Cliffs: With the popluarity of Google Voice, Apple suddenly denied the official Google Voice app from Google along with pulling any previously approved GV apps from the App store. This caused a uproar and now the FCC is probing if it was Apple who denied it or was it ATT pushing for it to protect their business.
This brings up a lot of issues outside of the iPhone and ATT with network access. Your home internet service doesn’t require you to use a Verizon or ATT approved computer and wireless networks should be the same.
I tend to REALLY dislike the “Cell Phone” industry as a whole.
That is exactly how I feel. That is exactly how the industry should be.
Another thing that I hate is how verizon handles technical issues with phones. If I buy Samsung phone, why can’t I call Samsung when it breaks? Why should Verizon reps be diagnosing issues with a phone manufactured by a different company.
I just wish that I had some more options, but it seems with the Cell Phone industry, my hands are tied tight behind my back.
Dealing with Apple is 10x more restrictive than dealing with any other manufacturer. Even if their phone was much better than the competition, which it isn’t, they are so worried about being your sole provider of EVERYTHING, that I couldn’t take it.
-Any other AT&T phone, you have a choice, but get an iphone, and you’re stuck with $30 a month data.
-Any other AT&T phone, you can buy without changing your plan or extending your contract if you’re on Premier. iphone requires a change. And a new contract.
-Any other OS you can download stuff for from whatever. Apple has to approve iphone apps and you have to get them from their stupid appstore.
There’s so many more things about Apple’s business model that just disgust me. Yet they still have their fanboys that praise it to no end. This isn’t on AT&T.
Well thats becuase Verizon has their own phone OS that is pretty standard on any phone. I had the Alias when it first came out on Verizon and the interface was completley different than the non Verizon version. I know what you mean tho, cell phones should be open.
I agree, the data requirement does suck. That is why I push almost 10GB through my phone a month If I am paying for unlimited data, I sure as hell am going to use it.
You can buy a iPhone retail. I went in and almost got the 3GS without extending my contract or plan. I also switched to a BB plan for a few weeks and back to the iPhone plan without any contract extensions too.
I agree. I wish you can install any App off the web without having to jailbreak or being signed by Apple off the web. The jailbreak was a step in the right direction but hopefully it gets a bit further along to the point where you can download from anywhere onto the phone.
This has always been what kept me from getting an Iphone/ATT, yet you have to give it to them, this was a pretty clever market decision when they were the top dog with the device and could actually get away with it. The thing is, there are just too many comparable devices now, you wont see them getting away with it, and im glad because I have wanted to punch every apple humper I have seen the past few months up until this point.
The only reason I don’t completely hate the iphone is all the shmucks that switched to AT&T for it and are mobile-to-mobile for me now.
As for purchasing the phone, I have a premier contract that says I can do unlimited upgrades and they just restart my existing contract. Valid on every device except the iphone because apple specifically disallowed it.
If I am paying for unlimited data, I sure as hell am going to use it.