Tense Apple-AT&T iPhone partnership nearly ended multiple times

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  • Reply 61 of 153
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shadash View Post


    This idea that Verizon has lost a ton of subscribers to AT&T because of the iPhone is thrown around, but I never see a source to back it up. Verizon has continued to grow and continues to have more subscribers than AT&T in the US. Can anyone point me to a real analysis that shows that Verizon has lost customers?



    On Android, the longer Apple delays moving past AT&T, the stronger/better Android becomes. The numbers do show that Android is catching up fast to the iPhone both in sales (activating 160,000 a day) and use (ad imprints, web metrics). Both Apple and Verizon may have to make some concessions for this deal to be made, but it needs to be made.



    Verizon purchased Alltel after the first iPhone came out and that alone boosted their subscription base 20%. For several quaters now data has shown AT&T growth higher than that of Verizon. Verizon actually lost money in Q4 last year. Here's Q4 last year, Q1 this year also shows greater subscriber growth at T.



    http://gigaom.com/2010/03/04/u-s-mob...e-still-rocks/
  • Reply 62 of 153
    voodooruvoodooru Posts: 70member
    "AT&T allegedly felt that Apple's use of an Infineon chip led to inferior reception."





    interesting. but the blame is always on ATT





    LOL!!!





  • Reply 63 of 153
    d-ranged-range Posts: 396member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    You must be very proud of your Fortune 50 global company as you have mentioned it twice in the last 10 minutes. Please tell which company that is so I can google the photos of your upper management in business casual attire.



    No matter how you twist it, what your saying is just silly. Sure enough Apples shareholders, employees, suppliers, business partners or Jobs himself don't give a rats ass how he dresses, or how arrogant he is for not wearing a suit, the guy is making all of them boatloads of money. Not to mention the ten digit figure he likely sees on his account statements. Methinks you're just a little jealous that Jobs is so successful he doesn't have to play the stupid etiquette game, or maybe you're just desperately trying to suck up to the suits at work to get higher up using appearances instead of skills yourself?



    Personally, in all the jobs I've worked in, it's usually the people who refuse to do stuff 'just because' that get the job done.
  • Reply 64 of 153
    zenteczentec Posts: 11member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by voodooru View Post


    "AT&T allegedly felt that Apple's use of an Infineon chip led to inferior reception."





    interesting. but the blame is always on ATT





    LOL!!!











    When all the AT&T phones in my family, Apple, LG, Pantech and RIM all show NO SERVICE while sitting in a restaurant located in a major metropolitan city, I don't think that's an Infineon problem.



    AT&T has built a network for minimal standards. Now that customer expectations have increased, AT&T can't close the gap quick enough not to look like idiots.
  • Reply 65 of 153
    I'm sure these are all those anonymous sources who reported the Verizon iPad, or the Verizon iPhone that has been due out since Christmas if 2007. As much fun as it is to hate on AT&T, I can't personally just embrace whatever rumor is spewed out by the media when so much has proven to be complete bull**** over the last 6 months.



    I also love the part about Apple using an inferior chip and telling AT&T that it is their problem...the iPhones antenna performance has been criticized of being weak before, I would like to think that Apple would at least be willing to work on something. I have said multiple times...I have issues with my iPhone that I NEVER have with my Blackberry Bold (dropped calls and issues switching from 2G to 3G, etc). To me it shows that Apple is comfortable with their customers having a sub par experience, as long as there is someone else to blame.



    AT&T: "hey, you're phone is having some issues connecting to our network, let's figure something out."

    Apple: "no, you're network is having issues connecting to our phone, end of story."



    I can totally see this being the stance Apple would take, as much as I wish that were not true.



    Again though, I have doubts that a lot of this stuff is even true...so...
  • Reply 66 of 153
    prof. peabodyprof. peabody Posts: 2,860member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by business wisdom


    All partnerships have issues. Each wants what is best for themselves .....sometimes they are in conflict.



    Welcome to Business 101.



    There, fixed it for you.
  • Reply 67 of 153
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Povilas View Post


    "We're Apple. We don't wear suits. We don't even own suits." good slogan



    It is extremely unlikely that no Apple employee owns even a single suit. I guess slogans don't have to be true in order to sound good.
  • Reply 68 of 153
    prof. peabodyprof. peabody Posts: 2,860member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by glui2001 View Post


    Apple really holds the majority of the cards here. Other carriers will likely drop their pants and bend over backwards should Apple shop around for a new carrier.



    I think you've got it wrong here.



    If they dropped their pants and bent over *backwards* then they are in the power position. I think you meant bend over *forwards*.
  • Reply 69 of 153
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by StLBluesFan View Post


    M"The report also said that AT&T took issue with the fact that the iPhone uses a radio from Infineon, a company that previously had been most widely used in Europe, where cell towers are more common. AT&T allegedly felt that Apple's use of an Infineon chip led to inferior reception. When the wireless carrier asked Apple to resolve the issues "together," it was said that Apple's response was, "No, you resolve them. They're not our problem. They're your problem." "



    If you choose to believe the other pieces of the article how can this be ignored? iPhone reception issues, long blamed on AT&T, now not only point to suspect antenna engineering but also to Apple's poor chip selection for the US market?



    One can ignore it because it's all BS from an anonymous source.



    Lots of other companies use Infineon. Why is it that Infineon chips get OK reception on other networks? Why is it that non-Infineon chips don't get good reception on AT&T?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post


    It is extremely unlikely that no Apple employee owns even a single suit. I guess slogans don't have to be true in order to sound good.



