Apple Mobile Store?

[MacRumors]

Appleinsider reports (http://www.appleinsider.com/news.php?id=980) that Apple Japan has quietly launched an "Apple Store Mobile" which is essentially an mobile phone interface for the Apple Store -- allowing individuals to purchase Apple hardware through their mobile phones.

According to Appleinsider, the page (http://applestore-mobile.jp/) is only accessible through certain mobile phones in Japan.

This appears to be a regional project only at this time.

[brap]

The phone in the poster shot looks...interesting.

[Macaddicttt]

I don't see how this is useful. Why you buy anything as expensive as a Mac or iPod with a phone? Those kind of purchases seem like the type where you sit down at a computer and get everything straight or go to an Apple Store.

[Windowlicker]

Sounds pretty cool, but when is that damn iPhone from Motorola coming out?! I'm in the market for a new phone..

[Stella]

I don't see how this is useful. Why you buy anything as expensive as a Mac or iPod with a phone? Those kind of purchases seem like the type where you sit down at a computer and get everything straight or go to an Apple Store.

People buy expensive things via mail order all the time ( Apple Store online for instance). Using cell phone is just a different interface, thats all.

Personally, I think that is really innovative.

[GodBless]

I don't see how this is useful. Why you buy anything as expensive as a Mac or iPod with a phone? Those kind of purchases seem like the type where you sit down at a computer and get everything straight or go to an Apple Store.

It gets more impulse buyers.

[Jo-Kun]

yet another addition to the unpractical list of thing to have/do with a mobile phone (or am I just old fashioned and not at all impressed with cameraphones/mobileinternet at such slow rates...??)

sorry if I just don't see the use for this...

:edit: I read it too fast and forget to see its there allready & its in Japan... yes in Japan this really makes sense... my brothers ex-girlfriend is Japanese & seen how she and her sisters used mobile phones I really think this will be a hit in Japan, but I can assue you here in Belgium it wouldn't.

how do we buy our mac? well we go and check the apple store online, choose our system we like, printout the specs, and go to a shop to buy it because we can ask cheaper hardware expansions than apple offers :p (or at least that's how I do it for my studio and some friends who have their own company do it this way too)

from all the apple users I know... my brother is the only one who ever did buy online at the applestore... he did the day the first 12" Pb came out... and since he knows from me that I can order it with cheaper expansion options than apple does... he calls me (that's how he upgraded to airport extreme...it was 30 euro's less to buy the card trough my supplier then to get it at apple...)

[displaced]

yet another addition to the unpractical list of thing to have/do with a mobile phone (or am I just old fashioned and not at all impressed with cameraphones/mobileinternet at such slow rates...??)

sorry if I just don't see the use for this...


With a good site design, and decent modern infrastructure, this sort of thing is really neat to use on mobiles. The rates are anything but slow these days. 3G GSM services have been around for a while now in the UK and Europe, and even longer in Japan. My Orange 3G service is 384Kbit/sec -- more than fast enough for the light-weight sites which are designed for small screen display.

Past implementations (I'm thinking 'walled garden' WAP or open internet over standard GSM-Data 9.6Kbit/sec or GSM-HSCSD 14.4Kbit/sec) was painful to do anything with, but recent developments are making 'always on, anwhere you go' broadband a tantalising prospect.


[edit: I just read your edit!]

Funny ... most of the people over here in the UK that I know who've bought Apple gear have done it via www.apple.com/ukstore/ Of course, now we've got the London AppleStore, things have changed a bit. I bought my iSight and iPod Shuffle from there instead of waiting for it to be delivered from the online store. The bricks 'n mortar store's great for accessories and software, but I'll still be getting my BTO Macs from the online store.

[Porchland]

I'm left shrugging at this one. It's *kind* of cool, but Apple's really just keeping up with the Japanese Joneses; SMS and intensive use of the Internet on mobile phones is much more prevalent in Japan than in the United States.

What I hope it develops into is a more organic iTMS that allows you to purchase at each of your five allowed devices and sync your purchases to your other devices, e.g., downloading the new Weezer single on your Motorola Whatever and then iTunes on your home computer downloading it the next time you use it. I was actually surprised when I got my first iPod two years ago that I couldn't maintain parallel databases of purchased tracks on my office and home computers.

I will consider using the new Mororola iTunes phone, but the killer app that will really get people moving is the ability to buy tracks that sync back to their home iTunes database and ultimately to their iPod.

[neier]

The phone in the poster shot looks...interesting.

