GPS crippled on AT&T 8820?
 

EXCLUSIVE: AT&T neuters the BlackBerry 8820 in favor of the iPhone | BlackBerry Cool

According to the linked article, AT&T will cripple GPS on the 8820, just like Verizon did on the 8830.

Can anybody confirm?
If true, will unlocking and using on T-Mobile re-enable fully functional GPS?
Any other thoughts?

P.S. I'm posting this in rumours because I don't know how solid this info is, but if confirmed, feel free to move this thread to the 8800 forum.

Damn, that would suck if it turns out to be true. I was thinking about getting one of these babies. I am preparing a burnt offering to the BlackBerry gods in an effort to allow GPS to fully work in the 8820. Hopefully (doubtful) T-Mobile will come out with it at some point so I won't have to worry about it, and I can keep my lambs alive.

the article doesn't say that they crippled it in the same way Verizon did. What it says is that the GPS will only work with TeleNav, which BBCool refers to as "neutered" GPS functionality. Nonetheless, it's ridiculous.

OH WOW!! That would be awful. While I am a telenav subscriber, I also use google maps GPS and beyond411 GPS...

If this turns out to be true, here's what I'm going to do, and I recommend that everyone else do this too: Go into an AT&T store everyday and purchase a 8820 for full retail, take it home, use it a little bit, and then return it, because of the GPS. The trick will be to make sure that the packaging, etc., is messed up enough so that they can't simply resell it, but not so messed up that they won't take it back.

That'll learn 'em.

All this to protect Apple?!?!?! Dear AT&T execs: If Apple is putting out an inferior product at a higher price, screw 'em. They deserve to get killed in the marketplace. Try caring more about giving your customers the best product available than how many yachts Steve Jobs owns.

It's just so impressive what steps companies will take to avoid free market competition.

That's another question altogether - did Apple prod AT&T into this, or was AT&T doing it of their own volition to protect the idol status of the iPhone?

According to the BBCool article, it was to protect the iPhone. They could be wrong, but I don't see how crippling the GPS helps AT&T in any other way.

wow three threads on this in a matter of 3 hours lol

Sounds more like an agreement with telenav than anything to do with apple. I don't believe it.

But wasn't mine first? ;)

its all good

I strongly, strongly doubt this was done to "protect" Apple. The iPhone and BlackBerry really aren't competing with each other. The 8820 can't compete with an iPhone - it's a different device offering different strengths.

This sounds like someone covering RIM's or ATT's ass in order to hoist the blame on the iPhone.

there were 3 questions
 

So we got a lot of responsens to "any other thoughs"

Now how about the first question, can anyone otuside of Blackberry Cool confirm this rumour? (no disresepect implied)

No, to make money collecting monthly telnav subscriptions.

Very Lame, Let a 1st Timer Apple Actually change another manufactures phone! I guess the ATT stands for Apple Takes over Telecom. You really have to laugh i know others like T-Mobile are. Like Samsung is going to stop Nokia from putting in a 3 megapixal camera or HTC stops BlackBerry from using WIFI, come on. Who really controls LA Cellular, I Mean AT&T I mean Cingular I mean AT&T err i mean "Apple Tells us To". The IPhone Really has made history..lol

I don't believe this has anything to do with the iPhone. There is a lot of speculation since there's been no quote from either RIM or AT&T. More likely the move was to improve profits with a joint business deal with TelNav. This would be similar to Rogers where TelNav is the number one product Rogers recommends for use with the Blackberry 8800. A portion of the monthly service fee for using the service goes to the carrier and the rest to TelNav. It's a win win situation for both. Anyway, TelNav doesn't supply a crappy service and offers both services for consumers and businesses.

TeleNav Products

Thank you for some sanity. It's incredibly silly to believe this has anything to do with the iPhone. First, the 8820 would not in any way compete with the iPhone. Enterprise users don't buy iPhones, and consumers aren't going to choose the 8820 over Apple's product, it just doesn't have enough bells and whistles. The paranoia exhibited from some corners of the BB crowd over iPhone is pretty funny. As someone who has used BB's and now an iPhone, I find it all pretty ridiculous.

yeah, isee this as a rumor and nothing more. when we have some confirmation then i will have an issue with it. and if it did happen it would have nothing to do with Apple, it would be ATT wanting to make money from this service, who knows maybe Telenav might be giving a portion of the fees to ATT for this.