"iPhone Effect" boosting opinions, sales of Apple and AT&T

[AppleInsider]

Apple's first cellphone has contributed to a steadily mounting enthusiasm for Apple and its wireless partner AT&T that is leading to more Apple product owners overall, says a new study by Solutions Research Group.

Between October 2006 and November 2007, the number of respondents who have a "very positive" view of Apple has shot from 21 to 32 percent, the group says, while the overall number of positive opinions has climbed slightly from 71 to 74 percent.

While the view may be connected to non-iPhone products as well, the research also notes that the number of people expressing the same opinion of AT&T has also increased from 17 to 21 percent over the same period.

This shows clear signs of an "iPhone Effect" on either company, the analysts say.

Such a halo is also said to be translating into real-world results. Solutions Research estimates that about 31 percent of all study subjects over 12 years old own at least one Apple device, easily besting the 20 percent from October of 2006. Ownership is not broken down into iPhone, iPod, or Mac categories, however.

Nonetheless, the study authors contend that Apple's current public opinion is only set to improve in the near future. At 49 percent, nearly half of all respondents say that Apple is "getting better" while 36 percent believe the company unchanged. Only 4 percent believe Apple is getting worse, the study says.

Previous observations by analysts have mirrored the Solutions Research Group study and argue that Apple is creating an iPhone halo which translates to a warm reception of other Apple products.

[monstrosity]

Good news, now can you all start buying shares and get the price over $200 again please.

[Booga]

Apparently almost a third of all Americans over the age of 12 own an Apple product. That's pretty cool. It would be nicer if it was over 50%, but let's not get greedy. It gives Apple a great opportunity to make a good impression and have people coming back for more.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by monstrosity

Good news, now can you all start buying shares and get the price over $200 again please.

I recently did buy some more, at $171.63. It better keep going up!

[melgross]

Originally Posted by Booga

Apparently almost a third of all Americans over the age of 12 own an Apple product. That's pretty cool. It would be nicer if it was over 50%, but let's not get greedy. It gives Apple a great opportunity to make a good impression and have people coming back for more.

It's better that its not over 50% right now. That wouldn't leave as much room for growth. With Apple's current sales, and 31% ownership, they still have a ways to go, and that's good.

Now, they have to boost overseas markets as well.

Hopefully, the Ultralight will boost Asian sales significantly.

[drjjones]

Originally Posted by monstrosity

Good news, now can you all start buying shares and get the price over $200 again please.

Be patient. You only have to wait till the 24th , next week , for it to hit $215.
Peter Oppenheimer will put it over the top Wed morning, and whoosh from there on . So just wait 10 days .

[dontlookleft]

hahahaha, going downhill = 4%.

Who were they and what's wrong with them??

hahaha.

=]

[BrianMojo]

The iMac jumpstarted the Apple brand and launched the 'i' prefix,
The iPod rode on that success and built on it greatly,
And now the iPhone is piggybacking off the iPod to create its own even broader halo. Nice.

So will it be at least another 3 years before we see another game changing device? (1998->2001->2007)

[Bageljoey]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Between October 2006 and November 2007, the number of respondents who have a "very positive" view of Apple has shot from 21 to 32 percent, the group says, while the overall number of positive opinions has climbed slightly from 71 to 74 percent.

Wow! Now 106% of people now have either a positive or very positive opinion of Apple.

(I hear that Microsoft has only -17%)


EDIT: OK, I see it in the graph now. I still don't like the way its written...

[Booga]

Originally Posted by Bageljoey

Wow! Now 106% of people now have either a positive or very positive opinion of Apple.

(I hear that Microsoft has only -17%)


EDIT: OK, I see it in the graph now. I still don't like the way its written...

Yes, and please ignore the fact that AT&T's percent of "overall positive opinions" has dropped from 67% to 65%, because that wouldn't support the author's hypothesis. It seems a more accurate description of AT&T's iPhone effect that it has polarized opinions about AT&T.

[addicted44]

Making analysts correct for once (except the despicable Enderle) the iPhone is a revolutionary product, as predicted. Like all great revolutions, no single aspect of it is a gamechanger, but the product as a whole is fascinating. What the iPhone has done is made complex cell phone technology access to the regular man on the street. Earlier, no one but the most technology savvy would consider a smart phone, but now, the smart phone is indeed the norm. Blackberry slightly jump started the iPhone in this process with the Pearl, however, it never gained the traction the iPhone did, mainly because while the hardware was hot, the software continued being ugly, and complex for the ordinary user. The iPhone has extended metaphors people use in their daily lives (touch to turn on) or are intuitively obvious (slide left to go to the next image, pinch to zoom) and integrated them beautifully in one complete package.

I recently went to my home country India for a couple of weeks, and was astonished to see the awareness that existed for the iPhone, although it is not even being sold there (legally). Many a friend owned an unlocked iPhone, and no one I knew had not heard about it. Even more amazing was that everyone who knew about it, wanted to buy one as soon as it landed on Indian shores. There is a tremendous amount of goodwill being generated by the iPhone for Apple, and they will do well to introduce it in weaker markets, followed by an introduction of mac products, because the iPhone halo does exist to a level that the iPod halo never did. It probably has to do with the fact that the iPhone seems more like a computer than the iPod.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by BrianMojo

The iMac jumpstarted the Apple brand and launched the 'i' prefix,
The iPod rode on that success and built on it greatly,
And now the iPhone is piggybacking off the iPod to create its own even broader halo. Nice.

So will it be at least another 3 years before we see another game changing device? (1998->2001->2007)

It is a testament to Apple's influence on popular culture -- but has also increasingly an irritant -- that we are seeing hundreds of products named "i"this and "i"that. Witness the recent CES (yawn).

