Apple iPhone No Longer Verizon's Bestselling Smartphone? [Update]

[Malligator]

Welcome to the flock.

The iPhone's years in the #1 bestselling spot has been explained away by calling iPhone users Sheeple. All I can say is, "Bahhhhh, Droid users. Bahhhhhh."

 

[lw9090]

Verizon pushes Android because of the commision. I seen a salesman push an android to a 70yo lady that didn't need it. All she wanted to do was replace her flip phone. They tried to tell her there wasn't any flip phones and all phones were going to Android. The funniest part was they salesaman got a phone call on his iPhone.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

1. Um, Verizon salespeople are TRAINED to NOT LET ANY CUSTOMERS WALK OUT THE DOOR WITH an iPhone. Have any of you actually tried to walk into a Verizon store and purchase an iPhone? It is IMPOSSIBLE. I've tried it on 8 occasions, and Fortune Magazine documents this as well. It is IMPOSSIBLE to do so. Go ahead... I DARE YOU to walk into a Verizon store and try to purchase an iPhone.
2. Furthermore, Verizon salespeople make $75 commission on every NON-iPhone that they sell, but they only make a $5 commission on every iPhone they sell.
3. Verizon salespeople are BERATED by their managers and given WARNINGS if they sell an iPhone.

So it makes perfect sense that the iPhone isn't their best-selling device. This has been Verizon's plan all along.

WHY?

Because once people love the iPhone, they are loyal to the phone and not the carrier. The iPhone relegates Verizon to the dumb pipe that they are, and they don't like that one bit.

While some of your rant may be factual, I have two iPhone's, both purchased at Verizon stores, both without the sales rep batting an eyelash. There was no attempt to dissuade us or sell us anything else, other than the soft-sell for a case (which they ended up giving us for free...but it was a crappy case).

 

[AppleDroid]

I can provide one reason for declining sales because I just made a post about Verizon stores and pushing people away from them in order to pimp MAXX sales. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1393258/

 

[charlituna]

Fortune reports that Apple's iPhone has dropped from the top selling smartphone position in Verizon retail stores for the first time since the carrier started selling the device. The news comes by way of a research note from William Blair's Anil Doradla.The results are based on "channel checks" from the April-May-June quarter of 2012. The iPhone was reportedly dethroned by the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX, but remains in the number two spot ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

but has it been dethroned as the most popular phone on the service.

Remember you can get a Verizon iPhone at Verizon, Best Buy, Apple Retail Stores, Apple Online, etc. Given that Verizon is going to kick you to Apple for instructions on how to use it, tech support etc, it is very plausible that many folks just buy it via Apple not the Verizon stores where some of the sales folks have no clue what the heck Apple Care is and those that do ignore it to sell you their insurance that is way more costly but gets the rep a commission. Folks are getting wise to this and ignoring the Verizon stores for that reason also

Compare this to the number of places you can get a Verizon Razr or Galaxy. Verizon stores and maybe Best Buy?

 

[PlutoPrime]

You get a thumbs up. You are correct. When you compare the iPhone with the current model droids, the iPhone has fallen behind. Apple is a little over confident in my opinion.

HOW?

Is the android software somehow better? What is the KILLER feature that android has that is so incredibly amazing and modern and ahead of the times that an average person would actually give a second glance about?

Is the android hardware better? I have a $700 unlocked Galaxy Nexus on my desk right now and it can barely render a card game without lagging like it's trying to run Crysis 3 on a pentium 90mhz from 1995. Not to mention the ridiculous super AMOLED screen with the ugly pentile grainy look, over saturated colors that make my eyes bleed like I'm high on acid or something.

No. iPhone 4S is in fact still the best phone on the market.

What's hilarious here is that other manufacturers seem to have a "random phone generator" that spits out a "new" device every 5 minutes, and they still can't come up with something as polished. That's what happens when you have monkeys on type-writers.

 

[kdog005]

I can also say that after July 1st, Verizon's commission structure for device payout is changing entirely based on the Rate Plan changes.

It's worth noting that LTE devices will be paying almost double and iPhone commision is staying the same, to further solidify the fact that Verizon is making a push for LTE on store levels.

We had a regional conference call this morning and was essentially told that if we don't have our reps push LTE over iPhones, we could find new jobs. So for all of you hate mongers out their suggesting that device quality is the reasoning behind these sales numbers, you had better re-evaluate the situation and all the facts.

 

[urbanlung]

1. Um, Verizon salespeople are TRAINED to NOT LET ANY CUSTOMERS WALK OUT THE DOOR WITH an iPhone. Have any of you actually tried to walk into a Verizon store and purchase an iPhone? It is IMPOSSIBLE. I've tried it on 8 occasions, and Fortune Magazine documents this as well. It is IMPOSSIBLE to do so. Go ahead... I DARE YOU to walk into a Verizon store and try to purchase an iPhone.
2. Furthermore, Verizon salespeople make $75 commission on every NON-iPhone that they sell, but they only make a $5 commission on every iPhone they sell.
3. Verizon salespeople are BERATED by their managers and given WARNINGS if they sell an iPhone.

