In my view the bad press over the 5C was mostly because the media and analysts convinced themselves that Apple will and has to offer a cheap phone to say competitive in Asia. However, that is what the 4svis, whereas the 5C was intended for the middle (at least upon introduction). The same media/analysist then punished Apple fore not meeting their expectations without really considering what Apple had up their sleeve.
When as Aplle ever cared to compete at the bottom. Almost never. Maybe iPod nanosecond could be considered the low end of a very mature market that is gradually being eclipsed by the iPhone. It is a safe bet that any analyst that predicts Apple will release some cheap device to lock up market share doesn't understand apple.
Doesn't help that a lot of posters on sites like this ripped the 5C - either because it was plastic, colors were bad, too expensive, etc.
Because you still see few if any analysts calling Google's Motorola adventure a failure. It was an absolute undeniable failure, but no one seems to want to say it.
Google lit a bonfire with a mountain of cash, yet their share price shot through the roof.
That's for sure right after Microsoft buys Nokia. I'm wondering how long it's going to be until Microsoft waves the white flag with Windows phones. Maybe all Microsoft really cares about is having a tablet and phone that say Microsoft on it because their employees would rather use iPhones and iPads if given the choice.
1. The acquisition was completed two days ago
2. I don't think Microsoft would be willing to give up their 3.7% after coming all this way
3. How do you know they prefer iDevices? Don't project your opinion onto other people
I don't know how Tim Cook can say 85% of purchasers go the iPhone 4S are new to iOS . When I purchased one for my wife from an Apple store no one asked me any questions like this and when I took out a monthly contract for an iPhone 5 no questions were asked either.
They don't have to survey EVERYBODY in a particular set (e.g. iPhone 4S buyers) in order to correctly extrapolate a trend. They just need a statistically significant sample, which is typically much smaller than the entire set size, provided the sample is taken in an unbiased manner.
Dilger, why are you obsessed with perpetuating this narrative that analysts and the media have it in for Apple? Every 'editorial' is crammed with 'evidence' that the media downplays Apple's successes and accentuates its failures, and that the opposite is true for Android manufacturers.
Frankly you seem to have something approaching an obsession with Google and Android OEMs.
Exactly. I'm happy for apple's success and bemused by the contrarian positions in the media, but give it a rest. We get it already.
How about some real insight on apple strategy , what to expect at WWDC, etc. the whole apple great, google bad, media biased schtick is getting old
Exactly. I'm happy for apple's success and bemused by the contrarian positions in the media, but give it a rest. We get it already.
How about some real insight on apple strategy , what to expect at WWDC, etc. the whole apple great, google bad, media biased schtick is getting old
yea...definitely...even the articles that solely have Apple as a subject end up as some Google/Samsung/Competitor bashing fest...and it clouds so many decent discussions....but the worst thing, IMO, is when some super obvious troll account (not one of the people who have an unpopular opinion that are called trolls) says something it derails the entire discussion...I wish that wouldn't happen either.
was he disliking the phone personally or did he say it would be an utter failure?
He's allowed to dislike the phone whether it sells 100 million or not.
I can dislike Transformers 2 even if it went on to make close to if not a billion dollars....doesn't obligate me to admit anything.
edit: but if he was saying it was going to fail then that's weird...as I thought it was obvious it would sell well...it's not like it's a POS even if you deem it subpar for Apple.
2. I don't think Microsoft would be willing to give up their 3.7% after coming all this way
3. How do you know they prefer iDevices? Don't project your opinion onto other people
How do you know? Well, when the iPad first came out employees were using Microsoft money to buy them and Ballmer put a stop to that and then they started to develop the Surface.
And how much market share did Microsoft have in the Zune before they ditched it? very small. Why did they ditch Zune? Lost money.
Microsoft runs each of these as "businesses", if the "business" doesn't run profitable, why keep it? it just destroys margin.
The play on the Xbox is that it creates demand for users to buy games, which is why Microsoft bought a bunch of game software. Software has a 90% gross profit and going up if it's a digital download because it's the cost of the CD/DVD and packaging. So software sales HELPS their margins. Hardware is not at 90% gross margin, it's substantially lower than that. Look at Apple, which is typically know how to make a REASONABLE gross profit but depending on the model and whether it's sold direct or through a reseller, hardware gross margins are in the 30 to 40% gross profit. Where there is up side on profits is by selling support contracts with the hardware sales.
