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iPhone 5c

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Re: iPhone 5c

#161

Post by kalleboo »

ctdonath wrote: post #124
barake wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people don't consider the true cost of a phone contract. They're only truly considering the up front cost - and a mid-range phone "costs half". It's really hard to get the average smartphone buyer to understand the price isn't $100 vs $200, but really $2500 vs $2600 over two years.

In the USA, considering the true cost of a phone contract is rather pointless because you can't get a contract that discounts monthly cost by buying the phone up front. You're going to pay the $2500 either way.

With T-Mobile you now can though

Re: iPhone 5c

#162

Post by aespinoza »

nicholassmith wrote: post #159
aespinoza wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, you are right. It is sad to see that Apple has no new ideas. I wonder if they will ever do something innovative again ? I also wonder if Steve Jobs would ever put a fingerprint scanner in an iPhone, make a "Gold" iPhone or keep the same hardware design for 3 consecutive iphones.

Under Jobs Apple released many versions of the MacBook/Pro which had nearly the same external design. I'm not certain Jobs would have loved a gold iPhone, but I can imagine he'd have understood the business reasons for it, and it's not an unattractive device. He was large and in charge when they introduced the flower power iMac after all. Innovation is a difficult thing to quantify, there wasn't likely to be an innov…

I agree with you. Like I mentioned in another comment below, it is not that these phones are not going to be successful. They will be. For sure. And I understand Apple is a business.

My biggest problem with the latest form Cupertino is that I have not been able to find inspiration from their products. When I am looking for inspiration, Apple is simply not there anymore for me. It might for other people.

I guess the feeling that I am looking for when I am talking about "Innovation" is "Awe", "Inspiration", "Excitement". That is not there anymore when looking at Apple products.

This doesn't mean that these phone will be less successful, or worse than their previous counterparts. What it does mean, is that I will not be looking to Apple for inspiration in the future. I'll looking more to Google and Tesla.

Re: iPhone 5c

#163

Post by barake »

ctdonath wrote: post #124
barake wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people don't consider the true cost of a phone contract. They're only truly considering the up front cost - and a mid-range phone "costs half". It's really hard to get the average smartphone buyer to understand the price isn't $100 vs $200, but really $2500 vs $2600 over two years.

In the USA, considering the true cost of a phone contract is rather pointless because you can't get a contract that discounts monthly cost by buying the phone up front. You're going to pay the $2500 either way.

T-Mobile USA has decoupled devices and plans. You can BYOD, or buy one of their phones by putting down money and then paying a portion monthly until it's paid off.

For example, the Galaxy S4 is $99.99 up front, and $21/month for 20 months totaling $519.99. At the end of 20 months your bill will be reduced by $21.

Re: iPhone 5c

#164

Post by aespinoza »

unfamiliar wrote: post #158
aespinoza wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, you are right. It is sad to see that Apple has no new ideas. I wonder if they will ever do something innovative again ? I also wonder if Steve Jobs would ever put a fingerprint scanner in an iPhone, make a "Gold" iPhone or keep the same hardware design for 3 consecutive iphones.

An entire new security system centred around a fingerprint scanner is not considered innovative? Give one idea which you'd consider more innovative. Go on. Just one.

Fingerprint readers have been out for a while for the desktop and hasn't taken off. Some laptops have a sensor as well, and I know few companies that actually use it. I don't see it as an important milestone.

But to be fair it is innovative because of the size and form factor. But I expected more from Apple.

Re: iPhone 5c

#165

Post by kalleboo »

AznHisoka wrote: post #103

No thanks Apple. I don't struggle to get my ass out of bed, go through a torturous 2 hour daily commute, sit on my ass and do something I dislike 8 hours a day to waste $500+ on a colorful iPhone.

Sounds like you need a new job more than you need a new phone...

Re: iPhone 5c

#166

Post by rz2k »

mikeash wrote: post #153
Timothee wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

if people get their first smartphone because it is $100 instead of $200 I.e. people are more likely to get an iPhone 5C because it's cheaper and thus "only" $99 more than the free phone they'd get otherwise. But this is not specific to the 5C, since the same scenario was in place as soon as Apple started offering two kinds of iPhones at the same time.

