Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
My take: this is just Telstra feigning disinterest in the hope of getting a better deal from Apple when the iPhone arrives here next year. It's the 'treat them mean, keep them keen' strategy. But it may backfire.
An AAP report syndicated by The Age quotes Winn as saying "There's an old saying -- stick to your knitting -- and Apple is not a mobile phone manufacturer". Indeed, and that's why Apple isn't manufacturing the phone itself, but contracting out that task.
Among Apple's strengths are industrial design and user interface design. I've seen very few objections to the iPhone's styling (although questions have been raised about the non-removable battery), and it's the user interface that sets it apart from devices from traditional phone manufacturers.
According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, elements of the iPhone user interface are patented, so it's unlikely we'll see them on other brands of phone any time soon.
Then there is Winn's remark that "They did an exclusive with Cingular and they talked about a global rollout -- well, Cingular is not a global company." Who is saying Cingular's exclusivity extends beyond the US?
Most commentators agree that Apple will need a 3G version of the iPhone for markets outside North America, so the fact that Telstra is the only Australian carrier with an EDGE network is neither here nor there.
In fact, the only reason Apple needs carrier co-operation is because email servers need to be tweaked to work with the iPhone's email software. If it wasn't for that, I suspect Apple would be more than happy to sell the iPhone through its own Apple Stores plus its reseller network. And I also have a feeling mobile phone chains like Allphones and Crazy John's would jump at the chance to sell the iPhone, with or without a carrier's participation.
David Bass
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