8GB iPhone Price Drop, 4GB iPhone Discontinued

[SiliconAddict]

And exactly what difference would a few more months have made?

Justification.
2 months == Apple taking advantage of the suckers out there.
6 months == Apple refining the hardware and allowing a natural price drop that comes with mature hardware.
There is simply no way in heck Apple did anything to the hardware in 2 months time. Esp when they were also working on new iPods as well.

What it comes down to is the fact that early adopters are realizing they were suckers. You ALL should have known that Apple was making a metric crap ton of money off the iPhone. (My money is on they still are at $400.) There is NO way in heck the iPhone costs $600.

 

[LanikaiGirl]

I love this "I have been a customer since. . .197x". Who cares? You have enjoyed many apple products during that time . . .you aren't a member of some special club.
.

See now, had you been an Apple supporter for this long you would understand. Apple put out some real crap before Steve came back. The company almost died. The ONLY reason it is still breathing is BECAUSE of us die hards. WE kept it on life support until Steve came back to save it. Us long term folk were not seduced by iPods and iPhones, we believed in the basis of Apple. I have DEFENDED my use of Apple for YEARS. I defended it based on my belief that it was a different sort of company. That belief has been compromised. I am just disappointed, that's all.

 

[neolithicvirgo]

Once Leopard is released, folks will determine if it is worth upgrading to Leopard for $129 or not.

Just like those who decided that the 8GB model was worth $599 and a two year contract when they purchased it.

I think you're missing the point. It is one to which I agree.

 

[Stella]

All smartphone prices come rapidly down in price. Apple have to compete against the subsidized phones too, hence they have to drop the price of the iPhone accordingly.

Consumer buys a phone on contract for $400.. two months later its $50 on a two year contract. Does consumer complain? No. No difference to iPhone. There is very little difference between the iPhone and subsidized phone... either way your told what carrier you use and bound that carrier to a determined about of time. I always considered Apple were wrong to make the consumer pay full price for phone and then be told what carrier to use.

Apple are running a business, they are out to make money, not a charity. If they don't stay competitive, they die. Accept it!!

Wrong.


The iPhone is not part of the traditional cell phone business model. It is not carrier-subsidized. It is not a 6-month-and-gone device. It is a different thing -- a platform -- that is intended to have a longer lifespan, expanding feature set, and eschews the price-warring sales methods cell networks have used in the past, in order to increase churn.

The iPhone drop was a pre-meditated price drop, decided before the phone went to market. They used the high price to give the product an allure of high class sheen, and get as many high-margin sales as possible in the beginning, and then dropped it in an unprecedented timeframe to try to cash in on holiday sales.

Apple gave its early purchasers here a raw deal. Accept it.

 

[drnen]

I'm doing as a few others have suggested- just filed a complaint with the BBB. Way i see it, I have a phone now that has been discontinued after only 2 months on the market. Basically doing everything I can from here to let apple know how vital customer loyalty is to their business model.

 

[Naimfan]

See now, had you been an Apple supporter for this long you would understand. Apple put out some real crap before Steve came back. The company almost died. The ONLY reason it is still breathing is BECAUSE of us die hards. WE kept it on life support until Steve came back to save it. Us long term folk were not seduced by iPods and iPhones, we believed in the basis of Apple. I have DEFENDED my use of Apple for YEARS. I defended it based on my belief that it was a different sort of company. That belief has been compromised. I am just disappointed, that's all.

With all respect, I've been an Apple supporter since 1985, as you can guess from my tag line. If that's really what you think, then you're simply deluding yourself. Apple has been a for-profit corporation since its incorporation. So your "belief" was grounded much more on what you wanted to believe than on reality. Sorry, but there it is.

Bob

 

[ruckus]

Look at it this way, you early adopters are the ones that everyone says "oh look and iPhone" when you whip it out in public. You can hear the whispering behind your back. You got to be THAT guy. Now, everyone will have an iphone, nobody else gets to be that guy.

