Not trying to diss anyone at all and I apologize if anyone was offended. I guess, let me phrase it a different way.
In my experience in cell phone industry, people have come to correlate the price of the handset with the quality of it. Now I'm not talking about tech junkies like us, but more so average consumers. It used to be that the free or cheap phone was the way to go because back then, the only thing everyone did was call. But nowadays, people often regret the free phone they got because "you get what you pay for" as they regretfully say to me. They saw how that free phone was a lower quality than the ones you'd actually spend some money on in both quality and functionality.
Even more recently, I've watched people save up for the more expensive smartphone instead of going for the cheaper one because of their stigma with cheap or free phones, without much care of the functionality of the phone itself. They still see price as a sign of quality.
So my question to you guys, restated, is do you think that the Apple Brand can outweigh people's stigma on cheap or free phones if the iPhone's price is lowered?
I think you are confusing price (cost to the buyer) with quality.
Savvy buyers determine quality in several ways; research; comparative evaluation; product/company reputation; experience of friends and contemporaries; advertising, etc.
Once quality is determined, choice is reduced to among those quality products that best serve the buyers needs.
Finally, the savvy buyer shops for a bargain.
Bargain == Quality at a Good Price!
Conversely, you can buy poor quality products at what appears to be a good price, but they never satisfy your needs. Then you repeat the cycle and end up spending more than if you got a quality product at normal price -- let alone a Bargain.
Apple's products still have the same retail price as always, and offer quality at that price.
Some retailers offer these at below retail prices -- a bargain.
This is nothing new. Apple occasionally has used Sams Clubs to get rid of some inventory at slightly reduced pricing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
A leaked internal memo from wholesaler Sam's Club shows that the company is set to offer Apple's latest-generation 16GB iPhone 4 for just $147 with a two-year AT&T contract.
In an internal memo leaked anonymously to Engadget, it appears Sam's Club will offer the 16GB iPhone 4 for $147 until Christmas day. The picture of the memo also mentions the 8GB iPhone 3GS available for $47 with a two-year contract.
"We will be offering these devices at this outstanding Member value until Christmas Day," the memo reads. "Please reprint your flags and have a great sales weekend."
The discount is the lowest yet seen for Apple's smartphone, beating a promotion held earlier this month by Radio Shack. That sale saw $50 knocked off the price of the iPhone 4, bringing the 16GB model to $149.
That promotion proved to be extremely successful for both Radio Shack and Apple, as the retailer almost completely sold out of iPhones nationwide. AppleInsider contacted a number of Radio Shack stores across the U.S. and found that all but one had no stock of the iPhone 4.
The Sam's Club price is $2 lower than Radio Shack's promotion, but also requires a membership to the warehouse club. Sam's Club, a subsidiary of Walmart, recently began selling the iPhone, along with Apple's iPad.
Do you have a better theory? You say that like you're pretty sure it's not. I'm not saying I'm %100 right but it is a theory none the less.
I don't believe the VeriPhone will come out until the standard launch in June at the earliest, so it wouldn't matter.
I don't believe Apple has any "good faith" in AT&T, and hasn't since just after the launch of the 3G.
Here's my theory: Apple is simply expanding the iPhone market as they did the iPod. If they have more avenues of distribution, they'll have more avenues of distribution and parity for future updates. If the AT&T iPhone is available from ten resellers, the AT&T/Verizon iPhone'll be available from all ten of them as well. It's just expansion. The iPod wasn't sold by every Tom, Dick, and Harry on its launch, and look at it now.
There sure are a lot of comments about a rumor that apparently no one bothered to get up off their butts today and check it out. I'll drop by a local Sam's Club tomorrow to see for myself whether this is a hoax or not, but at the moment the needle on my BS meter is way over in the red zone. Is everyone on this thread that gullible?
I'm calling BS on this whole story - at least in Pennsylvania. My local store said they do not and never did carry the iPhone, and to their knowledge the same goes for other stores in southeastern PA....
I'm calling BS on this whole story - at least in Pennsylvania. My local store said they do not and never did carry the iPhone, and to their knowledge the same goes for other stores in southeastern PA....
You're right in that iPhones are not sold at Sam's Club locations in Pennsylvania, except for one in Pittsburgh. The list seems to be highly selective.
For some reason there are a bunch of locations around Chicago. I meant to get to a nearby warehouse in the western suburbs to check out the rumor today, but ran out of time. Maybe tomorrow ...
There sure are a lot of comments about a rumor that apparently no one bothered to get up off their butts today and check it out. I'll drop by a local Sam's Club tomorrow to see for myself whether this is a hoax or not, but at the moment the needle on my BS meter is way over in the red zone. Is everyone on this thread that gullible?
Okay - I checked this out at a nearby Sam's Club and at least the rumor is true at that location in Woodridge, Illinois. However, the $147 iPhone 4 16gb was "out of stock" as of mid-afternoon Wednesday for a new two-year signup or add-on to existing service. They were still offering the $47 3Gs deal.
Comments
Looks like Apple is trying to learn more about the price-elasticity of demand for the iPhone.
Also, this is another sign that Apple is totally committed to winning the mobile platform "war".
