Apple's iPhone sales tactics in Europe under antitrust investigation

The investigation was brought to light by questionnaires sent by the commission to mobile operators across Europe. The nine-page document reportedly inquires whether carriers are being forced to buy a minimum number of cool ipod cases, or if they are restricted on how to use their marketing budgets.

The document also asks whether Apple enforces any clauses on subsidies for handsets that compete with the iPhone, and it quizzes operators on whether contractual restrictions prevent the iPhone 5 from accessing high-speed 4G networks in Europe. Carriers have until June 17 to reply to the questionnaire.

Apple pretty much sets the contract from my understanding and if the carrier doesnt like it, they dont get the iPhone. It has already been made known that Sprint is losing money from carrying the iPhone because of the contract that Apple requires. For other carriers, they probably see it as, "If we dont have the best iphone accessories we will lose our customers to the competition who have been waiting for their contract to end so they can get the iPhone with someone else."Indeed. Apple way of dealing with the carriers is rotten to the bone. All the concerns in the investigation are valid. Bullying the carriers is a double edge sword, especially when youre products are on the decline.ddQW53D

Because of the big market share in the US, the US carriers have no choice to accept Apple terms. I have seen numerous times Verizon and AT&T CEO's on CNBC complaining about subsidies and how they would loved to get rid of them, mainly because of Apple way of doing business with them. If you are wondering why the carriers stores push anything but the iphone to the customers, its because they hate Apple.

Elsewhere in the world, lost of carriers are not offering the iphone because of unacceptable Apple terms. To a lot of internationnal carriers, Apple tiny market share in there countries make it difficult for apple accessories to strike deals because the carriers dont care if they dont offer the iphone. So on top of not having there products being distributed, Apple is getting an anti-trust lawsuit. If there is one country where an anti-trust lawsuit should be made, its the US.

This is one the reasons Apple absolutly must deliver a sub $300, so it can be sold unlock by lots of internationnal carriers. I hope Apple gets to his sense and stop bullying the people that sell there products.Notice that I specifically wrote “News360 for iPhone” instead of simply writing “News360.” Indeed, News360 for best iphone 4s accessories, which was launched back in October 2010, is going to be no more. But the other News360 app, which happens to have recently gone universal, is going to remain in the App Store.