You got to be "The Man" for only $200. Even if it was only for a few months. Still, i know I was jealous of iPhone users, I just never could pull the trigger an buy one myself.

glass is half full fellas!

 

[Naimfan]

I'm doing as a few others have suggested- just filed a complaint with the BBB. Way i see it, I have a phone now that has been discontinued after only 2 months on the market. Basically doing everything I can from here to let apple know how vital customer loyalty is to their business model.

OK, you have officially jumped the shark...

What, precisely, do you think the BBB can/will do? Answer: Nothing. Apple sold you a perfectly good product that you thought was fully worth the asking price. NOTHING about that has changed.

Bob

 

[mudbug99]

Is this still going on????

Amazing really. But, since some have had some success, I'm going to try a few things too.

I'm going after Ford for dropping the price of the new T-Bird, then discontinuing it
I'm going after Samsung for dropping the price of their new upconversion DVD player
I'm going after Amazon for dropping prices in general
I'm going after Apple for their last iPod price drop
I'm going after the farmer's market for dropping the price on oranges
etc

All sounds pretty stupid, don't it? Well, lets review the reasons people seem to think this is different.

1. It was too fast. It was fast for Apple, but not exactly revolutionary for electronics in general. There were many reasons Apple may have done this. It might have been pre-planned (as people have pointed out, there was a warning about it with the last financial statement), but its impossible to say just when the amount of the drop and the timing was worked out. It might have been to grab more of the market quickly, it might have been because sales were slowing. Who knows, but they have the right to change their prices as they see fit, from what I understand of the law...

2. I was an early adopter, I helped Apple, and I'm important. Get over yourself!

3. Apple never does this, their products are different. That was a bad thing! They do have a tendency to be stiff in their pricing, and that hurts far more people than this did. What, do you expect Apple to be the warm and fuzzy coddler of your finances and protect you from yourself?

4. Its too much. Maybe it was a lot, I personally am all for it. Perhaps they could have done it in stages over a couple more months, but I'm sure the financial types there thought that overall this way was the best for them.

5. Their price protection period is too short. Maybe, but not by much. Can't expect a company to go much beyond a month....

6. @@#$#@!!!!!! Well, I suppose you have a point.

 

[sushi]

I'm doing as a few others have suggested- just filed a complaint with the BBB. Way i see it, I have a phone now that has been discontinued after only 2 months on the market. Basically doing everything I can from here to let apple know how vital customer loyalty is to their business model.

Does your iPhone still work? It's not like it just quit working. If it just quit working, that would be a completely different situation.

Granted your model was discontinued. This happens all the time in the cell phone market. But you can still use it, correct?

 

[jackc]

Hilarious stuff, I think the Germans call it schadeniphonefreude

 

[drnen]

Does your iPhone still work? It's not like it just quit working. If it just quit working, that would be a completely different situation.

Granted your model was discontinued. This happens all the time in the cell phone market. But you can still use it, correct?

Isnt complaining to the BBB about business practices? If it was broken I would've complained directly to apple on a warranty basis. And it isnt jumping the shark. The fonz would be proud of me for voicing my opinion. I dont necessarily think anything is going to come of it but I can at very least make apple feel some heat for next time they get an idea like this in their heads.

 

[Tazzy531]

I'm doing as a few others have suggested- just filed a complaint with the BBB. Way i see it, I have a phone now that has been discontinued after only 2 months on the market. Basically doing everything I can from here to let apple know how vital customer loyalty is to their business model.

It hasn't been discontinued. Apple is still Supporting the 4GB. They just aren't selling new ones.

 

[sushi]

Isnt complaining to the BBB about business practices? If it was broken I would've complained directly to apple on a warranty basis. And it isnt jumping the shark. The fonz would be proud of me for voicing my opinion. I dont necessarily think anything is going to come of it but I can at very least make apple feel some heat for next time they get an idea like this in their heads.

Going to the BBB is generally a waste of time in most cases.

In this case, Apple has not done anything wrong or illegal. Companies can change price points or discontinue an product at any time. In this case, the BBB will do nothing.

