Are they going to be like all other vending machines and charge more for conveinece? In a pinch, it would probably be worth it.
I was thinking that batteries, chargers and headsets will probably be the best sellers. Things people forget when they're on the go... I don't know if I'd buy a RAZR from a vending machine. :loony:
batteries, I could go along with. Don't blame you for not buying a RAZR from a vending machine. Hard to get a rebate from a vending machine, huh? :biggrin: Another thing. I wonder how often something like that would be broken into for some of it's contents or money or both?
You probably have to dial a certain number to allow the ESN or IMEI to be used after you purchase the phone... accessories, I guess Motorola would just be SOL in that case. I think they're being very selective about where they put them... airports, high end stores with lots of security and lots of people. Still, you'll probably see me at one of those machines, shaking it to see if I can get another H500 to fall off the corkscrew. "Two for one, baby! C'mon!"
There are lots of vending machines that hold copious amounts of cash. Take phonecard machines. Each vend is worth $10 or $20. When I used to work for the USMC one of the departments I worked in was the vending section on a major Marine Corps base. The technology I reviewed for installation on the base was astounding. I remember looking over materials on a soda machine that would vend a drink by dialing and paying via cell phone. Another machine we looked at was a Kodak vending machine that would sell film & disposable cameras. The machine would take credit cards over the cellular network, and it would automatically order merchandise when it ran low. A machine to sell cell phones & accessories does not sound too far off to me. I would think it would be a great thing for airport terminals myself. Think about it. You fly to a foreign country, lets say England. When you arrive you stop by the vending machine and purchase a prepaid SIM card, or better yet, an inexpensive prepaid cell phone preloaded with minutes - charged up & ready to go. -Jay