Makes sense. I think it was the part where this is nothing new that was confusing me.

I wasn't very clear, but that was my point, that the marketing angle seems to be that it is an option for more budget-conscious first-time smartphone buyers. And yet, there are negligible actual savings compared to the 5s, since the major part of switching to smartphone is the cost of a two-year service agreement.

The marketing angle is not cynical on the scale of, say, BlueHippo[1][2], or pay day loans, but it is different for Apple to be creating bad value proposition that will have to be dismissed as the customers' fault for not doing their research.

And sure, it actually is customers' fault, but I don't think Apple customers have had to watch out for being tricked by Apple as much in the past.

While, it is simple to say: you can use this phone for two years for $2500, or this phone for two years for $2400, and it will be obvious that you'd only choose the plastic one with half as powerful a CPU if you really like the colors, I don't think salespeople will be saying this in stores to potential customers.

The idea of a "budget" iPhone that looks like it starts at half the price, but actually only represents a 4% discount on the TCO, just seems like a departure from their past, and towards becoming a slimier company. (again, unless you just really like the colors)

[1] http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-05-20/the-poverty-b... OR http://web.archive.org/web/20070811233934/http://www.busines...

[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/us/14scam.html

Re: iPhone 5c

#167

Post by nicholassmith »

aespinoza wrote: post #162
nicholassmith wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Under Jobs Apple released many versions of the MacBook/Pro which had nearly the same external design. I'm not certain Jobs would have loved a gold iPhone, but I can imagine he'd have understood the business reasons for it, and it's not an unattractive device. He was large and in charge when they introduced the flower power iMac after all. Innovation is a difficult thing to quantify, there wasn't likely to be an innov…

I agree with you. Like I mentioned in another comment below, it is not that these phones are not going to be successful. They will be. For sure. And I understand Apple is a business. My biggest problem with the latest form Cupertino is that I have not been able to find inspiration from their products. When I am looking for inspiration, Apple is simply not there anymore for me. It might for other people. I guess the f…

Out of curiosity what would you say Googles innovative product was recently? In my opinion they're like Apple, they iterate well on existing concepts.

Re: iPhone 5c

#168

Post by mikeash »

rz2k wrote: post #166
mikeash wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Makes sense. I think it was the part where this is nothing new that was confusing me.

I wasn't very clear, but that was my point, that the marketing angle seems to be that it is an option for more budget-conscious first-time smartphone buyers. And yet, there are negligible actual savings compared to the 5s, since the major part of switching to smartphone is the cost of a two-year service agreement. The marketing angle is not cynical on the scale of, say, BlueHippo[1][2], or pay day loans, but it is di…

Are they playing this up any more than they played up the "$100" 4S last year, or the "$100" 4 the year before, or the "$100" 3GS before that? Maybe they are and I missed it. I will admit that I zoned out on much of the "marketing" parts of the 5C presentation.

I will agree with the general premise that smartphone pricing in the US is fairly deceptive, with huge emphasis given to the up-front price of ~$200, and almost no attention paid at all to the whole-contract cost of ~$2,500. This is certainly intentional and intentionally deceptive. But, alas, it's not new, not even for Apple.

Re: iPhone 5c

#169

Post by bdz »

Can anyone explain to me that how can Apple make a 459 USD cellular iPad mini but not an iPhone? I guess they could go as low as 399 or 349.

549 is not cheap just cheaper. Btw that's more the fault of the tech journalists and sites, not Apple.

Re: iPhone 5c

#170

Post by jasomill »

bdz wrote: post #169

Can anyone explain to me that how can Apple make a 459 USD cellular iPad mini but not an iPhone? I guess they could go as low as 399 or 349. 549 is not cheap just cheaper. Btw that's more the fault of the tech journalists and sites, not Apple.

Because the $549 price of the iPhone is typically subsidized, and can therefore command higher margins than the unsubsidized iPad without sacrificing too much volume?
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