10 Things that "Absolutely suck" about the iPhone. (Yes I have one)

[braj]

I wish the iPod Touch had Bluetooth. This means no BT headphones, nor getting a net connection from a lowly cell phone. And $399 for only 16 GB with no expansion? Anyhow, Apple sure makes some very nice products with some crippling flaws. The Nano looks pretty cool though, too bad it isn't available with 16 GB.

 

[whmurray]

Jobs to early adopters: Suckaaaaaaaaaars!
........

Nonesense; I got my $200- worth. If the price has been $200- cheaper to start with, one would still be standing in line.

Now, if he had announced UMTS today, then I would have felt as though I had been had.

 

[mikec#IM]

I wish the iPod Touch had Bluetooth. This means no BT headphones, nor getting a net connection from a lowly cell phone. And $399 for only 16 GB with no expansion? Anyhow, Apple sure makes some very nice products with some crippling flaws. The Nano looks pretty cool though, too bad it isn't available with 16 GB.

Yes, I noticed that too. No BT...tsk tsk.

 

[mikec#IM]

Nonesense; I got my $200- worth. If the price has been $200- cheaper to start with, one would still be standing in line.

Now, if he had announced UMTS today, then I would have felt as though I had been had.

How is it nonsense? Anyone who bought an IPhone before today paid a $200 (33% premium) for 60 days or less of use.

A little patience, and you could have had the iPhone and the new Nano combined for the same price.

I can't recall any product price dropping 33% 60 days after being introduced. Especially one from Apple or other tech vendor.

A lot of people are glad they waited.

However, will this drive more sales? I guess we will see. This, to me, was a very drastic price cut for Apple.

 

[Pearl_Diva]

Isn't doing well for a company who's products relatively are successful is different than Palm's use of a near-product release as marketing research. Palm has done many lame, lame, lame things in the past 5 years. How did they let the Foleo get this far then kill it just like that? It should never have gotten this far, or they should have just released it. It wouldn't be the first time Palm released buggy crap. I guess it was really, really buggy crap.

I agree Palm is lame. I just think no company can avoid a booboo once in a while, no matter how successful they are. However, Palm has too many.

 

[Pearl_Diva]

How is it nonsense? Anyone who bought an IPhone before today paid a $200 (33% premium) for 60 days or less of use.

A little patience, and you could have had the iPhone and the new Nano combined for the same price.

I can't recall any product price dropping 33% 60 days after being introduced. Especially one from Apple or other tech vendor.

A lot of people are glad they waited.

However, will this drive more sales? I guess we will see. This, to me, was a very drastic price cut for Apple.

You're absolutely right! People won't admit they're kicking themeselves. I never expected a $200 price drop though. But yes, I'm kicking myself a bit, although I got this from a friend at a small discount.

 

[oalvarez]

the real question is how many marginal units will they sell at the lower price. i think most consumers understand the prices of these electronic devices get cheaper in time. what i don't think the consumers expected was a price drop this severe, this quick. it will be interesting to see if the price drop changes people's perception of its quality.

regards

 

[mikec#IM]

fita

I think Apple has pooched themselves a little with the price drop. Now for future products, people will be expecting the big price drops.

I think also, making the price only a little higher than the Touch (I like how they stole the name from HTC), they are trying to get people to step up...but I think the Touch will outsell the iPhone instead.

 

[whmurray]

How is it nonsense? Anyone who bought an IPhone before today paid a $200 (33% premium) for 60 days or less of use.

A little patience, and you could have had the iPhone and the new Nano combined for the same price.

I can't recall any product price dropping 33% 60 days after being introduced. Especially one from Apple or other tech vendor.

A lot of people are glad they waited.

However, will this drive more sales? I guess we will see. This, to me, was a very drastic price cut for Apple.

The nonesense is that to be early was to be a "sucker." To the contrary, to be early was to pay $200- to be early without having to stand in line. There is a distinction there for those who can see it.

It took IBM two decades to figure out that many of their customers would pay a premium to be early. Apple understands pricing better than anyone else in the business; they are the only vendor in consumer electronics that says what the retail price of their product will be and makes it stick. Microsoft would die for that power. Competition from Apple determines the price of the Zune. Carriers price the Treo and whoa be unto Palm if they try to underprice the carriers to the consumer.

