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101 Comments
- kraemer007, on 10/11/2007, -6/+35I really feel like its "payback" for all the crummy phones we have been putting up with for years. Even if it turns out the iphone is a dud, it will have still forced the other manufacturers to get their asses in gear and make a better phone.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -6/+31all on a 1.5 inch screen
- diggmaddy, on 10/11/2007, -4/+27Traditional cellphone makers deserve the loss they incur due to the iPhone release. For too long they've been putting out crappy products which completely lack innovation and have totally ignored consumer demands.
An to all who whine about "My phone already does everything that iPhone does...", here's a quote for you
"Winners don't do different things, they do things differently"
e.g. GMail ;) - inactive, on 05/23/2008, -4/+24I didn't know Motorola was struggling. Haven't they sold something like 50 million RAZRs? Anyway, At $500 or $600 a pop (iPhone), Moto has nothing to be worried about. At least not for a while.
- electroWildWood, on 10/11/2007, -4/+23its simple. the bar will be raised.
- amrush4th, on 10/11/2007, -5/+20Ok here is the real plan
1) iPhone=minor financial success
2) People love the concept. Other phone companies freak. The try to do a version them selves
3) iPhone2 comes out and smokes the competition.
Cell phone companies have gotten away with sucking for a long time. All I hope is this stops that trend. - ScottAG, on 10/11/2007, -5/+18um... what kinda data do you have 1.2 terabytes of? that you need to access it on the internet, over cell networks, to view it on a 1.5 inch screen?
- atomicpoet, on 10/11/2007, -2/+14He who attempts to look through crystal ball shall later eat glass. In other words, don't try and tell the future in regards to technology (in this case, the iPhone). You'll probably be wrong.
- dvsbastard, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11Porn... duh...
- robbh66, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9He's right. A few million phones is absolutely squat in the mobile industry which sells nearly a billion a year.
- Ballresin, on 10/11/2007, -6/+13Nobody can deny the iPhone will make a big splash. Any wise person would at least ride the wave. If you know how to code Web2.0, make something useful, and sell it. Quit bitching that your Moto, Treo, or Samsung phone is 'better' or 'adequate'. It doesn't matter. The phone is a tool, and this just happens to be a groundbreaking phone. No matter how much one may disagree.
I personally can't wait to get one. I think they will sell in the millions, just as the iPod has. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7Which is good for the iPhone, with the most battery life of any smartphone...
...and it's the thinnest.
And I know, people are worried about not being able to swap batteries, but that's what they said about the iPod. - NiGHTSNY, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7To be honest, I had no idea you could do nearly all (if not all) the stuff you can do on the iPhone on your "industry standard" right now; all with the added benefits of MS support to view Office documents, etc. I'm pretty sure I'm not a minority, either.
Apple certainly knows how to market their product, something that the other manufacturers might want to take notice of, too. - OhFrak, on 10/11/2007, -4/+10But does your Motorola make you feel special?
http://www.bit-101.com/misc/iProduct.gif - warnergt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Yeah, that's the problem. The RAZR is their low-end phone (i.e. no margin) and that's the one that became a sales success but a profit failure.
- dvsbastard, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I disagree... It will be a financial disrupter.. Not for the industry - but for those locked into contracts...
- Firehed, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6"Billions" usually means multiple - like 2B+. The industry is just over 1B/yr right now, and that rate is unlikely to rise dramatically so long as people continue to get locked into contracts or the third world cell market explodes.
3m iPhones is the launch number, I believe. For all we know, they could sell out the first day. All three major game consoles did, with similar stock numbers, and the market for game consoles is much smaller than for cell phones. Weren't we hearing something like 12m manufactured by the end of the year? Also, consider what really matters here: product margins times quantity sold. Assume Apple gets 50% profit on the hardware (IIRC, it's what they aim for at the minimum on iPods) and that they sell all three million phones before the year's out. That's anywhere from $750-900m in profit from the hardware alone, quite a serious chunk of change for Apple, going by their 2006 10K statement. Their market share doesn't matter nearly as much as simply the amount of revenue that the product brings in for them.
Other phones that are even more expensive than the iPhone have sold quite well, without either the major hype, media coverage, or fanboyism going for them. I fail to see how it would be less practical than any other phone in the target market, unless you're just another person assuming that the touchscreen is going to suck without having so much as known someone who's played around with it for ten seconds, let alone used it yourself for any decent length of time. Everything I've heard from people who have used one is fairly optimistic about it; the only doubt really seems to be from people who don't want to admit that they're locked into a contract with a different carrier or can't come up with the cash for one themselves.
Let's wait a few more days for the launch to see what sales look like, then wait a few weeks to see both what first reactions are and whether it's lived up to expectations and/or whether there have been any major hitches. It's coming in less than a week; how about we speculate the impact after the thousand Unboxing the iPhone blogs surface. - Firehed, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5The RAZR was something like $400 when it first came out, and is still fairly expensive if you want to get it and aren't renewing your contract (ie, without subscription subsidy). In any case, the iPhone isn't really designed at the RAZR market, other than those who are too shallow to get the phone for its features and just go for that "omg Apple! shineh!" thing.
