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Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

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Re: Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

#171

Post by gcb4 »

caw wrote: post #148
rconti wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

shrug Just paid $750 for an iPhone 6, unlocked. The alternative was renting it from my carrier for a similar amount, divided into 24 months, and being handcuffed to them for unlocks and the like. By using BYOD pricing on my ATT plan, I pay less every month than I would on a subsidy. Yeah, I'm not everyone , but arguing that "most people" won't do what I did is kind of missing the point-- they already DO pay that much…

You have to realize that it really wasn't until recently that you could do BYOD on the networks. They wouldn't give you a discount at all for owning the device outright, even at the end of the 2 year contract. There was no benefit to having paid $750 for a phone, except if you really really wanted that particular phone. The best math then was to upgrade to a new phone as soon as your contract ended. Otherwise, you we…

even when i was on the old unlimited-only-in-name from att which was the same price with a subsided device or not, having my own device still allowed me to: - avoid crazy fees out of nowhere for canceling (wife had one refurbished $99 note ii. when canceling had to pay almost $200 on top of the values in the contract) - be able to use own device overseas. - not have sleazy device protection insurance BS added every month and you having to call in to cancel

Re: Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

#172

Post by gcb4 »

gcb0 wrote: post #4

that probably overrides/ignores the SIM card and use hardcoded GSM ids from the device. as if it has a sim slot plus 3 hardcoded sim, that you can select which one to use on software. so i doubt you will be able to activate those hardcoded sims with any plan that easily. i doubt you will even be able to activate it without apple help. but of course, im just guessing. have no idea if that is the case.

and correct you are. see this comment that links to the patent https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8468692

so apple is trying to take over the throne from the operators.

Re: Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

#173

Post by xg15 »

adventured wrote: post #133
kalleboo wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Any piece of hardware which is replaced by software is a win for consumers. Replacing physical books and optical media with online DRM was a huge loss for consumers. Being able to remotely revoke the right to use something you bought is incredibly onerous. > However that's a big step beyond a carrier locked phone at the hardware level like it used to be "like it used to be"? Unlocked phones have always been easily…

Whether it's a loss or win is dependent on the consumer's preferences, not your opinion. Consumer votes so far say that you're wrong, very wrong in fact. Consumers on average are having no problems with Amazon DRM. It's a huge win for me. I will trade the DRM from Amazon in exchange for the hyper convenience, built-in lighting, and numerous other features of a kindle reader that holds hundreds of books, so that when…

...until Amazon decides that it doesn't like the publisher of the book you're reading.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18ama...

Re: Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

#175

Post by sanderjd »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #145
sanderjd wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Step 2 is converting to phones that don't cost $750! There are some great phones for less than $300 unsubsidized nowadays.

One thing I learned is that there are things in life you shouldn't be cheap about, and one of them is most definitely a smartphone. You're buying a device you'll be using every day, likely pulling it up for few seconds every little while. You definitely don't want to have a smartphone that looks like crap, hangs up all the time and in the end won't let you do half of the things it was supposed to do. This would be in…

I completely agree with you. My point is that, in 2014, $750 is way more than twice as much as it costs to get a phone that exhibits exactly zero of the problems you describe. In fact, that has been true since at least 2012, when I bought the Nexus 4 that I'm still using.

So I agree, shell out for some decent tech, it's totally worth the money, but be excited that it only costs a couple hundred bucks to do so!

Re: Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

#176

Post by runamok »

sanderjd wrote: post #102
colinbartlett wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've converted at least a dozen friends and family members to this route just by showing them with simple math how much I save. I think it's very slowly catching on how bad a deal it is to rent your phone on contract.

Step 2 is converting to phones that don't cost $750! There are some great phones for less than $300 unsubsidized nowadays.

I'm all ears! Can you suggest some? I was thinking of grabbing the Nexus 5 for $350 or $400...

Re: Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

#177

Post by vidarh »

gsnedders wrote: post #143
vidarh wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "subsidies" are not truly subsidies, they are built into the contract prices. At least in the EU every operator offers SIM-only contracts (though they may or may not advertise them), because not doing so would be a clear and blatant violation of EU anti-tying regulations, and they are always cheaper. To the extent you are getting a real subsidy, it will be if the carrier decides to forgo margins on the device.

> …and they are always cheaper. This isn't always true, though it's typically only not true when operators are throwing ridiculous offers at people who are trying to leave them. Similarly, I got phone a few years back at a ridiculous student-only deal. Both cases ended up with me paying about £200 more over the whole contract than I would've with SIM-only contracts, and both got me phones that retail for more than do…

For any bundle they are offering they should have a non-zero cost in acquiring the phone, in which case they'd have a very hard time to justify not letting you sign up to an unbundled agreement where at the very least the cost of the phone is removed. They'd almost certainly be breaking the law if they do (of course that doesn't necessary mean they aren't doing it though)

Re: Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

#178

Post by TeMPOraL »

sanderjd wrote: post #175
TeMPOraL wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing I learned is that there are things in life you shouldn't be cheap about, and one of them is most definitely a smartphone. You're buying a device you'll be using every day, likely pulling it up for few seconds every little while. You definitely don't want to have a smartphone that looks like crap, hangs up all the time and in the end won't let you do half of the things it was supposed to do. This would be in…

I completely agree with you. My point is that, in 2014, $750 is way more than twice as much as it costs to get a phone that exhibits exactly zero of the problems you describe. In fact, that has been true since at least 2012, when I bought the Nexus 4 that I'm still using. So I agree, shell out for some decent tech, it's totally worth the money, but be excited that it only costs a couple hundred bucks to do so!

I agree. I'm used to european prices and also haven't consider that Nexus phones are actually quite cheap. I bought my current phone (S4) over a year ago for around $650.

I'm going to stick to buying high-end phones now and yes, I'm excited to learn it's not as expensive as I thought anymore :).

Re: Apple Built A SIM Card That Lets You Switch Between AT&T, Sprint, And T-Mobile

#179

Post by nknighthb »

kalleboo wrote: post #130
nknighthb wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is effectively saying that the very GSM standard you cited is impossible. Particularly in light of close regulatory scrutiny in Europe, that seems unlikely.

The GSM standard was possible in 1981 when it was designed by a handful of public telecoms and regulators in Europe who had consumer protection and intra-european competition as a stated goal. The new standard will be designed by corporate behemoths who's goal is lock-in and a competitive advantage (not just Apple and Google but companies like AT&T and Vodafone who want to kill MVNOs).

As I said, European regulators -- both telecom and competition -- would not look kindly on such an outcome. In the US, the FCC is also unlikely to like it, nor will courts.

You're basically saying that the outcome of a new standards process will be obviously illegal.

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