Here's the details on that phone:
http://www.au.kddi.com/english/product/lineup/talby/index.html

Or, if you can read Japanese (the graphics are cooler) :rolleyes:
http://www.au.kddi.com/seihin/kinobetsu/seihin/talby/index.html

[brap]

Here's the details on that phone:
http://www.au.kddi.com/english/product/lineup/talby/index.html

Or, if you can read Japanese (the graphics are cooler) :rolleyes:
http://www.au.kddi.com/seihin/kinobetsu/seihin/talby/index.htmlThanks a lot... the orange one is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I'm hoping the iTunes phone at least comes close.

[Poff]

Me like this.. GO APPLE STORE NORWAY, YOU CAN DO IT TOO!!

[cr2sh]

The phone in the poster shot looks...interesting.

Damn! Had my hopes up!

The coalition of Apple and Motorola was announced in July at a press event by Motorola, presented by Steve Jobs himself via a video link to the conference. Jobs tried to be clear the phone would not compete with the iPod, but would be more of an iPod accessory.

[FFTT]

Next they'll have an iBookMobile cruising a school near you.

[plinden]

I don't see how this is useful. Why you buy anything as expensive as a Mac or iPod with a phone? Those kind of purchases seem like the type where you sit down at a computer and get everything straight or go to an Apple Store.

Japan has different internet usage patterns to the rest of the world, and is the world leader in what is offered on cell phones (they had color screens six years ago, and had camera phones four years ago.) There are many, many people with internet-ready phones but no desktop computer, who use their phone as their primary internet access point.

I'm not surprised Apple have done this - the only surprise is it wasn't done earlier.

[JoeG4]

They need to pull this off in the EU -- I hear in some parts people would rather SMS their kids a message than say it to them across the table -- is how obsessed with their awful Euro phones they are.. :p

I honestly HATE using mobile internet on cellphones -- had it for a while, was kinda nice to fill in boredom, but I realized listeningto my ipod + reading a book (on paper), or IMing off the phone tended to make me dizzy -- unfortunately this seems to be something between the ipod AND reading.. as it happens with or without either.. damn.

Still, mobile phone internet is a pain in the butt.. I once felt the desire to IM someone quite badly I was doing it while walking down the street (tricky job, but doable) ... but still very inconvinient. I don't know why people are so pushed on doing everything with tiny screens out there.

[BornAgainMac]

I think I can wait until I get home before buy my Apple product of the day.

[VicMacs]

imagine your phone doing some shopping in your pocket hehehe

buying a powermac g5 by accident.. hehe yeah!

[AppleFoussa]

I guess Apple is looking for impulse buy from it's customers. they see a banner for an iPod Shuffle and right away they buy it on their phone, Not to bad but a little exagerated I think... If true!

[Abstract]

I think I can wait until I get home before buy my Apple product of the day.

Yeah seriously.

(waiting on a bus): "Ooooh, I can't wait to get a new Powerbook.....not even long enough to get home and do it from a proper computer!"

[johnnyjibbs]

Well it makes sense. Japan is 2-3 years ahead of the rest of the world in terms of technology.

[zingboy]

Yeah seriously.

(waiting on a bus): "Ooooh, I can't wait to get a new Powerbook.....not even long enough to get home and do it from a proper computer!"

Since when are Powerbooks (or big ticket items) the only thing Apple sells? Sometimes I need something and have no time to get to the Apple store, am not near a computer and it'd be nice to have the option to get a new iPod charger(or whatever) while commuting.

Beyond that, these are cultures that have fully embraced mobile technology, are buying sodas with them, making friends with them, cooking breakfast with them. Why not give direct shopping access. Many people here already compare prices while shopping with Google SMS. What if you could order the lower priced item right away?

[cr2sh]

Since when are Powerbooks (or big ticket items) the only thing Apple sells?

Who knows... maybe Apple has something up their sleeve. The only small item thing Apple could sell via wirless that I would consider buying... is a song.

[wdlove]

I'm not all that impressed by the picture. Will wait to see if we hear something at NAB or WWDC.

[SPG]

You have to keep in mind that Japan is not like the US and even EU when it comes to phone and internet usage. My in-laws are still on a dial up that charges by the minute, but the cell phone has free internet.
Lots of ads have cell phone internet addresses on them that allow you to buy it on the spot and have it delivered.
Credit cards are still not universally accepted or trusted, so many Japanese consumers prefer to buy things on their phone and pay for it on their phonebill.
Another example of why this makes total sense in Japan and leaves most US Mac users scratching their heads: Three years ago Tsutaya (Japan's equivalent of Blockbuster) had a fully operational system in place that could figure out when you were getting out of the subway on your way home and SMS you a coupon for a specific movie that matched your renting habits. You could then order it on the phone and just pick it up at the front counter or show your phone at checkout for the discount. Not a generic spam at a certain time of day, but knowing when YOU were on your to YOUR home and what movie you would most likely want to rent. And unlike us, this wasn't an invasion of privacy or Big Brother, but a real cool convenience.
That Apple is only now launching a mobile phone commerce site is kind of surprising in that I would have thought they would have had this available years ago.

