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Apple Increases iPhone SE Orders Amid Growing Sales Pressures
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This is what happens when U.S. carriers abolish the former two-year subsidy plans and cost-conscientious consumers are pinching pennies.
My gut tells me that Apple is, as usual, playing the long game with India. They want a foothold for when India as a country matures.
I believe you're wrong. It makes no sense to hold back on features just to "have a selling point" a year later. That just gives the competition a chance to move ahead.
If they did that, why not keep the features under wraps until THIS year, when the iPhone rumors are suggesting an unimpressive (to most people) offering?
Perhaps you find such a hold-off strategy compelling, and think it helps Apple to control your own behavior, but most who make this point seem to think they themselves are immune (unlike the unwashed masses) to such manipulation.
Sure they work on features for years. They're working on a car, too. Why not release the car this year? Is it to get us to buy more of them three or four years down the line?
There release of features is based on more than just marketing strategy. There are technical, economic, and supply chain reasons for letting a not-fully cooked feature or product percolate a bit longer.
It doesn't matter what the feature is, but to use your example of 3D Touch, once the hardware was available, it could have been tricky to get the manufacturing lined up (the iPhone 5S was hard to get for a while due to short supply of TouchID modules; meanwhile Apple released a new iPad without the feature. Imagine the outcry from customers with backordered iPhones if Apple had diverted some of the supply to build iPads). Also, a feature like 3D Touch requires rewriting a lot of code. What if Apple had introduced 3D touch, but you could only use it in one or two apps? One complaint I've seen is that the feature is hit or miss when you don't know when to use it.
Often Apple is working on a feature or product right up to the moment of release. The Apple Watch and the iPhone demos when they were announced were carefully choreographed, because the products weren't ready yet. Some would argue that both products could have used even more time before they were put into consumers' hands.
And I'm not fooling myself.
Many still consider the iPhone 5 design as the last design from the days is Jobs at Apple, with the iPhone 6 being influenced by Samsung and Htc designs.
Had the SE launched at the same time as the 6s, I'd have gotten the 5SE, better design and much better value for money. iPhones and iPads are now hitting laptop prices for very small incremental updates ...
Had the SE launched at the same time as the 6s, I'd have gotten the 5SE, better design and much better value for money. iPhones and iPads are now hitting laptop prices for very small incremental updates ...
Love this request: " focusing on features that customers truly want"...yeah, that's all you have to do. What do people want? Ask 10 people get 10 different answers. Plus, how can people want something that they don't even know about? I haven't updated my iPhone since the 5. It works fine, love it. When I update I will buy an iPhone, but I am not rushing to update every 12 months. Part of that is just me. I don't need a new device every year. Part of its s I'm older and not worried about impressing anyone. The point is all cell phone makers will face the fact that people aren't using to buy a new phone every year anymore. But the cell phone maker who has the most customers who like their phone will get the sale. This will look like the automotive industry soon, commoditized in a way.
This phone is solely to test the market. The 7S, but most likely the 8 will be available in 3 sizes.
I experience is a little different. I went from the 5s to a 6s Plus thinking that the larger screen was better. I do enjoy the larger screen, but only when I am stationary, like sitting and can have both hands on the phone. For one handed use, I hate the 6s Plus. Also, finding places to store the 6s Plus is becoming a problem. Example, I do not have anywhere to put the phone in my cars while driving.
I thought about downsizing my phone and getting an SE. I think the overall experience would be better with a smaller phone.
Good point. I never really liked the 6 design. I remember when it came out, I thought it looked like every other new phone on the market. But, I like the glass body of the 4s better than the 5.
So analysts are upset because Apple doesn't add a bunch of bells and whistles to make people upgrade every year. The US upgrade cycle has been two years for a long time, it will be that way for a long time to come. Most people don't upgrade every year (not saying none do, just saying most do not). The iPad upgrade cycle is longer. I supposed Apple could stop supporting hardware much sooner but then consumer value is much less.
Good point. This is true for at least me. I thought the larger phone would be better, but now I want to go to the smaller one.
From an earlier post:
Here is my 2 cents on this. While there IS demand for the smaller phone size the real demand is still to have the Apple logo on your phone. Apple has the name recognition and reliability that anything Android named still doesn't. It's no coincidence ever since unsubsidised phones went the way of the Dodo so has Apples profits with the phones. That ability to get an iPhone for next to nothing (even though you paid for it in the long run) brought the masses in. Now that the cost is all up front or clearly a monthly fee (not hidden into the cost of your service) its enough to make many pause and think I can go another year between upgrading or even turns them over to the cheap $99 androids. If they do stick with Apple it's a the lowest cost available a good chunk of the time as the decline in 6s and higher SE sales show. I'd say a good half of all smart phone users probably still just want something that browses, makes decent calls and can play their candy crush crap. I applaud Apple for a price drop on the 4inch but even that isn't enough to help the slide. For it to truly grow in this space again it really needs to blow everyone's mind and change the game again of beg the higher ups for subsidized plans to come back. We know the second option won't happen and I'm slowly starting to believe the first one either.
I could never go back to the tiny iPhone. I think they will keep all form factors going forward IMHO.
I think this will be the case, on top of that, people with an iPhone 5S will still see current phones (SE)that look like theirs and choose not to upgrade. I picked up an brand new iPhone 5S for 60$ (no contract) a few weeks back to give to my son, with good cheap iPhones available, there is no way I'm paying top dollar for the newest
As soon as mobile announced their uncarrier pricing, I knew this would become a problem. Over the last year I have bought 5 new older model phones for around (50$- 100$) each, 2 nexus 5, 2 LG g3 and an iPhone 5S. Although Canada still has 2 year contract, I would have to pay nearly 50$ a month more to get an iPhone 6s for the amazing subsidized price of 300$. No phone is worth that much for a slightly better user experience.
Wild guess...you weren't one of those who were laughing.
Actually, I do remember people who laughed at anything larger than what Steve Jobs endorsed as the "perfect" size. And here we are at an era when even 4" phones are considered small by many.
You're right of course but most of the people in this forum are gullible and won't believe you.
20GB music, 3GB Podcasts, 15GB photos (with iCloud optimized storage on too) and 200 apps.
I could make with due with 64gb but I'd just be tight on space all the time. My 6 is already on its last leg (caseless and battery is shot) so I might grab one from BB if they ever get them in.
Seems far more likely that Apple was just ignoring everyone who wanted a flagship spec small screen phone, and since they were living in their fantasy world didn't recognize how high demand would be.
Interesting. Assume you have the documentation to prove this?
Lots of carriers around the world have.. its not just the u.s.
The subsidizes may have disappeared but there are alternative payment plans such as tabs. So the consumer still doesn't have to pay full price up front. Not much has changed.