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What's the deal here? I live and die by my Mac, Mac Magazines, and would also do so with the iPhone, but don't care for the new AT&T (formerly Cingular). This is nothing more than a simple rant, but why would they do something so stupid as to lock into a single carrier? Just doesn't make sense in my book.
Anyone else feeling this way? I'm sure you are... I'm curious as to why they decided to live in such a narrow scope. The only thing I can figure is they are so tight with Sony and I believe Sony/Ericsson is exclusively with AT&T (Cingular) that they felt the need to follow suit. Whatever....guess Apple will miss my money for this product line. I'm happy Verizon an plan to stay there. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
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I don't see what Sony has to do with it. At all. |
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Lovable Bastard
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston-ish
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CDMA wasn't an option. Verizon* and Sprint are therefore immediately off the table.
Now we're down to AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T is bigger in the US. Easy choice. AT&T isn't just the largest GSM carrier in the US - their the largest carrier in the US, period. Need more information? On Third Party Development for iPhone. If it makes you feel any better, at the rate AT&T is building towers, GSM will eventually surpass CDMA in the US as well. Perhaps even by the end of the decade. *Even if CDMA was an option, Verizon was not - they insist on putting their own mediocre UI on all their phones. Logic, logic, logic. Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end. |
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can't type
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Huh? What do you mean CDMA wasn't an option? GSM is superior to CDMA of course, but it wouldn't have taken that much to release two versions of the iphone. Nokia and the other manufacturers do it all the time...
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
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I remember (from way back) reports that Apple offered it to Verizon first, but they wouldn't cooperate on the level that Cingular did. Remember, Cingular restructured their entire voice mail system to accommodate the iPhone's visual voice mail. They also signed on for an exclusivity deal and provided development support without ever even seeing the phone. Verizon refused to do things like this, so Cingular got the deal.
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Stallion
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Milwaukee
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I must say I am prepared to see the iPhone fail. It is quite expensive for your average iPod-touting teenager. Especially since they already have iPods now.
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Those iPod-toting teenagers that purchased Gen 1, 2, 3, 4 iPods are now entering into their first real jobs and have (what they think) is disposable income. Heck, I paid over $700 for a VCR in 1986 simply because it was one of the first "Hi-Fi" models... Further, iPods are fashion statements - kids won't want to be seen with a 2006-era iPod...
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is the next Chiquita
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Yeah, that's one of luxury being a teenager with a job; almost 100% of your wage can be spent on fun things, since you've already accounted for housing and board (courtesy of your parents), and have no utilities payments to keep up with.
While it'll be a wait and see about older demographic, I wouldn't be too surprised if teenager snapped up iPhones like they did with iPods. |
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Lovable Bastard
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston-ish
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Anyone who thought that the iPhone would be CDMA before it came out wasn't paying attention. It really simply isn't a road Apple will ever go down with the iPhone, unless CDMA makes some sort of roaring comeback, here and elsewhere. Quote:
Furthermore, will it stay at $500 for long? Of course not. The iPod didn't take off until the third generation, at $300. Not to mention the mini, at $250. The iPhone will only become less expensive and spout cheaper variations as its lifecycle continues, and there will be more than enough early adopters to keep it profitable in the interim. Just like the iPod. *Yeah third party syncing alternives exist, but in the face of superior software and hardware from Apple, will these users really stick to what they have? Many will, but many wont. Logic, logic, logic. Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end. Last edited by Kraetos : 2007-04-30 at 11:44. Reason: Posts merged |
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BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: Dec 2005
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Apple already announced a CDMA version is in the works. |
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They did?
I recall that:
Where was CDMA mentioned? And, considering Cingular will be exclusive in the US for years to come, what market would it be used in? |
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Lovable Bastard
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston-ish
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It took two years for Verizon to release a CDMA RAZR. When they did, it was fatter and consumed more battery life. And Verizon insisted on sticking their own UI on it. The number of phones out there with both a GSM and CDMA version is miniscule - the vast majority of phone manufactures simply produce completely different phones, which I can't see Apple doing. I can say with 99% certainty there will be no Verizon iPhone, nor has Apple announced such an iPhone. Logic, logic, logic. Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end. |
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BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: Dec 2005
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Still CDMA technology. And it is very easy to add a CDMA version.... if they desired. They probably don't at this time. Quote:
That's a viable market. |
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Japan's FOMA (as well as UMTS/3GSM) does indeed use W-CDMA, but that's a 3G network. What the US has is CDMA2000, which is 2G. The two are technologically similar (hence the same "CDMA" in their names), but ultimately still incompatible. And for 3G data transfer, the US's CDMA networks won't use HSDPA, but EV-DO, which is also incompatible.
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Lovable Bastard
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston-ish
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And no, its not easy to make a CDMA version. You don't just swap a few chips. The two technologies are very different. Quote:
Easy choice. Logic, logic, logic. Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end. |
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Stallion
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Milwaukee
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I think you'll see the iPhone drop some in price, but I don't think the capacity increases will occur as frequently then. I also think they are playing to the high-school female crowd. That group that is very attached to their phones for text messaging, etc. To me, its just another overpriced piece of equipment that people are suckered into buying. I mean I could take the free phone from my provider, and make a small down payment on a used car, or pay a month of rent, or go out to the bars as much as i'd like for a month, etc. Quote:
[bullet]they get service everywhere[/bullet] [bullet]nation wide business plans are very affordable in that situation[/bullet] Last edited by Partial : 2007-04-30 at 13:54. Reason: Posts merged |
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fscklog's graph says it all. As of two quarters ago, the average selling price of an iPod is less than half what it was in early '04, when the iPod mini was introduced, and it's only gonna keep going further down. (The spike around late '05 / early '06 must be mainly due to the introduction of the video-capable iPod.) There is absolutely no reason to believe the iPhone will be different. The first revision will be early adopters only, just like the first two revisions of the iPod were. As time passes by, features (be it GPS, 3G or flying toasters) will get added, and so will simpler versions at lower price points. |
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can't type
Join Date: Oct 2005
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I don't know what the definition of failure is for the Iphone, but personally I doubt that Apple is going to meet the numbers they have projected. Or that the Iphone will live up to the expectations.
