UDATE: Apple is now saying that it has no plans to launch an MVNO, despite recent reports. I guess only time will tell.
It’s absolutely no secret that Apple is a huge fan of controlling as much of the phone experience as possible from creating their own devices, operating system and app store. Well, according to an
article by Business Insider, it looks like Apple is working slowly towards launching its own MVNO service as well.
From what it sounds like, the service that Apple is considering would be very similar to Google Fi and will take advantage of several different networks on one SIM. There aren’t any talks about possible prices or anything of the sort right now and Business Insider reported that the MVNO model is still several years out–maybe even as many as five years from now. Apple is “looking long-term” with this service.
Of course, this isn’t quite as breaking news as most sites are making it sound. It’s common knowledge that Apple has been working on the idea of running its own wireless service for years and has had a patent for an MVNO model filed since 2006. Recently, the company has filed to extend that patent and unnamed sources have apparently told Business Insider that Apple has been privately trialing the service which may be available in both the US and Europe.
The new service will likely use the
Apple SIM that everyone was talking about a few months ago. The SIM was designed to allow customers to switch between networks depending on the strength of the service and is currently only available for the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3.
It’s probably safe to say that, much like Google Fi which only works on Nexus 6 devices, any MVNO that Apple launches will be meant specifically for iPhones. Of course, unlike with the Nexus 6, iPhones already have a pretty dedicated and wide customer base so if the service is good it could mean great things for Apple fans. Now it’s just a matter of playing the waiting game.]]>
