[vikingjunior]

So it's to my understanding that carriers actually pay manufactures for exclusive rights to a specific device. EX. iphone, Storm, Droid, etc. I further understand the thinking on the carrier's part is the masses will sign up with them for a particular device. As this might of somewhat worked with AT&T and the iphone which turned into a network nightmare for some people.

I think these days people will think long and hard about switching carriers for a particular device.

With that said do you think it's in the manufactures best interest to lock into these exclusive deals?

I'll take the /Droid/Storm 2 for example I believe less people ran to Verizon for this device opposed to those people who would of just bought it if available on Sprint. I just feel the days of jumping from one carrier to another for a particular device is over.

[sedalia066]

Many might not agree with your assessment. Big business is all about maximum profit. So long as exclusive deals work we will see them continue. Consumers continue so far to dance to the carriers' tune. We shall see in the future...

I expect little change unless the networks build out enough to insure real competition based on service. Until then the trick ponies will continue to appear.

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[berryfit]

Supply and demand for RIM. If they spread a single device over all carriers, there would be greater demand, and the price would go down drastically. Maybe theyd be ok volume wise, but maybe not! Then any device would be in the running. Go to a carrier store and you're choices would be limitless.

Now go to verizon just for the Storm. The carrier makes out, and RIM makes out.

Most importantly, individual devices separates the carriers from eachother. Its more about carriers than consumers at that point. You want this phone? Come here. You can't get it anywhere else.

Its all about marketing and sales. And it also allows RIM to put out a wider variety of phones, which is what they do. Otherwise, they'd have either a limited line of phones, or major competition with other smart phones.

Im sure there will always be a fair amount of people who will jump ship for a particular device. Look at the Droid when it came out! Just on here alone you can see how many people went from sprint or att to verizon. Just as others jumped to att for the Iphone.

[Rob.Elliott]

I used to jump from carrier to carrier, it got frustrating in the end I got the device I wanted but could never use it because of the signal...
I just stick with one carrier now, because it works. The network exclusive deals are nothing more than an annoyance.

[keepit dry]

I agree that phone exclusives only really work on a really great phone like iPhone. Most people have 2 year contracts which makes switching carriers an expensive proposition. As long as carriers make money off these deals they will continue. I would like to see these deals go away but they won't.

[Username00089]

I'll take the /Droid/Storm 2 for example I believe less people ran to Verizon for this device opposed to those people who would of just bought it if available on Sprint. I just feel the days of jumping from one carrier to another for a particular device is over.

I'm with you on this one. Carrier reputation is a big factor in people's decisions
now. Verizon is known for being a bit pricey, AT&T is known for having their
network issues and also being pricey, and T-Mobile is known for having the
best plans but the consumer does question the service. The same goes for Sprint.

The carrier wars aren't even at their peak yet. AT&T started it with the iPhone
and got really smug about it with their noses in the air. But it has opened the
floodgates. And with that people think about switching to another carrier for
just a phone with plenty more thought.

[Xopher]

If I remember correctly, AT&T had to upgrade their network to handle the iPhone data traffic (iPhone uses much more data than a BlackBerry). To recoup some of that initial investment, they had a longer exclusivity agreement than normal.

I can understand an initial exclusivity with a carrier over a short period of time. I think once the initial release is done and over with, it makes more sense to open it up to more carriers. I think the Pre and Pixi would have done better already if they had a shorter exclusivity agreement with Sprint. We probably wouldn't have seen the splitting of the Bold and Tour lines if RIM could have released the Bold to other carriers.

[noaim]

I think people still switch carriers for devices that they want..

[jhe888]

It's private business. They are entitled to make any deals with the carriers they want.

The carriers clearly believe that if they have an exclusive device, they will get more customers than they will otherwise because people want the Whiz-bang gadget.

Why this benefits the device makers is less clear to me. I am not sure what Apple got out of having AT&T being the only provider for iPhones. Seems to me they would sell more iPhones if more providers offered them. But I am not a cell phone maker, and not privy to their deal. Apple isn't run by chimps, so there must be some reason.

[Username00089]

I am not sure what Apple got out of having AT&T being the only provider for iPhones. Seems to me they would sell more iPhones if more providers offered them.

I think it was more or less because the other major carriers were turning a
blind eye to the whole iPhone project. The deal was struck with AT&T even
before that day in January of 2007 so they saw exactly what we all saw, but
before hand. I do remember reading in the papers that T-Mobile basically
outright rejected it.

[cavingjan]

Verizon rejected it too. I didn't know TMobile was offered it and rejected it.

[joeldf]

I think people still switch carriers for devices that they want..

People might do that, but I won't.

I'd like to get a Storm, but I'm not going to dump AT&T to get it (believe it or not).

[gots2beme]

People might do that, but I won't.

I'd like to get a Storm, but I'm not going to dump AT&T to get it (believe it or not).

