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Originally Posted by brundles
Maybe cutting edge was the wrong phrase - the iPhone doesn't even stretch as far as 3G (if memory serves) which means that operators have a higher operating cost to get the content to the phone that they want to make their money from.
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In the US the higher cost for content is not really there. 3G is still considered a business service and built out in areas where there are high numbers of business / blackberrys.
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverage.../popUp_3g.html
To compare to the UK it would be like having 3G in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh and maybe on the rail and roads connecting but stray from there and you are back on 2G.
2.75G EDGE is the best nationwide network here.
---------- Post added at 09:41 ---------- Previous post was at 09:32 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by brundles
Can't really argue that one! In business terms it's great as you get all of the revenue - how many companies wouldn't like to be able to charge for the same thing several times "legitimately"?
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This is basic economics or (Economics 101 as they would say here).
Charging the price a market will bear. Early adopters will pay more to be early adopters. The Everett Rogers Diffusion of Innovation theory (from 1962)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations- Innovators – venturesome, educated, multiple info sources;
- Early adopters – social leaders, popular, educated;
- Early majority – deliberate, many informal social contacts;
- Late majority – skeptical, traditional, lower socio-economic status;
- Laggards – neighbours and friends are main info sources, fear of debt.
Innovaters know they will be paying top $ for a product and will pay it so they can say they are first to own it. And will stay up all night outside a store to own it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brundles
They're starting to become pretty pervasive but I wouldn't go so far as to say common. At least in the UK the operators have a (somewhat wobbly) leg to stand on when trying to justify it. In this instance the high rates that AT&T agreed to pay Apple provide the same wobbly leg. (And of course $11 a month over a 2 year contract is better than over a 1 year contract for Apple too - hence Apple's incentive to keep phones locked to the network.)
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Take a look at this page
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-pho...era-phones.jsp
All prices for 2 year contracts!
I'm using my unlocked K800i so have no tie in at all!