Would be instructive for iPhone to fail in a couple of markets. Could provide the impetus Apple needs to listen to consumers closer.
Ummmm... all this speculation may be true, but it has a whiff of familiarity: "everyone forms unrealistic expectations ---> media screams letdown ---> Apple blows away expectations" that we saw soon after launch in the US. (Remember how Apple's stock tanked something like $25 when ATT announced only 140,000 activations?).
Well, at least the first two parts of this cycle are showing up again.
I guess we'll know for sure only when the numbers actually come out.
I love the iPhone, and agree thats its value is much more than just the headline features, but it is at a huge disadvantage here in the UK because of the pricing.
The Nokia N95 - which is the phone most often compared to the iPhone is FREE from O2 with a contract similar to that of the iPhone.
Free is going to beat £269 for the iPhone 99% of the time.
Apple need to be offering similar deals soon or massively increase the perceived value.
The Nokia N95 - which is the phone most often compared to the iPhone is FREE from O2 with a contract similar to that of the iPhone.
From what I can find of this deal its a 30 pound tariff, 7.5 pounds for unlimited data, 7 pounds for unlimited Cloud WiFi access. Which comes out to 801 over 18 months.
The fact of the matter is that Apple trying to sell US-centric business models, devices, and pricing in other parts of the world ain't gonna fly. The rest of the world has some combination of non-exclusive deals with carriers, device portability across networks, better and more open hardware and software, shorter contracts, more competitive pricing for plans, etc.
So, Apple either needs to change their approach or expect lower sales in the rest of the world. No news here, plenty of people predicted this months ago when the iPhone was released.
From the reports the cost is the limiting factor. I can agree 200 minutes for 35 pounds does not sound like a good deal.
I get 450 minutes for the equivalent of 34 pounds. Any minutes I don't use are saved to be used later.
What people fail to mention though is the unlimited access to the cloud wifi network. That's a pretty sweet deal IMO. I don't know why that isn't mentioned more frequently. We don't get a similar perk from ATT.
Ummmm... all this speculation may be true, but it has a whiff of familiarity: "everyone forms unrealistic expectations ---> media screams letdown ---> Apple blows away expectations" that we saw soon after launch in the US. (Remember how Apple's stock tanked something like $25 when ATT announced only 140,000 activations?).
Well, at least the first two parts of this cycle are showing up again.
I guess we'll know for sure only when the numbers actually come out.
Not having firsthand familiarity with the level of hype in England over the iPhone, I'd just add that overseas markets are familiar with all of the pluses and minuses of the iPhone at this point, so it's just a matter of how iPhone fits into their local market.
That's a pretty sweet deal IMO. I don't know why that isn't mentioned more frequently. We don't get a similar perk from ATT.
To make it even worse ATT has its own WiFi network that it does not give us free access to. Once the SDK is available if VOIP is not blocked from the iPhone that unlimited Cloud access could make things very interesting.
To make it even worse ATT has its own WiFi network that it does not give us free access to. Once the SDK is available if VOIP is not blocked from the iPhone that unlimited Cloud access could make things very interesting.
It would make sense if AT&T's contract forbids Apple from allowing a VoIP app from being allowed. Hopefully someone will use the SDK to make a quality VoIP client that connect to Skype and works with Jailbreak.
The UK is not homogenous there are UK people who say they have bought an iPhone and love it.
A pity there aren't more such people, at these prices and at this feature set.
Oh, and Americans aren't a homogenous ppl either. There are a few who've bought Zunes and say they love 'em too. Hasn't really helped the Zune, though.
I think you guys are jumping to a conclusion too soon. Give it until after Christmas and we should have a better view of things.
I'm a stockholder, so I want you to be right, but I'm pretty sure you aren't. A major improvement in the situation will very likely require a price drop of some kind and a feature-set improvement (3G, MMS), not just time and hope. \
My old man got an iPhone the first weekend. (Bast.... didn't get me one)
I saw him first time since yesterday...
Still wasn't activated. He had to wait a week to get a code from Vodafone to change his number. Then another week for O2 to process it. He's expecting it to be activated sometime this week...
I've got no idea how representative this is of other users, but then that's why I'm not a journalist. I don't extrapolate figures from rumours to guesswork.
