“Future users could compare the prices and features of competing carriers and service plans directly on their iPhone, bypassing the need to deal directly with service providers, a new Apple filing shows,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.
“The concept is detailed in a new patent application published this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled ‘Method and Apparatus for Using a Wireless Communication Device with Multiple Service Providers,'” Hughes reports. “Discovered by AppleInsider, the proposed invention would have a set of stores carrier service configuration profiles available on an iPhone.”
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Hughes reports, “Apple could help users find the carrier that is best for them by ranking the features and prices of service providers based on personal preferences.”
Much more in the full article here.
Wherever there is a monopoly or customers are locked in by contracts for years the tariff is always “whatever the market will bear” without any regard to cost of production. Wherever real competition flourishes prices are more in line with what it costs to provide the service. This is a huge development if it means true competition among wireless providers. It would mean the end of customer abuse and economic rape.
Will this for instance allow me to check that Verizon will charge $20 for tethering and AT&T will charge $20 for tethering? Which is the greater evil when they’re intent on ripping the bottom out of your ass?
Ripping the bottom out of your ass?
Is that like the baseball player who swung and knocked the ball out of the ball?
This really won’t help much in the US, as the market is served by four (soon to be three) colluding monopolists, out of which only two (soon to be one) are GSM.
However, elsewhere in the world, this service would be quite useful. Most countries have at least 3 truly competing GSM carriers, and it is always an effort to figure out which has the best offer. If Apple delivered this service/tool, it would make choosing a carrier much simpler.
True, but the US does seem to be standardizing around LTE, with Sprint inking that deal recently. With just a bit more regulation, it’s definitely feasible here.
Verizon and AT&T LTE phones will be incompatible
LTE isn’t a silver bullet for all that ails consumers in US telecom, sadly.
Their frequencies are different. It’s a non-issue to build a phone that supports both frequencies.
Both *sets* of frequencies. Much easier than building a phone that supports two completely different standards.
As much as I hate to see it, I don’t see this happening without some more regulation on the industry. Apple has made great strides in wresting control away from the carrier’s, but even they don’t have that much power (yet). See the MicroSIM debacle for reference (and yes, that even includes the much more regulated EU markets).
hate to say it*
Can someone explain to me why this needs to be patented? I must be an idiot cause I don’t see what’s so innovative here.
Your second statement is well put. It seems obvious to the rest of us. This is Apple protecting its ideas with patents. If this catches on, we users will benefit a lot with lower prices, better service and more competitive carriers. The carriers are fighting this and have threatened to pull their subsidies.
Once again, Apple is focused on user experience and the carriers are focused on the user’s wallets.
Ok, so I get to patent an idea to show you how to save money on buying dildos?
You want a long (24 inch), green (no, black) one with freaking huge ribs? No, then how about this one from company B. It is shorter, softer and acts like it has a nuclear reactor short going on.
I agree with Caveman…, this is like any other website that shows a product comparison chart or tool. In fact, I am in the process of buying a printer and many companies have them on their website. In other words, this is so easy even a Caveman could do it.:)
apple usually has a complete context for new creations, but sometimes reveals it a piece at a time. they may still be working on (hopefully) the open SIM standard and this would dovetail with that nicely. of course, when apple proposed the SIM concept the EU carriers threatened to remove or reduce subsidies as apple’s open SIM would undercut their “courting” i think they said, of customers (read: captives). in case someone thought about the customer need over the carrier need, this patent would be part of a system allowing customers more choices on carriers world wide.
You’re right, you’re an idiot. If you’ve used one click buying in iTunes you know what can be patented. Amazon has made billions on that patented process.
If this new concept works, Apple stands to make billions as well.
In order to see, you must look first.
Didn’t the EU nix this a while back?. Or the European carriers. Maybe that was the non removable sim.
oops, MrMcLargeHuge beat me to it.
As good an idea as the service might be, it’s amazing that the idea of a comparison tool could be patented.
I’m with mxnt41, pablorph, CavemanJohn and others. Where I live, there are three carriers offering GSM service. If I want to see who’s best for me, it’s a very simple task taking maybe 30 minutes. In order for the phone to show me, there must be cooperation from the carriers (else how will the phone stay up-to-date) and I doubt that will be forthcoming.
This patent application might be smokescreen for something else entirely. Or a rare example of Apple being silly.
Do you honestly think it’s going to be hard for Apple to find out the carriers rates and new changes and keep an iPhone App up to date?
The carriers are begging to carry Apple’s iPhone. I see no problem.
This would work even better if there were no carrier subsidies and no contracts. Transparency, I keep on hoping…