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Apple partners with Cingular for iPhone

updated 04:50 pm EST, Tue January 9, 2007

Apple partners w/Cingular


Apple and Cingular announced that Cingular, the largest wireless carrier in the US, will be Apple's exclusive US carrier partner for Apple's iPhone unveiled at Macworld Expo. As part of this multi-year partnership, Apple and Cingular are working together to provide innovative new features to mobile phone users, such as iPhone's pioneering and unique Visual Voicemail, a first on any mobile phone in the world. "Apple chose Cingular because they are the best and most popular carrier in the US," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We are thrilled to be offering our revolutionary new iPhone exclusively with Cingular, and look forward to working together with them to create some wonderful new features for our customers."

Apple said that iPhone's unique Visual Voicemail was co-developed by Apple and Cingular. Visual Voicemail makes voicemail as fast and convenient as email by allowing users to go directly to any of their voice messages without listening to any of the prior messages.

"By partnering with Apple, we are continuing our commitment to raising the bar for customers," said Stan Sigman, Cingular's president and CEO. "We think the iPhone is one of the most innovative devices ever created, and we look forward to letting our customers be the first in the world to experience the future of mobile phones."

The company said that iPhone will be available in the US beginning in June 2007 in a 4GB model for $499 and an 8GB model for $599, and will work in combination with Apple's iTunes running on either a PC or Mac.


by MacNN Staff

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Comments

  1. bobolicious

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2002

    0

    Wifi is all we get?

    Hey guys that's it until JUNE ? Yes significant down the line but a pre-announced streaming box & wifi speed bump is all we really got today... :(

  1. mgpalma

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2000

    0

    Cingular

    "Cingular partnership Visual voicemail is a result of the collaboration Multi-year exclusive relationship with Cingular"

    I'm sorry but that sucks. Our family, coast-to-coast, is on Verizon wireless. So none of us can get this phone unless we ALL switch to Cingular? The cost savings alone for in-network calling is reason enough to stay where we are. Too bad, because Apple *almost* thought different enough when reinventing the cell phone thing. Too bad different software and hardware didn't carry on to a different service plan as well.

  1. mgpalma

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2000

    0

    re: Hey guys that's it...

    Yeah, funny isn't it? One of the biggest Mac shows ever and we really didn't get anything!

  1. MhzDoesMatter

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jul 2002

    0

    Thats a good thing

    Think of how many things we know are gonna be announced this year?

  1. leonpro

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: May 2004

    0

    Nothing against Cingular

    but I was hoping Apple would wow us by offering the GSM phone as open-line.

  1. noneckjo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Dec 2005

    0

    You are the minority...

    Cant make everyone happy, but Apple made the majority very happy. Just look at the stock price. Im sure V.2 will be out by the end of year with more stuff added to it, but as for service, just like almost every other phone, you need to be with a particular service to get it, why would you think this phone would be any different?

  1. Aero

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Feb 2006

    0

    sucks to be canadian :~(

    Cingular exclusive means no iphone for us up north. I hope they offer an unblocked and unbranded iphone before the year ends.

  1. bobolicious

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2002

    0

    Minority...?

    No sir - simply must be with Cingular to get all the functionality - Apple's way of controlling the market - margins are better when there's no competition & you have the only game in town - treo's suddenly looking better as I use GSM pay as I go - perhaps Apple will accessorize logoed ball caps with lead shield ear flaps - got to syndicate these pop icon gadgets! ;-)

  1. aristotles

    Grizzled Veteran

    Joined: Jul 2004

    0

    Canadians = Rogers

    It will probably be offered by Rogers up here. I was hoping for an unlocked phone and I certainly did not want any branding on the iPhone. I still hope that it will still see unlocked and that the price without a contract will be available and that it will come down.

  1. Monde

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2004

    0

    Cingular deal blows

    I'd get one if I wasn't already tied into a contract with another phone co. Looks like a great little product, but I'm not bowled over by the offering. It seems as if everything else has been put on hold in favor of this. I'm sure the enhanced service will cost a pretty penny too. For example, when cel phones first came out, text messaging was free. Some enterprising suit figured, "Hey we could charge for that." and the next thing you know, people are paying to text. What do you figure Cingular will charge for that mailbox feature and on-the-fly conference calls.

    This deal is out of character with the way Apple has worked in the past. Never-in the past-have they clung to a single provider like this. Locking out such a large chunk of potential adopters, does not seem to make much sense. Open this phone up so the rest of the world can use it!

    The iTV router/player is pretty good, but no surprise. What gives? What happened to the iSight, New monitors, improved computers etc? This keynote isn't even in my top 3.

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