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- StrikerObi, on 10/11/2007, -26/+162From the article
"Apple still faces challenges. The high cost of the two iPhone models — $499 and $599 — ranks as the No. 1 reason consumers interested in the device did not buy one, the survey says. Those consumers said they would pay an average of, at most, $180."
$180? Fat chance. Do these people understand how much a cell phone really costs? Everybody is so used to getting phones "for free" or with crazy discounts, they don't realize how much the phone in their pocket costs w/o discounts. An 8GB iPod Nano costs $200, yet somehow when you add in all the crazy functionality of the iPhone, it should cost $20 less? How does that make sense? Man, people are stupid. - felchdonkey, on 10/11/2007, -8/+74I would consider myself part of that 85-90%. I knew I was buying a first-gen product, and I expected it to be missing some features, and honestly, I expected bugs and defects to be part of the deal.
I've been amazed at how stable and polished my iPhone is. Battery life is great, the sound quality is excellent, and the only time I ever see a crash is when Safari goes down due to a lot of javascript on a page, and even then it's not taking down anything else with it. A lot more than I can say for my Treo 650, which restarted itself seemingly at random 3-4 times a day.
The hardest thing for me is remembering that this is supposed to be compared to other phones, because what I really keep comparing it to is my laptop. A lot of the features on my wish list aren't phone features, they're computer features.
I wanted to smash my Treo with a hammer - and that thing was what, fifth generation? How long has Palm been making devices, and they still couldn't make a decent phone? Never mind the crappy Windows phones I'd had before that. I'm finally able to stop thinking about how my phone works, and just use the damn thing.
I can't wait to see what the future generations of iPhone turn out to be. - spindrift, on 10/11/2007, -36/+99*****, if I paid $600 for something I'd be telling everyone it was the bee's knees too.
- le0pard, on 10/11/2007, -14/+64"And 85% said they are "extremely" or "very" likely to recommend the device to others"
I'm pretty sure thats an understatement. I had people recommending it to me even before it came out like it was some life changing product! - colecut, on 10/11/2007, -5/+47I bought an iPhone a week ago today.
I have never owned an apple product, be it a mac, or an ipod, or anything.
I was in a position where I needed both a new phone service provider, and an ipod.
I just so happened to get a camera, web browser, calendar, and many other functions thrown in.
If people are willing to pay $350 for a damn iPod, I don't see this being anywhere near as ridiculous...
I love my iPhone. All the functions work pretty damn well, and its quite convenient to have it all in one pocket.
Nothing else on the market can compete, nor will anything else in the near future, just as there have hardly been comparable players
to the iPod since its release five years ago... - jp3550, on 10/11/2007, -38/+7590% of people are getting sick of hearing about the iPhone.
- HerrEisenheim, on 10/11/2007, -7/+43No. Some analysts suspects that it costs $220 for a box of iPhone parts. It doesn't cost $220 to make an iPhone. You have to factor in R&D, assembly, advertising, distribution, etc.. When all of that is accounted for, and everyone gets paid, the iPhone costs a lot more than $220 "to make."
- boredsam, on 10/11/2007, -2/+37I'd make some mean-spirited comment about apple/iphone users, but truth is I'm just jealous. Wish I had the $600 to blow on one of these and wasn't stuck w/ a contract w/ another cell company.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -44/+70From experience I can tell that people will try their best to justify their expensive purchases however ***** it is.
- prezmcmahon, on 10/11/2007, -12/+38Here goes the anti-apple campaign on Digg. I have an iPhone, it's the best phone I have ever owned. My one beef is the Exchange sync weakness right now. Overall, thrilled.
- anonym41414, on 10/11/2007, -2/+22The second iPhone cost somewhere around $250 to make.
The first one cost two hundred million dollars. - TypeEE, on 10/11/2007, -2/+22I have to say that Apple's dedication to user experience is just superb. Though that I can't afford a $60 phone plan, I will just have to say that my experience w/ my coworker's iPhone is good. iPhone will create a push for competition to rethink and to make more competitive products.
- Jrr6415sun, on 10/11/2007, -3/+22I bought an iphone to use for the summer and was planning on selling it before they announced the next iphone/ipod, but after using it for a week or so, I really don't want to get rid of it.
- PAJK, on 10/11/2007, -7/+26The cost of my BlackBerry is $600 and has far less functionality than the iPhone. It's a bargain, what's the deal with people complaining about it..?
- fritzbrown, on 10/11/2007, -10/+28People who refuse to pay $600 for a phone are the stupid ones?
- streak, on 10/11/2007, -1/+19"what I really keep comparing [the iPhone] to is my laptop".
I couldn't agree with you more. I've used a Treo 650, 700, 750 and HTC 8525. The iPhone knocks them all off. - felchdonkey, on 10/11/2007, -3/+21Then don't ever use a Treo, or any Windows smartphone. On those, the entire phone will crash if something goes wrong. Since the iPhone is running OS X, the application will stop running, but the phone itself doesn't crash.
- daborg, on 10/11/2007, -11/+28Or... Maybe it's just really good.
