Nov 20
It seems that the EU really has something against American companies trying to lock their customers with exclusive contracts.
Apple, very much like Microsoft, has received a serious blow when Vodafone obtained a court order that requires rival T-Mobile Germany to sell Apple’s iPhone handset to Germans without a service plan.
Coverage of the matter by Dow Jones differs somewhat from the local German press by implying that the temporary injunction restricts any and all iPhone sales in Germany, rather than just those that would be sold with a contract. But due to the agreement between T-Mobile and Apple that iPhone only be sold with a service plan, it’s likely that both scenarios would produce the same result temporarily.
No doubt both Apple and T-Mobile will fight back. However, if the court order is confirmed and ratified, I don’t expect the potential legal battle to go anywhere.
I am not convinced by either approach. Love the idea of having even more unlocked iPhones around, and with the new rail tracks I can go from London to Paris in a little over 2 hours and pick up my phone there. On the other hand I don’t think Apple’s deal with T-Mobile has anything to do with anti-trust and unfair competition.
Obviously assuming that Apple was actually fair when deciding who to work with and was impartial when judging both carriers’ proposals.
All in all it sounds like Vodafone really didn’t like loosing the battle over the iPhone and instead of working to fight back with better services and contracts is just playing the primary school kid card.
Tagged with: Apple • Cellphone • Court • Germany • iPhone • Mobile • T-Mobile • Unlock • Unlocked • Vodafone
Nov 19
Uneasy silence reports that hidden inside the weather and stocks applications on the iPhone there’s some code to send your phone IMEI number and other details to a special Apple URL.
Any attempts to modify the URL to exclude the IMEI information will not allow you to retrieve any information in the “Stocks” and “Weather” apps. It is still unknown if any other applications leak information to Apple HQ.
Here’s what Apple’s privacy disclaimer says on the matter:
When you interact with Apple, we may collect personal information relevant to the situation, such as your name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and contact preferences; your credit card information and information about the Apple products you own, such as their serial numbers and date of purchase; and information relating to a support or service issue.
Please folks at Apple, the whole locked thing was bad enough, and now this.
I’m still a big Apple fan and, although I don’t own one yet, have been toying with the idea of buying an iPhone for a while… iPod Touch it is then. And wireless turned off.
Tagged with: Apple • Cellphone • Gadget • IMEI • iPhone • Mobile • Privacy • Stocks • Tracking • Weather • Widget
Nov 18
SiliconValley.com is reporting that AT&T is currently considering joining Google and its mobile-phone software alliance.
The phone company is “analyzing the situation” and may use Google’s software for phones, Ralph de la Vega, chief executive officer of the wireless unit, said in an interview Friday
It is a peculiar move for a telecoms giant who bent over backwards to accommodate Apple and its iPhone. Could it be that AT&T already feels its time to start distancing itself from the super-hyped product and let it join the ranks of the other unimportant devices?
Given the wide variety of services and the stellar number of customers AT&T has this is may very well be considered a natural move in the attempt of pushing future products. Nonetheless I’m sure the move will give some PR-related grief to AT&T, especially considering the VIP-ish marketing campaign they put up for Apple’s gizmo.
Tagged with: Android • Apple • AT&T • Cellphone • Gadget • Gizmo • Google • iPhone • Mobile • Phone • Telecom • Wireles
