Apple iPhone

[editor]

Looks like the sales figures are really going to disappoint Apple with just O2 activating just 26,500 iPhones since its launch two weeks ago and new research showing that just 2 per cent of UK consumers have put the phone on their Christmas lists:
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2204312/consumers-turned-expensive

 

[Crispy]

Not surprised in the slightest. It's far too expensive.

 

[jæd]

Looks like the sales figures are really going to disappoint Apple with just O2 activating just 26,500 iPhones since its launch two weeks ago and new research showing that just 2 per cent of UK consumers have put the phone on their Christmas lists:
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2204312/consumers-turned-expensive

Isn't there a quote somewhere that Apple are just aiming a market share of 1%...?

 

[editor]

Isn't there a quote somewhere that Apple are just aiming a market share of 1%...?

I think you need to do some maths if you think that 26,500 comes even remotely close to a market share of 1% (where was this quote?)

 

[jæd]

I think you need to do some maths if you think that 26,500 comes even remotely close to a market share of 1% (where was this quote?)

I'm not the "expert" on the iPhone, am I...? ( http://www.ipodobserver.com/story/32847, but this is global)

 

[paolo]

Looks like the sales figures are really going to disappoint Apple with just O2 activating just 26,500 iPhones since its launch two weeks ago and new research showing that just 2 per cent of UK consumers have put the phone on their Christmas lists:
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2204312/consumers-turned-expensive

If there has been any disappointment, it would have been on the US launch. UK numbers have been roughly in line with the US, all things considered.

Add to this the massive profit they make per unit. I'd estimate it is at least 5 times what Nokia make on the N95. Perhaps Nokia sell 5 times as many, per day - but on the anecdotal evidence, I doubt it.

But leaving my speculation aside, bear in mind that the investment analysts reaction, having pored through Apple's numbers, have given increased expectations for Apple's stock price. Why? They've found an entry which is (they deduce) the iPhone kickback revenue stream. And they like what they see.

So, overall, I don't think Apple are disappointed at the moment. Quite the opposite I expect.

 

[editor]

IAdd to this the massive profit they make per unit. I'd estimate it is at least 5 times what Nokia make on the N95. Perhaps Nokia sell 5 times as many, per day - but on the anecdotal evidence, I doubt it.

Nokia outsells Apple by a truly enormous margin in all areas.

 

[paolo]

Nokia outsells Apple by a truly enormous margin in all areas.

I meant N95 vs iPhone. Not Nokia's sales of a wide range of handsets, compared with Apple's sales of - err - computers?

 

[editor]

I meant N95 vs iPhone. Not Nokia's sales of a wide range of handsets, compared with Apple's sales of - err - computers?

Why are you only comparing the iPhone to the N95?

The Nokia has quite a few smartphones that out-perform the iPhone in terms of features and functions.

 

[paolo]

Why are you only comparing the iPhone to the N95

The N95 is the one that is often cited as a comparison. Perhaps Nokia are shifting heaps of the others, but my impression is they aren't.

I'll stick by my original opinion though - Apple won't be disappointed by the UK numbers so far.

O2 on the other hand I think will not make the 200,000 they have predicted by early January.

 

[rocketman]

Nokia outsells Apple by a truly enormous margin in all areas.

Do you mean profit margin, or number of sales?
And do you include operating systems, desktops and laptops in your analysis? Or when you say 'all areas' do you actually mean 'one area'?
In any case, why do you hate the iPhone so much you take your valuable time to diss it? Go and play in your Palm or Nokia forum...oh, there isn't a (popular) one...

 

[asbestos]

Do you mean profit margin, or number of sales?
And do you include operating systems, desktops and laptops in your analysis? Or when you say 'all areas' do you actually mean 'one area'?
In any case, why do you hate the iPhone so much you take your valuable time to diss it? Go and play in your Palm or Nokia forum...oh, there isn't a (popular) one...

A reasonable discussion on this topic with that bloke is a thorough waste of time my friend.

 

[asbestos]

 

[editor]

In any case, why do you hate the iPhone so much you take your valuable time to diss it? Go and play in your Palm or Nokia forum...oh, there isn't a (popular) one...

Why on earth should stating the fact that Nokia is the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer upset you so much and spark this bizarre outburst?

You're really quite odd at times, you know.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Yeah any thread about Apple tends to go that way...

 

[tarannau]

Oh come on, Apple's achievements with their first phone are creditable. In the first month, with their first phone product - overpriced and underfeatured in the eyes of a few - they became the top selling smartphone in the US, taking 1.8% of the entire US handsales market and equalling sales of the LG chocolate, the leading (non smartphone) seller in the US

More info from Reuters here http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSL0432369320070904, but for Apple to come in and comfortably overtake such entrenched and established competitors is pretty impressive. If I was Steve Jobs, knowing that I managed to outstrip Blackberry and the entire Palm portfolio's sales with one new product, I wouldn't be too discouraged by the whole affair.

