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On The iPhone Upgrade Plans

// June 11th, 2009 // 6 Comments » // Mobile, stupid

So, Apple announced a new iPhone the other day, and everyone got excited. That is, they were excited until AT&T and O2 revealed their pricing plans for existing iPhone lovers to get their new upgrade. Apparently, heaven forbid, both carriers plan to <gasp> require that consumers complete their current contract before they will be eligible for discounted pricing on this new phone.

For those of you who think that AT&T and O2 are being evil, let me explain something to you, as someone who has been in and around the mobile industry for nearly 10 years. There are 2 prices for every phone sold through a carrier. There’s the subsidized price, and the full-retail price. The subsidized price is usually a few hundred dollars cheaper, and requires that you sign a contract, usually stating that you’ll maintain active service with the carrier for 2 years (though some are one year, others are 3). The full retail price does not require the contract – you buy the phone, just as you would buy a computer or a home stereo system.

So, when you bought, for instance, your iPhone 3G, you only had to pay $200 (instead of the ~$600 no-contract price) because you promised AT&T that you would pay at least $70/month (for the iPhone Plan) for 24 months. If you read carefully, that’s about all the contract really requires – it doesn’t promise any specific level of service from AT&T, unfortunately.

So….you got the iPhone 3G for a hefty discount because you signed a 2-year contract. If you cancel that contract early, you rightfully have to pay an ETF, which stands for Early Termination Fee, of $175. This is also spelled out explicitly in the contract that you signed, but didn’t bother to read. As such, you cannot reasonably expect to now, a mere 12 months or less into your 24-month contract, get ANOTHER new phone, discounted. This is because you still have 12 months or so on the contract you’re already in.

It doesn’t matter how cool the new iPhone 3G S might be, or what snookery AT&T or O2 have done in the past for you – the contract is clearly spelled out, and you voluntarily signed it. You’re legally stuck with it. Complaining or petitioning is silly. Next time, perhaps you’ll more carefully read a contract before you sign it.

Edit: fixed the price of the monthly plan (not that it really matters for the sake of this post, but for accuracy, anyways). There’s some confusion as to whether the iPhone 3G plans were in effect before or after AT&T initiated its pro-rated ETF. Again, it doesn’t really matter for the purposes of this post, but whatever.

On The iPhone Upgrade Plans

// June 11th, 2009 // 6 Comments » // Mobile, stupid

So, Apple announced a new iPhone the other day, and everyone got excited. That is, they were excited until AT&T and O2 revealed their pricing plans for existing iPhone lovers to get their new upgrade. Apparently, heaven forbid, both carriers plan to <gasp> require that consumers complete their current contract before they will be eligible for discounted pricing on this new phone.

For those of you who think that AT&T and O2 are being evil, let me explain something to you, as someone who has been in and around the mobile industry for nearly 10 years. There are 2 prices for every phone sold through a carrier. There’s the subsidized price, and the full-retail price. The subsidized price is usually a few hundred dollars cheaper, and requires that you sign a contract, usually stating that you’ll maintain active service with the carrier for 2 years (though some are one year, others are 3). The full retail price does not require the contract – you buy the phone, just as you would buy a computer or a home stereo system.

So, when you bought, for instance, your iPhone 3G, you only had to pay $200 (instead of the ~$600 no-contract price) because you promised AT&T that you would pay at least $70/month (for the iPhone Plan) for 24 months. If you read carefully, that’s about all the contract really requires – it doesn’t promise any specific level of service from AT&T, unfortunately.

So….you got the iPhone 3G for a hefty discount because you signed a 2-year contract. If you cancel that contract early, you rightfully have to pay an ETF, which stands for Early Termination Fee, of $175. This is also spelled out explicitly in the contract that you signed, but didn’t bother to read. As such, you cannot reasonably expect to now, a mere 12 months or less into your 24-month contract, get ANOTHER new phone, discounted. This is because you still have 12 months or so on the contract you’re already in.

It doesn’t matter how cool the new iPhone 3G S might be, or what snookery AT&T or O2 have done in the past for you – the contract is clearly spelled out, and you voluntarily signed it. You’re legally stuck with it. Complaining or petitioning is silly. Next time, perhaps you’ll more carefully read a contract before you sign it.

Edit: fixed the price of the monthly plan (not that it really matters for the sake of this post, but for accuracy, anyways). There’s some confusion as to whether the iPhone 3G plans were in effect before or after AT&T initiated its pro-rated ETF. Again, it doesn’t really matter for the purposes of this post, but whatever.

Boingo Knows Good PR

// May 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // cool, marketing

A few weeks ago, the Sling Player for iPhone was released through the App Store, though unfortunately users quickly discovered that it was barred from using the 3G cellular connection – only WiFi. Obvious iPhone-bashing opportunity aside (I used Sling on my unbranded phones over 3G with zero issues), that just plain sucks for iPhone users. So what does Boingo have to do with it?

