APPLE READ THIS - Why the iPhone is failing in Europe
It's not about whether the iPhone is better than the competition. In many respects it is, of course.
What matters are the deal-breakers.
What Apple failed to understand from the getgo is that international customers expect certain features, no matter what, in a phone. Lack of just one of these would be a source of ridicule for hardcore phone users. And anyone who would drop a few hundred pounds or Euros on a phone is a hardcore phone user.
First, and most obvious, is that Apple cannot expect to sell locked phones in Europe and Asia. This is so elementary for anyone who has lived outside of the US it's shameful that Apple can't admit it. Yes, I know selling unlocked phones outside of the US will affect the US market. But that's a decision you have to face. Either accept that there will be trade-offs and unlock the European and Asian phones, or expect to see your locked phones fall short in those markets.
Second, are the features that EVERY OTHER HIGH-END CAMERA PHONE OR SMARTPHONE on the market has that Apple doesn't.
MMS
Video capture
Free games and apps (J2ME, Symbian, Win Mobile)
MIDI Ringtones
Free ringtone creation (MIDI and MP3)
Forwarding of messages
Bluetooth file transfer
Swappable battery
3G
These are features people actually USE!
If Apple wants to know why the iPhone is not meeting expectations in Europe, they just need to look at the competition, not with regard to what the iPhone does better (web browsing, multi-touch, music, video), but about the simple functions the iPhone is missing that many customers see as deal breakers.
If I can buy a Nokia or Sony Ericsson that has every feature in the above list (that I do use) for the same price as an iPhone, and is unlocked to boot, then why the hell would I use an iPhone? If I really need the features that the iPhone does better, I'll get an iPod Touch (which has the added advantage of higher capacity).
The bottom line is that there is not a single function that the iPhone does better that the iPod Touch doesn't already have.
What matters are the deal-breakers.
What Apple failed to understand from the getgo is that international customers expect certain features, no matter what, in a phone. Lack of just one of these would be a source of ridicule for hardcore phone users. And anyone who would drop a few hundred pounds or Euros on a phone is a hardcore phone user.
First, and most obvious, is that Apple cannot expect to sell locked phones in Europe and Asia. This is so elementary for anyone who has lived outside of the US it's shameful that Apple can't admit it. Yes, I know selling unlocked phones outside of the US will affect the US market. But that's a decision you have to face. Either accept that there will be trade-offs and unlock the European and Asian phones, or expect to see your locked phones fall short in those markets.
Second, are the features that EVERY OTHER HIGH-END CAMERA PHONE OR SMARTPHONE on the market has that Apple doesn't.
MMS
Video capture
Free games and apps (J2ME, Symbian, Win Mobile)
MIDI Ringtones
Free ringtone creation (MIDI and MP3)
Forwarding of messages
Bluetooth file transfer
Swappable battery
3G
These are features people actually USE!
If Apple wants to know why the iPhone is not meeting expectations in Europe, they just need to look at the competition, not with regard to what the iPhone does better (web browsing, multi-touch, music, video), but about the simple functions the iPhone is missing that many customers see as deal breakers.
If I can buy a Nokia or Sony Ericsson that has every feature in the above list (that I do use) for the same price as an iPhone, and is unlocked to boot, then why the hell would I use an iPhone? If I really need the features that the iPhone does better, I'll get an iPod Touch (which has the added advantage of higher capacity).
The bottom line is that there is not a single function that the iPhone does better that the iPod Touch doesn't already have.
Comments
Please don't address posts here to Apple.
Please don't tell me your Nokia / Sony Ericsson is a better product.
If you don't like something, don't buy it.
I am European and I find the iPhone to be a simply astonishing device. I use it constantly, not because it is crammed with features, but because unlike Nokia's devices, its features actually work. That functionality makes it more valuable to me.
In my opinion, Apple got this right, Nokia got it wrong. Not just wrong, but really badly amazingly wrong. They created a clunky, swiss-army knife of compromised functions and quite possible the most terrible user-interface seen this side of 1990.
But if you feel that you can use a Nokia for more than 2 minutes without suicidal feelings, Than Good for you! Enjoy it! MMS your friends about it.