- HA5TY, on 10/11/2007, -3/+20It's true, I have no regrets
- TimmyGUNZ, on 10/11/2007, -1/+18People need to really get off these minor inconveniences, such as not being able to delete mass messages or able to send MMS messages.
These are all things that can be added in a software update, and most likely will. My guess is that they didn't have enough time to fully release these features and get the phone out in time.
One of the iPhone's greatest features is that it can always be easily updated to add these features by the home user. The vast majority of phone users out there are pretty much left with the phone they purchased, even when firmware is updated on the newer models. Do you really think most people go through the hassle of bringing the phone to their provider's store and having the firmware updated? Even my Grandmother could update the firmware on the iPhone! - thecontinental, on 10/11/2007, -2/+18People are happy...that's great. They spend a bunch of money on a gadget that delivered what they expected. Why do you haters have such a problem with that? Ok, so you don't choose to own one because either you can't afford it or you're just an apple hater...whatever. Most Apple products deliver on promises and you guys just can't handle it. It really cracks me up. Zune anyone?
- benn600, on 10/11/2007, -3/+18It provides a beautiful interface with simplicity beyond any phone I've ever owned in the past. I don't mind the missing functionality because we can expect that Apple will release updates to add these features. Other companies scamble to get the basics in to their product because they know they won't ever release updates...you get what you get and that's it. Some people say to wait on the iPhone until they release an update. Why? I can use all its great features now and get used to it so when they release an update, it will be faster to understand the new additional features.
There is a host of missing software features that I am confident will be added...and I can't wait.
By the way, I upgraded from a $90 prepaid phone, basically costing me $15/month to this $600 phone at $60/month + activation. It's a significant jump in cost for me but it's worth it. I had nowhere near this capability on my other phone--internet, video, music, etc.--and no other device even comes close to usability. - KSUdesigner, on 10/11/2007, -7/+22Sorry but that argument isn't very valid. You have monthly service fees with ANY phone, and $60 a month is quite cheap when compared with similar plans. I agree that $500 to $600 is expensive for the phone itself, but the service costs aren't really that big of an issue since you'll pay that much, if not more, with a smart phone.
- streak, on 10/11/2007, -4/+17I paid $100 for an 8 GB iPhone. The 4 GB iPhone could have been free. How? I save $20/month plus taxes and fees on the unlimited data plan for iPhone, compared to what I was paying for a slow, buggy Treo 750. Over 2 years of a contract, that means I effectively paid about $100 for my $599 iPhone. And since the iPhone works great with the vast majority of web sites, comes with push e-mail and sync software, I'm quite happy with the purchase.
- mp93, on 10/11/2007, -2/+15The $600 price tag kept me skeptical until i actually went to the Apple Store to test drive it. I have to say that the UI on the iPhone was the selling point for me. This is the first phone i have ever owned that i actually enjoyed using. I agree that there are some missing features and bugs but i'm hoping that a software update will fix all of that real soon.
I'm happy to be one of those satisfied customers - TurboDerek, on 10/11/2007, -3/+16I got an iPhone expecting to be let down after using a HTC Universal for 2 years. The HTC Universal is a better phone based on the stats. The iPhone can do less but it does what I want to do much better. The interface is simple and elegant. I set up my .mac, gmail and yahoo email in a few clicks. My yahoo address box synced with a single check mark. I no longer carry a phone and a ipod. The headphone jack being recessed sucks and google maps for windows mobile 6 is a bit better on the Universal.
- macslut, on 10/11/2007, -1/+13You missed reading the very next part of the same sentence. I saw Safari crash on my iPhone on a poorly constructed page that also crashed Firefox and IE on a PC. The amazing thing is that you had to either have multiple pages open or pay very close attention to even notice that Safari had crash since it just instantly brought you to the main menu where you could instantly go back to Safari. And the most important thing is that the iPhone didn't crash, just Safari. It didn't affect the phone functionality at all.
- griz, on 10/11/2007, -5/+16And what features would those be?
- rigg419, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10so, I agree with what you said in principle, but you skipped over the fact that $180 is the average people were willing to pay, which meanss that there's probably not anyone who said $180. There are some fools who think it should be free and others who say they'd pay $300 for it. The people who say it should cost less than a NANO are probably also taking into account that they think it should be subsidized like every other handset sold with a 2yr contract, and I agree with that. I got a Dash for $150 last year. Unlocked, that phone costs $400 but with a 2yr it was down to $150. There's no reason the iPhone shouldn't be $200 with a 2yr contract except that fact that they can get away with charging unlocked prices for a locked phone cause they're apple. That aside, the iPhone has started something more interesting than multi touch UI. For the last 6 or 7 years Americans have become accustomed to free phones, which is the reason our cell technology lags behind every other developed country in the world. Apple may make it so that more people are actually willing to pay for phones, which is good for everyone who loves to see technology advance
- macslut, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11I wonder how many of those people who wouldn't buy it because of the $600 cost would keep it if they bought it and tried it during the trial period. $600 - cost of cheapest competitive product(s) / number of hours used so far makes this a really great deal for me. I can't believe how much I'm using the iPhone in ways I didn't intend. I use it more as a phone than my previous phones because of the great voicemail and conference features, but really, it's been used more than my iPod (because of better screen) and when not at my desk, it's used far more than my laptop (because of the battery life, portability, and better connectivity).