Their PR folks took a bad situation and turned it into an awesome PR opportunity by offering iPhone owners one free month of their unlimited smartphone WiFi plan – a $7.95 value. Yes, I’m aware that Boingo already offered a free month, but they went to the effort to publicise this for iPhone/Slingbox owners.

AT&T already offers iPhone owners free WiFi on their WiFi Hotspot network, but Boingo adds a whole slough of connection options. I’ve used Boingo several times when traveling, and would highly recommend it if you’re a frequent traveler, specifically through airports. It’s a great feeling to be able to turn your laptop on and see that friendly ‘A Boingo Network is Available’ box pop up and know you’re connected.

If you’re an iPhone/Slingbox owner, you can get the hookup here . If you’re not, but are interested in checking out Boingo, you can of course use the same link. Props to Boingo for making themselves relevant as problem solvers for an otherwise unrelated problem.

Boingo Knows Good PR

// May 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // cool, marketing

A few weeks ago, the Sling Player for iPhone was released through the App Store, though unfortunately users quickly discovered that it was barred from using the 3G cellular connection – only WiFi. Obvious iPhone-bashing opportunity aside (I used Sling on my unbranded phones over 3G with zero issues), that just plain sucks for iPhone users. So what does Boingo have to do with it?

Their PR folks took a bad situation and turned it into an awesome PR opportunity by offering iPhone owners one free month of their unlimited smartphone WiFi plan – a $7.95 value. Yes, I’m aware that Boingo already offered a free month, but they went to the effort to publicise this for iPhone/Slingbox owners.

AT&T already offers iPhone owners free WiFi on their WiFi Hotspot network, but Boingo adds a whole slough of connection options. I’ve used Boingo several times when traveling, and would highly recommend it if you’re a frequent traveler, specifically through airports. It’s a great feeling to be able to turn your laptop on and see that friendly ‘A Boingo Network is Available’ box pop up and know you’re connected.

If you’re an iPhone/Slingbox owner, you can get the hookup here . If you’re not, but are interested in checking out Boingo, you can of course use the same link. Props to Boingo for making themselves relevant as problem solvers for an otherwise unrelated problem.

Rise Of The Netbook

// January 9th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // cool, Mobile

When netbooks first started coming out, I thought they were pretty dumb. I mean, who would want to spend $500 on an underpowered, little bitty laptop, when you can get a decently-powered regular laptop with a bigger monitor for roughly the same price?

I would, that’s who. Granted, I don’t necessarily have a ‘netbook’ (the Fujitsu P1610 retails for a bit more than $500), but I got a phenomenal deal on it. For most consumers, like my wife, my parents, and some of my friends, as long as their computer runs Firefox (or, shudder, Internet Explorer), and maybe iTunes, they’re good to go. That’s where netbooks are strong. They’re small, which means they’re great for folks who don’t really have a computer desk, but rather use their laptop on the couch, in bed, or on the back patio. They’re also extremely lightweight, which makes them great for travelling.

The biggest opportunity with netbooks, though, is that they’re cheap. Starting at $350 and going up from there, you can pick up a netbook for cheaper than even a cell phone in some cases. While all netbooks currently feature built-in WiFi, alot have Bluetooth or a USB port, which makes them great for tethering to a cell phone for connectivity. A new craze that will no doubt pick up speed in 2009 is bundling netbooks with a 3G modem, either built-in or USB, and selling these cheap laptops with a 2-year contract.

AT&T is already doing this, both with the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and the Acer Aspire One. Both netbooks are $100 with a 2-year AT&T contract, which is pretty good. Unfortunately, AT&T is sticking with its $60/mo LaptopConnect plan, which is going to price these things out of most consumers’ hands. Still, the potential is there, and if AT&T can drop that monthly rate plan down to $30 with some intelligent WiFi-roaming software, netbooks could be a big business opportunity.

Another cool thing with the netbooks comes from the developer community, specifically if you’re not a huge fan of Windows. Currently, both the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and the MSI Wind are rated as the easiest to put OSX on – that’s right, Apple won’t deliver on a netbook, but it’s now possible – and increasingly easy – to put OSX on whatever laptop you want. With a $350 Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and OSX, you could potentially have a killer-cheap way to introduce someone – or yourself – to Apple’s experience.

I’ve typed this entire post on my netbook, laying on my couch, listning to music. It’s pretty phenomenal to see something so cheap changing the face of computing. Are you already looking at a netbook? There’s tons of things to consider, including screen size (most are either 8.9″ or 10″), hard drive size (anywhere from 6GB to 160GB), and what operating system you intend to use.

Currently on my P1610, I’m dual-booting Windows XP TabletPC edition and the new Windows 7 beta (Windows 7 boots and runs faster).

Sacrifice For The Relationship

// November 14th, 2008 // No Comments » // annoying, marketing, Mobile, stupid

I’m an S60 fanboy, and I don’t have a problem admitting it. I’m rather proud of it, really. To be fair, I’ve used every other smartphone operating system on the market, save for Android. I’ve used a Palm, several Windows Mobile, and even a BlackBerry and the iPhone (which isn’t really a smartphone, imo, but that’s another can of worms). Think about those other operating systems, though. Picture them in your head……think about whatever experience you’ve had with one of them.

