Is The iPhone's Mass Appeal Wanning?

[Swagger]

I was in an AT&T store earlier today well beyond the time it opens. I noticed that although some iPhones were being sold there was most certainly no line or frenzy. I thought to myself wow the AT&T salesperson was very aggressive in trying to sale the iPhone. I remember a time when the iPhone sold itself.

I took a quick tour of the new iPhone and then decided not to purchase. I love my aluminum iPhone (which is naked and in mint condition). I just couldn't see switching to plastic. The v1 iPhone is so elegant when carried naked. Everytime I look at my v1 iPhone I see strength. I do not see that in the current models .

I also notice that for this to be an iPhone launch day not much chat in the forum about the new iPhone.

*Is the reason the loss of appeal?

*Is the reason an ever worsening economy?

*Is the reason the The Palm Pre with it's pricing plan and features are a better buy?

*Is the reason the cost structure of owning an iPhone?

*Is the reason the lack of consumer choice of carrier?

*Is the reason much more conservative family budgets?

As a matter of fact any or all of those reasons could be the reason the AT&T store I visited at 1:45pm still had a large inventory of iPhone's to sale. What are your thoughts? Mark

[psylichon]

No. Most people preordered. :)

[Swagger]

No. Most people preordered. :)

Actually that is my whole point. Is the trend shifting to people can wait for their new toy. What happened to the flair of I need it on day one? Mark

[Mike12000]

Actually that is my whole point. Is the trend shifting to people can wait for their new toy. What happened to the flair of I need it on day one? Mark

It still seems to be alive and well here!

I just called my AT&T store and they don't have any 32 GB's available. It's a small town region though and they didn't get a large shipment for launch day. The rep said if I wanted one my best bet would be to preorder. They won't have any for over-the-counter sales until all the preorders are filled. I think when all's said and done, Apple will be pleased with initial sales. The buzz in the media is overwhelmingly positive. I'd bet sales are crisp.

I'm keeping my v1 for now, but the only reason is because there's no 3G service in the area.

[beachtrader]

Actually that is my whole point. Is the trend shifting to people can wait for their new toy. What happened to the flair of I need it on day one? Mark

If you pre-ordered it was shipped to your home and you got it on the day of the release. There isn't a lot of lines in store because people are getting them at their home. They are not waiting in lines and getting "their new toy" on day one.

Plus, you now have multiple outlets to get iPhones. Apple store, ATT store, Best Buy, Wal Mart. Every town has a lot of these different stores so you don't have the huge lines in a few concentrated areas anymore. Multiple outlets to buy a product means no mass rush at a location.

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

Wow. I thought the answer was self-evident: Home shipping and in-store reservations. I read that Apple is poised to sell at least one million 3GSs this weekend.

[chris]

Actually that is my whole point. Is the trend shifting to people can wait for their new toy. What happened to the flair of I need it on day one? Mark

If Apple wanted lines and PR, they'd have it. I think this is just another sign that we're seeing a company that feels pretty comfortable with their "lead" if you will.

This is an incremental update. When they want to stir the pot again, they'll stir it with a change to the design.

Think about this, would any company even think of putting out a new phone that looked identical to the previous phone? Can you imagine if Palm released the Palm Pre S. Think of how the tech media would handle that?

[shutter13]

According to iPhone Alley, the 3 S sold more units for launch than the 3G last year. We didn't see the lines because of the preorders.

[nfl46]

The 3G S launch is expected to sell over one million in the THREE days.

Its on track to outsell the 3G launch.

So, the answer to your question would be HELL NO. :)

And a lot of people preordered. :)

AT&T: iPhone 3G S pre-orders in the "hundreds of thousands"

Although some of its retail stores on the east coast have already run dry of their initial allotment of iPhone 3G Ss, Apple's exclusive U.S. wireless provider AT&T tells AppleInsider that it sold "hundreds of thousands" of the new touch-screen handset during its online pre-order process.

"[AT&T] sold hundreds of thousands through our preorder process prior to the launch, which exceeded our own expectations for iPhone 3G S," Michael Coe, a representative in the carrier's corporate communications department, wrote in an email Friday. "Just wanted to make sure you have this information as well."