I think Apple should pull the rug from under their collective feet, and start a product line with the prefix "@." (I.e., what we need is a 'name-changing' device, ha ha)!

@Phone, @Mac, @Pod anyone?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Booga

It seems a more accurate description of AT&T's iPhone effect that it has polarized opinions about AT&T.

My experience with AT&T/Cingular this time around with the iPhone has been very positive. I don't know if it's because of the iPhone itself, because of the simple pricing plan for the iPhone, because AT&T/Cingular has got its act together, because the online payments—which I didn't have last time—have made things easier, or some combination of the afore mentioned. Either way, I'm a satisfied customer.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

It is a testament to Apple's influence on popular culture -- but has also increasingly an irritant -- that we are seeing hundreds of products named "i"this and "i"that. Witness the recent CES (yawn).

I think Apple should pull the rug from under their collective feet, and start a product line with the prefix "@." (I.e., what we need is a 'name-changing' device, ha ha)!

@Phone, @Mac, @Pod anyone?

The CES did have a lot of Apple-like proof of concepts. What really surprised me was the multitude of iPod accessories being introduced.

There is even a new CBC (Canada) TV show called jPod, based on a series of books that has taken the Apple influence a little far, IMO. There is even have an eccentric boss named Steve who wears black turtlenecks and looks too much like a certain CEO to be a coincidence. UGH!

[melgross]

Originally Posted by solipsism

The CES did have a lot of Apple-like proof of concepts. What really surprised me was the multitude of iPod accessories being introduced.

There is even a new CBC (Canada) TV show called jPod, based on a series of books that has taken the Apple influence a little far, IMO. There is even have an eccentric boss named Steve who wears black turtlenecks and looks too much like a certain CEO to be a coincidence. UGH!

I'd like to see one episode.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by melgross

I'd like to see one episode.

There has only been one episode so far. You can purchase the novel by Douglas Coupland on Amazon, but the show being Canadian and you residing in America means that you will have to obtain a copy by some other means.

[mdriftmeyer]

As usual the loud mouth minority is revealed and often runs rampant on the boards with the direction where they think Apple is headed.

My stock proves them wrong.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by solipsism

My experience with AT&T/Cingular this time around with the iPhone has been very positive. I don't know if it's because of the iPhone itself, because of the simple pricing plan for the iPhone, because AT&T/Cingular has got it's act together, because the online payments—which I didn't have last time—have made things easier, or some combination of afore mentioned. Either way, I'm a satisfied customer.

Ditto for me. I am surprised at how smooth it has all been with ATT, after some initial hiccups (got ripped-off on a foreign trip, but the problem that subsequently fixed; since then, zero hassles).

[maxmann]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

As usual the loud mouth minority is revealed and often runs rampant on the boards with the direction where they think Apple is headed.

My stock proves them wrong.

have a little attention deficit do you? can't hold on to your investment for more than a few weeks and then are on to something else?. I recently sold an option that achieved a new record for me... just over a 2000% return in less then 9 months.. go to 2009 OBRAP.. call option with a strike price of 180.. buy it end of March all the way through April and into early May for less than $3.. Sold in early December for $51.. do the math.. do the math.. 2.42 to $51++ is over 2000% return .. Maybe you should be buying something else? Go to any 2009 option out of the money that is over 2 months old and you are still wrong.. I can go down to a month and still make money most of the time at todays price .. We are in volatile times.. we are in Volatile times.. But Apple is still going to do over 28% of this years business in the first quarter just like the last two years.. and if history means anything this year it will push their earnings well above $7 this year.. 40 PE x $7 = $280.. plus some hype and it could easily hit $300 before next October.. Even a horrible year i am not predicting will generate a profit on an investment at todays price..

[OccamsAftershave]

______________
Ballmer@microsoft.con

[ThunkDifferent.com]

What do you think will be the predictions for macworld 2008, only a few hours until we know, and iHear something is in the air.

Thunk Different.

[lantzn]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

I think Apple should pull the rug from under their collective feet, and start a product line with the prefix "@." (I.e., what we need is a 'name-changing' device, ha ha)! @Phone, @Mac, @Pod anyone?

Oh boy, the English teachers and forum grammar hounds have had a hard enough time with the small "i" words starting a sentence. I think adding the "@" symbol might just send them into a foaming at the mouth convulsion.

[lkrupp]

Originally Posted by dontlookleft

hahahaha, going downhill = 4%.

Who were they and what's wrong with them??

hahaha.

=]

That's the 4% who are still waiting for the next Jailbreak version to be released. Or maybe it's those with unlocked/bricked iPhones

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by maxmann

have a little attention deficit do you? can't hold on to your investment for more than a few weeks and then are on to something else?. I recently sold an option that achieved a new record for me... just over a 2000% return in less then 9 months.. go to 2009 OBRAP.. call option with a strike price of 180.. buy it end of March all the way through April and into early May for less than $3.. Sold in early December for $51.. do the math.. do the math.. 2.42 to $51++ is over 2000% return .. Maybe you should be buying something else? Go to any 2009 option out of the money that is over 2 months old and you are still wrong.. I can go down to a month and still make money most of the time at todays price .. We are in volatile times.. we are in Volatile times.. But Apple is still going to do over 28% of this years business in the first quarter just like the last two years.. and if history means anything this year it will push their earnings well above $7 this year.. 40 PE x $7 = $280.. plus some hype and it could easily hit $300 before next October.. Even a horrible year i am not predicting will generate a profit on an investment at todays price..

I've had them since 1997 when I got them from Apple. I recommended and had my family buy them back in 2002 January. I've held ever since. You don't read well.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by lantzn

Oh boy, the English teachers and forum grammar hounds have had a hard enough time with the small "i" words starting a sentence. I think adding the "@" symbol might just send them into a foaming at the mouth convulsion.

You must be an English teacher!