Could Apple Be Your Next Phone Company?

Apple’s plans to once again change the dynamics of the mobile world are becoming clearer. Bloomberg reported that the device maker has plans for a universal SIM card that I first reported on in October, and Apple is seeking a way to make it possible for consumers to pay for mobile access from multiple carriers via iTunes. The result of that hardware shift and business model change turns Apple into its own mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and puts Apple, instead of the carrier, in control of the customer relationship. Apple Insider reported that Apple was granted a patent on software that would allow a phone to “collect rate information from participating wireless networks within a region and automatically select or allow users to select the best option.” That patent, plus a Universal SIM, or even the dual-mode CDMA and GSM iPhone Apple is currently selling to Verizon users today, makes the idea of an Apple network plausible.