So last night my mate told me...

[paddymph]

That Apple are looking at keeping your mobile number permanently to your iPhone (5) and your Apple account, and letting you swap and change your service provider as you please each month if required. Whether he means you buy an iPhone and it's number can't be changed I'm not sure.

He works in Telecomms for BT and is reasonably in the know (normally). What you think? I can't really see the benefits for anyone doing that?

 

[The Boosh!]

Yeh and last night I saw a cow lay an egg.

 

[Dave.]

cant see it happening, would be soo restrictive!!

 

[Revels]

There are rumours that they'd be building new iPhones with the sims inside.

It would just give Apple full control and not have dopey phone shop staff pissing about not knowing things, poor stocking problems etc etc.

You wouldn't be able to change monthly. You'd just get your phone, plug it into iTunes and then chose your carrier and deal, then that would be your contract choice.

The networks have all bitched about it already, even at the rumours stage. One of them said they wouldn't agree to it, but refusing to stock the most popular phone is risky.. We'll see..

 

[paddymph]

 

[paddymph]

You wouldn't be able to change monthly. You'd just get your phone, plug it into iTunes and then chose your carrier and deal, then that would be your contract choice.

The networks have all bitched about it already, even at the rumours stage. One of them said they wouldn't agree to it, but refusing to stock the most popular phone is risky.. We'll see..

Ah, that makes sense now. Sounds like a good idea to me tbh.

 

[Dave.]

so how bout people who are on payandgo?? guess you stump up an exorbidant amount of money, then they send the phone pre-configured to the network of your choice?

 

[Revels]

The first iPhone was a similar thing. It had an actual sim, but you just bought one and didn't sign anything. You didn't agree to the contract until you got it home and plugged it into iTunes where you chose the tariff etc.

No 100% it would work but we'll see. Apple won't say anything until the day the next one is launched anyway.

 

[Ronnie R]

Would be interesting to see what happens once your contract ends. For example, I'm on pay monthly, I sell my iPhone to my little brother who can't afford pay monthly and wants pay as you go. Removing the functionality to be able to remove my pay monthly sim and put a pay as you go one sim in might cause a few issues.

Unless Apple have away of transfer my number to another iPhone then issuing the iPhone 5 with a new number and tarrif via iTunes...

 

[lbrench]

Will never happen.

What if the customer takes the phone home with the sim in and plugs it into iTunes and tries to pick a network but the credit check declines? They would loose so much stock unless they do a system where u pay for the phone then they refund it you if you pass the credit check?!?

 

[Revels]

Will never happen.

What if the customer takes the phone home with the sim in and plugs it into iTunes and tries to pick a network but the credit check declines? They would loose so much stock unless they do a system where u pay for the phone then they refund it you if you pass the credit check?!?

That's exactly what they did with the first iPhone. The phone wasn't subsidised though. So you'd paid for it regardless. No idea what happened if you failed the credit check, but you could just stick a PAYG sim in it.

 

[Ronnie R]

That's exactly what they did with the first iPhone. The phone wasn't subsidised though. So you'd paid for it regardless. No idea what happened if you failed the credit check, but you could just stick a PAYG sim in it.

With the first iPhone they done a credit check in the store before buying the phone. They did with everyone when I went anyway...

 

[Tom]

With the first iPhone they done a credit check in the store before buying the phone. They did with everyone when I went anyway...

Nope the credit check was done "online" when you got home.

If you failed you were offered payg options.

And the "intergrated sim" story the OP is talking about is utter utter b****cks.

 

[Ronnie R]

Well the lady was calling the bank for authorization with every customer I had to use my mum's card because I wouldn't of passed the credit check because I was only 16.

 

[VeinAST]

It's almost like going back to analogue?

 

[Saner]

Would this mean that you could carry a number over? I've kept teh same number for years, don't want to replace it!

 

[lbrench]

Well the lady was calling the bank for authorization with every customer I had to use my mum's card because I wouldn't of passed the credit check because I was only 16.

You cant hav a phone contract in your name unless you are 18

 

[Ronnie R]

Hmm that's probably why then.

 

[lbrench]

Would this mean that you could carry a number over? I've kept teh same number for years, don't want to replace it!

Well this is never goin to happen but if it did....yes you could keep your number just by getting a PAC code from your current network, PAC codes can't be used on the same network though ie if you were on orange and you wanted to keep your number but wanted a new contract not an upgrade you wouldn't be able to port your number unless you went on a different network....

 

[Goodj]

Well this is never goin to happen but if it did....yes you could keep your number just by getting a PAC code from your current network, PAC codes can't be used on the same network though ie if you were on orange and you wanted to keep your number but wanted a new contract not an upgrade you wouldn't be able to port your number unless you went on a different network....

the only swing on that is to port the number to some random prepay sim, then port it back to the network you had in the first place.

I can safely say that if Apple keep playing like this then the independants out there will get bummed out of selling them completely, then Apple will make its own netowrk, one that only allows you to call numbers that Jobs deems appropriate, will never let you access anything with naughty words or pictures in it, only responds if you're really condescending with your commands and wont work unless within walking distance of a Starbucks (much like Rabbit, actually!)

 

[H182]

Wouldn't surprise me if something like this happened. More way of them to rob people of money. Can imagine them charging to switch phones to another person when sold etc.

 

[lbrench]

the only swing on that is to port the number to some random prepay sim, then port it back to the network you had in the first place.

Correct, ball ache but it works