Kingmakers do not take kindly to becoming mere courtiers, so insurrection is only a matter of time. For years mobile phone operators played a delicate game, balancing the power of phone manufacturers' brands against their own control of customer relationships and a willingness to subsidise handsets. While the carriers risked becoming a dumb pipe, the highly competitive handset market left them room to make decent returns.

　　拥立国王的人，不会甘愿俯首称臣，因此“谋反”只是时间问题。多年来，移动运营商玩着一场微妙的游戏，在手机制造商的品牌影响力与自身对客户关系的控制和对手机的补贴意愿之间寻找平衡。尽管手机运营商冒着成为“哑巴管道”的风险，但高度竞争的手机市场还是为它们留下了赚取丰厚回报的空间。



　　Then Apple strolled in and grabbed the industry's profits. As shown by queues snaking round the block for the latest iPhone, the devices attract customers. Returns for the operators, however, are less clear cut. Some estimates suggest that AT&T, the US carrier, does not break even on an iPhone customer until the 17th month of a 24-month contract. In private, European mobile executives will admit that they only just break even on iPhone customer contracts. The hope is that users spend freely on data services and stick around once their terms are up. 　　接着苹果（Apple）信步走来，攫取了该行业的利润。从排队购买最新款iPhone的蜿蜒长龙就可以看出，该品牌产品吸引了客户。然而，它们给移动运营商带来的回报却不那么明显。有人估计，直到为期24个月的iPhone客户合同进行到第17个月时，iPhone在美国的运营商美国电话电报公司（AT&T）才能实现盈亏平衡。欧洲手机行业高管私下里会承认，它们的iPhone客户合同仅是刚刚实现盈亏平衡。他们寄希望于合同到期后，用户会在数据服务方面慷慨消费，并继续使用运营商的服务。 　　Apple, meanwhile, has kept the average selling price of an iPhone above $600 since the third quarter of 2008. That's for a device that contains less than $200 worth of parts (not including manufacturing, software and intellectual property costs), according to estimates by iSuppli, a market research firm.

　　与此同时，2008年第三季度以来，苹果一直将iPhone的平均售价保持在600美元以上。而市场研究机构iSuppli估计，这款手机的零配件（不包括制造、软件和知识产权成本）价值还不到200美元。



　　Operators' powers are diminished, not destroyed, though. While they will not stop subsidising iPhones, they are waiting for a credible pretender to rally round. And non-Apple smartphone prices continue to fall. Nokia's next model, the N8, will cost ?370. BlackBerry maker Research in Motion recently reported that its average selling price slipped below $300 in its first quarter to the end of May, from more than $350 a year ago. Apple has already developed tiered pricing, selling older iPhones more cheaply. But when the technological gap to the competition narrows, Apple's price premium must do likewise, or its terrific rate of growth will slow. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

　　不过，移动运营商的力量只是在减弱，而没有被摧毁。它们还不会停止对iPhone提供补贴，但它们也在等待一位可靠的觊觎王位者的到来，然后齐心协力去支持它。非苹果品牌的智能手机价格继续下跌。诺基亚（Nokia）下一款智能手机N8的售价为370欧元。黑莓（BlackBerry）手机制造商Research in Motion最近公布，截至今年5月的第一季度，黑莓手机的平均售价从一年前的逾350美元下降到300美元以下。苹果也已制定阶梯定价策略，款型越老的iPhone售价越便宜。然而，随着竞争的技术差距收窄，苹果的溢价肯定也会收窄，否则其惊人的增长速度就会放缓。高高在上的王者正惴惴不安。