center of the mobile universe in Europe), Germany (the largest European country in terms of population), Italy (the highest 3G mobile penetration rate in the world), and Spain.
Vodafone has about 24 million subscribers with a 3G phone in their entire European operation --- out of 110 million total susbcribers. And we are talking about Vodafone in UK (which is the center of the mobile universe in Europe), Germany (the largest European country in terms of population), Italy (the highest 3G mobile penetration rate in the world), and Spain.
Where did you get the information that Vodafone has 24 million subscribers in Europe with a 3G capable mobile?
Also Vodafone in Europe is in Albania, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Cyprus, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey and UK.
Where did you get the information that Vodafone has 24 million subscribers in Europe with a 3G capable mobile?
Also Vodafone in Europe is in Albania, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Cyprus, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey and UK.
The information is inside Vodafone's financial filings --- and the 24 million subscribers with a 3G mobile phone includes all the other Vodafone's "minor" European operations which is under the "other" column (see page 10).
http://www.vodafone.com/etc/medialib...r_08_FINAL.pdf
Meanwhile, 58% of Verizon Wireless' subscribers have a 3G phone (Verizon has 67.2 million total subscribers in the last quarter).
http://telephonyonline.com/wireless/...revenues-0428/