DISQUS

My initial reaction to Wu's article was: What's wrong with this guy? He seemed to be expecting too much from a single device (on its first version). So I google'd him to learn about his background (learning about the author helps a lot in being a fair "critic" of his work) and realized that Wu, whose forte according to Google is network neutrality, is not just another iPhone skeptic: he is a technology idealist. And though his view on the iPhone is indeed on the pessimistic side, his views are valid observations on the industry from a larger perspective.

I come from the Philippines, where open networks is the default rather than the exception, and all I can say is that choice is really great for the consumers here. Yes, telcos here are still on the "evil" side (but its no match to what you have there in the US), but because consumers can easily switch to other networks, the telcos are forced to offer discounts and value added services to compete.

The scenario here is much like the the computer way of things, as what Wu was saying in his post, where your first consideration is the phone that you want, then the network/telco will come next as a preference. One of the few gripes that I have though is that here, your mobile number (the first 3 digits) is dependent on you network, and maintaining your number (all except the first 3 digits) as you transfer from one network to another is not one that is really considered.

In the end I hope Apple will indeed become a catalyst of change from closed networks where telcos rule (and hamper device innovations) to a one that is more open, more competitive and more conducive for technology innovation.