Although Coe declined to comment on whether that figure exceed 300,000 units, the "hundreds of thousands" statistic alone is likely to put first-weekend iPhone 3G S unit sales estimates from many Wall Street analysts underwater.

In a research note issued to clients earlier this week, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimated that Apple would sell roughly half a million iPhone 3G Ss during its first weekend on the market.

With Apple's own pre-order process likely to have trumped AT&T's, it now appears that the Cupertino-based company will handily sell more than a million devices during the first three days, which would make the iPhone 3G S launch more successful than the iPhone 3G launch last year.

Adding further support to this theory are comments coming out of Apple's UK wireless provider O2. In a blog post Friday, the carrier reported that by lunchtime local time, it had sold more iPhone 3G S handsets than it sold iPhone 3G devices on launch day last year.

"Sales are still going strong and we expect to have sold 50% more iPhone 3G S handsets than last year’s launch by the close of business today," a representative for O2 said. "Footfall to our shops this morning was 10 times higher than an average day and our online site saw a 150% increase in traffic."

The wireless provider also noted that, thus far, the black iPhone 3G S is outselling the white one by 3:1.

Despite the seemingly shorter lines at the iPhone 3G S, it seems that the early sales number estimates for the iPhone 3G S launch could even exceed the iPhone 3G launch. Apple managed to sell 1 million of the iPhone 3Gs during its launch weekend last year. Unlike last year, however, Apple and AT&T have allowed pre-orders for the latest iPhone device.

[Europa]

LOL!!!

Seriously???

No loss of appeal.

Last year I had to get up at 0200, drive to Vegas, find an AT&T Store, get in line, and stand around for 3.5 hours. This year, I spent 10 minutes preordering online, got FREE shipping, stayed up late last night, slept in until 11:00 this morning, when I was awoken by the UPS guy rap rap rapping at my door.

Do the math...no loss of appeal ;)

I do LOVE the palm pre 3D facebook commercial though (seriously). I just downloaded that song.

[jarofclay73]

People are lazy and would rather not stand in line. After last year's debacle, they are over waiting in line.

UK sales estimate that 3G S sales will beat last year's 3G sales (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/19/iphone-3gs-o2-sales-reports) even though the lines are shorter.

So, while a long line looks good for PR, most of us don't want to be in them. :laugh2:

[iksn]

Then there are the people like me that are waiting like 4 days before going out to buy it as that is the first chance that I will have the time.

[mrgrumble]

I work at Best Buy Mobile and we sold out of our stock throughout the day it was madness for us. I just got off doing iPhone activations during my 12 hour shift at 10PM EST.

[Swagger]

Well I guess I was wrong. 1 million iPhone 3Gs's sold is nothing to sneeze at. Mark

[patrickj]

Not only did they sell a million in 3 days again - in this economy! - but as a commenter pointed out to me at my site, they did it in only 6 initial launch countries this year, as opposed to 22 last year for the 3G.

[acosmichippo]

People are lazy and would rather not stand in line. After last year's debacle, they are over waiting in line.

not lazy. Efficient.

[chris]

Mark has become EIC's own personal John Dvorak (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-should-pull-the-plug-on-the-iphone).:tounge:

[JoeT]

Well I guess I was wrong. 1 million iPhone 3Gs's sold is nothing to sneeze at. Mark

Especially since as of yesterday only 150,000 Pre's have been sold (http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/06/24/analyst-palm-has-sold-150000-pres-so-far/). :gasp:

So on average, the Pre is selling at a rate of 7894 per day.

The iPhone? 166,666 per day.

Contest over.

[dwp1975]

Especially since as of yesterday only 150,000 Pre's have been sold (http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/06/24/analyst-palm-has-sold-150000-pres-so-far/). :gasp:

So on average, the Pre is selling at a rate of 7894 per day.

The iPhone? 166,666 per day.

Contest over.

More people hate Sprint then AT&T lol. And Apple did the math in terms of stock. Palm....is Palm...lol.

[aggieman]

if there were more Pre's available that 150,000 number would be far surpassed. There are waiting lists everywhere, problem is nobody can find one.

That said, there is no killing the appeal of the iPhone. I've said many times, the only thing that will kill the iPhone is Apple itself.

