MacDailyNews Take: Most soldiers, like most civilians, will choose iPhone over a pale imitation:
• Google’s Android nightmare: More than half of all Verizon subscribers want an Apple iPhone – August 16, 2010
• Survey shows significant number of Verizon customers covet Apple iPhones – May 24, 2010
• Survey: Verizon customers suffer from iPhone jealousy – May 10, 2010
• ChangeWave: Majority of Verizon customers want iPhones – May 05, 2010
Gould and Hoffman report, “To most soldiers, it sounds almost too good to be true, but it’s real, said Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC). He said the Army would issue these smartphones just like any other piece of equipment a soldier receives. ‘One of the options potentially is to make it a piece of equipment in a soldier’s clothing bag,’ Vane said.”
“In February, the Army plans to begin fielding phones, network equipment and applications to the first Army brigade to be modernized under the brigade combat team modernization program. That test will not be limited to smart phones but will include any electronic devices that may be useful to troops,” Gould and Hoffman report. “‘We’re looking at everything from iPads to Kindles to Nook readers to mini-projectors,’ said Mike McCarthy, director of the mission command complex of Future Force Integration Directorate at Fort Bliss.”
Gould and Hoffman report, “The Army plans to roll out wireless Common Access Card readers for the iPhone in January and for Android phones in April. This would give soldiers secure access to their e-mail, contacts and calendars.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Boom!!!
2011 another record year for Apple- the floodgates have opened.
That’d be great!
But most of what is on the Army Knowledge Online website iseems married to Internet Explorer and Windows, certainly you can’t do any forms from a Mac yet.
I’ll believe it when I get issued any device.
Are they going to have a Apple store close by so they can replace the broken glass like daily?
No kiddin’…….??
Will they soldier proof the iPhone first?
Will they come with a digital camo case? And of course the new BDUs will need a special pocket for one.
I hope that Google Latitude is secure from enemy hands!
FaceTime interrogations with translators at the CIA in the USA, take a picture where you are and the GPS 3D map pops up highlighting the enemy’s locations, iPhone views the streaming surveillance from the remote robotic drone, … there is an app for that!
We jest, but this is amazing. The Army frees itself from the maze and nightmare of the PBX system on every base. No reassignment of phone numbers/ contact info every time a soldier changes assignments. You’re in the Army now, connected 24/7. Wonder who the low bidder will be? Sprint? T-Mobile?
Yeah, who is going to be the carrier? I don’t think this could work if it was solely ATT in US.
This is a stupid idea.
Another piece of gear for soldiers to keep up with, another piece of gear that could potentially fall into enemy hands, and another way for the military to pay for something else with tax-payer dollars.
If soldiers want / need an iPhone, they can / will find a way to pay for it themselves.
Before you start flaming, understand that I am a DoD contract civilian stationed in Germany and that I work with soldiers every day.
They also think that this is a ridiculous idea and that it’s not gonna happen.
MaWo: ‘less’. As in, “… is more.”
Fred Mertz works for the CIA
So, if the enemy capture you, can they use Find my iPhone to rescue you?
So, when is Apple building a factory on US soil so that we aren’t producing critical military equipment in Communist China?
Somehow I struggle to believe this although I hope it is true. The army will want to alter the phone so that it can take a beating…Jonathan Ives will presumably disagree with that.
Imagine…soldiers will only be allowed to cary Celine Dion music so when captured, it will ironically torture their captors.
Where do I sign enlist.
My first target … Assaunge’s raping face.
So… all android screens are unbreakable? Fantastic news.
Maybe an iPhone or iPad will be *accidentally* lost to the enemy. And with Find My iPhone, maybe we will finally find Osama bin Laden.
Fred Mertz works for WikiLeaks
“Another piece of gear for soldiers to keep up with, another piece of gear that could potentially fall into enemy hands”
Maybe not so dumb after all.
Enemy soldier “finds lost iPhone”. Takes it to his commander. Commander thinks it’s pretty cool walking around with an iPhone. Forgot about find my iPhone. Hears drone overhead. Oops
This may have ties to the DoD article posted earlier about wanting more access to apple and googles OS codes…
As far as a case for them, odds are if it is true they would assign them with cases like the otter box etc. Tough cases for the phones.
I saw a 3G iPhone otterbox case that got ran over by a truck… Case shot, iPhone not a scratch.
Apple is going to need to create a ruggedized version and they are going to have to come to some sort of arrangement with the government about the security protocols.
New recruits will have to use an app called “In-Your-Face Time”.
@Tommy Boy
that’s right. Another mission-critical weapon will come from our ally during the Korean, Vietnam and Iraq wars. They’ll make sure we’ll get what’s coming to us like they’ve tried before. Something has to be done about US manufacturing. Unfortunately, our current leaders are the wrong people.
@Tommy Boy
that’s right. Another mission-critical weapon will come from our ally during the Korean, Vietnam and Iraq wars. They’ll make sure we’ll get what’s coming to us like they’ve tried before. Something has to be done about US manufacturing. Unfortunately, our current leaders are the wrong people.