    True, but even if every single Apple employee owned a suit, 'we don't even own suits' would be just as true for Apple as "do no evil" is for Google.
  • Reply 70 of 153
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pdxapple View Post


    This is not a suit, it's a tuxedo.



    and your point is
  • Reply 71 of 153
    2oh12oh1 Posts: 503member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    All partnerships have issues. Each wants what is best for their customers.....sometimes they are in conflict.



    Welcome to Business 101.



    I couldn't disagree more strongly. Apple was bringing AT&T customers. AT&T was worrying about suits being worn to meetings, which has nothing to do with improving anything for AT&T customers.



    Issues of corporate culture tend to have very little to do with customers and everything to do with power and ego. I hope AT&T goes down in flames when Apple opens up the iPhone to multiple carriers.
  • Reply 72 of 153
    st3v3st3v3 Posts: 63member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by StLBluesFan View Post


    Verizon purchased Alltel after the first iPhone came out and that alone boosted their subscription base 20%. For several quaters now data has shown AT&T growth higher than that of Verizon. Verizon actually lost money in Q4 last year. Here's Q4 last year, Q1 this year also shows greater subscriber growth at T.



    http://gigaom.com/2010/03/04/u-s-mob...e-still-rocks/



    AT&T having greater subscriber growth doesn't equal Verizon losing customers , which is the data he was requesting.



    Also, "Head-to-head after stripping out reseller and wholesale net additions, Verizon reported 1.2 million net additions in 4Q09 against AT&T?s 900,000"
  • Reply 73 of 153
    2 cents2 cents Posts: 307member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    All partnerships have issues. Each wants what is best for their customers.....sometimes they are in conflict.



    Welcome to Business 101.



    You're telling me AT&T wants what's best for me? That's going to take some convincing on your part.
  • Reply 74 of 153
    rkrickrkrick Posts: 66member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleZilla View Post


    Because of the $20 tethering rip-off, I opted to keep my grandfathered unlimited plan.



    Anyway, there is so much Wi-Fi in the world now, that I just don't have a great need for the luxury of tethering.



    Meanwhile, I am 3G streaming music and video night and day. Try to cap my data to 2GB or less, will ya...



    Tethering on AT&T is not part of the unlimited plan (even though it should be) either. I understand wanting to keep your unlimited plan but don't understand the mentality related to $20 tethering.
  • Reply 75 of 153
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2oh1 View Post


    I couldn't disagree more strongly. Apple was bringing AT&T customers. AT&T was worrying about suits being worn to meetings, which has nothing to do with improving anything for AT&T customers.



    Issues of corporate culture tend to have very little to do with customers and everything to do with power and ego. I hope AT&T goes down in flames when Apple opens up the iPhone to multiple carriers.



    That would pretty much make you an a$$hole then., wishing roughly 400,000 folks out of work.



    Ignorant people hoping other businesses fail. Get a grip.
  • Reply 76 of 153
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by st3v3 View Post


    AT&T having greater subscriber growth doesn't equal Verizon losing customers , which is the data he was requesting.



    Also, "Head-to-head after stripping out reseller and wholesale net additions, Verizon reported 1.2 million net additions in 4Q09 against AT&T?s 900,000"



    Which means what? Do you even know?
  • Reply 77 of 153
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I agree with AT&T on this one. Jobs looks stupid in that same outfit day after day and the other guys just look really uncomfortable dressed like that. It doesn't fit their personalities. Appropriate attire is showing respect for your partners and vendors. Jobs would probably show up to a funeral dressed like that. He doesn't appear to give a rat's ass about anyone but himself. Oh I forgot, he 'loves' his users.





    Aww C'mon man. That's why I rock this name.



    I don't know. If I could be a rockstar I think I would. Although I've worn suits a few times. Feels like I'm wearing it to make my parents happy. Obviously Steve doesn't care. Why should he? It's good to throw off the suits (pun) in the boardroom. It might piss them off, but if you are Steve fraking Jobs then you can get away with it and use that image to your advantage.



    Creative people are really touchy about their appearance. I am. I hate wearing suits Just look at Lady ga ga. I'd rather she wear suits as well, but then I don't believe she would be anything other than one of those annoying perfume girls at Neiman Marcus.
  • Reply 78 of 153
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2 cents View Post


    You're telling me AT&T wants what's best for me? That's going to take some convincing on your part.



    Neither Apple nor AT&T wants what's best for you. Seriously.
  • Reply 79 of 153
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    You guys in the US really are in a mess with this while AT&T aren't you. Here in the UK the iPhone is on 5 carriers now, with the previous exclusive carrier (O2) having lost their exclusivity some time ago now. I gather many other countries also have a choice of carriers with the iPhone, so what's gone wrong in the US? Why are you stuck with only one choice? Is this an uncommon situation or are most phones locked down like this in the US?



    This is what happens when the government (well, EU) decides what mobile technology we'll be using - Increased competition due to ease of network switching. The US is what happens when the "Free Market" is left to decide standards - lots of lock in.



    Who's afraid of the big bad government?



    As for a Verizon iPhone - I predict it will happen in March 2012. Since I'm now officially an analyist can I have my million dollars please?
  • Reply 80 of 153
    normmnormm Posts: 653member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I agree with AT&T on this one. Jobs looks stupid in that same outfit day after day and the other guys just look really uncomfortable dressed like that. It doesn't fit their personalities. Appropriate attire is showing respect for your partners and vendors. Jobs would probably show up to a funeral dressed like that. He doesn't appear to give a rat's ass about anyone but himself. Oh I forgot, he 'loves' his users.



    I suppose this is an illusion: Steve Jobs at Oscars.
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