Now, Microsoft had problems selling Surface, to the point where they dumped about 1 million units and write off about $1 Billion if I'm not mistaken.
Nokia wasn't making a profit selling Windows phones, were they? How much additional profit is Microsoft going to make and how long is it going to take to recoup the investment they made in BUYING Nokia? Apple knows how to take control over the Premium line of smartphones and tablets where they make a decent profit. Everyone else has to discount their products to sell and therefor make less profit or break even.
What makes you think that Microsoft is going to get Windows phones successful when they have about 4% of the market and Apple's getting ready to release their larger screen models (FINALLY)? My belief is that everyone else will be battling it out for the lower priced, lower margin, little to no profit products as Apple doesn't really go after that side of the business. Does Microsoft want to keep a brand/product line that has little to no profit margin that has very little chance of making money? For how long? Microsoft isn't viewed as a major player in smartphone business. They might have control over the desktop/laptop when a company only buys Microsoft, but so far, Microsoft is getting horrible traction in the Enterprise, almost no traction in the Educational market and very little consumer attention.
So again, why would Microsoft keep an obvious losing proposition for a long period. What are they thinking is going to happen? Do they have to force their Enterprise customers to only use hardware with the name Microsoft on it?
I seldom read a post so wrong. In truth, this maters to, perhaps, a few million people not hundreds of millions. Having file system access is the like you are advocating is the PRIMARY failure of Android and the main reason I don't recommend it to the average person. What you are advocating is a return to the 90's mindset of computing and I am personally happy to leave those concepts in the 90's.
Bingo. You couldn't be more right about this one.
Many of the features that are offered by Android phones are not even remotely keeping many millions of people away from iPhone. I never cease to be amazed at how an Apple-basher can sit there and say that some obscure or fairly technical feature is some sort of "Android killer app" that Apple is missing out on. Rubbish.
I do think, however, that price is a very significant factor for many. It is probably true that many people want to own an iPhone, but simply can't afford it. The iPhone 5c story really highlights this point very well, given the high percentage of owners who are entirely new to iPhone.
Also I think it's valid to point out some of the biases that are going on. No, it's not all anti-Apple out there...but there's just so much ridiculous anti-Apple stuff, especially in tech journalism. I wonder if some of this comes from audience pressure - you only have to look at the comments on Engadget for example, some of them border on outright harassment!
Of course, we should be fair on all organisations in the space, whether they are Apple, Google or otherwise. But still, there is a very strong undercurrent of anti-Apple bias out there and I think it does need some correction.
While the Moto X was a decent design it was a complete market failure mostly because Google put too much faint on "customizability".
that...and also at this stage in the smartphone game the only thing that would be able to uproot Samsung on the Android side would be a complete paradigm shift near the level of what the iPhone was....well not exactly that extreme but I hope I painted a decent picture of my point.
Or better marketing...the Moto X didn't have good marketing...and it's main feature was something you had to wait for...and most people are fans of instant gratification and aren't willing to wait.
I dunno...I feel it was handled wrong.
I bought one a while back but returned it...my Nexus felt better to me (though the Moto X was a solidly designed phone...as is the G which feels much more premium than the 199 off contract price.
I dunno...I personally see a rather bleak future for high end Android phones...that aren't Samesung...
and that kinda sucks, as I do like Android.
But at least it aided the advancement of smartphones (and some notsosmart phones) in developing nations...that's cool I guess.
The 5c will cost you $550 to replace since Apple Care does not cover water damage.
Ya know, an amazing thing happens when I treat a $550 device like a $550 device and not a $40 - it doesn't get wet! Or broken! Or dropped, smashed, or otherwise abused.
Funny that. Five iPods, three Mac Books, four iPhones and two iPads later and not one wet device, broken screen or even the need for a case or screen protector. I dunno what is so hard with people in paying attention and not flinging their devices around? Sounds like you would be better off with an insurance policy rather than compromising for a crap device that you are working overtime convincing yourself is the equivalent to a $550 iPhone.