So it makes perfect sense that the iPhone isn't their best-selling device. This has been Verizon's plan all along.

WHY?

Because once people love the iPhone, they are loyal to the phone and not the carrier. The iPhone relegates Verizon to the dumb pipe that they are, and they don't like that one bit.

Who pays the $75 commission, Verizon or the manufacturer?

 

[bushido]

i'm soooooo tempted to buy an Galaxy SIII after having owned the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, its time to try something new. but i'm holding out for the iPhone 5 and decide then. the iCloud is kinda holding me back also

 

[charlituna]

Perhaps if Apple updated their extremely outdated phone every once in a while...

Apple updated the phone last Oct and June 2010, June 2009 etc.

Just because you don't like the updates or you view the issue of 'outdated' strictly by them changing the body type doesn't equal to it actually being outdated.

 

[jjarzeb2]

Verizon stores try to sell you Android instead of iPhone

My wife and I went to the local Verizon store to buy an iPhone. We were dead set on buying the iPhone. The sales rep spent at least 30 minutes trying to make us change our mind and get an Android instead. He insisted heavily and implied that we were being stupid for buying an iPhone: "no turn by turn directions", "no 4G", "no physical keyboard", "only a smaller screen than the RAZR", "no 4G, your data will be much slower", "accessories will be more expensive", "watch out, if you don't have a MAC, you might have problems", and on, and on.

I really think that Verizon sales rep are asked to sell Android instead of iPhones. Maybe they make more money per Android sold than per iPhone sold (not the same subsidies).

I am just surprised that Apple has not done anything to stop this (to my knowledge).

Our local Verizon store didn't even mention the iPhone when I went into the store to sign up for a plan; in fact, I had to ask them about the iPhone because they were only pushing Droids.

[Edit: There wasn't even an iPhone on display in the store.]

 

[charlituna]

Our local Verizon store didn't even mention the iPhone when I went into the store to sign up for a plan; in fact, I had to ask them about the iPhone because they were only pushing Droids.

Sales staff probably doesn't get a commission on selling iPhones and does on everything else. So yeah they will discourage sales that don't get them anything

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Who pays the $75 commission, Verizon or the manufacturer?

The only way to get people to buy an Android over an iPhone is to have Motorola bribe the sales people?

 

[charlituna]

I was getting calls weekly from Verizon to "upgrade" to a Droid. I finally asked them to stop calling, I'll upgrade when the new iPhone is released. The sales rep on the phone then went into how much better the new droids are than the iPhone, etc.

I got that nonsense too. I cut him off about 3 words in and told him that I wasn't interested in his nonsense because it was my money and my choice and not only was I upgrading to an iPhone I wouldn't be buying it from him unless you decided to go work for ATT.

That stopped the phone calls from Verizon real fast. I think they were worried another one would piss me off enough to make good on my threat to switch. Which was a tad pointless since my iPhone is already on ATT cause that's what my boss will cover for it. They got my name off my signing up my iPad for Verizon to get the LTE

 

[DeathChill]

Not sure why anyone is taking this seriously. Two analysts saying two different things. Wait for Verizon to announce their quarterly results.

 

[dokujaryu]

Not me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntxKRj9DRnc

 

[polaris20]

Perhaps if Apple updated their extremely outdated phone every once in a while...

Once a year, every year!

Go ahead and give me a thumbs down, it's true. Apple is seriously dragging their feet with the iPhone.

Why, did you hear that it's not coming out in the Fall, as it did last year? That would be a new rumor.

The 4S was an abomination. I mean come on, im using an iPhone 4 that i purchased in June 2010 the day it came out. I have it jailbroken and running siri, there's no real difference between my 2 year old phone and apple's most up to date phone.
It's pathetic, and no i don't consider a bump in processor speed to be a major update.

Either you can't read, or you've never even used a 4S. It's faster. It has Siri without having to jailbreak it, the still images are FAR better, the video is FAR better. On AT&T, the 3G is faster (yes, it's still 3G).

In addition to that, the screen IS too damn small whether you want to admit it or not. If the new iphone isn't significantly improved and changed, im going android. And this is coming from an apple fanboy.

Adios. Enjoy the malware, lack of OS updates, and horrible battery life. As a reformed Android girl, my wife loves her 4S. I don't have a problem with the screen size on the 4 or 4S, because I like it fitting comfortably in my front pocket. And I'm not even a hipster. Think of those kids with their tight jeans!

Luckily we all have choice. You're welcome to use whatever phone you want. If I weren't heavily invested in iOS apps, I'd wait for Windows Phone 8. Such a nicer platform than Android.