1: Business-users are a big market in the US, but the Iphone isn't really suited for their needs, so except the Mac-wielding businesspeople (of whom there aren't that many), they're not going to pick up on it. 2: Price, not only of the Iphone but also for the service. Cingular is going to try to milk it's customers for whatever they can get. 3: Fashion: Especially the young consumers, get a new cellphone pretty much every year. As soon as their contract runs out, they get a newer, shinier phone. At 500$ the Iphone is too expensive for a yearly fad. 4: Touchscreen display: This isn't something new, it's not like Apple has reinvented the wheel. The reason, I suspect, why other manufacturers haven't tried to implement it before, is because your regular keypad works so damn well. It's one of the best UI out there. I could be wrong, Apple might have made a kickass touchscreen display that will never scratch, and that is way better than the ones that are out there, but I have my doubts. (Personally I prefer real keys. You can't beat tactile feedback) 5: Durability. If the Iphone is as easy to scratch as the Nanos were, expect an angry mob of people outside the Cingular-dealer. Cellphones get thrown around alot, share pocketspace with coins, etc. The touchscreen-display might make the situation even worse. |
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Lovable Bastard
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston-ish
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Look two years down the road, when the iPhone costs $400. Look five years down the road when the iPhone nano costs $250. Foresight, my friend. Quote:
You might be right on the tactile feedback, but I wouldn't bet on it. OTOH, by not including a keypad, the face of the iPhone can do many different things better and more intuitively than a phone that is encumbered by a numerical keypad. Quote:
In all seriousness, the back of the iPhone is aluminum, which is scratch resistant. On top of that, Apple stated that the front the iPhone is more resilient than the iPod casing. But if all else fails, buy a damn case. Tens of millions of iPod customers have, and hundreds of millions of cell phone customers have. The bottom line regarding the iPhone is this: The iPhone we see today is a shadow of the iPhone we will see in three years, which will do more and cost less. The first two iPod revisions were not what made the iPod a cultural icon; the third, fourth, fifth, generations and spin off products did. Calling the iPhone a flop now shows an incredible lack of foresight. Logic, logic, logic. Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end. |
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can't type
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Then there's the question of compatibility with Lotus Notes, Outlook, Word, or some of the other important business apps that the competition: Windows Mobile, Palm or even Nokia phones are compatible with. Don't get me started on the touchpad, which might look nice, but isn't even half as useful as a keypad that Blackberries and some of the other business-phones have. And of course there's the question of cost. Corporate HQ prefers to spend 2-300$ on a cellphone, than 500$ |
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Formerly “iceman009”
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Some place
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Btw it is iPhone not Iphone MacBook with Super Glue...seriously though |
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Lovable Bastard
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston-ish
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Not now, anyway.
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And don't get me started on having some foresight again. The $600 iPhone is for early adopters. Logic, logic, logic. Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end. |
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can't type
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Unlike the portable MP3player, cellphones are allready a pretty mature market. Most people already have their preferences, there are lot's of very skilled and experienced manufacturers already, and lot's of operators besides the few that Apple has chosen to work with (On a worldwide basis). They're used to subsidizing phones, so that people basically get the phone for free for a one year contract. It's a very tough market to penetrate. |
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The iPhone isn't marketed at all towards the business market I imagined. It's meant to find its home with consumers, the vast majority of cell users.
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is the next Chiquita
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Just because it's been around longer, is more widespread, and heavily competed over, does not mean it is innovative. Reading earlier threads about cell phones in general, you easily can see how consumers are screwed, and may have to choose between two mediocre phone, deal with shitty UI that changes with every phone, among host of other issues. I'd think that cellphone market is long due for serious innovation, which is what Apple is trying to do here. |
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can't type
Join Date: Oct 2005
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It's fine for short messages, but not for lot's of emails or for finishing a report. Quote:
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BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: May 2006
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Speaking as a self-employed businessman, I've been waiting years for iPhone. In fact, I've been going month-to-month with Verizon since early '05 for exactly that reason.
As for the success of iPhone, I don't understand how anyone can look at the early projections and not see "success" written all over iPhone. A survey I read last week said huge numbers of people are interested in iPhone even at the current prices, and interest doubled or tripled when the price was reduced by $100 or $200. Further, Cingular reportedly has over a million people on their iPhone contact list some 2 months before the phone even ships. Unless this thing is shown to cause cancer or weighs 14 pounds, I can't see how it's not a smash hit from Day 1. |
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Lovable Bastard
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston-ish
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I think the iPhone is going to be a lot more compatible than people think. We're not dealing with the Apple of 1992 here, people. We're dealing with the Apple that dropped FireWire support for iPods, a superior technology, in favor of USB support becuse it was more widespread. Quote:
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Logic, logic, logic. Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end. |
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Stallion
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Milwaukee
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You assume entirely too much Kraetos.
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