Just saw the 2014 Q1 market share figures released by Kantar. I cannot say they are impressive for Apple. Although the sales figures of the IPhone are growing, the smartphone market is growing faster, In Italy, the iOS market share (12.9%) is even below Windows Phone(13.9%) and one cannot say that Italy is an underdeveloped country where people don't have the money to buy iPhones.
I do agree that the iPhone is a great product but in countries where the telco's don't subsidize the phone via a 2 year contract, its market share is below 20%, which is nit great. The article of the editor contains valuable points but is too optmistic about the iPhone. the reality is lsightly different
Just saw the 2014 Q1 market share figures released by Kantar. I cannot say they are impressive for Apple. Although the sales figures of the IPhone are growing, the smartphone market is growing faster, In Italy, the iOS market share (12.9%) is even below Windows Phone(13.9%) and one cannot say that Italy is an underdeveloped country where people don't have the money to buy iPhones.
I do agree that the iPhone is a great product but in countries where the telco's don't subsidize the phone via a 2 year contract, its market share is below 20%, which is nit great. The article of the editor contains valuable points but is too optmistic about the iPhone. the reality is lsightly different
Well they kinda are these days. Cook knows that there is a problem in Europe - Apple claim that they have increased share in the UK and Germany as it happens, and no doubt there will be a cheaper iPhone out some time for the mid tier off contract market.
I think Apple should worry about Windows though, as the OS is pretty good and the API is decent, so it has the capacity to attract devs and keep them in a way that the cheaper Android phones can’t and won’t.
Its all to play for next year. Android is losing it's brand, too much cheap rubbish. One major player, and that's it. Apple can incrementally reduce prices at the mid tier and increase them at the higher end, and it will be sitting on a gold mine.
I dont believe this will happen anytime soon (file system in any kind of usefull way) . Maybe if Apple keeps loosing more market share. And regarding wifi. Its not always available and who wants to lug around your own accesspoint on vacation when there is no wifi or make ad-hoc networks. Count me out. What I cant understand why you cant use the camera kit witch works with the ipads. And another one: why cant you offload pics and video to SDcard via that kit from the phone. No you will have to lug that mac along all those travels if you use your iphone.
As for your typical nerd requirements, no, hundreds of millions of people are NOT looking for these things. They are looking for something easy to use, reasonably priced, something they can send email with, watch movies, send texts, and an ecosystem that won’t infect their device every time they install something.
As a professional nerd, these are not "nerd requirements", they're "wannabe nerd requirements." As a professional nerd I work all day fixing things that other people have broken, I don't want to spend my spare time doing the same for my family. iDevices are appliances, not general purpose computers, which is great:
Missing USB ports -> It's a phone, not a computer
Missing a file system -> See above
Jailed -> Good. My wife can't break it
Sandboxed files and applications -> See above
Expensive -> No, they're not. Amortise the cost over the length of time software support is available (3-4 years cf. 1 year for an Android if you're lucky) and the iPhone is *really* cheap.
Any real nerd will understand that a phone is a piece of production equipment, and if you play with it and it all heads South then it can be expensive in terms of call/SMS/data charges, potentially damaging in case of emergency, and - even worse - a loss of internet connection while on the move! There will be people who want a phone as a toy/project *in addition to* their production phone, but these people will number in the hundreds-of-thousands, not hundreds-of-millions.
Anti-Apple bias is mainly on Wall St. I suppose it's their failure to understand Apple's business model. They don't understand it and so they treat everything as a one-hit-wonder lucky-strike kind of thing and fail to see that rather the opposite is true. None of this is luck.
Totally agree that file system is the last feature any normal person would think about when buying an Android phone. Techies would but they don't buy 1Bn smartphones a year. They buy maybe a million, and that seems a lot. And they'll find something else to complain about should iOS actually get a file system.
However, price isn't the only factor anymore when considering an Android phone - Samsung is selling quite a few high end phones. The funny thing is that of all my friends with Samsung phones, they all name only one thing when I ask them why they chose it: The big screen.
