$399 low-end iPhone predicted to grow Apple's user base without affecting margins

2»

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 30
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    pfisher wrote: »
    It's wouldn't be expected to be treated as "low end". Mid-priced.
    The obsession that some have with terms here is just asinine. All such a machine is is just another model. Anybody's obsessing over positioning of the phone and expressing the cheapness of others is simply an ass. Would these people be so quick to criticize people that drive electric cars which by the way is an example of a person having non mainstream priorities.
    Anyway, most consumers don't do a lot of analysis and hang around rumor boards finding out what phone they want.
    I think you are very wrong here. The expense of a cell phone is a common complaint these days. This is especially the case if an individual will only leverage certain apps on the machine. People shop because for most a cell phone isn't a status symbol.
    They see a price and they grab it. Especially in  parts of the world that can't or won't spend $700 on a phone.
    It is the combination of the price and its off contract nature. Given decent plans from the various carriers such a phone could save people large sums of money. This can't be dismissed as each individual has his own priorities. I know of people that allocate every cent they can to a sail boat, some for trips to Vegas and others fancy stereo equipment. It is all about personal priorities.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 22 of 30
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post





    The obsession that some have with terms here is just asinine. 


     


    Check out the title of the thread. It says low-end right there.


     


    And I still don't see what makes a $399 low end Apple phone attractive when a real iPhone only costs slightly more. The main cost of owning a phone goes towards monthly fees for talktime/data usage, not the phone itself.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 23 of 30
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 1983 View Post



    Has to be priced no higher than $349 to be a contract free high volume sales hit I reckon.


     


     


    depend on the market target.  For an unlock phone in develop countries, 300 to 400 is ok.  For emerging markets its still too expensive.  At 399$ they could minic the look if the iPhone 5.  Maybe the plastic cover leaks we saw are for the emerging markets, something price in the $100 to $200 range.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 24 of 30
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,928member
    herbapou wrote: »

    depend on the market target.  For an unlock phone in develop countries, 300 to 400 is ok.  For emerging markets its still too expensive.  At 399$ they could minic the look if the iPhone 5.  Maybe the plastic cover leaks we saw are for the emerging markets, something price in the $100 to $200 range.

    Apple will not sell an unlocked phone for $200.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 25 of 30
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    Well she just reposted everything i have said in the last 12 months. I still hope the cheaper iPhone model will be a larger screen version as well.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 26 of 30
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,123member
    The 4S is currently sold with 16GB. Highly likely the iPhone 5 will be sold with 16GB as well when it gets dropped to $549
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 27 of 30


    why does Apple need to grow it's user base? with only 16% of the worldwide smartphone market, they already have the majority of developer support and better quality apps.


     


    an increased user base means increased support costs.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 28 of 30
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,362member
    At $399 we're talking about a device that can run regular iPhone apps. I wouldn't call it low-end though. For a true low end phone it better be around $149 or something.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 29 of 30
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,362member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by OllieWallieWhiskers View Post


    why does Apple need to grow it's user base? with only 16% of the worldwide smartphone market, they already have the majority of developer support and better quality apps.


     


    an increased user base means increased support costs.



    I think it's for fear that the others will take them and tie them to Google or Microsoft, and ten years from now when the entry level people are getting richer they're already too tied to other services to change to Apple. Long term rhetorics.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 30 of 30
    Releasing a cheap (not so cheap at $399 anyway!) plastic low quality iPhone model would be Apple death sentence.. If Tim Cook releases this crap he clearly is a competitors spy paid to kill Apple.

    And in fact the iPad Mini hurt iPad sales badly, even dumber how Tim Cook released the iPad4.. just like it was nothing new and focused everything on the iPad Mini.

    Apple doesn't need any cheap iPhone model ! Apple must not be turned into an Android style crap manufacturer.
    And for $399 anyone can buy iPhone4 already...
    Apple should just discount the iPhone4s and iPhone5 more and that's it.
    Release a new model and discount more the previous year one. Period.
    Why wasting precious R&D and manufacturing resources to build and sell a new cheap plastic iPhone lacking features? What will they do ? Remove the camera just like with the new iPod Touch 16GB nonsense which is only $70 cheaper than the 32GB version with the camera ?

    Tim Cook and his gang must be fired before they destroy Apple completely!
    An engineer, a technician inside Apple must become the new CEO, someone able to push Apple to the limits just like Steve Jobs was doing.
    Apple must not try to follow competitors! Apple must lead the market !
    Now Apple has no less than 10 to 15 times the money it had when Steve Jobs released the iPhone.. and double that since the first iPod at least.. so there is no excuse to delay releasing outstanding products using new technology that Apple has the resources to build and mass produce.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
Sign In or Register to comment.