Comments on: Who says America offers more choice?

While AT&T is the only U.S carrier to offer the iPhone, other countries offer more choices.

[emarkhasin]

100%

[startouch]

THE ONLY REASON I DONT HAVE AN I-PHONE IS "AT&T" A FEW YEARS AGO I GOT $2,000 PHONE BILL AND HAD TO FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL AND WILL NEVER GO BACK !
AND I MIGHT ADD "METRO PCS" IS GROWING FAST AND AM ABOUT TO SWICH TO THEM $40 UNLIMITED TALK & TEXT SOUNDS REALLY GOOD TO ME! SO BY-BY SPRINT AND MY $75 BILL ,SO MABEE JUST MABEE THEY WILL GROW TO BE BETTER THAN THE BIG MONEY HUNGRY TELICOMS WE HAVE NOW !

[tipoo_]

SO ANYWHY THIS WEIRD FONT IS LIKE TOTAL CRAZINESS!!!1

IT TAKE A WHILE TO FIGUR OUT BUT I GET IT!!! U HAVE TO HIT THE CAPPPPS LCK BUTN THATS LIKE RITE THERE! LOK AT THE PIC AN U FIN SPECIAL FONT KEEY

ALSO ITS VERY WEIRD CUZ THE LETTERS THAT WERE PRINTED ON KEYBOARD ARE NORMAL NOT WEIRD FONT SO THIS PROBERLY A BUG IN MICROSOFT! MICRO$OFT TOTALLY SUX LOL



aka stop using caps lock.

[djejnyc]

T-Mobile is compatible with the iPhone, a few friends use it with their jailbroken phones

[djejnyc]

Ooops, I see now he meant just the 3G service....

[F_Cloud]

I don't understand why Apple would have done this. Wouldn't they stand to make MORE money if they introduced this phone to Verizon? It's not like they'd stop providing AT&T phones, but offering a CDMA version just seems ... smart. I don't get it ...

[darkr]

not really smart for apple to provide cdma version of iphone
GSM is used world wide wherese
CDMA is only prodominate in the US and canada and mostly with the smaller providers like bell

Meaning that apple could only sell those phones in the US or canada

GSM can be switched easily if they are unlocked via a SIM card where the CDMA has to be programmed each time
hence why world phones are only CDMA /gsm they can be added so you can use a local provider with a gsm card but still using your old providers rates

[darkr]

not really smart for apple to provide cdma version of iphone
GSM is used world wide wherese
CDMA is only prodominate in the US and canada and mostly with the smaller providers like bell

Meaning that apple could only sell those phones in the US or canada

GSM can be switched easily if they are unlocked via a SIM card where the CDMA has to be programmed each time
hence why world phones are only CDMA /gsm they can be added so you can use a local provider with a gsm card but still using your old providers rates

also on a side note most new providers coming to canada and the US thanks to the spectrum auction is GSM

[Miko34]

Of course, you can say this about all phones that are only with one company, like the Blackberry Storm on Verizon, the G1 on T-Mobile, and Palm Pre on Sprint. The reason why everyone complains about the iPhone being only on AT&T is that it is so popular. With the amount of apps that you can download on it, of course it's popular.

Yes, the other phones may be coming to other cell companies sooner than the iPhone will, but Apple probably makes a lot of money from AT&T for not going with other providers. How to stop this "monopoly" ? Perhaps another company will someday make a better product.

[Notsuchageekygeek]

At some point they will regret this, and putting the Skype app on the iPod Touch.

[sting7k]

Why isn't it unfair that the BB Storm is only on Verizon? Or that the Palm Pre will only be on Sprint? You also do have choice, if you can't handle AT&T don't buy a phone on their network.

You offer up 2 extremely valid and huge reasons why the iPhone is only on AT&T;

1. There is no CDMA version of the iPhone.
2. Tmobile's 3G network is only in like 5 cities.

And yet your still upset that you can't use it with someone else besides AT&T? Is Apple supposed to build out Tmobile's network for them? Is it Apple's fault Verizon chose a network that is not used by the vast majority of the world?

