3 ms·

> "my guess is most people are mostly looking at the core functionality of the device." Once a device has an exclusive killer app, people start to treat that a

> "my guess is most people are mostly looking at the core functionality of the device." Once a device has an exclusive killer app, people start to treat that app as part of the device's core functionality. Apple views apps as an accessory. Would it trouble them to see consumers begin to treat a third party app as a core system component? The author seems to think so. (He has no evidence, though.)

stcredzero 16y ago
What's keeping Skype/Truphone from becoming the primary outbound call mechanism on the iPhone?
- joe_the_user 16y ago
  Apple eliminating them if that happens?
  - stcredzero 16y ago
    I mean by usage, not executing code. The consequences already occurred: AT&T charging Skype for 3G calls.
- notauser 16y ago
  Off the top of my head... Technically: You can't intercept calls from the dialer on the iPhone. You can build a look-alike replacement which is pretty good, but you will never be able to do things like intercept tel:// URIs. Call quality/security/battery life trade offs are harder because you don't have access to a lot of the hardware acceleration features. Cellular networks are designed to prioritize (GSM) voice over data, especially for latency, ensuring that GSM voice is better quality. 911 requirements (especially for 'primary' voice services) are very strict, expensive and really hard to do well without access to carrier-level information and deep handset hardware control. Non-technically: If it became a competitive necessity carriers could drop prices like a rock. The marginal cost for AT&T to route a call is much lower than it is for VoIP carriers due to volume. They can adjust their pricing structure (e.g. by raising monthly fees) to compensate. Someone else derives a lot of profit from the platform you are trying to undercut, and they have control over approvals for that platform.

stcredzero 16y ago

What's keeping Skype/Truphone from becoming the primary outbound call mechanism on the iPhone?

joe_the_user 16y ago
Apple eliminating them if that happens?
- stcredzero 16y ago
  I mean by usage, not executing code. The consequences already occurred: AT&T charging Skype for 3G calls.
notauser 16y ago
Off the top of my head... Technically: You can't intercept calls from the dialer on the iPhone. You can build a look-alike replacement which is pretty good, but you will never be able to do things like intercept tel:// URIs. Call quality/security/battery life trade offs are harder because you don't have access to a lot of the hardware acceleration features. Cellular networks are designed to prioritize (GSM) voice over data, especially for latency, ensuring that GSM voice is better quality. 911 requirements (especially for 'primary' voice services) are very strict, expensive and really hard to do well without access to carrier-level information and deep handset hardware control. Non-technically: If it became a competitive necessity carriers could drop prices like a rock. The marginal cost for AT&T to route a call is much lower than it is for VoIP carriers due to volume. They can adjust their pricing structure (e.g. by raising monthly fees) to compensate. Someone else derives a lot of profit from the platform you are trying to undercut, and they have control over approvals for that platform.