C.
Oh do shut up.
Please don't address posts here to Apple.
Please don't tell me your Nokia / Sony Ericsson is a better product.
If you don't like something, don't buy it.
I am European and I find the iPhone to be a simply astonishing device. I use it constantly, not because it is crammed with features, but because unlike Nokia's devices, its features actually work. That functionality makes it more valuable to me.
In my opinion, Apple got this right, Nokia got it wrong. Not just wrong, but really badly amazingly wrong. They created a clunky, swiss-army knife of compromised functions and quite possible the most terrible user-interface seen this side of 1990.
But if you feel that you can use a Nokia for more than 2 minutes without suicidal feelings, Than Good for you! Enjoy it! MMS your friends about it.
C.
You didn't read my post. I didn't say the iPhone wasn't an "astonishing device". And I credited Apple for the UI. And I have never seen a feature in a phone that "didn't work".
Now I'm not really a fan of Nokia either, I think the Sony-Ericsson interface is much better. But I'm talking about the most basic and ubiquitous of functions here that the iPhone simply does not have.
That's were Apple could improve the iPhone's competitiveness immediately and easily. By simply adding in these basic functions.
those features jam up the slow 2.5g bandwidth. Not until ATT&T here in the states has a fully rolled out 3g network capable of dealing with those bandwidth hogging features will you see apple roll out anything like that. As for the other features Apple is due for the SDK which was announced and should roll out by the end of this month.
So:
MMS -Clogs Bandwidth.
Video capture - wait for SDK in 2 weeks.
Free games and apps (J2ME, Symbian, Win Mobile) - you will never free associated with Apple. You can get free web app games now.
MIDI Ringtones - make your own in garage band.
Free ringtone creation (MIDI and MP3) - Buy a Mac and use Garage Band.
Forwarding of messages - available on hacked iphones and probably with the SDK
Bluetooth file transfer - no file transfer yet enabled wait for SDK and disk mode enabling.
Swappable battery - not gonna happen look at current iPods and the new MacBook Air.
3G- waiting for ATT my guess is summer at the earliest
3G isn't too much of an issue either really although it would be nice when (technologically/economically) possible. As for the battery... it's a non issue for the majority of users. It goes in the 'want' instead of the 'need' category. I have had about one day out of 90 where I felt the need for a replacement battery and I consider myself to be a hardcore iPhone user. Always using the damn thing.
I, like many iPhone users have found this is the first phone where I have explored 'every' feature on the device and when more features are added i'll have already learnt the device inside out so I'll get to know all of the new features in depth too. It's one of those things Apple have always done right. They understand the balance between functionality and clutter. The balance between Form and Function.
As for the Nokia N95 argument, great ideas and great technology encased in a shit sandwich. Most people carry them because Nokia has been forced down their throat for the last ten years and they are cheapskates locked in to the 'Free' phone mentality.
Windows is full of switches and settings too, which cater to every kind of user. But it's like manual labor. That's where 'It just works' comes from. Offer the stuff people really need and focus your efforts on making them great. You can pick up the niche (diagnostic) users at a later date.
The battle continues....
Dude,
those features jam up the slow 2.5g bandwidth. Not until ATT&T here in the states has a fully rolled out 3g network capable of dealing with those bandwidth hogging features will you see apple roll out anything like that. As for the other features Apple is due for the SDK which was announced and should roll out by the end of this month.
So:
MMS -Clogs Bandwidth.
Video capture - wait for SDK in 2 weeks.
Free games and apps (J2ME, Symbian, Win Mobile) - you will never free associated with Apple. You can get free web app games now.
MIDI Ringtones - make your own in garage band.
Free ringtone creation (MIDI and MP3) - Buy a Mac and use Garage Band.
Forwarding of messages - available on hacked iphones and probably with the SDK
Bluetooth file transfer - no file transfer yet enabled wait for SDK and disk mode enabling.
Swappable battery - not gonna happen look at current iPods and the new MacBook Air.
3G- waiting for ATT my guess is summer at the earliest
Thanks, but I'm talking about the European and Asian markets. There is plenty of 2.5G and 3G bandwidth. I'm talking about the features people expect in these markets.
