Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free phones.)

[Sam Kome]

> companies involved, the group that has the most to gain from OpenMoko
> are the endusers. Worse the powerusers, which are a bad deal for the
> networks anyway. I do compare plans, and I tend to use what I buy.)


I agree that users will benefit. I don't think most of them know it.
But to your point - there's a big upside for carriers.

Most of the bigger US carriers make incremental income by selling
'content' (music, apps, games) to their subscribers. They make quite a
bit of money with this.  

These carriers, _especially_ those most involved in creating walled
gardens (which indirectly implies most likely to lock)  will save money
and hasten to market value-added content by promoting open platforms.
The prevalence of tweaked software and crippled phones is detrimental to
content development: more developer hours on the front end, and more
testing on the back.  It's all slower and more expensive than it needs
to be.

Furthermore usability tests show that consumers are very often not
willing or able to learn and relearn the software quirks (some OS, some
app) that stand between them and that juicy game or application the
carrier's mobile storefront wants to sell.  So the expensive development
process creates poor conversion rates.  The carriers can do this math.


> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org
> [mailto:community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org] On Behalf Of Shawn
> Rutledge
> Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 12:51 PM
> To: community at lists.openmoko.org
> Subject: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free
> phones.)
> 
> SIMs are great - I don't like SIM-free phones like Verizon ones that
> require somebody at Verizon to switch the service to a different
> phone.  With GSM you just switch the SIM yourself.  Of course it would
> also be nice to be able to use different devices without having to
> physically switch the SIM (like use the GPRS connection in a laptop or
> PDA).  Anyway "SIM-free" is misleading as you are using it, because
> you are actually complaining about locked phones that will only work
> on one network.   And BTW it's not so hard to buy new unlocked phones
> on the net if you are willing to pay unsubsidized prices for them.
> 
> As for Jobs, I think he negotiated a lot of unique stuff that cannot
> typically be negotiated with a carrier.  It's too bad the phone still
> costs $500-600 even with a contract.  Makes me wonder what the real
> manufacturing cost is; is the hardware that super-duper or are they
> just wanting to have even better margins than they get on ipods?
> 
> On 2/26/07, Sam Kome <sam.kome at motricity.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > We should paper the world with (something like) this rant ahead of
the
> wide release of Neo1973.
> >
> > The fettered masses really don't get it yet.
> >
> >
> >
> > Covers 8 myths which drive folks to buy locked phones and/or 2yr
> contracts:
> >
> >
>
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Its_time_to_buy_SIM-free_ph
> ones.php
> >
> >
> >
> > "How would Apple fans react if the latest Mac computer was
exclusively
> locked to a particular ISP, was only available to people who live in
> that ISP's service area, and people had to sign up to a 2 year
contract
> with that ISP? The Apple fans would be mad as hell, so why on earth
are
> they having to put up with exactly the same restrictions on a
portable,
> pocket-sized Mac computer called the iPhone?"
> >
> >
> >
> > "How is it that Finland, a poorer, lower-density country without
phone
> contracts, and with a law banning locked phones, developed far better
> phone coverage than America, the land of locked phones and 2 year
> contracts?"
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sam Kome
> >  UX Team Member
> >
> >  www.motricity.com
> >  view corporate video
> >
> >
> >
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is
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> > _______________________________________________
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> > community at lists.openmoko.org
> > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
> >
> >
> >
> 
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