Anyone who tries to give figures, let alone analysis of those figures, without any reputable source, is talking out of an orifice which has evolved for a different purpose.
The title of this article should have read "Apple's iPhone is a Flop in UK."
But then Friday's headline read that Apple "slashed" prices on Black Friday -LOL!
Seriously,Europeans and Brits are much more savvy when it come to cellphones. Their phones have always been better than the ones here and I'm sure this was met with a reserved yawn. They've had many of these options for years. Maybe not on one device but it's no big deal to them. And they are not as gullible to American marketers as we are and wait in line for an obviously overpriced device.
The real problem (certainly from my point of view) isn't the cost of the iPhone. I don't think the price is too unreasonable - certainly when compared to an iPod. The aspect that totally puts me off is O2's god awful iPhone specific tariffs. Let's be fair: it's bad enough having to pay for the phone (when you can get any other for free), but after shelling out all that, then being stuck with having to pay £35 for 200 mins and 200 texts! What rubbish. I'm on O2 now and I pay £20 for 600 mins and 800 texts. There is no phone in world that is cool enough to persuade me to change to a tariff that drastically different!
If O2 allowed current customers to simply buy an iPhone and continue with their current contract I think sales would improve. But only a fool (or someone who has enough money to burn) would buy an iPhone when stuck with the awful selection of tariffs O2 has put on offer.
I quite agree. I've been with o2 for years, but I have found they have always bent over backwards to help in any query or problem, unlike Vodafone or worse still, Phones 4U. However, they told me (and we already know this from AI's previous quotes) that they are forced to charge these high prices by Apple. Several o2 people I've spoken to said they would prefer to give the phones away for free, as they do with most of their other brands. They say this will probably happen later on.
In the meantime, I have passed on the iPhone this time round, have upgraded my phone to another SE. While Apple continue to force such a ridiculous price, with so many features missing compared to other phones you can get for free, they know where they can stick it!!!!
Comments
Would be instructive for iPhone to fail in a couple of markets. Could provide the impetus Apple needs to listen to consumers closer.
Ummmm... all this speculation may be true, but it has a whiff of familiarity: "everyone forms unrealistic expectations ---> media screams letdown ---> Apple blows away expectations" that we saw soon after launch in the US. (Remember how Apple's stock tanked something like $25 when ATT announced only 140,000 activations?).
Well, at least the first two parts of this cycle are showing up again.
I guess we'll know for sure only when the numbers actually come out.
The Nokia N95 - which is the phone most often compared to the iPhone is FREE from O2 with a contract similar to that of the iPhone.
Free is going to beat £269 for the iPhone 99% of the time.
Apple need to be offering similar deals soon or massively increase the perceived value.
The N95 is a quality full featured smartphone.
http://shop.o2.co.uk/phone/Nokia/N95
The good news is that I think the iPod touch is doing very well!
The rest is just arm-flailing.
.
The Nokia N95 - which is the phone most often compared to the iPhone is FREE from O2 with a contract similar to that of the iPhone.
From what I can find of this deal its a 30 pound tariff, 7.5 pounds for unlimited data, 7 pounds for unlimited Cloud WiFi access. Which comes out to 801 over 18 months.
Too expensive. No 3G. No MMS. 'nuff said.
From the reports the cost is the limiting factor. I can agree 200 minutes for 35 pounds does not sound like a good deal.
I get 450 minutes for the equivalent of 34 pounds. Any minutes I don't use are saved to be used later.
So, Apple either needs to change their approach or expect lower sales in the rest of the world. No news here, plenty of people predicted this months ago when the iPhone was released.
From the reports the cost is the limiting factor. I can agree 200 minutes for 35 pounds does not sound like a good deal.
I get 450 minutes for the equivalent of 34 pounds. Any minutes I don't use are saved to be used later.
What people fail to mention though is the unlimited access to the cloud wifi network. That's a pretty sweet deal IMO. I don't know why that isn't mentioned more frequently. We don't get a similar perk from ATT.
Ummmm... all this speculation may be true, but it has a whiff of familiarity: "everyone forms unrealistic expectations ---> media screams letdown ---> Apple blows away expectations" that we saw soon after launch in the US. (Remember how Apple's stock tanked something like $25 when ATT announced only 140,000 activations?).
Well, at least the first two parts of this cycle are showing up again.