Once Apple releases a 5" or 6" phone, Samsung is going to be in big trouble. Huge screen phones are trending up as people simply get used to bigger and bigger devices. They may not make up the majority of phone sales any time soon - but they are nevertheless making up a considerable number, and 100% of Android phones (are there even high end Android phones under 5"? I don't think so). So right now a customer wanting a big screen phone with great battery life - a huge battery can be fit under that giant screen - they have no choice but Android. Apple needs to change that.
When you say "Anti-Apple", what statements were made by "Wall Street" that makes you believe that they are "Anti-Apple"?
Comments
That’s not just a marketing statement. It’s very probably quantifiable.
Google lit a bonfire with a mountain of cash, yet their share price shot through the roof.
Go figure!
That's for sure right after Microsoft buys Nokia. I'm wondering how long it's going to be until Microsoft waves the white flag with Windows phones. Maybe all Microsoft really cares about is having a tablet and phone that say Microsoft on it because their employees would rather use iPhones and iPads if given the choice.
1. The acquisition was completed two days ago
2. I don't think Microsoft would be willing to give up their 3.7% after coming all this way
3. How do you know they prefer iDevices? Don't project your opinion onto other people
I don't know how Tim Cook can say 85% of purchasers go the iPhone 4S are new to iOS . When I purchased one for my wife from an Apple store no one asked me any questions like this and when I took out a monthly contract for an iPhone 5 no questions were asked either.
They don't have to survey EVERYBODY in a particular set (e.g. iPhone 4S buyers) in order to correctly extrapolate a trend. They just need a statistically significant sample, which is typically much smaller than the entire set size, provided the sample is taken in an unbiased manner.
Exactly. I'm happy for apple's success and bemused by the contrarian positions in the media, but give it a rest. We get it already.
How about some real insight on apple strategy , what to expect at WWDC, etc. the whole apple great, google bad, media biased schtick is getting old
Exactly. I'm happy for apple's success and bemused by the contrarian positions in the media, but give it a rest. We get it already.
How about some real insight on apple strategy , what to expect at WWDC, etc. the whole apple great, google bad, media biased schtick is getting old
yea...definitely...even the articles that solely have Apple as a subject end up as some Google/Samsung/Competitor bashing fest...and it clouds so many decent discussions....but the worst thing, IMO, is when some super obvious troll account (not one of the people who have an unpopular opinion that are called trolls) says something it derails the entire discussion...I wish that wouldn't happen either.
But yea...
Island hermit is one of those 5c haters
He still has not admitted he was wrong
was he disliking the phone personally or did he say it would be an utter failure?
He's allowed to dislike the phone whether it sells 100 million or not.
I can dislike Transformers 2 even if it went on to make close to if not a billion dollars....doesn't obligate me to admit anything.
edit: but if he was saying it was going to fail then that's weird...as I thought it was obvious it would sell well...it's not like it's a POS even if you deem it subpar for Apple.
1. The acquisition was completed two days ago
2. I don't think Microsoft would be willing to give up their 3.7% after coming all this way
3. How do you know they prefer iDevices? Don't project your opinion onto other people
How do you know? Well, when the iPad first came out employees were using Microsoft money to buy them and Ballmer put a stop to that and then they started to develop the Surface.
And how much market share did Microsoft have in the Zune before they ditched it? very small. Why did they ditch Zune? Lost money.
Microsoft runs each of these as "businesses", if the "business" doesn't run profitable, why keep it? it just destroys margin.
The play on the Xbox is that it creates demand for users to buy games, which is why Microsoft bought a bunch of game software. Software has a 90% gross profit and going up if it's a digital download because it's the cost of the CD/DVD and packaging. So software sales HELPS their margins. Hardware is not at 90% gross margin, it's substantially lower than that. Look at Apple, which is typically know how to make a REASONABLE gross profit but depending on the model and whether it's sold direct or through a reseller, hardware gross margins are in the 30 to 40% gross profit. Where there is up side on profits is by selling support contracts with the hardware sales.
Now, Microsoft had problems selling Surface, to the point where they dumped about 1 million units and write off about $1 Billion if I'm not mistaken.
Nokia wasn't making a profit selling Windows phones, were they? How much additional profit is Microsoft going to make and how long is it going to take to recoup the investment they made in BUYING Nokia? Apple knows how to take control over the Premium line of smartphones and tablets where they make a decent profit. Everyone else has to discount their products to sell and therefor make less profit or break even.
