ipod
11/27/2007, 1:45pm, EST
Tuesday, November 27th
German wireless provider offsets unlock cost
German-based wireless carrier Debitel is launching a service plan for Apple's iPhone to capitalize on a recent court ruling that forced Deutsche Telekom and the Cupertino-based company to offer the handset as an unlocked device, capable of working with other cellular providers. Debitel is offering customers a €600 sign-up bonus to make up for the additional cost of purchasing an unlocked iPhone in Germany, according to AFX News, which makes unlocked iPhones cost the same amount as those sold with a 2-year Deutsche Telekom cellular contract.
Apple initially offered its iPhone exclusively via Deutsche Telekom with a 2-year contract, but was forced via a court injunction to produce unlocked devices in the name of competitor fairness. Apple jacked up the price of the unlocked devices, however, charging non-Deutsche Telekom customers a whopping €1,000 per unit. Debitel's new initiative effectively offsets the price increase for German customers, enabling them to purchase iPhones for the regular locked price of €600.
Apple is also planning to launch its iPhone in France on Thursday, where government officials told the company that it could not offer the cellular handset as part of an exclusive agreement with any one carrier.
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If a company comes up with a great product and wants to sell it at a lower cost locked on a contract with one company whats the problem ???
Whats uncompetitive about that ... people will decide what product they do and dont want to buy.
Now if the Iphone was the single only mobile phone on the maket then thats different , yes that would be uncompetitive but people have dozens and dozens of phone to choose on other carriers ... If the Iphone was not popular or not a good product there would be no fuss
Just because it's a huge hit bloody governments think that for some reason Apple should be penalized for making a great product ....
Perhaps it has to do with preventing certain companies from gouging customers, making deals with 'partners' that overly favor one company over another, and gaining unfair advantages over other companies just because they have a product that is popular. This may be their way to try to prevent monopoly/antitrust situations arising, rather then wait for them to happen and then try to deal with them.
For example, take MS (please!). I seem to recall people loudly complaining about them and its ability to use its OS and Office marketshares to control markets, make deals with vendors to push their products (remember when you HAD to get Windows with that computer?), and help foist other offerings on OEMs and customers in many ways.
Maybe you'd like to buy a car where you can only fill up at specific gas stations, or uses a specific company for maintenance. Or that computer you buy must run a specific OS and software.
Enjoy the 'freedom' to pay $4 for gas, while I either pay $2.50, or get triple the mileage of your 'freedom' vehicle.