And it seems your first answer is "wait for the SDK" and your second answer is "wait for 3G". That doesn't address any of my points.
I agree that if the SDK provides the solutions you mention, and if Apple is actually planning on releasing a 3G iPhone in these markets, then everything will be OK. My point was that if Apple doesn't do this, then they will see success no better than they've seen thus far in Europe, which is not what shareholders want.
My last issue is with free apps.
You say, "you will never free associated with Apple."
Do you use a Mac at all? Um... last I checked, I can get loads of free software that's compatible with OS X.
Mac - Free apps and games? Yes.
Windows - Free apps and games? Yes.
Linux - Free apps and games? Yes.
Palm - Free apps and games? Yes.
Symbian - Free apps and games? Yes.
Win Mobile - Free apps and games? Yes.
J2ME - Free apps and games? Yes.
iPhone - Free apps and games? NO.
I agree that if the SDK provides the solutions you mention, and if Apple is actually planning on releasing a 3G iPhone in these markets, then everything will be OK. My point was that if Apple doesn't do this, then they will see success no better than they've seen thus far in Europe, which is not what shareholders want.
Well, Apple has stated the SDK and 3G are both coming, so I don't think those ifs are very big.
MMS
Video capture
Free games and apps (J2ME, Symbian, Win Mobile)
MIDI Ringtones
Free ringtone creation (MIDI and MP3)
Forwarding of messages
Bluetooth file transfer
Swappable battery
3G
MIDI ringtones? What planet are you from?
All that other stuff is a US issue too. And you can make ringtones in Garageband.
Features aren't everything, just look at the iPod for proof.
MIDI ringtones? What planet are you from?
All that other stuff is a US issue too. And you can make ringtones in Garageband.
Features aren't everything, just look at the iPod for proof.
Have you ever heard an MP3 ringtone from someone else's phone in the train and thought "oh, that's a nice ringtone?" Of course you haven't. MP3 ringtones sound like shit. It's not the proper format for a melody, and the fact that it comes out of a 1cm monaural speaker doesn't help.
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As for the Nokia N95 argument, great ideas and great technology encased in a shit sandwich. Most people carry them because Nokia has been forced down their throat for the last ten years and they are cheapskates locked in to the 'Free' phone mentality.
You're suggesting here that consumers are nothing more than drones who take any phone that they are given when they go and get themselves a contract. A lot of people choose the N95 because it offers a great set of features at a decent price (usually free). If these people are then shown the iPhone, and asked if they would like to stump up £269 for something which offers fewer features, you can see why the looks on most peoples faces will be 'are you kidding?'. The interface might be nice, but it's certainly not worth £269 as far as most people are concerned. They'll happily live with their 'shit' N95 if it means saving £269, and still getting a great phone.
I think it's unfair to say that the iPhone is 'failing' in Europe, even i have one!
I guess 'failure' depends on where the goalposts were set initially, and not one of us has any idea where these goal posts are to be able to judge. All we have are 'analysts' projections on how well the phone should sell, and the subsequent 'it has failed' because it didn't reach those targets. The iPhone is certainly a very niche product in Europe, and really only for those very specifically looking for a touch screen device with a sleek interface who don't mind stumping up the steep price. For everyone else, other free phones will do the job just fine.
EDIT - As a matter of interest I asked a friend who works in CarphoneWarehouse what he thinks sells the N95. His response was the 5mp camera, GPS, and the connectivity options. iPhone has some of the connectivity going, but neither of the other two, which seem to be what UK consumers are looking for right now.
I for one expected the court order in Germany to sell unlocked phones wouldn't be overturned in appeal. By law in most European countries "tying arrangements" are prohibited. That's also why the European Commission keeps sueing Microsoft, I guess.
Someone mentioned that if you don't like the product, don't buy it. Sure, that's true, but... I want to buy the iPhone... I just don't want those crazy rate plans. What if you don't want to surf or download stuff? Btw, is it only me, but those things are darn expensive, no?