+1
I've never been one to jump from one carrier to the other in search of a particular phone. Maybe I've been lucky because AT&T has always had a great selection of phones. I too would like the Storm, but I'm not switching to Verizon for it.

[Pilot Prop]

I see no problem with exclusive deals between manufactures/carriers...

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[dwaynewilliams#WN]

I would like to see these devices across all carriers. If I like the Iphone but don't like AT&Ts service, I would like to be able to keep the Iphone and go to another network. But if the service isn't right then you are stuck. I wouldn't switch networks because of a phone, but I would switch because of the service.

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[Username00089]

I would like to see these devices across all carriers. If I like the Iphone but don't like AT&Ts service, I would like to be able to keep the Iphone and go to another network. But if the service isn't right then you are stuck. I wouldn't switch networks because of a phone, but I would switch because of the service.

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Which is exactly why whenever someone starts a thread about wanting to switch providers for a different phone my answer is always the same. Service over hardware. At least find out how well a particular carrier's service is in your area or where you are most frequently.

[amazinglygraceless]

Two words: Assured Revenue

[vikingjunior]

Why this benefits the device makers is less clear to me. I am not sure what Apple got out of having AT&T being the only provider for iPhones. Seems to me they would sell more iPhones if more providers offered them. But I am not a cell phone maker, and not privy to their deal. Apple isn't run by chimps, so there must be some reason.

This is my point how does this benefit a manufacture?

Verizon has 80+ million customers let's say 30 million of them would love a iphone but only on there beloved Verizon network.Does AT&T match money wise the 30 million NOT sold iphones. How would you even come up with the numbers.

It's also not like AT&T's customer base skyrocket through the roof with the iphone, AT&T's customer gains has been on par with Verizon's gains.

I think this is what Verizon was trying to get through with there ads...."Do you want a hot phone or a hot network. It also helped Verizon's pitch that AT&T's network got bogged down.

I do think in the future carrier's/manufactures are going to see that people are not jumping ship for a device, heck if you did a survey I would say most people have already tried out multiple carrier's and arrived at conclusions on which one they think is the best for them.

[goth757]

It's private business. They are entitled to make any deals with the carriers they want.

The carriers clearly believe that if they have an exclusive device, they will get more customers than they will otherwise because people want the Whiz-bang gadget.

Why this benefits the device makers is less clear to me. I am not sure what Apple got out of having AT&T being the only provider for iPhones. Seems to me they would sell more iPhones if more providers offered them. But I am not a cell phone maker, and not privy to their deal. Apple isn't run by chimps, so there must be some reason.

the benefit to the manufactures is simply advertising. if a carrier wants a device from a manufacture and is willing to pay for it to be exclusive to them, then they are going to make sure that people know that theres only one place you can get it. i have yet to see a blackberry commercial for a specific device that isn't made by a carrier, i have seen blackberry commercials from rim but not for one device. also it helps to relive the manufactures r&d costs on these devices.

as for apple and the iPhone. if apple didn't go with an exclusive deal for the iPhone. one of two things would have happened only apple fans would have really known about the product prior to launch, or on top of the millions of dollars spent developing the phone they would have had to spend millions more in advertising to the general public. if the phone had failed at that point that could have meant trouble for the company. in 07 iTunes wasn't the service it is today. payed digital downloads were not the standard then, as they are today. that would have been to much for a company to bet on.

[jgodin03]

iPhone is NOT a AT&T exclusivity. AT&T is the only companie in the US that support the iPhone on their network. The proof? In Canada, Fido/Rogers had the ''exclusivity'' on it, but Bell/Telus lunch their HSPA network in november and what happen? Magicaly, those 2 companie sell the iPhone since! So in Canada, the so ''exclusive'' iPhone is sold by 4 carriers!

When Verizon and other CDMA carrier will lunch an HSPA network they will lunch the iPhone at the same moment.

[goth757]

iPhone is NOT a AT&T exclusivity. AT&T is the only companie in the US that support the iPhone on their network. The proof? In Canada, Fido/Rogers had the ''exclusivity'' on it, but Bell/Telus lunch their HSPA network in november and what happen? Magicaly, those 2 companie sell the iPhone since! So in Canada, the so ''exclusive'' iPhone is sold by 4 carriers!

When Verizon and other CDMA carrier will lunch an HSPA network they will lunch the iPhone at the same moment.

if thats the case then why doesn't tmobile have the iPhone. i know what your talking about in Canada, but there was no exclusivity in Canada for the iPhone it was just network restricted. in the states apple and at&t have a contract.

[cavingjan]

exclusivity is usually defined in a region/country.

[jbeachy]

One comment way back to the OP - you might be right but remember it's not RIM that controls the deal with the carrier. It's the carrier's way of seeking a distinctive edge, huge risk, huge reward potential, always hoping to lure customers from another carrier with the new "trick pony" that someone described earlier in the thread. In essence, RIM doesn't "sell" devices to carriers, carriers "buy" the devices from RIM. They have choices too, just like you. And sometimes they demand exclusivity.

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