iPhone sucks in Europe.

[1991 318is]

Apple is eating it big time in Europe as far as iPhone's go. http://www.tgdaily.com/content/blogcategory/0/67/
Main reason is the number and features of the alternatives they have. Even worse there are high school kids in Japan with more sophisticated devices and way faster internet access. Why waffleswaffleswaffles's the US continue to suck from lack of tech innovations and internet access speed? We may come up with some good stuff but the Japanese have it in a product by the weekend.

[rwh11385]

One word: Carriers.

[2002maniac]

I agree. the quality of life in the US is really going to shit.

[Charlie]

The Japanese/Koreans, and to a lesser extent Europeans love shelling out 4-500 bucks every year for the "hot" new cellphone. These phones need the high end networks, and the immense amount of profit pushes that. The US on the other hand, seems to go for the el-cheapo 29.95 phones and holds on to them for as long as they can, usually at least 2-3 years. Carriers are slow to adopt the new infrastructure if no one wants to spend the money.

-Charlie

[Spiff325iS]

The US is behind in everything...Let's all move to japan and work at gas stations and start drift teams, then we can all battle each other on the down-hill.

[e30sd]

I disagree charlie, europe and asia have better implemeted wireless systems due to the relative short history of their telecommunication infrastructures. Since they didn't start with a vast established system of analog ancient technology, it was easier for them to pursue new wireless technologies and required less divestment of existing systems.

[rwh11385]

Charlie got a lot of the shit there, but there's more...

In the US, we have competing technologies. Not all phones are capable. We also lock them and make it hard to undo this (UK has rules that after 6 months the carrier must unlock the phone for you). Carriers control what is sold and will get great deals on the phones they want to be sold, and they have leverage over most of the phones sold. Phones that have features that compete with their services (iRadio-capable phones which would be competing with electronic download services) are not sold here. Minus of course the exception of the iPhone which had the power to have all ringtones downloaded from Apple, not AT&T.

In Europe, phones are compatible (GSM) and the carriers compete. Instead of carrier stores, there are a lot of stores that sell phones, then people get the service almost as an afterthought to the phone. People are attracted to the phones, so the features are much better over there... where we don't get the selection here. User's needs are respected more in EU than here where it is all about what the carriers want.

We could shell out $500 for a kickass phone unlocked from Amazon or ebay or wherever but the problem is most people are waiting every 2 years to get a free or $50 after contract phone from their carrier.

You can order a Samsung Black Carbon directly, but no one at any AT&T stores will know what you are talking about if you bring it in and need a battery (Same as a A217 or something).

Nokia is bringing flagship stores to the USA which make help to start changing how the industry works here, but it's going to be a long process since the carriers enjoy their stranglehold on the distribution.

[TwoJ's]

This is just out of complete curiosity, but why would a company like Apple sign with AT&T when they could just be universal like you just pointed out? Would AT&T refuse to support it if they wanted Verizon and Sprint as well?

[rwh11385]

This is just out of complete curiosity, but why would a company like Apple sign with AT&T when they could just be universal like you just pointed out? Would AT&T refuse to support it if they wanted Verizon and Sprint as well?

Distribution. And they do need service for their consumers, unless everyone just happened to be using one a GSM (AT&T or T-Mobile) service and bought a new phone at full retail to swap in. But people get discounts for signing a contract and Apple gets royalties for them being the only carrier for the iPhone.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/29/verizon-passed-up-apple-iphone-deal/

They also give us an idea of what exactly is behind the Apple / Cingular agreement: Apple wanted a percentage of monthly service fees, control over distribution that would limit iPhone sales to Apple and Verizon stores, and even some control over service and support for iPhone customers.

Apple doesn't want them being sold at Walmart or Best Buy.
And also don't want them to be a $29 device with 2 year contract.

And for this, for 5 years, they won't release a CDMA phone.

[stevofthahill]

The US is behind in everything...Let's all move to japan and work at gas stations and start drift teams, then we can all battle each other on the down-hill.

Oh hell yeah, touge runs ftw.

[golde30]

I disagree charlie, europe and asia have better implemeted wireless systems due to the relative short history of their telecommunication infrastructures. Since they didn't start with a vast established system of analog ancient technology, it was easier for them to pursue new wireless technologies and required less divestment of existing systems.

this is somewhat true. except in Japan, they did have all that analog crap, they are just more willing to dump the old shit, and implement the new stuff. the total area and amount of equiptment needed however, is alot smaller, being as how the entire country is about the size of california.

[T.Dot_E30]

Oh hell yeah, touge runs ftw.

Don't forget about the Akina downhill specialist.

[T.Dot_E30]

So wait 70,000 iPhones in 11 weeks from Germany means the iPhone sucks? It is the smallest market for the iPhone so far......but 70,000? Isnt that still alot?

Did anyone click the link and read the article?

[Ryan Stewart]

Apple is eating it big time in Europe as far as iPhone's go. http://www.tgdaily.com/content/blogcategory/0/67/
Main reason is the number and features of the alternatives they have. Even worse there are high school kids in Japan with more sophisticated devices and way faster internet access. Why waffleswaffleswaffles's the US continue to suck from lack of tech innovations and internet access speed? We may come up with some good stuff but the Japanese have it in a product by the weekend.

The iphone only sold here because of the logo, which doesnt count for shit abroad.

[CorvallisBMW]

The reason we don't have all the cool stuff everyone else does is because of the lack of competition. All the carriers here set their prices to super high amounts and don't bother to compete except on 'network features' like MyCircle or MyFaves or whatever the fuck....They all charge at least $30/mo for a barebones plan, and they all require contracts.
Not to mention we run several different kinds of networks (besides just GSM) which means every provider needs it's own towers all over the country. So we get stuck paying huge monthly bills because each carrier has to build their own towers. 5 times the number of towers = 5 times the cost. I'm hoping this will change with the FCC's sale of new broadcast spectrums later this year. If the carriers could move to one band (like GSM) and use one kind of broadband access, the price to consumers would plummet because they wouldn't have to all develop their own redundant/overlapping infrastructures.
Think about it this way: What if your Ford could only be driven on roads built by Ford? and your Chevy could only be driven on roads built by GM? It would be a complete catastrofuck. There would be redundant roads everywhere and cars would cost a fortune.