1 million phones? Fairly impressive, but not nearly as impressive as:

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/06/22/wildly-popular-samsung-jet-breaks-the-two-million-mark-for-preorders/

[shutter13]

if there were more Pre's available that 150,000 number would be far surpassed. There are waiting lists everywhere, problem is nobody can find one.

That said, there is no killing the appeal of the iPhone. I've said many times, the only thing that will kill the iPhone is Apple itself.

1 million phones? Fairly impressive, but not nearly as impressive as:

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/06/22/wildly-popular-samsung-jet-breaks-the-two-million-mark-for-preorders/

The Jet is slated to launch later this month in 50 countries worldwide.

Apple hit 1 million sold in 6 countries. I think if they had opened it up to 50 countries they would have hit 2 million, more probably.

[aggieman]

The Jet is slated to launch later this month in 50 countries worldwide.

Apple hit 1 million sold in 6 countries. I think if they had opened it up to 50 countries they would have hit 2 million, more probably.

perhaps. still an impressive number either way. and the phone looks pretty hot as well. Although Apple numbers are still good abroad, they are not nearly as dominant as they are here in the states. They might have hit 2 million, but in Europe users are more demanding than people in the States and have alot more options and are not willing to just overlook them because it is Apple and live with the things the iPhone lacks.

[patrickj]

perhaps. still an impressive number either way. and the phone looks pretty hot as well. Although Apple numbers are still good abroad, they are not nearly as dominant as they are here in the states. They might have hit 2 million, but in Europe users are more demanding than people in the States and have alot more options and are not willing to just overlook them because it is Apple and live with the things the iPhone lacks.

I don't know if Europeans are more demanding or whether they just have different priorities when choosing a smartphone. One thing that strikes me right away about the Jet is the OS - I imagine that's going to run either Android or a Samsung homebrew of some sort.

For me, that is the key factor in all these 'smartphone wars' - the OS, the platform, the apps that can be run on them. That's the area where the iPhone already has been, and will continue to, kick ass.

No matter how nice the hardware and specs may be for that thing, what apps are you going to run on it? If it's Android, well, that hasn't exactly been setting the world alight or rocking devs' worlds. If it's Samsung homebrew type OS, lord help you ...

[acosmichippo]

The jet will be winMo.

[patrickj]

The jet will be winMo.

My bad. But I'll happily stick to my main point. As a mobile OS, as a platform, as a device on which to run powerful mobile apps, no contest at all for me. I would never class someone who chooses Windows Mobile as their mobile platform as 'more demanding'.

[aggieman]

My bad. But I'll happily stick to my main point. As a mobile OS, as a platform, as a device on which to run powerful mobile apps, no contest at all for me. I would never class someone who chooses Windows Mobile as their mobile platform as 'more demanding'.

agreed. I wasn't aware that it was winmo. i won't go there again. the Android build that's on the Hero looks exciting but not enough to get me to switch. OS X and webOS are the only ones that really interest me now. Samsung uses S60 on their phones as well, if they were to touch up the UI of S60 the way HTC does winmo they might have a winner on their hands. but if it's winmo i'll stick my money back in my pocket and pass.

[patrickj]

agreed. I wasn't aware that it was winmo. i won't go there again. the Android build that's on the Hero looks exciting but not enough to get me to switch. OS X and webOS are the only ones that really interest me now. Samsung uses S60 on their phones as well, if they were to touch up the UI of S60 the way HTC does winmo they might have a winner on their hands. but if it's winmo i'll stick my money back in my pocket and pass.

Yup - I really think better / faster / prettier / fancier hardware will come and it will go - sometimes iPhone will be at or near the top in that area, often it won't - but the real decider for me in all of this is OS / Platform / Apps. In that area, nobody is going to hold a candle to iPhone OS.

[aggieman]

Yup - I really think better / faster / prettier / fancier hardware will come and it will go - sometimes iPhone will be at or near the top in that area, often it won't - but the real decider for me in all of this is OS / Platform / Apps. In that area, nobody is going to hold a candle to iPhone OS.

except maybe webOS. honestly alot of time that I was using the Pre, it as almost as if I was using an iPhone that multitasks.

[patrickj]

except maybe webOS. honestly alot of time that I was using the Pre, it as almost as if I was using an iPhone that multitasks.