Apple has nothing to do with WALMART/SAMS CLUB pricing.
WALMART buys them and sells them at the best price it can.
But you are correct that Apple is determined to win the mobile war.
Steve does not want a repeat of the Mac vs PC war.
We will see the battle lines redrawn in January.
Not trying to diss anyone at all and I apologize if anyone was offended. I guess, let me phrase it a different way.
In my experience in cell phone industry, people have come to correlate the price of the handset with the quality of it. Now I'm not talking about tech junkies like us, but more so average consumers. It used to be that the free or cheap phone was the way to go because back then, the only thing everyone did was call. But nowadays, people often regret the free phone they got because "you get what you pay for" as they regretfully say to me. They saw how that free phone was a lower quality than the ones you'd actually spend some money on in both quality and functionality.
Even more recently, I've watched people save up for the more expensive smartphone instead of going for the cheaper one because of their stigma with cheap or free phones, without much care of the functionality of the phone itself. They still see price as a sign of quality.
So my question to you guys, restated, is do you think that the Apple Brand can outweigh people's stigma on cheap or free phones if the iPhone's price is lowered?
I think you are confusing price (cost to the buyer) with quality.
Savvy buyers determine quality in several ways; research; comparative evaluation; product/company reputation; experience of friends and contemporaries; advertising, etc.
Once quality is determined, choice is reduced to among those quality products that best serve the buyers needs.
Finally, the savvy buyer shops for a bargain.
Bargain == Quality at a Good Price!
Conversely, you can buy poor quality products at what appears to be a good price, but they never satisfy your needs. Then you repeat the cycle and end up spending more than if you got a quality product at normal price -- let alone a Bargain.
Apple's products still have the same retail price as always, and offer quality at that price.
Some retailers offer these at below retail prices -- a bargain.
Bargain == Quality at a Good Price!
The quality of the product is unchanged.
/consumerism 101
.
Interesting... Looks like iPhone4 Bogo can't be too far behind.
Isn't it interesting how DaHarder "lights up a room"...
... when he leaves it?
.
A leaked internal memo from wholesaler Sam's Club shows that the company is set to offer Apple's latest-generation 16GB iPhone 4 for just $147 with a two-year AT&T contract.
In an internal memo leaked anonymously to Engadget, it appears Sam's Club will offer the 16GB iPhone 4 for $147 until Christmas day. The picture of the memo also mentions the 8GB iPhone 3GS available for $47 with a two-year contract.
"We will be offering these devices at this outstanding Member value until Christmas Day," the memo reads. "Please reprint your flags and have a great sales weekend."
The discount is the lowest yet seen for Apple's smartphone, beating a promotion held earlier this month by Radio Shack. That sale saw $50 knocked off the price of the iPhone 4, bringing the 16GB model to $149.
That promotion proved to be extremely successful for both Radio Shack and Apple, as the retailer almost completely sold out of iPhones nationwide. AppleInsider contacted a number of Radio Shack stores across the U.S. and found that all but one had no stock of the iPhone 4.
The Sam's Club price is $2 lower than Radio Shack's promotion, but also requires a membership to the warehouse club. Sam's Club, a subsidiary of Walmart, recently began selling the iPhone, along with Apple's iPad.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Keep dreaming.
Do you have a better theory? You say that like you're pretty sure it's not. I'm not saying I'm %100 right but it is a theory none the less.
Do you have a better theory? You say that like you're pretty sure it's not. I'm not saying I'm %100 right but it is a theory none the less.
I don't believe the VeriPhone will come out until the standard launch in June at the earliest, so it wouldn't matter.
I don't believe Apple has any "good faith" in AT&T, and hasn't since just after the launch of the 3G.
Here's my theory: Apple is simply expanding the iPhone market as they did the iPod. If they have more avenues of distribution, they'll have more avenues of distribution and parity for future updates. If the AT&T iPhone is available from ten resellers, the AT&T/Verizon iPhone'll be available from all ten of them as well. It's just expansion. The iPod wasn't sold by every Tom, Dick, and Harry on its launch, and look at it now.
I'm calling BS on this whole story - at least in Pennsylvania. My local store said they do not and never did carry the iPhone, and to their knowledge the same goes for other stores in southeastern PA....
You're right in that iPhones are not sold at Sam's Club locations in Pennsylvania, except for one in Pittsburgh. The list seems to be highly selective.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/pagedet...equestid=39656
For some reason there are a bunch of locations around Chicago. I meant to get to a nearby warehouse in the western suburbs to check out the rumor today, but ran out of time. Maybe tomorrow ...
There sure are a lot of comments about a rumor that apparently no one bothered to get up off their butts today and check it out. I'll drop by a local Sam's Club tomorrow to see for myself whether this is a hoax or not, but at the moment the needle on my BS meter is way over in the red zone. Is everyone on this thread that gullible?
Okay - I checked this out at a nearby Sam's Club and at least the rumor is true at that location in Woodridge, Illinois. However, the $147 iPhone 4 16gb was "out of stock" as of mid-afternoon Wednesday for a new two-year signup or add-on to existing service. They were still offering the $47 3Gs deal.