AT&T Crippling BlackBerry for iPhone? 211
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."
USA - rest of world (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Wow (Score:1, Informative)
I doubt Apple gives a hoot, they know they can sell with the hype - there are other devices that blow iPhone away in terms of different services - mainly those offerings from Nokia and Samsung for example.
Re:USA - Europe - Middle East -... (Score:3, Informative)
quad bands gsm cell phones work everywhere.
Re:Is this in any way surprising? (Score:4, Informative)
Not precisely... (Score:4, Informative)
Summary is Wrong - RTFA (Score:5, Informative)
The summary makes it sound like GPS is being removed from the phone, but the article says in first paragraph "...the US carrier has been successful in their attempts to lockdown the GPS functionality in their upcoming BlackBerry 8820 so that the only functioning 3rd party software will be TeleNav."
Not the same thing. "Only functioning 3rd party software", means you should be able to use TeleNav and any 1st party software (ie. whatever RIM has.)
Note: TMobile.com doesn't advertise (or even list as a feature) the GPS functionality on the BlackBerry 8800 that it is selling.
Of course there's no doubt this unbiased reporting from "BLACKBERRYCOOL" written by someone who admits to interviewing people while drunk (http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/05/09/004387/) is totally accurate.
Re:Has Anyone Even Seen An iPhone? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:USA - rest of world (Score:3, Informative)
Locked, subsidized, and crippled phones exist on a number of carriers in Europe and Asia. I've seen them in England, France, Belgium, Austria, and Japan.
You sound like someone who's been drinking too much Anti-U.S. Kool-Aid and has never shopped around for mobile phone service outside the United States.
And for the record, I have an UNLOCKED GSM phone that I use on T-Mobile here in the United States. You don't have to buy a locked phone. Just just have to be dumb to do it.