iPhone
Yes the iPhone is cool and yes I want one, in fact I have tried to ‘win’ one, twice but was unsuccessful.
But if I did have one, I know I must use AT&T as my carrier since the iPhone only works with them. It is the same thing with the Ocean phone. I would have to use Helio’s network to use that phone too.
So this lawsuit against Apple just bugs me.
Timothy Smith has filed suit against Apple, alleging that the company has violated antitrust law with the iPhone. The Cartwright Act is what’s at question here — a California law that Smith’s attorney says Apple has broken because it prohibits iPhone users from using a cell phone service other than AT&T.
So I ask the simple question, is why does not this Timothy Smith file a lawsuit against Helio because the Ocean phone only works with their network which is powered by Sprint.
He should go after Nokia too because they make many phones that only work on GSM networks and not CDMA networks. For example, the cool Nokia 5300 XpressMusic phone, I buy this phone and it only works on T-Mobile’s network. According to Timothy Smith’s logic, Nokia prohibits users from using another cell service other than T-Mobile. And on top of that, if you wanted the Nokia 5300, and you wanted to use Verizon Wireless, well you are just out of luck because the phone does not support CDMA.
In the mobile phone industry, there are many phones that only work with certain wireless carriers and networks. This has been going on a long time. It is just how the industry works. Because there is lot’s of “buzz” over the Apple and the iPhone, this lawsuit will get lots of attention and may or may not hurt Apple’s sales of the iPhone.
In my opinion, Timothy Smith is just trying to make “noise”, go after Apple for whatever reason and perhaps to make some money. I bet he is hoping that Apple’s lawyers will opt to settle out of court for ‘x’ sum of money. I hope they do not. If Smith was smart, there are larger mobile phone players that he could go after too. But something tells me he is not that smart.
Also, I have no problem with the fact the Nokia 5300 only works with T-Mobile or the Ocean only works with Helio.
If you, as the consumer what that neat mobile gadget, you must be willing to go with the network or carrier that that neat gadget works with.
As a T-Mobile customer would I like to see the iPhone work with T-Mobile, sure that would be nice. But it does not and yes I know that you can “hack” the so that it will. Okay if I do get an iPhone and “hack” it to work with other networks, I should not have a tantrum that the “hack” breaks when Apple updates the software to better improve their product either.
In a perfect world it would be, pick your phone, pick any carrier and enjoy all the features that your new phone has — but today in this world, it is pick your phone, pick the carrier that the phone works with and enjoy all the features that your new phone has.
my phone is cooler anyway 😉