[PacketPaul]

Steve Jobs is one of the most important historical figures of our lifetime, if not the most. Here is why. He broke the hold the carriers had over phones. In doing so changed the world and ushered in the mobile economy.

Remember back to pre iPhone days. Each carrier had their own version of the phone. That phone came with bloatware and a curated list of possible apps you may download … from the carrier. The carrier had total control and say of the phone, it’s functionality and the apps installed.

Imagine a world today where the phone App Store and phone function itself was controlled by the carrier. The carrier dictates if Uber or Lyft is available to “their” customers. Only certain banks or restaurants are available based upon agreements with the carriers.The carrier picks the winners and losers in this new mobile economy and the world is fragmented based upon your cell phone carrier.

Things we take for granted like maps, messaging and FaceTime would be additional costs you pay to the carrier.

Because of Steve Jobs and his vision, that dystopian carrier controlled world does not exist. The new mobile and gig economy is all because Steve Jobs had the vision to wrestle control from the carriers. Name one other person in the last 50 years that has had this much effect on the world and how society has changed.

[eptcyka]

This is an US specific issue - in Europe it was common to just buy the device outright and use it with whichever carrier. And whilst it's cool that Apple was against the tyranny of carriers, it's very obvious it has no qualms about being the tyrant itself.

[tcmart14]

Wait, wasn't iPhone an AT&T/Cingular exclusive for awhile? I feel like this is kind of antithetical to the idea of escaping the tyranny of carriers. Unless escaping the tyranny of carriers means that between 2007 and 2011, iPhones were tired to one carrier.

Then there is the side loading apps issue. There is only one true source for apps on iPhone, but someone can actually build an alternative app store for android phones. This seems more like walled garden activity.

[stby]

At least with carriers we'd have more competition, now everything you mention is basically controlled by two companies. I'm not sure if that's any better.