What makes you think that Microsoft is going to get Windows phones successful when they have about 4% of the market and Apple's getting ready to release their larger screen models (FINALLY)? My belief is that everyone else will be battling it out for the lower priced, lower margin, little to no profit products as Apple doesn't really go after that side of the business. Does Microsoft want to keep a brand/product line that has little to no profit margin that has very little chance of making money? For how long? Microsoft isn't viewed as a major player in smartphone business. They might have control over the desktop/laptop when a company only buys Microsoft, but so far, Microsoft is getting horrible traction in the Enterprise, almost no traction in the Educational market and very little consumer attention.
So again, why would Microsoft keep an obvious losing proposition for a long period. What are they thinking is going to happen? Do they have to force their Enterprise customers to only use hardware with the name Microsoft on it?
Another fanboy propaganda piece from Apple Insider. Why am I not surprised?
Surprise for you means seeing what's beyond the confines of your parent's basement. Buzz off troll.
I seldom read a post so wrong. In truth, this maters to, perhaps, a few million people not hundreds of millions. Having file system access is the like you are advocating is the PRIMARY failure of Android and the main reason I don't recommend it to the average person. What you are advocating is a return to the 90's mindset of computing and I am personally happy to leave those concepts in the 90's.
Bingo. You couldn't be more right about this one.
Many of the features that are offered by Android phones are not even remotely keeping many millions of people away from iPhone. I never cease to be amazed at how an Apple-basher can sit there and say that some obscure or fairly technical feature is some sort of "Android killer app" that Apple is missing out on. Rubbish.
I do think, however, that price is a very significant factor for many. It is probably true that many people want to own an iPhone, but simply can't afford it. The iPhone 5c story really highlights this point very well, given the high percentage of owners who are entirely new to iPhone.
Also I think it's valid to point out some of the biases that are going on. No, it's not all anti-Apple out there...but there's just so much ridiculous anti-Apple stuff, especially in tech journalism. I wonder if some of this comes from audience pressure - you only have to look at the comments on Engadget for example, some of them border on outright harassment!
Of course, we should be fair on all organisations in the space, whether they are Apple, Google or otherwise. But still, there is a very strong undercurrent of anti-Apple bias out there and I think it does need some correction.
While the Moto X was a decent design it was a complete market failure mostly because Google put too much faint on "customizability".
that...and also at this stage in the smartphone game the only thing that would be able to uproot Samsung on the Android side would be a complete paradigm shift near the level of what the iPhone was....well not exactly that extreme but I hope I painted a decent picture of my point.
Or better marketing...the Moto X didn't have good marketing...and it's main feature was something you had to wait for...and most people are fans of instant gratification and aren't willing to wait.
I dunno...I feel it was handled wrong.
I bought one a while back but returned it...my Nexus felt better to me (though the Moto X was a solidly designed phone...as is the G which feels much more premium than the 199 off contract price.
I dunno...I personally see a rather bleak future for high end Android phones...that aren't Samesung...
and that kinda sucks, as I do like Android.
But at least it aided the advancement of smartphones (and some notsosmart phones) in developing nations...that's cool I guess.
Fixed that for you...
Ya know, an amazing thing happens when I treat a $550 device like a $550 device and not a $40 - it doesn't get wet! Or broken! Or dropped, smashed, or otherwise abused.
Funny that. Five iPods, three Mac Books, four iPhones and two iPads later and not one wet device, broken screen or even the need for a case or screen protector. I dunno what is so hard with people in paying attention and not flinging their devices around? Sounds like you would be better off with an insurance policy rather than compromising for a crap device that you are working overtime convincing yourself is the equivalent to a $550 iPhone.
Just saw the 2014 Q1 market share figures released by Kantar. I cannot say they are impressive for Apple. Although the sales figures of the IPhone are growing, the smartphone market is growing faster, In Italy, the iOS market share (12.9%) is even below Windows Phone(13.9%) and one cannot say that Italy is an underdeveloped country where people don't have the money to buy iPhones.
