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Comment by evo_9 | Hacker News Reader

One thing about Apple and the iPod Touch that I don't understand is why they don't sell a version with 3G on it like the iPad?

I'd seriously not own my iPhone if they did that. The only reason I switched from a Touch to the iPhone is for internet access everywhere.

I've been wondering this since the Touch originally came out and now that the iPad does exactly that, I hope this is in the cards for the next Touch. That could be seriously disruptive.

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Assume you're in Apple's marketing department. How would you differentiate an iPhone from a 3G iPod Touch? Think hard about features, pricing and how the market is likely to react. Do you have two distinct products that can be marketed at the mainstream?

The iPhone is basically everything a 3G iPod Touch would be. When I hear people clamoring for a 3G iPod Touch it sounds a lot like complaining over the contract and high monthly cost associated with the iPhone.

It's a perfectly reasonable gripe, but understand that a poweruser who wants to use an iPhone sans phone for VOIP calls and mobile net access is not Apple's target consumer.

Look at the price discrepancy between the 3G iPad's plan and an iPhone. I think if they did this, people (especially those in areas where dropped calls are frequent) would simply get a data-enabled iPod touch, with the reasoning being something along the lines of "the iPhone can't make calls here anyway, why pay an extra 40$ a month for it?" The internet everywhere is the biggest thing for the iPhone, not the phone itself. It'd cannibalize the iPhone market, and neither Apple nor AT&T want that.

Imagine the conversation Apple had with AT&T if this is to be.. "Now the ipod,too?! gulp"

Would they be able to sell it for so much less than the iPhone that it would be worth their while?

Would they or could they?

Unfortunately, you are probably right, if the iPad pricing is any indication.

It's a shame because they could probably do it for a price difference of around 50 bucks if they really wanted too - the price to add 3G is no where near as expensive as Apple charges for it on the iPad (something like a unit cost around 13 bucks versus Apples 130 price diff for the 3G iPad).

But it would be contract free. You know, I'd probably buy it if it were the same price as the iphone.

I'm thinking just the opposite: why cannot we make phone calls with a 3G-enabled iPad?

This all comes down to AT&T's desire to keep voice calls special, so that they can charge a premium for them.

The moment they let the magic of people talking become something as mundane as data, their entire revenue model collapses.

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