Now Things Get Complicated

[Kris777]

Good article:
http://www.mediapost.com/publication...art_aid=126249

...
Almost three years after its launch, the iPhone has 40% market share among AT&T users (impressive), but it is available only on one phone system, which brings down its actual market penetration to only about 14% share of cell phone users (not so impressive). If iPad has similar success, then in 2013 magazine publishers distributing iPad app versions of their content would still be unable to reach more than 85% of their potential market using that channel. Being iPad- or iPhone-dedicated as a distribution channel is like selling your magazine on the newsstand, but only in Safeway: big, but not big enough.
...

[kindlekitten]

I saw an article a couple of days ago... should have paid more attention to it, but basically saying that Verizon is getting or is trying to get the iphones for their service as well

[Logseman]

It's revenue they're concerned with, not market share. If they can get more money from that 15% niche, publishers won't care about how many terminals are bieng sold.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kris777

Almost three years after its launch, the iPhone has 40% market share among AT&T users (impressive), but it is available only on one phone system, which brings down its actual market penetration to only about 14% share of cell phone users (not so impressive).

Why is it only available from AT&T? All the mobile phone providers in the UK sell the iPhone.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Why is it only available from AT&T? All the mobile phone providers in the UK sell the iPhone.

I think this article mostly about US market.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Why is it only available from AT&T? All the mobile phone providers in the UK sell the iPhone.

AT&T has the largest GSM network. The other big varriers in the US use CDMA. There's no CDMA version of the iPhone.

I think there was also a multi-year exclusivity deal with AT&T. I don't know if it's still current.

[bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Why is it only available from AT&T? All the mobile phone providers in the UK sell the iPhone.

When the iPhone first came out in the US it was limited to AT&T (by contract). I think the EU Trade Commission stepped in and told Apple they could not limit their product to a single carrier in any of the European countries.
Cheers,
Bev

[Worldwalker]

T-Mobile also has a GSM network. However, AT&T got a multi-year exclusivity deal with Apple. Every single iPhone user I know is looking forward to the day when that deal ends, because to a one, they ate AT&T, and want to jump ship to any other network that can take them. They love their iPhones, but oh, do they ever hate AT&T.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

T-Mobile also has a GSM network. However, AT&T got a multi-year exclusivity deal with Apple. Every single iPhone user I know is looking forward to the day when that deal ends, because to a one, they ate AT&T, and want to jump ship to any other network that can take them. They love their iPhones, but oh, do they ever hate AT&T.

I agree . I don't have iPhone because I don't like AT&T service..

[Almas]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Why is it only available from AT&T? All the mobile phone providers in the UK sell the iPhone.

Same here, all the phone providers in Australia offer the iPhone. Thank goodness it's not restricted to one phone provider here!

[Croptop]

The same is true here in Canada; you can get an iPhone from any of the big three carriers. It seems like that is true pretty much everywhere except the United States.

To go back to a different point that was made, I don't believe that using the AT&T exclusivity for the iPhone is as relevant to the iPad and magazine distribution. You don't have to have *any* cell service to subscribe to the iPad version of a magazine thus distribution is not artificially constrained to users of one particular service.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

T-Mobile also has a GSM network. However, AT&T got a multi-year exclusivity deal with Apple. Every single iPhone user I know is looking forward to the day when that deal ends, because to a one, they ate AT&T, and want to jump ship to any other network that can take them. They love their iPhones, but oh, do they ever hate AT&T.

Yes people blame the AT&T for poor call quality on the iPhone, but some indepenant test have proven that the phone is also part of the problem.

So while moving to a more reliable* network, will make the phone more reliable but it will still have issues.

* I'm not implying Verizion has better coverage than AT&T, my experience is the opposite. What I saying is there was a study as to why the iPhone had so many dropped calls in larger cities like San Fransisco and New York. It ends up the cause of the problem is GSM vs CDMA and how the technology slices cell tower access. It seems CDMA is better suited for high traffic. The crackberry site has written to good blogs on this but I can't find them here is a link to a post (CDMA vs GSM)

[Logseman]

Originally Posted by bevdeforges

When the iPhone first came out in the US it was limited to AT&T (by contract). I think the EU Trade Commission stepped in and told Apple they could not limit their product to a single carrier in any of the European countries.
Cheers,
Bev

That is not accurate, at least in the case of Spain and Germany the iPhone has been carried exclusively by Telefónica de España (owner of O2) and T-Mobile, respectively. However that is going to change soon.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Kris777

netration to only about 14% share of cell phone users (not so impressive). If iPad has similar success, then in 2013 magazine publishers distributing iPad app versions of their content would still be unable to reach more than 85% of their potential market using that channel. Being iPad- or iPhone-dedicated as a distribution channel is like selling your magazine on the newsstand, but only in Safeway: big, but not big enough.
...

It's not like magazines (or anything else) have to be made only for the iPad.

They can put them in Zinio, make their own app etc. and sell them to people who own various types of tablets, read them on their pcs/laptops etc.

The iPad App doesn't have to be their only app/method of distribution. Just like Amazon has Kindle apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry, PC, Mac etc.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

It's not like magazines (or anything else) have to be made only for the iPad.

They can put them in Zinio, make their own app etc. and sell them to people who own various types of tablets, read them on their pcs/laptops etc.

The iPad App doesn't have to be their only app/method of distribution. Just like Amazon has Kindle apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry, PC, Mac etc.

Agreed that magazine producers should be concentrating on non-proprietary apps that will run on all devices. Zinio isn't a bad start, neither is Kindle, though both neglect PDAs and some smartphones (everyone does iPod, few do Win Mobile). And Amazon and Apple have already demonstrated an undesirable amount of control over what publishers can put into "their" store, so going non-proprietary is clearly the smart way to go to ensure independence and control over your product.

Other small tablet devices would be ideal for mag reading, so hopefully mag apps for them are available or coming shortly.