Apple chose the best possible carrier in the US that is here right now ready to go. The blame should go to Tmobile and Verizon, not Apple. Finally, I've never had any problem with AT&T's customer service or reception; I get full 3G in my basement even. And AT&T's reps were able to fix my voicemail issues that had 3 Apple "geniuses" scratching their heads.

[Renegade Knight]

I can plug my land line phone in on any company's network. It will work. Cell phones should be the same. Especially since they are replacing land lines. Then we would have real choice. The FCC missed the boat on this one. I don't see them working all that hard to fix it.

[AdamB5000]

"I've never had any problem with AT&T's customer service" -sting7k

That doesn't mean they don't have poor service. My father tried paying his bill with a credit card and the lady literally refused to process it because "they run payments on the 8th for his account." She initially refused payment! That prolonged getting their phones reactivated on their family plan due to them not auto processing his card even though it's valid through 2011. He gave her the SAME card # and she insisted it was different than the one they had on file.

Yeah, some people get to witness poor customer service. Trust me.

[StevieD377]

Ok, so AT&T may not have the greatest customer service, and I can attest to that. However, I do find their coverage to be outstanding. I get reception in places where many of my friends on other carriers do not, and I only have the 1st gen iPhone without 3G.

Besides, AT&T has the fastest 3G service in the U.S. and it's about to get a whole lot faster. It'll most likely make Verizon look bad if their iPhones are drastically slower than AT&T's. haha But seriously, you make it sound like switching carriers is impossible. In America, we do have choice, and I've chosen AT&T with the iPhone. Cry about it.

[nutjob]

Lets face facts here. The iPhone does a lot of things well but it is a lousy phone. I have ATT and get good reception in a number of places the iPhone does not. While ATT service is average (at best) the iPhone has one of the worst rrceptions of any phone I have ever used.

The reason why iPhones are only on ATT is because Apple wanted it that way. Apple could have sold open and closed phones like Samsung and HTC but wanted a piece of the service.

[dqkennard]

ATT gets a lot of good phones, and the GSM gives users easy access to good unlocked phones, but it just doesn't have good enough coverage in my area of northern New England. Even if it's as good as the coverage maps claim, there are too many gaps in places I'd need, and you know the maps are "optimistic".

The iPhone isn't for me for various reasons, but even if it was the phone on the absolute top of my wish list, ATT coverage would be a deal breaker. I don't care that GSM is found around the world; I care that I would have trouble making calls, let alone access 3G services, in areas I go to at least monthly. T-Mobile is worse (for my coverage needs), so that rules out some more good phones for me.

The complaints about customer service don't way heavily for me, since there are plenty of horror stories for any and all carriers.

[bajadesperado]

Kent,
Good Article on iphone in Australia. Could you do a little story on the iPhone in Mexico under the control of Telcel(Carlos Slim),Movistar, and Unefone. We sell airtime here in Baja for Telcel & Movistar in the amts. of $20,30,50,100,200,300,500,1000 pesos but they only pay us 5% of the transaction amt.minus the $.28 centavos for the on air message confirmation #.(exch. rate $12.5pesos/$1 USD)
The phone choices are pretty good from el cheapo to $$$$ just like USA. Telcel has it's own selection and Movistar has it's own selection of phones. They all use SIM cards which cost $140 pesos each . You cannot use a branded/stamped Telcel phone and put your Movistar Sim card in it. and vice-versa.
Carlos Slim is a billionaire and this is why..he pays only 5% commission to thousands of street and store vendors in Mexico & other countries including the USA and pays no benefits or expenses except for his permanent infrastructure employees.How does this compare to US carriers and could they learn something from Carlos Slim?He apparently has a very good business model and owns TELMEX the landline and internet service co. in Mexico. If you want any Communication/Internet services you go through him..including calls to USA or from USA to Mexico at high-high rates...Investigate this please .It would be interesting to see a whole view of how he works and how it compares to the AT7T,Verizon, Sprint-Nextel models and the now popular prepaid offerings in USA. thanks BD