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The iPhone is White Label Hardware

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Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#31

Post by GHFigs »

jm4 wrote: post #20
jodrellblank wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it a let down? For two years, two releases, two versions of software and one beta of OS 3 it hasn't been present. It's only ever been mentioned by Apple to say they aren't doing it, and always they've been discussing, advertising and working on push notifications as an alternative. Given all that, why were you in any way expecting it?

Maybe because it's possible on competing smartphones? I was curious about the new features in IPhone OS 3 and decided to take a look at the list. Copy and paste? MMS? Voice memos? Search? You've got to be kidding me. The competition has had that stuff for ages. If Apple couldn't deliver that stuff on day one that's fine, but it should have been released in an update shortly afterward. It's absurd that 2 years later p…

The competition has had that stuff for ages.

Which just goes to show how little those things mattered. The theory is those things are "basic", but the reality is that the company both succeeded and surpassed the competition without them.

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#32

Post by akirk »

dbreunig wrote: post #28
akirk wrote: post #27

I just don't get why Apple doesn't just sell a higher-priced, unlocked iPhone, so that you don't have to get yourself screwed by your local carrier.

As always: business. AT&T is effectively paying Apple to prevent that very scenario. AT&T is weathering the downturn relatively nicely thanks to their exclusive deal with Apple. The ~$200 check they cut Apple per 2-year contract is paying for that exclusivity plus like-advertising.

Sometimes I just wish that they would focus more on the customers' needs :)

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#33

Post by potatolicious »

jm4 wrote: post #20
jodrellblank wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it a let down? For two years, two releases, two versions of software and one beta of OS 3 it hasn't been present. It's only ever been mentioned by Apple to say they aren't doing it, and always they've been discussing, advertising and working on push notifications as an alternative. Given all that, why were you in any way expecting it?

Maybe because it's possible on competing smartphones? I was curious about the new features in IPhone OS 3 and decided to take a look at the list. Copy and paste? MMS? Voice memos? Search? You've got to be kidding me. The competition has had that stuff for ages. If Apple couldn't deliver that stuff on day one that's fine, but it should have been released in an update shortly afterward. It's absurd that 2 years later p…

> The competition has had that stuff for ages.

Then by the performance of the competition, we have to surmise that either users don't care about said features, or said features have such flawed execution that the majority of its target users simply choose not to use it.

I would lean to the latter. Sending MMSes on most phones is a pain, recording a voice memo less so, but still convoluted. Search? Oh boy, yeah, some phones have this, but it's an even greater pain to get to.

And this is where usability rears its big ugly head again - the one thing that software engineers tend to ignore (because they themselves do not demand it). It's turned out that all along the UI has been the magic key to everything. For better or for worse, Apple hasn't just made the iPhone easy to use, they've made it fun to use, and that's something the competition has yet to clone.

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#34

Post by gchucky »

GHFigs wrote: post #29
mcantor wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think I see what you were getting at now, about the market penetration. I still don't really understand your point about hardware vs. software. The G-1 and iPhone are both pieces of hardware with pre-packaged software on them. Is there really anything the iPhone's hardware is capable of that the G-1 isn't, in some profound way? They both have wi-fi, GPS, accelerometer, calculator, touch screen, etc. The iPhone real…

in the end, the market suffers because consumers are complacent I believe you're projecting your own preferences here. Unless you have evidence to suggest that the average iPhone owner is not happy with his purchase, saying "the market suffers" is a bit much.

That's not what he's saying. He's saying that the market suffers because of a lack of competition - and I tend to agree with that.

And as a side note, this article seems to sort of be leading towards that sentiment: "there’s very little reason for start-ups to even attempt to pursue the wonky world of hardware."

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#35

Post by jodrellblank »

jm4 wrote: post #20
jodrellblank wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it a let down? For two years, two releases, two versions of software and one beta of OS 3 it hasn't been present. It's only ever been mentioned by Apple to say they aren't doing it, and always they've been discussing, advertising and working on push notifications as an alternative. Given all that, why were you in any way expecting it?

Maybe because it's possible on competing smartphones? I was curious about the new features in IPhone OS 3 and decided to take a look at the list. Copy and paste? MMS? Voice memos? Search? You've got to be kidding me. The competition has had that stuff for ages. If Apple couldn't deliver that stuff on day one that's fine, but it should have been released in an update shortly afterward. It's absurd that 2 years later p…

The competition has had that stuff for ages.

What a pointless whinge. Yes they have. So?

So Apple chose not to, or couldn't, deliver them sooner. So Apple chose different priorities. It's not absurd, ridiculous, apologistic and it's not a "fault".

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#36

Post by cujo »

akirk wrote: post #27

I just don't get why Apple doesn't just sell a higher-priced, unlocked iPhone, so that you don't have to get yourself screwed by your local carrier.

I believe you can get one from ATT unlocked without a plan, but the price is way up there. I believe $600 and $800 for the 2 models.

That was for the 3G though. I don't know if they still do it for the 3GS.

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#37

Post by sunkencity »

GHFigs wrote: post #15
aaronblohowiak wrote: post #3

AT&T lock-in is one of the larger barriers preventing the universality of the iPhone as "the" mobile computing platform.

The author means universal in the sense of a universal remote control, not universal adoption. Also, a big chunk of that 40 million is iPod Touch owners, who are not subject to carrier lock-in. The point is that it is a sufficiently generic and popular platform that many companies that might once have rolled their own hardware have diminished need to. If the platform supports what they need and they can make do in a…

Yeah, comparing the iPhone to the horror of making a J2ME application the iPhone is truly the currently best device for applications.

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#38

Post by orangecat »

mcantor wrote: post #21
orangecat wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you can jailbreak, which lets you run unsigned apps including ones that you build in Xcode. But yeah, developing exclusively for the iPhone is just handing Apple a kill switch to your company.

Your point is clear and practical, but a thought just occurred to me: Imagine if you had to jailbreak your Windows machine to use applications that Microsoft hadn't approved...

I agree completely. Most of the fanboys who defend Apple's practices would be (justifiably) howling in outrage if any other company did the same thing.

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#39

Post by mcantor »

GHFigs wrote: post #23
mcantor wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WOW. I didn't realize that was the case. Now I understand the App store fiasco much more... it seems like Apple is paying the price for its closed architecture culture. That makes me feel even more strongly about my original post: With an open architecture and less stringent gatekeeping, the G-1 is poised to take advantage of the PR disaster that Apple has been cultivating. It's too bad Apple has a monopoly on brandi…

Apple has a monopoly on branding expertise Could you explain this?

I just meant that there's no one out there who can inspire consumers to brand loyalty and excitement as deftly as Apple can.

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#40

Post by Silentio »

aaronblohowiak wrote: post #3

AT&T lock-in is one of the larger barriers preventing the universality of the iPhone as "the" mobile computing platform.

Totally agree. I don't have an iPhone (can't afford a data plan at the moment) but want one. Something feels wrong about being locked in to any one carrier for service though. My main PC isn't locked into anything. As long as the market I live in gives me choices of internet service providers, I get to choose. Does anyone know if we'll see a more open environment in cellphone service (data, voice, etc) in the near future?
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