 

[ed724]

Dammit, all I want is the freaking ability to remove the Stock, Weather, Voice Memos, and Compass apps!!! I can't believe we're five years into iOS and I still cannot choose which apps I want off MY phone.

Other than that, I have no complaints. Sure, I'd like to see iOS drastically change (it's getting a little long in the tooth) and I'm also praying that the longer-but-not-wider screen rumors are nothing more than that: rumors.

EDIT: I also want that wretched Newsstand off of my iPhone/iPad.

Sounds like you need a jailbreak moment ! You should try it, you can always back out if you don't like it.

 

[polaris20]

1. Um, Verizon salespeople are TRAINED to NOT LET ANY CUSTOMERS WALK OUT THE DOOR WITH an iPhone. Have any of you actually tried to walk into a Verizon store and purchase an iPhone? It is IMPOSSIBLE. I've tried it on 8 occasions, and Fortune Magazine documents this as well. It is IMPOSSIBLE to do so. Go ahead... I DARE YOU to walk into a Verizon store and try to purchase an iPhone.
2. Furthermore, Verizon salespeople make $75 commission on every NON-iPhone that they sell, but they only make a $5 commission on every iPhone they sell.
3. Verizon salespeople are BERATED by their managers and given WARNINGS if they sell an iPhone.

So it makes perfect sense that the iPhone isn't their best-selling device. This has been Verizon's plan all along.

WHY?

Because once people love the iPhone, they are loyal to the phone and not the carrier. The iPhone relegates Verizon to the dumb pipe that they are, and they don't like that one bit.

You can't be serious. I know a ton of people who have iPhones on Verizon, that they purchased in-store. At no point were they hassled and pushed towards another phone.

 

[ed724]

Perhaps if Apple updated their extremely outdated phone every once in a while...

Go ahead and give me a thumbs down, it's true. Apple is seriously dragging their feet with the iPhone. The 4S was an abomination. I mean come on, im using an iPhone 4 that i purchased in June 2010 the day it came out. I have it jailbroken and running siri, there's no real difference between my 2 year old phone and apple's most up to date phone. It's pathetic, and no i don't consider a bump in processor speed to be a major update. In addition to that, the screen IS too damn small whether you want to admit it or not. If the new iphone isn't significantly improved and changed, im going android. And this is coming from an apple fanboy.

You're just a twinkie. It's not just the processor speed, its also the processor architecture that makes it faster + more ram and storage options. The retina display is worth the difference alone. You're just mad 'cause you don't have one. Face it. Siri is a joke so it doesn't count. Hope you enjoy the android, you'll be back once you have to deal with the crappy UI.

 

[JBaker122586]

You can get a RAZR MAXX on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target... and so on.
It's widely available.

My point isn't that it's not widely available. But the vast majority of people are getting it at the Verizon store. You can get an iPhone at all those places too. But they aren't selling the Razr Maxx at the Apple Store, the top retail store in America. They are selling the iPhone there. And in heavy volume.

 

[ramuman]

Perhaps if Apple updated their extremely outdated phone every once in a while...

Go ahead and give me a thumbs down, it's true. Apple is seriously dragging their feet with the iPhone. The 4S was an abomination. I mean come on, im using an iPhone 4 that i purchased in June 2010 the day it came out. I have it jailbroken and running siri, there's no real difference between my 2 year old phone and apple's most up to date phone. It's pathetic, and no i don't consider a bump in processor speed to be a major update. In addition to that, the screen IS too damn small whether you want to admit it or not. If the new iphone isn't significantly improved and changed, im going android. And this is coming from an apple fanboy.

Nevermind...found the bigger pic.

 

[rjohnstone]

My point isn't that it's not widely available. But the vast majority of people are getting it at the Verizon store. You can get an iPhone at all those places too. But they aren't selling the Razr Maxx at the Apple Store, the top retail store in America. They are selling the iPhone there. And in heavy volume.

No... you did not say that.

I'll quote you again...

Anyway, this report ONLY takes into account Verizon STORES. Which is about the only place you can get the Razr Maxx.

That statement is incorrect.

 

[AR999]

Verizon pushes Android because of the commision. I seen a salesman push an android to a 70yo lady that didn't need it. All she wanted to do was replace her flip phone. They tried to tell her there wasn't any flip phones and all phones were going to Android. The funniest part was they salesaman got a phone call on his iPhone.

And whats wrong with that?

There are very few flip phones around, if any. Are you disappointed the salesman didn't recommend her an iPhone by any chance? Thats an expensive phone.

There are many android based phones that are much cheaper than the iPhone and since the lady only wanted something basic a cheap android phone would make a lot more sense than an iphone.

 

[CrAkD]

Yeah it's gaining ground because every Verizon employee is pushing it and crapping all over the iPhone to their customers.