Hear me out on this. A while back there was this post on GigaOm looking at how Mobile Phone Carriers are killing innovation in the Mobile Industry. Here’s another on FoxNews.com which briefly touches on WiFi in phones. This is a huge problem, and it’s only going to get bigger.
What sparked this post? A conversation with Darla regarding some news that I received. I know that the Nokia E62 has been removed from the Nokia Software Updater application, which offers free firmware upgrades to device owners, that they can perform at home. One of the most popular posts on this site was regarding the Cingular branded Nokia E62 and how to remove the branding.
Why would you want to remove the branding?
Because for one, it made java applications such as Opera Mini and Google Maps Mobile
completely useless. Because the applications are not signed with
Cingular’s developer certificate, they must request permission to
access the internet EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY NEED TO, meaning you would
never actually be able to use the application. Cingular has implemented
this limitation on other devices, as well, in the past.
Well, I got word yesterday that Cingular has requested that the
recently released Nokia N75 – the first (and probably only) US 3G S60
device – NOT be listed in the Nokia Software Updater
application at all. Why? What harm does it do? This is another example
of Cingular stifling the S60 experience. They already delayed the phone
6 whole months due to testing and compatibility requests, including the
report of a request to load up AT&T’s new "Remington" UI, which is
supposed to take over the whole phone, similar to how Verizon replaces
their devices’ ENTIRE UI with their own.
Every other S60 device announced in the last 8 months has been
available nearly exactly when they were planned, according to the Press
Releases. That tells me something. So why is Cingular doing all this?
They can brand phones without crippling them, look at all the other
Carriers in the world? And why does Verizon load up their own
proprietary UI, so that every single phone functions exactly the same.
More importantly, why in the world are the Carriers even in the
phones market? Do you buy your landline phone from AT&T? Do you buy
your TV from the cable company? NO. You get the device that you want
and then you get the service for it separately, as it should be.
This is one reason that alot of the mobile phone industry is looking
forward to the iPhone being released. Yes, they’re excited for it. Why?
As many other bloggers have said as well, if you’re spending that kind
of dough on anything, you’re going to shop around. So when you start
looking at the other mobiles that you can get for ~$500 WITHOUT a
contract, people’s eyes are going to be opened up.
But it’s going to take more than just that. This is a KILLER
opportunity for Nokia, Motorola, and the rest to start a HEAVY
advertising blitz. Educate consumers on how easy it is to just pop your
SIM card into whatever phone you want. Educate them on how much better
it is to function without your carrier holding your hand the entire
time. This is a unique opportunity, and I desperately hope that the
manufacturers take notice and take action. There’s still time.
What kills me about this request is that once these devices are sold, they don’t belong to Cingular. They belong to the consumer. I really despise it when companies do this crap. It is now my property, you’re just the freaking carrier… If I want to change my software, thats between the manufacturer and I.
A curse on you AT&T…
As I just bitched to Darla about myself, I love the fact that Cingular refuses to list S60 devices as smartphones … the n75 is under the ‘flip phone’ category.
Yeah, way to market them well.
-olly
we don’t have that problem here in Lebanon: any phone + any carrier => TOTAL compatibility! Reading about all these carrier restrictions in the USA, i’m starting to believe what a blessing is it to have the freedom we have here of chosing our phone and the carrier we want. That is basically the b+a=ba of mobile usage here. If my battery dies, I can just pop out my sim card, put it into my friend’s phone, whatever it is and whatever carrier plan she has, and make a call, send an sms… Still, it’s not a blessing, it’s just common sense and common usability. It’s SUPPOSED to be like that, carrier restrictions are just DUMB! How can you still be silent about it?!?!
I assume this is also why the Nokia maploader program doesn’t recognize the N75. It’s a shame because the smart2go app installed fine on the phone but is useless if I can’t download the map I need.
Welcome to America, where the telecom industries still think they run everything, and the consumer, too enthralled with their free Samsung phones, won’t complain about it.
I sincerely hope T-Mobile (our only possible GSM savior?) will see the light and use this to gain marketshare, but AT&T won’t ever give up trying to control everything.