- TomFrost, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10@Timmy: I agree completely. If AT&T chooses not to subsidize, fine. I don't mind spending $500 on a minicomputer that I'll be using for the next few years -- But I want my freedom in exchange.
- StrikerObi, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12I don't think this is really a fair way to break things down. Unless you are getting a phone w/o a discount, you are going to have to sign a 2 year contract with any carrier. It's not like the iPhone is the only phone that locks you into a carrier for two years. Though, you are at least getting a discount to compensate your contract.
Additionally, $60/month isn't really a bad deal for this kind of cell phone plan. It's a standard $40 voice plan, plus $20 for unlimited data, which is one of the cheapest data plans on the market for any phone. - StrikerObi, on 10/11/2007, -2/+111) There will always be haters.
2) See my above comment. People don't realize how expensive phones really are because we always hear "free LG Chocolate" or "$200 discount".
3) At least you can get a discount with a 2 year contract when you buy a Blackberry. - michaelb1, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10But they don't sell ***** in a box, so it's a good deal.
- willgonz, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11I have been using Pocket PC since the beginning. I love my new iPhone. You can't do as much with it as Pocket PC based. However, iPhone does it with style.
- jkoke, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11Really? Or will you instead post another whiny comment about it. Grow some self-esteem you little baby. Ignore things that don't interest you.
- CRASSPUNXTEXHTV, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9"a) you have to pay a pretty large termination fee" , actually if your a new att subscriber you get 2 weeks with every new contract to try out the service, and if your unsatisfied you can return it free of charge.
- StrikerObi, on 10/11/2007, -5/+14Oh totally. $500 is a ton of money no matter how you slice it. I was just shocked that anybody out there said "Yeah, I'd buy it for $180 max" when you can't even get an iPod with a halfway decent amount of memory for that much money.
- TimmyGUNZ, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10It's not so much the price of the phone that is the problem, it's the fact that you're still bound by a 2-year contract in buying it since AT&T is not subsidizing any of the hardware costs. It's total rape.
- TomFrost, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8bovester, are you aware that the cheapest plan for a Blackberry is $20 more per month? Sure, $500 "for a phone" is expensive, but when you add the iPhone cost to two years of service and the Blackberry cost to two years of service, the iPhone is actually cheaper in the long run. That was my deciding factor, because I decided that if I couldn't afford an iPhone, I'd move up to a Blackberry. Going with the iPhone instead was a win/win.
- liuping, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8If they had a smart phone or PDA before, it's probably less. The iPhone plan it actually quite reasonable...
- johnnybluejeans, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9Sounds like someone has iPhone envy.
- gravis86, on 10/11/2007, -2/+10$500 for an iPhone is nothing. I paid $400 for my Nokia E50 when it came out, and other people have been paying somewhere around $300-$400 for Treos anyway. When you add together everything that the iPhone does, it's worth the $500.
@bar08
As for the iPhone only costing $220 for Apple to make, does that include R&D? Or does it factor in how much they have to pay their employees to sell it? There's usually a lot more than production cost built into the price of things: Gas prices and drivers for shipping, R&D, Company employees, and you're even paying for everyone's "free" warranty. Companies have to make money somehow. 56 to 63 percent is not an overly whelming profit margin. - streak, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9I used a Treo 650 far longer than any other cell/smart phone I've had--nearly 18 months. It was really great. But the iPhone runs rings around it. And as I describe above, the 8 GB version only costs me $100.
- felchdonkey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8Headphone jack sucks. So I'll get an adapter for now. There are 24 ringtones, not 5, but I don't really care. I keep my phone on vibrate, because it's rude to be in public annoying people with your phone ringer. At home, I just use a regular ring. Maybe I'm just old, but I don't see the point of expressing one's personality through a Crazy Frog ringtone.
What would you consider the best phone on the market right now? I'm honestly interested. - meatmcguffin, on 10/11/2007, -2/+10MMS and video camera which are both rumoured to be coming in an update.
The best part of the phone for me is that it's easy to update. Of all the phones i've had, i only came close to updating a P900 and i had to jump through so many hoops to do so that i just gave up. - streak, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8What the iPhone does, it does so darn well, that the device's limitations are easily overlooked. And most of its limitations can/could be eradicated with a simple software update.
- spindrift, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8Full disclosure: I DID plop down something around $400 for a Treo 650 a few months after it was released. However, it was also probably the most worthwhile purchase I've ever made in my life. The "cool" factor was also nice for awhile, but I see teenagers running around with them now.
- directsun, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8That guy in the pic is blinding me with happiness
- lharrod, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8I admire your honesty. I bet that a majority of the haters secretly feel the same way you do. If you were to walk into a group of haters in the middle of an iPhone slam fest, and you pulled an iPhone out of your pocket, every single one of them would want to check it out.
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