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AT&T Crippling BlackBerry for iPhone?
0xdeadbeef writes "BlackBerryCool got a tip that not only was AT&T removing GPS functionality from their version of the BlackBerry 8820, they're doing it so it won't show up the iPhone. While carriers crippling phones to stop them from competing with pay-per-use services is nothing new, this might be the first time they've done it to make their other products seem less diminished."
Someone may be jumping the gun here. Wouldn't an AT&T/Telenav deal make more sense than an Apple/AT&T deal here?
I am going to hold off before taking a blogger's word that this move is iPhone related in the least. Telenav is now the exclusive 3rd party GPS app for the AT&T offering... follow the money.
Regards.
I have to say that this seems normal behavior for any phone company the world over. I've never had the full features of any phone I've ever owned from many carriers in several countries.
It's what phone companies do. It's usually a question of finding the provider that sucks the least.
Although, in this case it seems a little back-to-front. I would guess that there may be users who end up with a Blackberry because they can't afford one, or their company prefers that system. I would seriously doubt there are many (non-corporation based) users who actually prefer a Blackberry now. Cost aside.
And, can I ask that maybe it's time to have a moratorium on iPhone stories. Yes, I think it's cool too -- but I am sick and tired reading of about it. The Firehose if clogged with iPhone stories. I want to read about something else now. Thanks.
Comon, this isn't just AT&T. My *Verizon* 8830 phone has been "crippled" for about 2 weeks before the iPhone came out.
I called Verizon and inquired why my phone doesn't have the GPS turned on, and after getting to some 'data expert', I was told that the reason is Blackberry won't turn over some API or something to allow Verizon to enable this.
Now, I doubt that's really the reason, but again - this isn't some AT&T and/or Apple stunt.
No, GSM is not universally the same. There are at least 3 GSM bands (frequencies escape me). North America has one, Europe another, and (I think) the Middle East has the third. My AT&T/Cingular GSM phone would not work in Europe.
Also, GSM does not prevent a phone company from crippling service. The company can still filter/block your data. Any node on the network can refuse to play fair.
I'm never one for government regulation, but in view of the very existence of these companies in this space being based on regulation (frequency band reservation), I wonder if we need new antitrust legislation for this, a situation that the original writers of antitrust law could not have readily envisioned or comprehended? It's sort of an inverse product tying and is definitely intended to decrease competition (for example, no one can offer a competing navigation product on this device even though it clearly has the capability).
Or perhaps we need to retroactively apply the Google points on open device access to existing as well as new bands? It can be done by Congress under the ethical directive of protecting the public commons. From a business standpoint, is a legitimate intervention when the existing leasholders of those commons are mismanaging it against the interest of overall economic activity and the public good.
Incorrect, most cellphone Chipsets have GPS built in, even my crappy old nextel candybar phone had a real gps you fire up the program and watch it try over the next 20 minutes to get a lock on 3 or more sattelites. while the magellan has a lock on 6 of them in 1.5 minutes and has another 4 at full strength. The phone's app shows 5 birds only at less than 50% strength. The 3 different models of blackberry I owned all did the same thing incredibly poor GPS signal reception and are typically only 6-8 channel GPS's as well. I never saw a hybrid type phone that would fake the GPS location from the cell tower id, but then I've only dealt with corperate cellphones like the blackberry, nextel and highend phones like the blackjack and other smartphones. But even the entry level $50.00 without a contract phones like the i315 that is popular with the gettho boost mobile crowd has a real GPS that simply cant even recieve a good signal in an open field from the GPS sattelites.
Even the GSM phone chipsets I have played with from resellers like sparkfun have incredibly bad quality GPS's on them. I had to buy a Gps signal strength preamp and wire it to a magnetic mount amplified GPS antenna to get them to get and keep a GPS lock in the one tracker I built. I went through 4 GM862 Evaluation Kit cellular+gps kits before I discovered that the gps performance was normal for cellphone chipsets.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
It seems as if none of the major carriers are willing to embrace the Blackberry line fully. Verizon, for instance, not only disabled the GPS, but also removed the OBEX Bluetooth profile (for one thing, you can't exchange phone books with in-car phone systems) and locked the SIM slot to work with Vodafone only - all measures I'm sure in some way in Verizon's corporate consciousness make sense to their bottom line. From the users' perspective, however, our bottom line is somewhat different. Some of us purchased the Blackberry 8830 precisely because we were told that it had a functional GPS. Some of the purchases were driven by the fact that this is much more of a business tool than a BREW-enabled plaything ("Get It Now"? Get real...) And some of us were convinced that this would truly be a world phone but came to find out that it's Vodafone's world or nothing (unless we want to cough up the balance of the full retail price for the phone, fill out some paperwork, and wait patiently for the SIM unlock code). One of my destinations, Costa Rica (where, by the way, I was told that the 8830 would work just fine), has a state-run monopoly whose name is not Vodafone. Unless I want to cough up another US$250 or so, I'm once again without phone while on international travel.
So, no, I don't really believe that AT&T crippled the Blackberry to make the iPhone look better. I believe they crippled the Blackberry because they're no more in touch with their users and their needs than any of the other major carriers and they're just after another buck and haven't figured out
Hmm, where I come from, the one making the claim is the one who should provide the evidence. Whoever has heard a prosecutor asking the jury to prove his case for him? In this case, Blackberrycool makes the claim, so they should provide the evidence that AT&T cripples the phone to benefit the iPhone. As the reader, we have every right to be skeptical.
But it's an insider info, you say. Fine, stay hidden if you must, but don't expect me to believe the report without a second source confirmation. I am with ushering05401 on this. AT&T/TeleNav deal as the cause makes a whole lot more sense than AT&T doing Apple a favor.
Spoken like someone who has never used an Iphone -the average person doesn't give a shit about exchange or Zimbra. -irc bitchx (not that the average person gives a rats ass about irc) Check! -ssh I'm using it now to change an icon on the home screen Check! -A filesystem that lets you save things Check! -a Rich email client that lets you send things from the filesystem check! - Custom ringtones check! mine is Wilco Can't stand it - a keyboard with out tactile feedback that isn't a bunch of small retarded keys Check! I much prefer the big touchscreen keys that change based on the app for convenience - built in browser rofl you can't be serious I'm surprised you mentioned that safari mobile owns my Blackberry's browser hands down. Most would agree web browsing is the iphones strongest feature besides wait an ipod!. It has a better web browsing interface/experience than any other phone I've ever used period. You got me on copy and paste! I'm sure it's coming in an update. It's not an issue tho if you are familiar with the iphone's interface.
I agree, but the problem is not the market - the problem is the average US consumer is too brand-oriented, and will happily pay out (and upgrade) again and again without thinking what s/he is buying and without shopping around. These people allow monopolies to develop by not playing their part in the market. I used to think it's an excess of disposable income, but after seeing the iPhone phenomenon, I changed my mind.
Here in Europe there's no stigma about not buying brands. We'll buy what works well enough for the least money, which is why you'll see way fewer Apple products, not to mention the other "major" brands.
Of course we're still locked into MS like everyone else, but Eastern Europe is famous for it's pirate "industry" which provides competition, driving down prices. It's interesting to note that Windows is generally cheaper to buy anywhere in the world you can get a cheap copy.