[arn]

pix: http://kasai.homeunix.com/

[stephenli]

yes....Jp phones are far advanced then what we are using....
nearly all are equipped with 320x200 display....1 megapix cam...

recently they start FIX MONTHLY FEE for data usage and now equipped with FULL BROWSER for html....and check hotmail and yahool mail everywhere....

:(

[GilGrissom]

You have to keep in mind that Japan is not like the US and even EU when it comes to phone and internet usage. My in-laws are still on a dial up that charges by the minute, but the cell phone has free internet.
Lots of ads have cell phone internet addresses on them that allow you to buy it on the spot and have it delivered.
Credit cards are still not universally accepted or trusted, so many Japanese consumers prefer to buy things on their phone and pay for it on their phonebill.
Another example of why this makes total sense in Japan and leaves most US Mac users scratching their heads: Three years ago Tsutaya (Japan's equivalent of Blockbuster) had a fully operational system in place that could figure out when you were getting out of the subway on your way home and SMS you a coupon for a specific movie that matched your renting habits. You could then order it on the phone and just pick it up at the front counter or show your phone at checkout for the discount. Not a generic spam at a certain time of day, but knowing when YOU were on your to YOUR home and what movie you would most likely want to rent. And unlike us, this wasn't an invasion of privacy or Big Brother, but a real cool convenience.
That Apple is only now launching a mobile phone commerce site is kind of surprising in that I would have thought they would have had this available years ago.


I agree...this kinda thing strikes me as right up the Japan's street!!

Wouldn't think it would work anywhere else though. (Maybe China!!)

[Jo-Kun]

Funny ... most of the people over here in the UK that I know who've bought Apple gear have done it via www.apple.com/ukstore/ Of course, now we've got the London AppleStore, things have changed a bit. I bought my iSight and iPod Shuffle from there instead of waiting for it to be delivered from the online store. The bricks 'n mortar store's great for accessories and software, but I'll still be getting my BTO Macs from the online store.

well I did buy my G5 NOT trough the applestore... why?? with my ram expansion & airportcard... it was 500 euro's cheaper getting it elsewhere... thats a mac mini or 60 iPod photo in difference... yes I had to put all the parts into it myself but I don't mind ;-)



Now I've seen the screenshots from the site: sorry it doesn't look attractive to me... or practical... but I've never found internet on a phone attractive... even with the faster connections... but then again, I'm old fashioned so it seems :p

allso don't see the point from someone here that you would use it to get a new cable or something like that... its faster to go by a store to get it...

but as I mentioned before... Japanese people will love it and use it a lot... I'm pretty sure if this was available in the rest of the world, some people would use it... and it would be more used if people could use it to buy music... that's maybe the only use I think might work worldwide... but even then I would prefer opening the iTMS at home on my mac when I'm stitting there at ease... not in a packed bus or subway... but again that's me :D

[JzzTrump22]

I think thats a total waste. I don't see how anyone can find this usefull. Mabey if it connected to iTunes it woul dbe cool. But not to buy products from the online store.

[GilGrissom]

I think thats a total waste. I don't see how anyone can find this usefull. Mabey if it connected to iTunes it woul dbe cool. But not to buy products from the online store.

So you want the pending Motorolla iTunes phone then?

[Eastend]

It's called iMode here in Japan and almost every single Japanese has a portable telephone in Japan. Heck, My wife has one I have one, I'm surprised our dog does not have one. iMode has been around over here for years so in that respect Apple Japan is way behind the times here. Almost half of all the electronics stores on the net in Japan already have iMode (that's for all of the stores product, not just iPods), this is not news, they are way, way behind over here.
Then again if you have eyes like mine who can even see those tiny portable screens? However, almost all the younger people over here use their phones for email, telephones and shopping, not to mention games, cameras, it's their walking life. A lot of the younger generation over here just shut out the real world and are constantly playing with their telephones. It's kind of like Japanese portable telephone masturbation syndrome, hey it's a new disease JPTMS for short. I use it only for important business calls while on the move, otherwise it's done on a Mac, hey maybe I've caught MMS {Mac masturbation syndrome}.

Brian

[Eastend]

pix: http://kasai.homeunix.com/

The pictures shown, let me give a real rough translation. The first two pictures just say welcome to the Apple Store, of course. The last one says they only carry those items that are listed, so it's iPod time, and of course the Mac Mini.

Brian