Apple's target market is largely people who want a good interface and useful features. People who try to browse the web on their smartphone. And they're already paying God only knows how much a month for service (my dad's bill is something like $180/mo). Another $20/mo over the length of the contract isn't that bad (or, realistically, $6/mo more than the cost of the blackberry), provided the whole touchscreen interface works out anyways. - gadgetlust, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4The lack of third party apps (other than web-apps) is a deal-breaker for me; it means that though the iPhone is a smartphone in terms of its hardware, it has been hobbled to a thin client, which means that if I wanted to make an application for personal use, I would have to pay AT&T (or Rogers here in Canada) for wireless access. This is *****, especially given the cost of wireless data.
Apple had an opportunity with the iphone, given that the market it is entering sucks so hard. It could have become the handheld platform of choice for the people who swore they would never carry a windows device in their pocket, especially given that Palm has officially ***** the bed. Current mobile software generally sucks and easy things (like getting pictures, contact info, programs, and ringtones in and out) are made difficult and expensive due to meddling by the carriers. The iphone's software looks excellent... but the meddling factor is clearly present.
We need a device-agnostic carrier that will allow the consumer to decide what features they need in their handsets. I'm looking at you Google. - timpkmn89, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4So it's weird for people to be excited about something that they want?
- R3PUBLIC0n, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Why is there no outcry on the price of data services? It's no wonder phones are crippled in America when text messages, a mere few bytes in data, cost 15 cents.
- pdotnet, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4iPhone will be popular, but it's not going to disrupt the industry the way these analysts suggest. Like Blackberries, the iPhone appeals to a certain type of consumer. I might buy an iPhone but my parents won't, and neither will most of my friends who are non-technical. They are still going to need traditional cell phones from Motorola, Nokia, etc...
- tghd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I am
- refriaire, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Why is it that people always say American companies are "struggling"? Even if a company succeeds time and time again, it's always "struggling".
Not many years ago, it was Apple that was doing it. And I'm sure if Steve does not sell 100 million iPhones, people will say Apple is doomed... and "struggling" to survive. - aussieNickuss, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I've had three Motorola's....one V535 and two RAZR's, the latest being a MAXX V6 RAZR. Each one of them has had problems. From turning off expectantly, to requiring a new earpiece. They just seem so unreliable.
/Should have learnt lesson from first two Motorola's and got a Nokia instead, but no....I'm stupid. - locojones, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Too bad 16 year olds can't legally enter into binding contracts. Are you going to wait with them so you can co-sign their souls away to AT&T? And they may have the money for the phone, but will they be able to afford the 100+ dollar per month bill?
And honestly, if people made market decisions based on what 16 year old boys thought was cool, we'd all be wearing shaggy, unkempt haircuts. - HairyPoter, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5The guys had 20 years or more to innovate and what did they do? Nothing. They limited themselves to be part of the cattle and follow other members. I had several phones in all these years and all the phones I had, from the best brands, are all crap: difficult to operate (in a sense the most of them require lots of clicks before anything serious can be done), conter-intuitive crappy interface and nothing new. One example: by pure greed then never included the cable and never provided a decent way of backing up people's contacts. Most supports, as Siemens, are pure crap, by my personal experience (I had a phone that returned five times from Siemens support with the same problem).
Now Apple is in town and every one is crapping on their pants, trying to copy Apple. The problem with copiers is that they are always one step behind.
iPhone is already a success and will smash the industry, even being outdated (not 3G) as many say.
Wait and see the crap flying around. Like Titanic, the industry had hit an iCEBERG... - cybermort, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2hey wise guy... i guess you are referring to Moto. Well incase you didn't know they are from germany. which by the way it was even mention in the article that they are from germany. FTA "Schaumburg-based Motorola"
- GregR, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3You clearly miss the point of the iPhone! 'Traditional' phones are too complicated for most people to use and that's exactly why this product will succeed - ease of use.
I was just talking to a lady that has never had a cell phone because they are too complicated - she saw the recent iPhone demo and can't wait to get one. - sweetBeats, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Think about how many people DONT want the iPhone... many. I dont think it will be a big deal. not every wants every electronic item in one thing... i already have a pda, i already have an ipod, and i already have a computer... what else do i need? and iPhone? I think not, and many people will think that same thing in their heads.... Plus for $600+...please.
- superkendall, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1What applications have you written for your cellphone to date?
- locojones, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Uh, or maybe they're just giving the buying public what they need. I trust the market decisions of a company who's been making phones for decades to tell me what the buying habits of the public are over a guy who probably doesn't even have a college degree.
- BGFeltenink, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I hate guys like the one in the article. He's an overpaid 21st century seer for ***** sake. How soon until we consult Nimrods like him on the temperament of the internet before going into battle?
