iPhone Thoughts #1: Get Your Own Network
Now that the iPhone has been well and truly out for a week, I think it’s time to share several of my thoughts. I’ve been quietly watching the action from the sidelines for the past seven days, partly because it’s not available in New Zealand yet. Let’s start with AT&T.
At MacWorld this year, Steve Jobs quoted Alan Kay, a renown computer scientist, saying: “People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware”. Well Steve, I’ve got a better one for you. How about: “People who are really serious about mobile phones should own their own network”?
Before you begin lecturing me as to how expensive building a cell network really is, hear me out. iPhone availability on launch day? Plenty. iPhone buying experience? Flawless. Downloading iTunes on launch day? Swift. Activating the iPhone? Your mileage may vary. EDGE network? Terribly slow coupled with several outages.
Seriously, the only hiccup to an otherwise flawless launch was AT&T. The Mac, iPod and even the Apple TV are great products because Apple has control of every single aspect of it: all the way from the hardware, to the software and the web experience (iTunes/.Mac).
I think Apple stands to benefit tremendously if it can construct a (decent) network just for iPhone customers; I’d jump on it the second it was available. Hmm, perhaps this is all part of Steve’s plan for world domination?
Andreas
Jul 08, 2007
I can certainly agree with you that it might make things better, but just might. In the US, when Apple get a larger marketshare, I could see this happening. Anywhere else? Probably not.
Not only is it expensive, it is also a complex thing to manage. And I can’t really see how Apple could do it better. It’s not like they can (or should) make an all new standard or anything. I say leave it to the people how know their stuff (AT&T might not be those people though).
In a small country like Norway, with all its hills and valleys, there are only 2 major players. Two large corporations that run the cell networks. Sure there are plenty of small operators, but they all leave the network.