Now, save that and study the image in your head. Chances are, there’s a distinct image. With WinMo, it’s likely that little flag thingy, and if it’s a Palm, you’re likely seeing a big orange circle. Android brings that cute little robot/alien thing to mind, and the iPhone looks like…well….an iPhone.

So what about S60? What is there that’s ‘familiar’ about S60, that you can bring to your mind when you think about it? Not much, is the truth, specifically if you’re in the U.S. Is that cause there’s no S60 on the market (read = offered through a carrier) here? Probably. However, the last few S60-powered phones to hit AT&T, you probably wouldn’t realize they ran S60 anyways.

Nokia/S60 has a problem with AT&T, and have been succumbing to the carrier for a few years now. I’ve owned the E62, N75, and now the 6650, the last three S60-powered cell phones offered through AT&T. What’s annoying and frustrating to me is that these phones don’t really resemble my unbranded S60-powered smartphones much, visually.

For instance, on the 6650, the Nokia Download! app is nowhere to be found – it’s been removed completely, along with the convenient Switch application that makes it easy to swap between phones. Not only that, but most of the icons in the menu have been changed, and there’s no option to change them back. This 6650 has no less than 10 applications preinstalled that I, as the user, cannot uninstall.

One feature that I rather like about S60 is the ability to reorganize the main menu as I see fit. I have a very specific layout that I like to use, to keep things in the same place on all my phones. Unfortunately, AT&T coerced Nokia into allowing them to hardwire certain applications not only to the main menu, but in the exact position on the main menu.

How frustrating! And how is S60 supposed to grow its market share in the U.S. if it keeps allowing others to overtake it, and coerce it to do things that it’s not designed to do, such as limit the user? How is S60, and soon, Nokia, supposed to build recognition and brand loyalty if they don’t stand their ground on the very features that make them stand out?

Am I the only one that sees a major identity crisis here, with S60?

Mobile Phone Companies Are Getting Smarter

// July 11th, 2008 // No Comments » // marketing, Mobile

Now, don’t close out yet, hear me out. I’ve noticed that two mobile-related companies are actually getting smarter, and taking advantage of things that typically only gadget freaks see and care about. I present two instances, Nokia’s FaceTheTask.com minisite, and AT&T’s iPhone 3G unboxing video.

Starting with Nokia, we have the FaceTheTask.com minisite, which outlines a set of 96 limited edition N96 handsets that come in a specially designed numbered box, with a few little extras. The site is positioned in two lights – one, as a charity, where a ‘donation’ of EUR759 (US$1,194) gets you an N96, with the proceeds going to, obviously, the WWF (World Wildlife Foundation, not the wrestlers). The other light is much less honorable.

It’s common knowledge that high-end and hot cell phones usually hit the ‘grey’ online market a few months before they’re widely offered, and that early adopters are not against paying a few hundred dollars extra, just for the privilege of being the first. I myself did this with the Nokia 6620 several years ago, proudly proclaiming to be one of the first 3 people on HowardForums to have the cell phone. The FaceTheTask.com site lets you know that these 96 limited edition N96s will ship out to the ‘charitable’ among us before standard shipments go out, promising the recipients that early adopter status.

Great idea, but there’s a catch – you only get yours when they’ve started shipping to your country. That means that I, in the U.S., would very likely get mine about 6 months after those guys in Europe got theirs – no thanks. However, it’s a definite nice try by Nokia to do some good work and get the fanboys their phones asap.

Up next is AT&T, who’ve craftily put together an iPhone 3G unboxing video. While theirs is obviously one of the most complete ones on the net, it’s not quite there, and it’s very obvious that it’s the first time the company has done such a feat. If you’re not a geek, an ‘unboxing’ is just that – you record the act of unpacking your new gadget either in photos or video, and post it on the ‘net for all the world to admire. They’re silly, but completely necessary, at the same time.

The benefit to AT&T is the hype and recognition. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but kudos.

Text Voting Is A Dead-End

// March 4th, 2008 // No Comments » // marketing, Mobile

I’m sitting here vaguely paying attention to American Idol and I’m amazed that they’re STILL using SMS voting (though they do have a phone option for non-AT&T subscribers). The more I think about this, the more I have realized what a poor medium SMS is in a situation like this. You have people who are absolutely GLUED to an event, and you’re offering them interaction in a way that totally appeals to them. However, the problem is that AT&T is only asking for a quick interaction that AT MOST nets them $.20 per person. They must not have very high hopes.

Why isn’t the voting done via a mobile website? Upon loading, there could be a drop-down list or some other method for casting your vote, but why does the interaction need to end there? Why not have a mobile website where visitors can learn more about the person they just voted for? Why not links to download the original track, as well as the ringtone version that’s invariably created?

Why hasn’t TapTu been tapped (unintentional) to provide music-related search? Why isn’t there an entire mobile portal? Instead of thinking outside the box, AT&T has simply settled for a ~2 min interaction with viewers, when they easily could have captured someone’s attention for at the least 5 min?