- 2shae, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2It's like a big alien mothership (iPhone) hovering high above the ground invading the cellphone planet
- Vermifax, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I LOVED my first iPod. I bought it in November of 2001 when this New Yorker was an emotional wreck. Having that iPod (and seeing Bjork perform @ Radio City Music Hall) helped me with the healing when there was smoke still rising from lower Manhattan.
Yeah, we've evolved since then but I still keep my 1st iPod in a case on my shelf. Sentimental value, you know?
See ya June 29th. - talkpoint, on 11/30/2009, -0/+1http://www.talkpointcommunications.com/
- GregR, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2"... and its ***** expensive..."
Since you seem to be thinking it's only a phone, if you subtract the cost of an iPod from the unit, the price looks more like what you'd expect for a high-end phone. - Vermifax, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1***** my phone. I want the iPhone. I can surf the net on it. Make a friend. I wanna get drunk...
- Vermifax, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1"NOTHING Apple makes is a financial disrupter." You have a Zune, right? And you buy all of your music through URGE?
See you in line on June 29th. - Shaman760, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2If you want to have some fun, next time you drop a call and are on Verizon tell them that "you are going to defect to a carrier that offers the iPhone."
They will fall all over themselves to make sure you are happy. Believe me, I have used this tactic lately and gotten a warranty repair done and the charge waived, as well as some other freebies. - bradleyland, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Flickr set of Digg on WM5.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97514955@N00/sets/72157600479933323/ - Hortos, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I'm buying an iPhone this Friday and I'm going to do with it the same thing I did with my Treo 650 when I bought it on launch day, Ooo and Ahh over it and show it off. The problem is I have a Treo which means I have all kinds of software that so far has no replacement on the iPhone, but maybe if I'm lucky EDGE will be slightly faster than SprintPCS, otherwise I'm going to be unhappy. The thing is, this stupid phone is going to be the Sidekick of 07 and there is not much people can do to stop it. The iPhone is marketed to people who buy smart phones 'because' they are 5 or 6 hundred dollars and not for the features.
- R3PUBLIC0n, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Why is there no outcry for the horrendous markup on data services? It isn't a wonder America's phones are crippled when a text message, a mere few bytes in data, costs fifteen cents.
- locojones, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I'm so tired of this justification. Honestly, how ***** complicated is it to dial someone's number on the keypad and hit send? It's not. And because 99.9% of the cellphone users simply make phone calls, it strains credulity to say that using them is too complicated.
Guess what? On your precious Iphone you'll have to dial a number too. And if you want to go to contacts, guess what, just like on every other phone, you have to hit a contacts button.
People who can't figure out how to send a text message or surf the web on a traditional phone aren't going to fare any better with this because you can't change an interface that's as simple as going to a menu and clicking an icon. It's the same on all phones.
And if using a traditional cellphone is sooooooooooooooooo hard, maybe you should just give up and get a Jitterbug. - abbazabba, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1http://www.myspedspaced.com/noiphone
- bradleyland, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Interesting. Personally, I can't stand browsing Digg on my Blackjack (same resolution and OS as the Q). I find that people who are fans of the WindowsMobile platform are generally apologists. I've been using Pocket PCs since I started with my iPaq 3800 series back in 2000 or so. I have yet to see a PPC or Windows mobile device render a standard web page in a manner sane enough to use for daily use. You can "get by", but let's be realistic. The iPhone is the first phone that looks like it might actually be usable for browsing the web. That's a good thing. Other phone manufacturers are bound to copy this in some way. I can't wait!
When you get right down to it, WindowsMobile sucks. We get by on it, but it frequently lets me down. Most of the problems are just general inconsistency in performance and behavior. Sometimes things work as expected, but I spend an excessive amount of time _fiddling_ with my phone. That's just unacceptable in my mind. I don't spend this much time fighting my PC (running Windows XP SP2), so why should I accept this from my phone?
Just to clarify any perceived bias, I won't be buying an iPhone. I use my phone as an internet connection when I'm on the go, and no 3G means no-buy for me. Also, the Blackjack supports Bluetooth PAN, which makes it extremely easy to connect to the internet using Bluetooth. So far, all indications lead me to believe that the iPhone will have no tethering capability. - stockjones, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Business users, network admins etc will say no. Joe Q public on the other hand who knows. Heck if they can drive around in fatty SUV's paying $3 a gallon for gas I guess they can afford $500 for a pretty phone. I know people can be sheep but wow, Apple is the master herder.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1yes i know its a mp3 player too, but as pretty much every mid range - top end phone has a mp3 player built in the only thing that seperates the iphone from other phones is that the iphone has a larger capacity and the ipod software running things, so bare in mind that it still is just a phone and its still too expensive regardless of how much space is on it, if they had 80+ gb on it THEN it'd be worth it
- Typhoon2009, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Struggling? Yeah, all those people buying Razrs must really be causing a drought for Motorola.
- Vermifax, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1All while sippin' on a White Choco Mocha Latte from Starbucks! Bring it on!!!
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