Apple MVNO

August 25th, 2005 by Eric

Steve Jobs is definitely no slouch. He observes, cogitates and then executes. His tenacity about building great products has proven to last even his most critical skeptics. This is why I believe that he will soon launch his own MVNO. He wants to control nearly every aspect of the user experience, from hardware to software to the pipes in between. While .Mac has not be entirely successful, his iTunes store has. Overnight he has transformed what was a difficult and onerous problem into an enormous cash cow. And I’m sure those engineers at Apple are monitoring how people are using their iPods. Apple iPod

With all these factors, it seems inevitable that Jobs launch an MVNO. He can build a device, perhaps based on the iPod OS, wrap their intuitive UI around a svelt Apple phone, and partner with Sprint or Cingular and launch the whole package. Newton and iPod with Bluetooth, USB, Firewire, and Flash Memory Card slots. Mac Mini

Impossible you say? Well, no one thought Apple could create the Mac Mini. And so far, it has been received very well by the public. What will subscribers get in return? For one, this creates a perfect extension for the iTunes store. Furthermore, Apple can being to sell ringers for the device. It can also integrate in the .Mac portal and perhaps offer a mobile version for blogs, address books, calendars, and more. But the main benefit that subscribers have been clamoring for is a better UI. This is perhaps the single most important contribution for mobile phones to put the subscriber back in control. It will hopefully be a wake up call to the handset makers and OS vendors and continue to push the envelope with what seems to be a period of innovation stagnation. Lastly, Apple must be watching Microsoft’s mobile wireless strategy unfold and watching for the right timing for their slice of the pie. 2 billion mobile subscribers by 2008 (IDC, 2004) is a large number too tempting to ignore.