 

[Pie 1]

Why on earth should stating the fact that Nokia is the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer upset you so much and spark this bizarre outburst?

You're really quite odd at times, you know.

Why on earth should a thread about a gizmo that you have no intention of ever owning upset you so much?

You're really quite odd at times, you know.

 

[editor]

Why on earth should a thread about a gizmo that you have no intention of ever owning upset you so much?

Oh look! It's a smartarse with a back-firing attempt at being clever!

But where have I expressed anything even remotely suggesting that I was "upset"?

No, don't bother replying, You've made a big enough dick of yourself with your pathetic unprovoked attack as it is.

 

[editor]

Oh come on, Apple's achievements with their first phone are creditable. In the first month, with their first phone product - overpriced and underfeatured in the eyes of a few - they became the top selling smartphone in the US, taking 1.8% of the entire US handsales market and equalling sales of the LG chocolate, the leading (non smartphone) seller in the US

Apple's sales in the US were incredible - although they did benefit from one of the biggest and most sustained hype campaigns ever seen for a product.

But in the UK - which is what I was talking about - they haven't come anywhere near matching that kind of impact despite their best attempts to crank up the hyperbole-o-meter to 11.

FYI:

US: Top five handset manufacturers’ third quarter 2007 share of units sold:
Motorola 31%
LG 17%
Samsung 16%
Nokia 11%
Sanyo 4%
http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_071120a.html

 

[asbestos]

where have I expressed anything even remotely suggesting that I was "upset"?

No, don't bother replying, You've made a big enough dick of yourself with your pathetic unprovoked attack as it is.

"upset" isn't the word.

 

[Pie 1]

with your pathetic unprovoked attack, etc, etc, etc .

You'll never be accused of being unpredictable.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

You'll never be accused of being unpredictable.

So little to say so much...

 

[Crispy]

You'll never be accused of being unpredictable.

Back up that accusation!

 

[Bristly Pioneer]

I don't know if it's been posted before, but I've just been playing with mine and realised that the bluetooth is pretty much disabled on them!

You can use bluetooth headsets with it

BUT

you can't transfer files onto it (pics etc) or off it using bluetooth, and you can't sync your addressbook and calendars via bluetooth!

they are so paranoid about people putting 3rd party stuff on it, that the iphone is

wait for it

THE IPHONE IS LESS COMPATIBLE WITH MY MAC POWERBOOK THAN MY SONY ERRICSSON!

What the fuck are they thinking?

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Back up that accusation!

 

[Pie 1]

What the fuck are they thinking?

Bizzare isn't it?

I really think they've lost the plot a bit with it.

 

[stdPikachu]

But in the UK ... they haven't come anywhere near matching that kind of impact despite their best attempts to crank up the hyperbole-o-meter to 11.

Infinite recursion alert!

TBH I'm quite shocked with some of the usability defects Marius has pointed out (have seen iPhones in action but not actually had the chance to fiddle with one properly yet). Where's the famed, and often justified, Apple-attention-to-detail polish? I can't help but think that Apple has had the telcos hand too much in their pocket when designing this, and it seems obvious to me that the restrictions on rolling your own software is there to protect the carriers from people making their phones too useful, and hence relegating AT&T/O2 to little more that providers of a data pipe, which is almost zero margin. Third party app to load your own ringtones in a phone that requires iTunes to operate?! Mind boggling.

Still though, the browser is probably the best I've used on a smartphone and I'm hoping that iPhone Mk2 is either a bit less of a clulsterfuck or successfully cloned by someone like Nokia (who might actually permit me the luxury of a QWERTY keyboard) - their N800 internet tablet was a pretty good start IMHO, with easy third party development (yay Linux, etc etc) and a not-terrible interface.

 

[jæd]

The SDK has been spotted...!

Some developers are gaining early access to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch software developer kit, according to reliable sources speaking to Electronista. A handful of companies are said to be getting rough versions of the tools to help code more advanced applications than would be possible with the current web-only solution. Exact details of what the kit allows are unknown, though it is confirmed that it produces native programs and somewhat resembles Google's OpenSocial in that it mediates between the programmer and the iPhone operating system.

http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/11/26/iphone.early.sdk/

 

[Crispy]

restrictions on rolling your own software is there to protect the carriers from people making their phones too useful, and hence relegating AT&T/O2 to little more that providers of a data pipe, which is almost zero margin.

Nope, it's because in the rush to get the phone ready, they made it so that everything runs as root. No regular user account at all (it's still unix under the gloss). all 3rd party apps running as root = massive fail.

 

[editor]

You'll never be accused of being unpredictable.

What are you trying to achieve here? Are your recent attacks meant as a guide to how needlessly unpleasant you can be for no good reason?

If so, you're doing a grand job. Give yourself a little pat on the back.