O2 have had an exclusive deal with Apple over the iPhone in the UK, that is all about to change with the news that both Orange and Vodafone have secured a deal with Apple to provider their customers with the iPhone in the next few months.
This may cause extra competition and bring down the price of both the phone and the tariffs and then again maybe not if the demand for the iPhone remains high.
Making the iPhone available on other mobile phone networks will mean that customers (and therefore learners) will be able to get the iPhone (say as an upgrade) and don’t need to change networks or their number. Yes I know you can move your number, sometimes easy and sometimes not.
Over one million iPhones were sold by O2 and it wouldn’t surprise me to see this figure rise faster with the iPhone on the Orange and Vodafone networks.
With the iPhone going to Vodafone and Orange (and thus T-Mobile eventually) it will be available on most networks.
The iPhone is getting cheaper, with more competition it may get cheaper still.
The iPhone is getting competitors edgy and therefore will start to look at how they can improve their products.
The iPhone will get better, the 3GS is significantly better than the 3G in my opinion (and I have used both).
The iPhone may get bigger (ie the Apple Tablet) we need to be prepared for that. Both Apple and Microsoft appear to be edging into the e-book (and e-journal) market after the success of Amazon’s Kindle.
The iPod touch is not a phone, as a result has huge potential in schools who may be concerned about contract costs, etc…
It will be easier more than ever to get the iPhone.
Will it change learning?
No.
Not on its own.