Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
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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
#2Trying 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-notch camera, and from the reviews it sounds like the Essential Phone isn't cutting it. Unfortunately the camera is the main reason why there won't be any Cinderella stories about new high-end phone makers: Apple, Google and Samsung probably have teams of hundreds working on camera software now that the low-hanging fruit has been plucked, and new companies can't hope to match that.
Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
#3I wonder if the name also hurts. When I see the word "Essential" I think "basic/stripped-down". When I see the price of $699 for an "Essential phone", I think that I might as well get an Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel.
Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
#4I just started to see the commercials on TV for Essential, in addition to the online ads just started few days ago.
Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
#5Trying 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…
Keep in mind Apple was in the same position before the iPhone. Remember what palm said about apple becoming a player in the mobile space?
"PC guys are not just going to walk in here and.."
And yet they did.
How about the phone just sucks? And essential just really has no idea what people want?
Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
#6Trying 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…
'start with cheap, build a user base (and also expertise, people and money flow), and move up' is a common strategy for most of newcomers of any market, the IT history give us IBM mainframes to DEC minis to SUN workstation to IBM personal computers as example.
Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
#7I don't get what problem this phone is solving. I think that's how everyone else feels too.
We already have good phones by a number of other companies, and some of them actually cost a reasonable amount.
Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
#8I wonder if the name also hurts. When I see the word "Essential" I think "basic/stripped-down". When I see the price of $699 for an "Essential phone", I think that I might as well get an Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel.
Absolutely. Even meaningless random word (like AQVN or something), would be better.
Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
#9Trying 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…
And that's the thing, the OnePlus One was both "cheap" as well as incredibly high-value in terms of features and performance.
Re: Essential has sold just 5,000 phones since launch
#10I wonder if the name also hurts. When I see the word "Essential" I think "basic/stripped-down". When I see the price of $699 for an "Essential phone", I think that I might as well get an Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel.
Great point, even though I doubt it hurt. The price self-selects people: Ooopps, apparently no my cup of tea @$900 and back to google search.
The "essential" bracket cannot compete with Chinese low-end phones. Oh well, he'll raise money and do something else. The domain name at least will have some resale value.