Tim Cook: We're Not "Married" To Exclusive iPhone Carriers

Posted by: Arik Hesseldahl on February 27

Apple COO Tim Cook gave a talk at the Goldman Sachs Technology Investment Symposium in Las Vegas today, and I nearly missed it but managed to grab most of the stream. The headline comment came when he said that Apple is “not married” to the business model of working with exclusive carriers in every international market. This suggests to me that a carrier-agnostic version of the iPhone might be in the pipeline for at least some markets in Europe or Asia. Additionally he said that despite lingering concerns about inventory buildup, that Apple is still confident that it can make its stated goal of 10 million units.

Cook says that facing the problem of persistent iPhone unlocking around the world is one that he “faces with a bit of a smile” because it indicates that demand for the phone is very strong. I’ve highlighted about 11 minutes of the 45-minute session focused on iPhone questions from Goldman analyst David Bailey. Listen for yourself below. (Apple has a link to a Quicktime stream of the full presentation here.)The most intriguing stuff comes toward the end. In considering different international markets Cook, speaking hypothetically, said “…You might find one where being exclusive might not be in our best interests. … We’re going to think intelligently about each one [market] and to decide what is best for the company to do.”

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