I do hope sales of the iPhone don't take off in Europe (and Asia). And that Apple has to abandon those tying agreements with one provider pro country (if that's possible at all). Only then will I buy an iPhone... only then will I feel freedom... and be happy!
Freeeedoooooooooooom!
You're suggesting here that consumers are nothing more than drones who take any phone that they are given when they go and get themselves a contract. A lot of people choose the N95 because it offers a great set of features at a decent price (usually free). If these people are then shown the iPhone, and asked if they would like to stump up £269 for something which offers fewer features, you can see why the looks on most peoples faces will be 'are you kidding?'. The interface might be nice, but it's certainly not worth £269 as far as most people are concerned. They'll happily live with their 'shit' N95 if it means saving £269, and still getting a great phone.
It's all about marketing though isn't it?
Designers have been praised in the past for magazine logos with 'cool' illegible fonts but the product isn't fit for purpose if you can't bloody read it. That's what I am trying to say.
A large number of people actually use the majority of the features on the iPhone because they are intuitive and we can forgive the lack of 3G if it gives us 5+ hours battery life instead of 2. It's a great balance.
It's the same exact reasoning as the Mac platform. If you want a feature loaded product... you're going to have to look elsewhere.
Personally I think that with many many millions of S60 users and by far the biggest share of the smartphone market in the world, they are obviously doing something very very right. I've still not seen a single person with an iPhone but literally hundreds with N95s. Everywhere you turn in the UK you will see an N95 but you'll really have to hunt hard to find anyone with an iPhone. I think that speaks volumes.
You really think that is the least bit comparable? You see more people carrying a phone that was shipping for nearly 10 months before the iPhone and can even begin to to believe that means you can judge what that means over 2-3 months sales? You're a brilliant visionary man! Brilliant I say!
or maybe not...
... then why the hell would I use an iPhone? If I really need the features that the iPhone does better, I'll get an iPod Touch (which has the added advantage of higher capacity).
The bottom line is that there is not a single function that the iPhone does better that the iPod Touch doesn't already have.
You have completely missed the point of the iPhone. Yes, I currently have and prefer the Palm Centro because it has phone features I prefer. And yes, I am planning on puchasing an iPod Touch, which as you have stated, does wonderful things that nothing else does. Here's the main point which you walked right over yet missed:
Do you think Apple cares if they get your $500 for an iPhone verses for an iPod Touch? No. They will sell one or the other to you whether you want to spend your money twice and buy a phone from someone else or not. The point of the iPhone is choice; the choice to only carry one device instead of two. If you want to buy and carry two, then fine, Apple will sell you a device either way.
Until you show me a device by someone else which does everything you want in a phone plus everything that the iPod Touch or the iPhone does so that you don't have to buy two, your point is moot.
You really think that is the least bit comparable? You see more people carrying a phone that was shipping for nearly 10 months before the iPhone and can even begin to to believe that means you can judge what that means over 2-3 months sales? You're a brilliant visionary man! Brilliant I say!
It's had a quarter of a year to make inroads into the market, and I'd expect to have seen at *least* one by this point. I'd certainly seen more than one N95 three months after it went on sale, and now they are just even more popular, mostly because they have come down to being free on reasonably priced and specified contracts.
Not taking over the entire world-wide mobile market in less than a year is "failure"?
Those are some damn high expectations.
Some of these arm-chair CEOs make me chuckle.
Failure?
Not taking over the entire world-wide mobile market in less than a year is "failure"?
Those are some damn high expectations.
Some of these arm-chair CEOs make me chuckle.
No, it's not a failure. But it is failing to meet expectations. Perhaps after the SDK and 3G fix the problems and bring these basic features to the iPhone, it will stop failing.
No, it's not a failure. But it is failing to meet expectations. Perhaps after the SDK and 3G fix the problems and bring these basic features to the iPhone, it will stop failing.
Failing to meet expectations, don't make me laugh, because it's not meeting the expectations you have set for it, it means it's a failure.
I guess you must work at Apple to know what the expectations are for their products, they haven't reduced the amount they want to sell but already the product is a failure. One product that is only available in 4 countries in the world is all of a sudden supposed to sell out every other phone that there is.