 

[mel829]

Does your iPhone still work? It's not like it just quit working. If it just quit working, that would be a completely different situation.

Granted your model was discontinued. This happens all the time in the cell phone market. But you can still use it, correct?

Mine doesn't still work. It broke three days ago. I have to send it in to Apple for repair. I wish they'd just send me an 8GB back instead of my 2 month old, discontinued 4GB. Bah.

 

[sushi]

Mine doesn't still work. It broke three days ago. I have to send it in to Apple for repair. I wish they'd just send me an 8GB back instead of my 2 month old, discontinued 4GB. Bah.

You iPhone is under warranty. Therefore, Apple needs to repair or replace your 4GB model with a like model.

However, in this case you may get lucky and get a 8GB replacement.

 

[drnen]

It hasn't been discontinued. Apple is still Supporting the 4GB. They just aren't selling new ones.

dis·con·tin·ue (dĭs'kən-tĭn'yū) pronunciation

v.tr.

1. To stop doing or providing (something); end or abandon: discontinued her visits to the museum; discontinued ferry service to the island.
2. To cease making or manufacturing: discontinued the sportscar in the 1960s.

 

[emotion]

They've lowered the price of a two month old product by 50%.

33%. Is there not a calculator on your iPhone?

I'd be annoyed at a price drop, like I would have been annoyed at owning a first gen MBP or MB.

Thing is though I don't go for 1st generation products for reasons such as this.

If you can afford a $599 phone and expensive contract to go with it then I'm sure $200 is no big deal for the pleasure of owning such a cool looking device.

 

[BKKbill]

Wrong.

The iPhone is not part of the traditional cell phone business model. It is not carrier-subsidized. It is not a 6-month-and-gone device. It is a different thing -- a platform -- that is intended to have a longer lifespan, expanding feature set, and eschews the price-warring sales methods cell networks have used in the past, in order to increase churn.

The iPhone drop was a pre-meditated price drop, decided before the phone went to market. They used the high price to give the product an allure of high class sheen, and get as many high-margin sales as possible in the beginning, and then dropped it in an unprecedented timeframe to try to cash in on holiday sales.

Apple gave its early purchasers here a raw deal. Accept it.

OK your right I accept it Apple spent years trying to get you. Allure of high class sheen you really have to admit they sure did do a good job now go to bed.

 

[sushi]

dis·con·tin·ue (d?s'k?n-t?n'y?) pronunciation
2. To cease making or manufacturing: discontinued the sportscar in the 1960s.

Ah, but the iPhone has not been discontinued. Just the 4GB model.

Look, I understand folks are upset. Been there done that with much more expensive devices in the past. Try loosing $1,500 due to a price drop.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Whatever. I want Gigabyte Ethernet in my Airport Extreme router that I bought the day it was released.

This stuff happens all the time with Apple. Quit crying already and be glad you have one at all.

 

[drnen]

Ah, but the iPhone has not been discontinued. Just the 4GB model.

Look, I understand folks are upset. Been there done that with much more expensive devices in the past. Try loosing $1,500 due to a price drop.

I know. Thats why i said earlier that MY iphone was discontinued. I got the 4 gig. I guess I just have to break this thing in a way that is untraceable so I can replace for an 8 gig down the line? bleh

 

[Richardlol]

TOTAL cost...geeez

The day you bought your iPhone you made a $2160.00 commitment. The Phone plus two years of service, one is no good without the other.

Now that price has dropped to $1960.00. What's the big deal?

As many have said here, this is the cell phone business, not the computer business. New cell phone models are hot for about 60 days then prices drop like mad.

 

[EvanLugh]

The way I see it, is that you should be thankful you can get them at all.
I have to wait another month or so, which will probably be the 4GB or whatever they dish out to Europeans anyway.
Why complain, if they didn't drop the price you wouldn't have battered an eye lid.

 

[BKKbill]

Well that's it for me I've heard enough about the iPhone to last a long time. it's sad all the early adopters sorry some of them feel screwed but life goes on.