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Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

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Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#31

Post by blensor »

angryasian wrote: post #30
blensor wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure we are talking about the same bluetooth here. I have yet to see a bluetooth device that just works (I am a non apple user, so I can't speak for IOS devices). The worst example are my wireless headphones. When I get into the car the car radio tries to connect to my phone, so it stops the wireless headphone output. I then have to scroll through the menu and disconnect the car radio, which tries to reconnec…

You shouldn't be driving and wearing wireless headphones

Point taken :)

In the car they are used as a hands free kit. My car radio can be used to do calls as well but the headphones, only in one ear while driving, do have much better call quality

Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#32

Post by 5ilv3r »

lawrenceyan wrote: post #29
alexblumel wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Jesus Christ, HN and the creators of this (ugly, toy-like)phone seem to never get basic, rudimentary supply and demand in action that anybody running a business should already understand. People don't care about being tracked and they certainly don't care about running some obscure Linux distro on their damn phone. A million people showing dislike on how the market works won't magically change how it works. People bu…

Have you ever heard of the concept of niche targeting? I definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't. :)

Juicaroo!

Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#33

Post by dmix »

jakef wrote: post #14

Who would buy this thing? The phone doesn't look to be anything special, the name makes it sound low-end, there's zero brand recognition. The magnetic wireless accessory thing is irrelevant to vast majority of consumers, especially since Bluetooth has already solved that problem and works with any device. I can't imagine a scenario where someone is looking to buy a phone in the ~$700 range and chooses this.

> there's zero brand recognition

Really? I was going to take the opposite perspective and say celebrity and name recognition goes a long way, irrespective of actual success...

I always hear the "Essential" brand name brought up now whenever Apple, Samsung, etc are mentioned. Even in the non-tech news sites. Which is funny to consider given their sales count.

Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#34

Post by lostmsu »

blensor wrote: post #22
jakef wrote: post #14

Who would buy this thing? The phone doesn't look to be anything special, the name makes it sound low-end, there's zero brand recognition. The magnetic wireless accessory thing is irrelevant to vast majority of consumers, especially since Bluetooth has already solved that problem and works with any device. I can't imagine a scenario where someone is looking to buy a phone in the ~$700 range and chooses this.

I'm not sure we are talking about the same bluetooth here. I have yet to see a bluetooth device that just works (I am a non apple user, so I can't speak for IOS devices). The worst example are my wireless headphones. When I get into the car the car radio tries to connect to my phone, so it stops the wireless headphone output. I then have to scroll through the menu and disconnect the car radio, which tries to reconnec…

You had some terribly bad luck. I had minor BT problems on some Android phones, but everything else works flawlessly.

Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#35

Post by imustbeevil »

lawrenceyan wrote: post #29
alexblumel wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Jesus Christ, HN and the creators of this (ugly, toy-like)phone seem to never get basic, rudimentary supply and demand in action that anybody running a business should already understand. People don't care about being tracked and they certainly don't care about running some obscure Linux distro on their damn phone. A million people showing dislike on how the market works won't magically change how it works. People bu…

Have you ever heard of the concept of niche targeting? I definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't. :)

Niche targeting is how you end up selling 5,000 phones.

Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#36

Post by s73ver_ »

Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Trying to break in to the high end of the smartphone market as a newcomer is a mistake. That's Apple and Samsung's territory, and they have the muscle to fight you intensely for it. The Chinese manufacturers have the better idea: start with cheap phones, build a user base, and move up. In particular, the camera is the ace in the hole that the established players have. People spending $700 on a phone expect a top-notc…

Isn't that what Tesla did, though?

Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#37

Post by xenadu02 »

allenbrunson wrote: post #25
khazhoux wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Palm got upended because their product was not actually that great. It solved a need, for sure, but the core quality was not there. What is iPhone bad at? Where's the entry point for a disruptor?

> What is iPhone bad at? ecosystem lock-in, not allowing un-vetted apps to run, walled-garden approach to everything. based on comments i see here, some people are mad enough about this to avoid iPhones altogether. that's where i'd start, if i were trying to launch a smartphone platform today.

And when someone's phone ends up with spyware, bitcoin miners, and they're signed up for 12 different $10/month "premium" SMS text services do you believe they'll be happy to be outside the walled garden?

I consider myself a nerd and I find it amazing that some of my fellow nerds learned absolutely nothing from IE and ActiveX: Users will always click Yes/OK/Install/Please_own_me. Providing an "Allow side-loading" checkbox guarantees these people will get completely and utterly owned. The latest free-to-play game will promise a "Chest of Gems" if they check the checkbox.

Some spyware purveyors and scummy ad networks are even now prompting iOS users to install mobile provisioning profiles and the users willingly tap through multiple prompts to install them despite the scary warnings! These users end up with MITM VPN profiles installed that redirect all traffic or get extra spam email accounts setup.

I enjoy having a gatekeeper that keeps most of the riff-raff out. I haven't always agreed with the decisions but I've never been secretly signed up for a premium SMS plan, had a coin miner installed, had my browsing history or contacts harvested, etc.

Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#38

Post by s73ver_ »

allenbrunson wrote: post #25
khazhoux wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Palm got upended because their product was not actually that great. It solved a need, for sure, but the core quality was not there. What is iPhone bad at? Where's the entry point for a disruptor?

> What is iPhone bad at? ecosystem lock-in, not allowing un-vetted apps to run, walled-garden approach to everything. based on comments i see here, some people are mad enough about this to avoid iPhones altogether. that's where i'd start, if i were trying to launch a smartphone platform today.

Some people, but clearly not a lot of people.

Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch

#39

Post by mxschumacher »

s73ver_ wrote: post #36
Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Trying to break in to the high end of the smartphone market as a newcomer is a mistake. That's Apple and Samsung's territory, and they have the muscle to fight you intensely for it. The Chinese manufacturers have the better idea: start with cheap phones, build a user base, and move up. In particular, the camera is the ace in the hole that the established players have. People spending $700 on a phone expect a top-notc…

Isn't that what Tesla did, though?

yeah, but they did something new/different. In terms of margins it is always better to serve the high end.
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