I do agree that the iPhone is a great product but in countries where the telco's don't subsidize the phone via a 2 year contract, its market share is below 20%, which is nit great. The article of the editor contains valuable points but is too optmistic about the iPhone. the reality is lsightly different
Just saw the 2014 Q1 market share figures released by Kantar. I cannot say they are impressive for Apple. Although the sales figures of the IPhone are growing, the smartphone market is growing faster, In Italy, the iOS market share (12.9%) is even below Windows Phone(13.9%) and one cannot say that Italy is an underdeveloped country where people don't have the money to buy iPhones.
I do agree that the iPhone is a great product but in countries where the telco's don't subsidize the phone via a 2 year contract, its market share is below 20%, which is nit great. The article of the editor contains valuable points but is too optmistic about the iPhone. the reality is lsightly different
Well they kinda are these days. Cook knows that there is a problem in Europe - Apple claim that they have increased share in the UK and Germany as it happens, and no doubt there will be a cheaper iPhone out some time for the mid tier off contract market.
I think Apple should worry about Windows though, as the OS is pretty good and the API is decent, so it has the capacity to attract devs and keep them in a way that the cheaper Android phones can’t and won’t.
Its all to play for next year. Android is losing it's brand, too much cheap rubbish. One major player, and that's it. Apple can incrementally reduce prices at the mid tier and increase them at the higher end, and it will be sitting on a gold mine.
I dont believe this will happen anytime soon (file system in any kind of usefull way) . Maybe if Apple keeps loosing more market share. And regarding wifi. Its not always available and who wants to lug around your own accesspoint on vacation when there is no wifi or make ad-hoc networks. Count me out. What I cant understand why you cant use the camera kit witch works with the ipads. And another one: why cant you offload pics and video to SDcard via that kit from the phone. No you will have to lug that mac along all those travels if you use your iphone.
As for your typical nerd requirements, no, hundreds of millions of people are NOT looking for these things. They are looking for something easy to use, reasonably priced, something they can send email with, watch movies, send texts, and an ecosystem that won’t infect their device every time they install something.
As a professional nerd, these are not "nerd requirements", they're "wannabe nerd requirements." As a professional nerd I work all day fixing things that other people have broken, I don't want to spend my spare time doing the same for my family. iDevices are appliances, not general purpose computers, which is great:
Missing USB ports -> It's a phone, not a computer
Missing a file system -> See above
Jailed -> Good. My wife can't break it
Sandboxed files and applications -> See above
Expensive -> No, they're not. Amortise the cost over the length of time software support is available (3-4 years cf. 1 year for an Android if you're lucky) and the iPhone is *really* cheap.
Any real nerd will understand that a phone is a piece of production equipment, and if you play with it and it all heads South then it can be expensive in terms of call/SMS/data charges, potentially damaging in case of emergency, and - even worse - a loss of internet connection while on the move! There will be people who want a phone as a toy/project *in addition to* their production phone, but these people will number in the hundreds-of-thousands, not hundreds-of-millions.
Anti-Apple bias is mainly on Wall St. I suppose it's their failure to understand Apple's business model. They don't understand it and so they treat everything as a one-hit-wonder lucky-strike kind of thing and fail to see that rather the opposite is true. None of this is luck.
Totally agree that file system is the last feature any normal person would think about when buying an Android phone. Techies would but they don't buy 1Bn smartphones a year. They buy maybe a million, and that seems a lot. And they'll find something else to complain about should iOS actually get a file system.
However, price isn't the only factor anymore when considering an Android phone - Samsung is selling quite a few high end phones. The funny thing is that of all my friends with Samsung phones, they all name only one thing when I ask them why they chose it: The big screen.
Once Apple releases a 5" or 6" phone, Samsung is going to be in big trouble. Huge screen phones are trending up as people simply get used to bigger and bigger devices. They may not make up the majority of phone sales any time soon - but they are nevertheless making up a considerable number, and 100% of Android phones (are there even high end Android phones under 5"? I don't think so). So right now a customer wanting a big screen phone with great battery life - a huge battery can be fit under that giant screen - they have no choice but Android. Apple needs to change that.
When you say "Anti-Apple", what statements were made by "Wall Street" that makes you believe that they are "Anti-Apple"?
(are there even high end Android phones under 5"? I don't think so).
I do think so, as a matter of fact I know so.
http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/phones/xperia-z1-compact/