AT&T crippling BlackBerry to appease Apple?
updated 02:25 pm EDT, Thu August 16, 2007
ATT Crippling BB 8820
AT&T's upcoming version of the BlackBerry 8820 smartphone will be deliberately stripped of its full GPS features for the sake of promoting the iPhone, according to a report from an insider within the cellphone carrier. Although Research in Motion's handset would technically be capable of supporting any compatible GPS software, AT&T has reportedly forced the cellphone maker to limit its mapping on AT&T to the subscription TeleNav service in an attempt to make the iPhone's Google Maps feature and the device as a whole more appealing to customers. The carrier allegedly threatened to drop BlackBerries entirely from its network when RIM protested the limitation, according to the source.
The purported insider would not pinpoint whether the feature block was an attempt by Apple to downplay the features of iPhone competitors or an AT&T maneuver to strengthen its multi-year agreement with Apple. However, the move would be unusual for the carrier as it typically encourages the adoption of BlackBerry phones for business customers and only sees a small amount of income from TeleNav's service, which is available at $6 per month for GPS use during ten trips and $10 for unlimited trips. The 8820 includes no camera and is generally considered at odds with Apple's phone, which focuses largely on media playback and other personal uses.
AT&T is set to launch the BlackBerry 8820 during September and will also be challenged by a version soon afterwards from its immediate rival T-Mobile, which is said to be shipping RIM's device without the same GPS limitation. Pricing is unknown but should be comparable to the current 8800, which sells for $300 with a two-year contract versus the $500 of Apple's 4GB iPhone.
Something else
08/16, 03:22pm reply
Perhaps Cingular should let people tether to the network from a laptop via iPhone, that would get me in.
sailin74
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Joined: Aug 2002
real news
08/16, 03:22pm reply
Does anyone do real research and report actual news anymore? Like most news stories, this is full of rumor and guessing.
"The carrier allegedly threatened to drop BlackBerries entirely from its network when RIM protested the limitation, according to the source. The purported insider would not pinpoint ...."
What source? The purported insider?
I have to wonder if there are any real reporters left in the world anymore. I suspect everyone just sits at their computers writing up stories based on the emails they receive.
There was something better about the world when I got my news once a day from a newspaper or the one news broadcast at night. Or my computer news from the weekly Macweek. Anyone remember that? The printed version that is.
Ok, sorry for the off-topic rant.
simdude
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Joined: Jun 2004
I like this
08/16, 03:50pm reply
I like the idea of 'secure' USB keys, but the software for them always sucks and/or is Windows-only. This is a cool solution.
phillymjs
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Joined: Jun 2000
merit and speculation
08/16, 05:24pm reply
This is pure speculation. There seems to be no evidence to back up any of these claims...
If by some chance there is any truth here at all, I would be disappointed in ATT and/or Apple. The iPhone should be able to sell on it's own merit, and does not need to be propped up by crippling the competition.
That's the kind of BS that MS would do. So ATT, Apple, if you get any ideas of pulling a bonehead stunt like that, let it be known that it's underhanded, wrong, inappropriate, and I disapprove. And when I disapprove, I disapprove with my wallet.
mytdave
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Joined: Aug 2000
this is beginning...
08/16, 05:36pm reply
to look like Faux News over here.
Herod
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Joined: Jun 2007
What's More likely....?
08/16, 05:39pm reply
Guys, turn this on its head and you get a completely different take on the SAME raw data. Why on GOD'S GREEN EARTH doesn't iPhone have a GPS? No reason, except that AT&T wanted Apple to not put one in, if they weren't going to use any AT&T services. Apple went out of its way to block the iPhone from supporting for any AT&T specific services (a move towards making sure the product operated similarly across providers). If AT&T allowed Blackberry to have GPS and iPhone could NOT, then if I was Apple, I'd also complain as well. In order to skirt the complaint, AT&T just opts to force Blackberry into the same bucket. Simple way to quiet Apple down. If you want to read that as APPLE limiting the Blackberry, go ahead, but I think its a bad read. If Apple chose to NOT have a GPS for its own reasons, it'd be silly to somehow try to get AT&T to limit support for its existing brands. This smells like its ALL about AT&T's agenda, not Apple.
Cleverboy
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Joined: Apr 2007
Do Not Tilt (Kaiser)
08/16, 07:20pm reply
This BETTER NOT affect the upcoming AT&T Tilt (HTC Kaiser) release! Damn you iPhone!!! pAg
Guest
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Joined: Nov 1999
interesting
08/16, 08:07pm reply
With Samsung's integral stance in the flash memory market, I'm surprised they don't have a 16 or 32GB flash memory model. That little device is beautiful, and I hope it doesn't get crippled by memory limitations just to make it .26" thin.
gitcypher
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Joined: Jul 2007
no worries
08/16, 09:26pm reply
I never get lost anyway. ;)
Neil Anderson
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Joined: Jul 2007
Tethering
08/16, 10:37pm reply
sailin74,
You can tether with an iPhone:
http://www.schwie.com/brad/?p=40
schwie
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Joined: Aug 2006