If you look at the current fracas over the much awaited iTunes phone by Motorola, it is becoming increasingly clear that the wireless carriers are getting too dominant and flexing their muscles. I have written about this topic extensively in the past, and here are some of the links which might be worth re-reading.
Also read: Damian Roskill – Unbundling the American Mobile Industry
Om, I think it is safe to say that this is a problem that is only happening in the American market. Far as I am aware of phones sold in Asia and Europe don’t have this nambsy-pansy feature cripplings garbage going on. If that indeed is the case then how come phones aren’t crippled abroad until they are brought over into the states? If you ask me it sounds like the American carriers are creating a problem that didn’t exist to begin with.
i think you will see it happen in europe and asia as well, as large global carriers like vodafone try and impose their will on the end markets, and become a bit of a nightmare in the end.
Hmmm, I’m not sure I liked where you are headed with this Om. If all the carriers start to push out certain features the cellphone manufacturers are putting into their phones don’t you think the manufacturers at some point are going to get fed up spending money on features the end custoemrs tell them they want yet the carriers tell them to take out or cripple? GSM already to a great extent makes it possible for me and millions of other people to easily change phones. The only reason people change phones are because they broke or lost the old one or they want the newer features available in new models. If carriers restrict useful featuresets because they fear it will eat into some part of their revenue stream then how come the carriers don’t just outright buy one of these cellphone manufacturers so they can control the whole chain up and down?