I have paid a premium for every Treo but still have had to wait for GSM. Apple did not make me both pay a premium and wait.

You are probably right that "a lot of people are glad they waited." A few are probably sorry that they did not. Most will not buy at any price. That does not make the early people "suckers."

We are the "heat seekers" and we know that we always pay a price to be early. It is nice to be able to afford it.

 

[oalvarez]

..but I think the Touch will outsell the iPhone instead.

hmmmm, i'm not so sure. i think the Touch is limited in its data entry and at the new iPhone's price point i just can't see this happening. time will tell as they say!

 

[mikec#IM]

The nonesense is that to be early was to be a "sucker." To the contrary, to be early was to pay $200- to be early without having to stand in line. There is a distinction there for those who can see it.

It took IBM two decades to figure out that many of their customers would pay a premium to be early. Apple understands pricing better than anyone else in the business; they are the only vendor in consumer electronics that says what the retail price of their product will be and makes it stick. Microsoft would die for that power. Competition from Apple determines the price of the Zune. Carriers price the Treo and whoa be unto Palm if they try to underprice the carriers to the consumer.

I have paid a premium for every Treo but still have had to wait for GSM. Apple did not make me both pay a premium and wait.

You are probably right that "a lot of people are glad they waited." A few are probably sorry that they did not. Most will not buy at any price. That does not make the early people "suckers."

We are the "heat seekers" and we know that we always pay a price to be early. It is nice to be able to afford it.

Nice spin, bur $200 lighter in the wallet sucks.

Technology (beta products, imho) are sold at a premium to the early adopter. Fine if you can afford it.

But Apple's 33% price cut is very drastic, and it can't help but generate buyers remorse. I think some folks feel suckered, esp. since Apple's pricing track record indicates that this was not the ecpected action they would take.

I still think they aren't selling as many as expected - possibly a lot fewer than expected - and this price cut is to fuel more sales.

What's really interesting is that now, the "phone" function is only "worth" $99, if you use Apple logic (Touch+99=iPhone).

Anyway, I don't think anyone predicted this price hack (I certainly thought Apple would keep price high), but they also realize (smartly) that now is the time to get as many iPhones out there as possible, and if price cuts do it, so be it.

 

[mikec#IM]

hmmmm, i'm not so sure. i think the Touch is limited in its data entry and at the new iPhone's price point i just can't see this happening. time will tell as they say!

Yes, it make it's tough with the price close - but remember, there are millions of other Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile folks that want the Touch and don't want to switch to AT&T.

They are overpricing the Touch to drive iPhone sales...we'll see how that works.

 

[Pearl_Diva]

The nonesense is that to be early was to be a "sucker." To the contrary, to be early was to pay $200- to be early without having to stand in line. There is a distinction there for those who can see it.

It took IBM two decades to figure out that many of their customers would pay a premium to be early. Apple understands pricing better than anyone else in the business; they are the only vendor in consumer electronics that says what the retail price of their product will be and makes it stick. Microsoft would die for that power. Competition from Apple determines the price of the Zune. Carriers price the Treo and whoa be unto Palm if they try to underprice the carriers to the consumer.

I have paid a premium for every Treo but still have had to wait for GSM. Apple did not make me both pay a premium and wait.

You are probably right that "a lot of people are glad they waited." A few are probably sorry that they did not. Most will not buy at any price. That does not make the early people "suckers."

We are the "heat seekers" and we know that we always pay a price to be early. It is nice to be able to afford it.

I'm sorry, but I still view it as a smack in the face. Being early and paying more is one thing, that's expected. But this is only 2 months. Maybe if they'd done it right before the holiday shopping season, it wouldn't seem so bad. Or maybe just took off $100.

I can guarantee some peope feel like suckers because they spent $200 more. And the 4GB people should really feel crappy. Their phone is obsolete after 2 months and they payed $200 more for half the space!

 

[cardfan]

I bought one around 8/26 and was fortunate that i took it back (the wife had probs with reception at her work on a military base).

But had i kept it? Yeah, i'd been kinda mad about it. Noone likes buying something and have it decrease 30% the next week and NOT be able to get some kind of credit.

It's surprising to me that Apple would do this and not offer some kind of itunes credit thing to the early adopters. Apple is usually very smart in its marketing. You don't want to punish your most faithful.

Again, i'm surprised. Apple could eat those credits easily and save a lot of face. Heck, they'd be praising apple even more so than already.