Maybe - I wouldn't bet on it though. Palm just don't seem to ever quite get their **** together when it comes to any of the business side of things. Wasn't this meant to be a 'make or break' device for them? So, they don't have an SDK ready to go at launch, or still now, and they can't get distribution flowing after a couple weeks of people waiting - how many lost customers there? And it's not like they ran out after selling a zillion - they ran out after selling 100,000 or so.

Plus, I never thought that much of the apps on Palm - I know lots of folks did. For me, even some of their flagship type apps seemed ugly, basic, nothing like an iPhone app.

I don't see them bridging the - huge - gap ...

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

I just don't see developers flocking to the Pre in droves as they do to the iPhone platform. With so many millions of iPhones in users' hands right now, that's where the money is.

[aggieman]

I just don't see developers flocking to the Pre in droves as they do to the iPhone platform. With so many millions of iPhones in users' hands right now, that's where the money is.

true, true but there will be millions of Pre's in hand at some point. and the webOS apps should be alot less time consuming to write. I was reading somewhere that most developers it would take a 3rd of the time to write an app for webOS as it would for the iPhone. A smart developer would develope for both platforms.

[aggieman]

Maybe - I wouldn't bet on it though. Palm just don't seem to ever quite get their **** together when it comes to any of the business side of things. Wasn't this meant to be a 'make or break' device for them? So, they don't have an SDK ready to go at launch, or still now, and they can't get distribution flowing after a couple weeks of people waiting - how many lost customers there? And it's not like they ran out after selling a zillion - they ran out after selling 100,000 or so.

Plus, I never thought that much of the apps on Palm - I know lots of folks did. For me, even some of their flagship type apps seemed ugly, basic, nothing like an iPhone app.

I don't see them bridging the - huge - gap ...

I agree, they won't ever get to where the iPhone is in terms of number of apps. there will be a gap between any platform and the iPhone.

BUT, have you seen the apps on webOS. I think chris would agree, the apps that they have are very high quality. Pandora on the Pre is actually nicer than the one on the iPhone. So is Fandango. Flightview is amazing. This isn't the same old Palm OS. I agree, the apps on there were all 1980ish.

[patrickj]

BUT, have you seen the apps on webOS. I think chris would agree, the apps that they have are very high quality. Pandora on the Pre is actually nicer than the one on the iPhone. So is Fandango. Flightview is amazing. This isn't the same old Palm OS. I agree, the apps on there were all 1980ish.

Have seen screencaps, video demos etc., not played with one live in my non-oleophobic little hands though.

I do think Palm and WebOS are the most interesting rival thus far - ideas-wise and UI-wise - for the iPhone. Nor surprising given that most of the Pre team, and their new CEO, are ex-Apple.

[JoeT]

I just don't see developers flocking to the Pre in droves as they do to the iPhone platform. With so many millions of iPhones in users' hands right now, that's where the money is.

Devs are already complaining about the past and present lack of Palm dev support.

[Hondamaker]

I was in an AT&T store earlier today well beyond the time it opens. I noticed that although some iPhones were being sold there was most certainly no line or frenzy. I thought to myself wow the AT&T salesperson was very aggressive in trying to sale the iPhone. I remember a time when the iPhone sold itself.

I took a quick tour of the new iPhone and then decided not to purchase. I love my aluminum iPhone (which is naked and in mint condition). I just couldn't see switching to plastic. The v1 iPhone is so elegant when carried naked. Everytime I look at my v1 iPhone I see strength. I do not see that in the current models .

I also notice that for this to be an iPhone launch day not much chat in the forum about the new iPhone.

*Is the reason the loss of appeal?

*Is the reason an ever worsening economy?

*Is the reason the The Palm Pre with it's pricing plan and features are a better buy?

*Is the reason the cost structure of owning an iPhone?

*Is the reason the lack of consumer choice of carrier?

*Is the reason much more conservative family budgets?

As a matter of fact any or all of those reasons could be the reason the AT&T store I visited at 1:45pm still had a large inventory of iPhone's to sale. What are your thoughts? Mark
No to all the above. There are some who would love to see Apple fall on it's face, but it'll never happen.

[rarity]

I don't think it's waning. Lots of people are buying. It's all I see wherever I go. When iPhone first came out, I certainly couldn't afford it.