It’s easy to see WHY Verizon uses their UI on every phone – it lets them push whatever phone they want you to buy (read: whatever phone they have the most stock on or best margins on) and why not, they’re all the same really. Atleast on these phones (and really they all run the same OS, Qualcomm’s BREW, mostly 3.1 w/ UIOne so they practically ARE the same phone) you can replace the entire UI with a new UIOne module (if you know how…)
This is just sad. I was one of the ones who unfortunately bought a Nokia E62 because it was so attractively priced by Cingular/AT&T. I love the phone, but am extremely frustrated about the firmware situation. I knew about the crippled java, and read about the firmware fix on this site, but was stupid and waited on doing it. I never thought the fix would be taken down, and now I am screwed with a java-handicapped phone.
I’ve learned my lesson and will buy unlocked phones in the future. Cingular/AT&T is turning into the next Verizon, who is notorious for locking things down (remember the whole bluetooth lawsuit against Verizon). I honestly think if the average American consumer knew how much better unlocked phones were, things might be different. But unfortunately I see people left and right falling into the marketing hype and buying Verizon phones, not knowing that the phone they bought functions almost exactly like all the other shiny phones they have. Wake up America! These carriers have you right where they want you!!!
You think the Java is bad on Cingular? T Mobile doesn’t allow 3rd party applications to use data at ALL on their branded devices. Sure the phone’s are cheap, but it’s like selling yourself into mobile slavery.
The situation in India is wonderful this way. There’s no crippling of the phones like that. Going to a customer care center for a firmware upgrade isn’t really what i call convenience!
It’s a shame how the carriers behave, crippling and controlling what the user should do and not do with their device.
A communist mobile market form the looks of it.
My advice, find who does what to handsets and avoid them if necessary.
In the UK, Vodafone and Orange are the worst, T-Mobile UK isn’t too far behind. O2 seems to be only carrier that doesn’t brand or cripple it’s models.
The more you as the user let them, the more they will do to their hearts content.
“And why does Verizon load up their own proprietary UI, so that every single phone functions exactly the same.”
Because many people like that every phone operates the same way. It is easier on their feeble minds.
“Do you buy your landline phone from AT&T? Do you buy your TV from the cable company? NO. You get the device that you want and then you get the service for it separately, as it should be.”
Actually, many people DO buy their land line phones from AT&T (at least branded phones). I overheard a couple recently returning a Uniden cordless phone. They told the lady that they were not going to keep an off-brand phone like Uniden, they wanted a good, quality name-brand phone like AT&T (which I think are made by V-Tech).
Thanks for the comments, guys.
The problem isn’t just present in the US. I’m sure you’re all aware of the Truphone thing with one of the European carriers disabling the MOIP functions of the N95.
@Jeff I wasn’t questioning the reason, I am presenting that this severely inhibits innovation. If all the phones function the same, regardless of manufacturer, then there’s no reason to innovate from a manufacturer’s standpoint, because a new feature will have to be supported by the UI, which is used by everyone.
And you still do not get your landline phone from AT&T. It is branded, but you don’t get it from the AT&T store. Like you said, it’s made by V-Tech. The big thing is that you have the option of buying whatever brand phone that you want, without a hassle in using it. Mobiles should be the same way.
The carriers will give you this B.S. like they need to test them. I’ve “tested” unbranded N80, E62, N73, and N95 on Cingular’s network, and they all worked without a hitch. SMS, Voice, MMS, Internet, all I had to do was pop my SIM card in there.
I had a problem with my locked vodafone n95 for downloading mobile voip applications. OneFone from wifimobile.com was the only one that worked.
Just to everybody knows: here in Brazil, one carrier (called OI) starts to sell ALL their phones umbranded an unlocked. They starts says that “if you buy any phone, the phone is YOURS not mine” !!!
And they starts to increase their profits in service sells, not in phone sells.
Maybe this is a start….
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Welcome to America, where the telecom industries still think they run everything, and the consumer, too enthralled with their free Samsung phones, won't complain about it.
I sincerely hope T-Mobile (our only possible GSM savior?) will see the light and use this to gain marketshare, but AT&T won't ever give up trying to control everything.
It's easy to see WHY Verizon uses their UI on every phone – it lets them push whatever phone they want you to buy (read: whatever phone they have the most stock on or best margins on) and why not, they're all the same really. Atleast on these phones (and really they all run the same OS, Qualcomm's BREW, mostly 3.1 w/ UIOne so they practically ARE the same phone) you can replace the entire UI with a new UIOne module (if you know how…)