I guess we'll know for sure only when the numbers actually come out.
Not having firsthand familiarity with the level of hype in England over the iPhone, I'd just add that overseas markets are familiar with all of the pluses and minuses of the iPhone at this point, so it's just a matter of how iPhone fits into their local market.
That's a pretty sweet deal IMO. I don't know why that isn't mentioned more frequently. We don't get a similar perk from ATT.
To make it even worse ATT has its own WiFi network that it does not give us free access to. Once the SDK is available if VOIP is not blocked from the iPhone that unlimited Cloud access could make things very interesting.
From the reports the cost is the limiting factor. I can agree 200 minutes for 35 pounds does not sound like a good deal.
I get 450 minutes for the equivalent of 34 pounds. Any minutes I don't use are saved to be used later.
Listen to our UK friends sometime. Cost is a big part of it... but not the only part.
.
To make it even worse ATT has its own WiFi network that it does not give us free access to. Once the SDK is available if VOIP is not blocked from the iPhone that unlimited Cloud access could make things very interesting.
It would make sense if AT&T's contract forbids Apple from allowing a VoIP app from being allowed. Hopefully someone will use the SDK to make a quality VoIP client that connect to Skype and works with Jailbreak.
Listen to our UK friends sometime. Cost is a big part of it... but not the only part.
The UK is not homogenous there are UK people who say they have bought an iPhone and love it.
The UK is not homogenous there are UK people who say they have bought an iPhone and love it.
A pity there aren't more such people, at these prices and at this feature set.
Oh, and Americans aren't a homogenous ppl either. There are a few who've bought Zunes and say they love 'em too. Hasn't really helped the Zune, though.
.
A pity there aren't more such people, at these prices and at this feature set.
I think you guys are jumping to a conclusion too soon. Give it until after Christmas and we should have a better view of things.
I think you guys are jumping to a conclusion too soon. Give it until after Christmas and we should have a better view of things.
I'm a stockholder, so I want you to be right, but I'm pretty sure you aren't. A major improvement in the situation will very likely require a price drop of some kind and a feature-set improvement (3G, MMS), not just time and hope.
Happy Holidays.
.
I saw him first time since yesterday...
Still wasn't activated. He had to wait a week to get a code from Vodafone to change his number. Then another week for O2 to process it. He's expecting it to be activated sometime this week...
I've got no idea how representative this is of other users, but then that's why I'm not a journalist. I don't extrapolate figures from rumours to guesswork.
Anyone who tries to give figures, let alone analysis of those figures, without any reputable source, is talking out of an orifice which has evolved for a different purpose.
But then Friday's headline read that Apple "slashed" prices on Black Friday -LOL!
Seriously,Europeans and Brits are much more savvy when it come to cellphones. Their phones have always been better than the ones here and I'm sure this was met with a reserved yawn. They've had many of these options for years. Maybe not on one device but it's no big deal to them. And they are not as gullible to American marketers as we are and wait in line for an obviously overpriced device.
The real problem (certainly from my point of view) isn't the cost of the iPhone. I don't think the price is too unreasonable - certainly when compared to an iPod. The aspect that totally puts me off is O2's god awful iPhone specific tariffs. Let's be fair: it's bad enough having to pay for the phone (when you can get any other for free), but after shelling out all that, then being stuck with having to pay £35 for 200 mins and 200 texts! What rubbish. I'm on O2 now and I pay £20 for 600 mins and 800 texts. There is no phone in world that is cool enough to persuade me to change to a tariff that drastically different!
If O2 allowed current customers to simply buy an iPhone and continue with their current contract I think sales would improve. But only a fool (or someone who has enough money to burn) would buy an iPhone when stuck with the awful selection of tariffs O2 has put on offer.
I quite agree. I've been with o2 for years, but I have found they have always bent over backwards to help in any query or problem, unlike Vodafone or worse still, Phones 4U. However, they told me (and we already know this from AI's previous quotes) that they are forced to charge these high prices by Apple. Several o2 people I've spoken to said they would prefer to give the phones away for free, as they do with most of their other brands. They say this will probably happen later on.
In the meantime, I have passed on the iPhone this time round, have upgraded my phone to another SE. While Apple continue to force such a ridiculous price, with so many features missing compared to other phones you can get for free, they know where they can stick it!!!!