 

[marcol]

What's really interesting is that now, the "phone" function is only "worth" $99, if you use Apple logic (Touch+99=iPhone).

Jobs did have logic like that in the Jan keynote but it's not the only way of looking at it. For some the calculation will be Touch+99+contract=iPhone. Of course if you were on a similarly priced or more expensive contract that has just finished then the cost of a new contract probably doesn't way heavily on your mind. I guess what I'm trying to say is that whether a person perceives it as iPhone=Touch+99 or iPhone=Touch+99+(24x60), or something between the two, will depend on the person concerned, his/her circumstances, general attitude to these things etc, etc.

But Apple's 33% price cut is very drastic, and it can't help but generate buyers remorse.

Best bet is to take the price of the contract into account too. Then it's only a 10% cut

I still think they aren't selling as many as expected - possibly a lot fewer than expected - and this price cut is to fuel more sales.

We'll see, but I think you might be right. Remember all those consumer surveys that said loads more would buy if the device was cheaper? I guess plenty of people are more concerned with the sticker price than the contract price.

 

[bruckwine]

the real question is how many marginal units will they sell at the lower price. i think most consumers understand the prices of these electronic devices get cheaper in time. what i don't think the consumers expected was a price drop this severe, this quick. it will be interesting to see if the price drop changes people's perception of its quality.

regards

I don't think it'll change perceptions at all - just willingness to buy despite perceived flaws. In my acse i'd much more willingly pay $399 for a phone w/o 3G (e.g. the treo 680) than to pay $599 for the same (which is almost like two phones). The iPhone still has the same flaws, but at the lower price it's more bearable!

 

[bruckwine]

The nonesense is that to be early was to be a "sucker." To the contrary, to be early was to pay $200- to be early without having to stand in line. There is a distinction there for those who can see it.

It took IBM two decades to figure out that many of their customers would pay a premium to be early. Apple understands pricing better than anyone else in the business; they are the only vendor in consumer electronics that says what the retail price of their product will be and makes it stick. Microsoft would die for that power. Competition from Apple determines the price of the Zune. Carriers price the Treo and whoa be unto Palm if they try to underprice the carriers to the consumer.

I have paid a premium for every Treo but still have had to wait for GSM. Apple did not make me both pay a premium and wait.

You are probably right that "a lot of people are glad they waited." A few are probably sorry that they did not. Most will not buy at any price. That does not make the early people "suckers."

We are the "heat seekers" and we know that we always pay a price to be early. It is nice to be able to afford it.

You must've had a different experience ffrom the thousands I saw queueing up to get that $599 (now $99) phone day 1 & 2...as a matter of fact it was only after the first week that you could really stroll in. Not to mention activation problems ealy bugs etc and i'd say $200 wass a lot to me a beta community!

The first set of early adopters went thru hell in that summer heat and it's a real kick in the nuts to now see the phone for such a cheap price. I wouldn't call them suckers but "masochist" might be better adjective for the 1st day buyers.

 

[tx76mike]

Is there someone out there who bought the 8GB one in less than 14 days and tried to return and buy another one to recoup some credit? I figured even with the restocking fee, you would still net some return to spend on something else.

 

[whmurray]

No Good Deed goes Unpunished

You must've had a different experience ffrom the thousands I saw queueing up to get that $599 (now $99) phone day 1 & 2...as a matter of fact it was only after the first week that you could really stroll in. Not to mention activation problems ealy bugs etc and i'd say $200 wass a lot to me a beta community!

The first set of early adopters went thru hell in that summer heat and it's a real kick in the nuts to now see the phone for such a cheap price. I wouldn't call them suckers but "masochist" might be better adjective for the 1st day buyers.

I "strolled in" to the Apple Store in Stamford, CT at 1pm on Saturday and was out with my phone in five minutes. (I admit that dealing with AT&T took a little longer.) (I also admit that I made more than enough on my Apple stock to pay for the phone.)

But, am I mistaken that the same people who argued that Apple priced the phone too high in the first place are the same ones that are whining because they cut the price too much too soon? "No good deed goes unpunished."

 

[Dim-Ize]

Jobs to early adopters: Suckaaaaaaaaaars!

$200 cheaper now..

LOL.

This sums it up.

I don't care how you spin it.

Folks in this thread are either: or or or