Christopher Price is the Founding Editor of PhoneNews.com. Today, he leads the team building Console, Inc. - a new kind of Android™ device. He still likes to pontificate... a lot. You can visit his personal blog at ChristopherPrice.net.

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27 responses to “Editorial: On iPhone’s Walled Garden”

  1. David

    Ok, I’ll bite…what are you going to use now?

  2. David

    Thinking about ebaying my own 3G and going back to a good old fashioned curve…

  3. Don Louie

    Would that phone not be walled too, being the vzw version of the Mogul

  4. Sam

    I couldn’t have said it better. I love my iPhone, I just miss my WinMo phone because of the exact same reason stated here. I can’t Sling, VoIP, tether, etc on my iPhone. The only thing preventing me from going back to WinMo is lack of a good non-bulky phone (where are you X1?).

  5. Dennis

    “Or, an XV6800 on Verizon Wireless can do the same, now for only $30/month, thanks to Verizon’s data rate cuts.”

    How do you do this. The only $30/month data on Verzion that I know is $1/day on Impulse. But Verizon won’t activate smatphones like the VX6800 on Impuse. Am I missing something?

  6. Rick

    My 2yrs with Sprint was up but I chose to stay for another 2yrs and get the Touch Diamond. Why?

    1. I’m a traveling business user and I depend on tethering my laptop to my phone.
    2, Ability to use GPS with real GPS software.
    3. Cost of unlimited data is way cheaper on Sprint
    4. Sprint has a larger 3g network

  7. SaltyDawg

    If you’re on AT&T already just get a Tilt.

    There is no walled garden whatsoever. The GPS works with real GPS soaftware out of the box, the unlimited PDA data plan is only $30, and you can even get a $15 unlimited Media net data plan if don’t tell them you are using a Tilt.

    No need to play Apple’s walled garden games, and no need to play Verizon’s locked down games either.

  8. Mustang46L

    Great article Chris. You.. stole the words from my mouth. I am finally getting ready to break down and buy a 2nd gen iPod Touch to compliment my Touch Diamond.

  9. David

    While I can’t profess the love here for Sprint, I would say that I am leaning on dumping the phone and going back to trusty and reliable blackberry. When the iPhone works it works great, the app store while “walled” as the article states does show some signs of progress at least in the level of maturity in the applications. However, simply put the phone sucks. Its so unreliable for voice calls on 3G its scary. For all its beauty, for all its charm it still just needs to work.

  10. Pat

    hey david… how much are you going to sell you 3g Iphone for?? im interseted in it…

  11. David

    Good question, I’ll have to see a going rate on ebay. I’ll try and downgrade the software to 2.0.2 and unlock it so I can fetch some more. Offer?

  12. Pat

    do you have the 16gb or the 8gb?? and ill buy it locked thats not a problem for me… offer pending on size

  13. David

    16 gig white.

  14. Pat

    250….??

  15. David

    Ha, sorry man. If its unlocked it goes for double that on ebay.

  16. pat

    I don’t need it unlocked I’m staying with att n I have a curve but its for sprint thou… Its all good thou thanks for letting me know

  17. David

    Ha sorry man, I got to maximize my money. Though I’ll still be sad to part ways with it if the price is right. I really am completely torn about what to do with it.

  18. rowanrook

    Doesn\’t the new Android phone have wifi? Why not just buy one of those without contract… no walled garden with Android apps.

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  23. Kenny Umenthum

    Christopher Price, you are my new favorite person. Ever since I got my new third gen itouch, I’ve been cursing verizon during unproductive trips to the secret menus of my NV2. I know this is old technology (technology doesn’t advance very quickly in rural america, that’s why I can’t get and iPhone. I have honestly never heard of the android or htc products until a few
    weeks ago, but some posts on here about those products are
    over 15 months old…) but according to verizon, the NV2 is capable of doing the two things necesary for slinging broadband over Bluetooth: 1) it is capable of providing mobile broadband connect services to a computer through the serial port. 2) it is supposedly capable of emulating a serial port through bluetooth. In order to protect those precious ring tone sales that no sane person would shell out for, verizon disabled many Bluetooth capabilities in their handsets. This act of greed is the only thing standing between me and having a mobile Internet device not bound to the few and far between wifi hot spots, and especially not restricted by the far inferior technology that the cell phone companies feel is adequate for the hard working citizens of rural America. I would appreciate any advice you can offer that would help me get my iPod and phone to talk to eachother. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind paying a little more a month to get data services, or even a little more for a new phone like the htc, but before I spend money, I want to make sure it will work.

  24. Kenny Umenthum

    Forgot to mention: in order for a computer to access
    the mobile broadband connect from a verizon phone, the computer
    must be equipped with special software available for free from verizon. This program is available for mac or pc, but obviously there’s not an app for that. AT&T would probably have a fit if apple sold an app that allowed me to essentially receive services that they don’t offer in my area, without paying for it. I can believe capitalism has driven companies to compete to make such amazing products, but at the same time, they’re competition drives them to not offer services that they are perfectly capable of providing.