iPhone not such a winner for mobile carriers

It seems a little hard to believe that the iPhone hasn't made much of an impact on the business of mobile providers that hold the exclusive launch contracts for the popular device, but that's precisely what's happened according to a new report from Strand Consult.

"According to the research we have conducted on the operators, not one of these have increased their market share, revenue, or their earnings as a result of introducing the iPhone," suggests the report.

But as Mobile-Ent points out, as far as operators are concerned, the iPhone is pretty much just another handset. The massive earnings from games, music and media have little to do with a carrier's profits, since that money goes directly back to Apple.

However, it's hard to believe that the exclusive nature of launching the iPhone hasn't encouraged a significant number of consumers to switch providers. Again, the survey says no.

"When looking at the numbers we can't see the iPhone effect - a lot of competitors are actually doing better."