Apple Moving Towards the Subscription Business Model

[Shepherd]

How much is your iPhone rent?

[finance.yahoo.com...]

[Leosghost]

The idea of cellphones locked to carriers is strange..
I have 3 cellphones in front of me..all were purchased outright..none are locked to a carrier..here ( France ) one can buy a phone from a carrier, ( and be locked into a 12 or 24 month contract ) or one can buy outright from many retailers , and choose from various carrier plans, all of which are monthly and can be cancelled at any time..or use prepaid cards with any carrier..
Dual SIM phones ( not iphones, as Apple do not yet do one ) are on offer everywhere on "outright buy"..
All cellphone numbers are "portable" from carrier to carrier..
We have a total of 6 cellphones between 3 of us in the family..no iphones..but all "unlocked" some dual SIM..and all on monthly renewal deals..

The U.S.A ( and the UK to some degree ) really need to "catch up" with mainland Europe and Asia over how cellphones and tablets are sold and used, and even what models are available..and carrier rates and practices..

[not2easy]

They have non-contract outright purchase phones in the USA. People sign on for the carrier edition to get the phone at a deep discount or free. My first iPhone was free that way and since the carrier has the plan and coverage that fit me best, why not? I kept the same plan after my contract term was up. I also have phones with no plan, no contract and I can use them if I buy a card. I've kept the same number through carrier changes and phone changes for over 10 years. Sounds the same as you have, Leosghost. ;)

[tangor]

Title of this thread is slightly misleading. Slightly.

Phones world wide are pretty much untethered to a single provider yet all are tethered to a single paradigm of connectivity.

All are, thus, slaves to the provider who has access to that connectivity, as that phone won't work without a carrier of some kind!

From the article (which had an annoying video on autoplay which even my adblocker did not block)...

Carriers have been instrumental in the success of the iPhone, the ubiquitous device that accounted for about 56% of Apple’s $183 billion in sales last year. But the new finance offer reflects competing pressures on Apple, which seeks more buyers to upgrade their phones each year, and the wireless carriers, which look to keep their customers from switching to a rival.

It's not "rent", kiddies, it's all about SALES of improvements (next gen) of the same old same old. Apple lives on hardware sales. And they make good hardware... they just want to sell to that same market as many times as they can. And the sheeple just might do that.

[Leosghost]

@not2easy
When I compare the prices of the carrier plans which include phones, and what you get for the money in the U.S.A, ( as regards calls data included in services, calls to mobiles and fixed lines inside the U.S.A and which countries you can call mobile or fixed lines fixed outside of the U.S.A ) I would not consider for a moment that your phones could be said to be "free" or at a "deep discount" with your carrier plans..

The prices of carrier plans without phones in the U.S.A are even worse in comparison with Europe and Asia..

Example..I have genuinely unlimited data and unlimited calling to over 100 countries ( mobile and fixed lines ) 3G and 4G service plus over a month of international "roaming" included..for under $20.oo per month..

If I went with a different company I get a slightly smaller number of countries that I can call to fixed lines, fewer countries that I can call to mobile lines..and data is capped at around 5Gigs per month, service is still 3G and 4G..cost around $25.oo to $30.oo per month ( overages cost extra ) contract 24 months..latest iphone or whatever included in cost..<= that is "deep discount"..

Nothing is ever free..especially not a phone on a carrier contract.."included" can happen, but free? nope .. ;)

[Shepherd]

It's not "rent", kiddies

well,

Apple will offer a monthly fee of $32.41 over 24 months for its cheapest iPhone model... The deal allows customers to get a new device each year...

Rent, lease, long term financing, what ever you want to call it, it's more even monthly revenue for Apple.

Off to pitch the TV networks my new reality TV show: "iPhone Repos Live".