Why does the iPhone sell alot less in Europe? The latest reports actually show iOS is losing marketshare in Europe while gaining marketshare in the US. But why? (Don't troll and say because Europeans are smarter than Americans, and now iOS sucks.)
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Why does the iPhone sell less in Europe?
- Thread starter Fandroid98
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It's easy, the iPhone is expensive and Europeans don't buy subsidized phones like we do. Any other silly questions? You can get an android for $50 euros though.
Yes they don't buy subsidized phones, I know that, but their monthly rates are lower so that makes up for it!
Not really, 650 euro for a phone is not in the cards for most Europeans. They just think differently than we do about consumables.
I had some witty answers but THIS IS IT, the initial outlay is too steep. 650 euros is 833 U.S. and E.U. have some crazy VATs. Somebody said he has to spend close to a thousand U.S. when all said and done. A THOUSAND BIG ONES! for a %&^@#$ phone!
What other answer do you need?
iPhones are grossly popular in the U.S. due largely to the carrier subsidies which allow anyone to buy a new $650 phone for $100-200 every two years.
Large phone subsidies are the exception, not the norm, in Europe, and most people will not pay $650 -- much less $800+ after taxes -- on a phone, regardless of their country of origin.
Large phone subsidies are the exception, not the norm, in Europe, and most people will not pay $650 -- much less $800+ after taxes -- on a phone, regardless of their country of origin.
Actually you can get an iPhone subsidy if you want. You can even get the latest iPhone free, and you can't get that in the USA.
http://m.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/phones_and_plans/iphone/paym/VFTST163541
As an european, in my opinion, people is more rational about hteir purchases than for example americans, and by rational I am not being desrespectful but just saying that people is less impulsive with ther purchases and usually think a couple of times before purchasing their products.
Therefore, and being the iPhone one of the best smartphones on the market (at least considering quality of materials and build quality, about iOS things get more leveled with other OS like Android) it comes with a relative high price tag leading people to rationally question its purchase.
About the option of getting a subsidized phone, the carrier market is a bit different too.
In Europe, unlike in the USA, most of the people has a rechargeable plan, where usually customers pay in advance a small amount like 10 or 12 euro and is able to use that value to future communications. Usually this allows a more effective cost control, and adding to that, these plans allow you to have (almost) ilimited voice calls to people on the same carrier (or using the same plan).
I guess it's just a question of having 2 very different societies, which is easily verified for example in the car market.
In the USA usually we see big, high powered cars, with relatively high gas consumption, where in Europe we have rather small cars, more power efficient and gas saving with lower consuptions but rather effective!
Therefore, and being the iPhone one of the best smartphones on the market (at least considering quality of materials and build quality, about iOS things get more leveled with other OS like Android) it comes with a relative high price tag leading people to rationally question its purchase.
About the option of getting a subsidized phone, the carrier market is a bit different too.
In Europe, unlike in the USA, most of the people has a rechargeable plan, where usually customers pay in advance a small amount like 10 or 12 euro and is able to use that value to future communications. Usually this allows a more effective cost control, and adding to that, these plans allow you to have (almost) ilimited voice calls to people on the same carrier (or using the same plan).
I guess it's just a question of having 2 very different societies, which is easily verified for example in the car market.
In the USA usually we see big, high powered cars, with relatively high gas consumption, where in Europe we have rather small cars, more power efficient and gas saving with lower consuptions but rather effective!
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Yes you can but they don't. They don't use credit and they don't finance. My wife is German and they even save money to buy cars outright. Credit and subsidies just don't happen in Europe. I can't speak for the uk cause I've never been there. I did live in Europe for 6 years. I use to hate going into tech stores and watching customers take literally hours talking to sells people about products.
Here in Belgium, all my friends say the pretty much the same thing. "I would buy an iPhone if they were cheaper." Most of the smartphone sales are off contract. Contracts aren't so big here. I payed 650 EUR or so my iPhone. Also, it took ages to finally get one as they were always out of stock. They are way overpriced. Still 2 of my friends have iPhones, and about half of them have an iPad. 
where is the report ? how much iphone were sold in Europe vs in US at the same period of time ?
android is growing fast, especially cheap android handset. that can skew the marketshare.
for an example : apple could sold 100.000 iphone in Europe & US, but android handset were sold like 50.000 in US while they sold 250.000 in europe. so you see where i'm getting at.
Subsidised phones are still very popular in the UK, but our packages are quite competitive compared to some of the other European countries.
I saw a deal the other day with a free 16GB iPhone 5 for £31 per month on a 2 year contract. That works out at just $38.50 per month (plus tax), which is quite reasonable as it also comes with genuine unlimited data.
Still not cheap enough for my friend who just picked up a free Galaxy S3 at only £20 per month.
From my experience, at least in the UK, is that people want an iPhone, they're just not willing to pay for it.
There are some great pay-as-you go plans about but people are put off spending £500+ on a mobile out of contract.
I know a few people who have gone with Windows Phone or Android thinking it will full fill their need for an iPhone but it never does.
There are some great pay-as-you go plans about but people are put off spending £500+ on a mobile out of contract.
I know a few people who have gone with Windows Phone or Android thinking it will full fill their need for an iPhone but it never does.
The biggest issue over here is if you go into any mobile provider or 3rd party seller they will push an android or windows phone even if you ask for an iPhone with key phrases like 'the apps are all free on android'
The reason they push everything but the iPhone because they get a bigger cut that is the simple answer.
The only uk phone provider that pushed the iPhone was O2 back when they had exclusivity. Now they seem to use the iPhone (big posters) to get you in the door and then push everything else once they have you in the door
Personally I'm a sim free iPhone user an have been since the 3G
for my experience they are... everyone in my office is on iPhone apart from one windows mobile user
iPhone is gaining market share in the _phone_ market everywhere. In some places, it is losing market share in the _smartphone_ market, and that is because many people are switching from cheap non-smart phones to equally cheap smartphones.
Why are the USA different? One reason may be that the rates for data plans in the USA are ridiculously high, so it doesn't make much difference whether there is a $700 phone or a $200 phone included. In the UK, there is a huge difference in the price visible to the customer between a high end phone like the iPhone and a cheap smartphone. Last time I checked, if you got a contract for an iPhone 5 in the USA 20% of the monthly payment was for the phone; in the UK 2/3rds was for the phone.