Cheapened! Possibilities????

[xploit]

Like a many number of you I too was disappointed. This new 3g is actually a little thicker and to add insult to injury they decided to go with a full plastic back. The feel of this is definitely going to be cheap. I never had reception issues on my iPhone and I wonder if this downgrade in materials is part of the mass market plan. I mean to drop the phone to such a low price there has to be less into the product. That said, there is a possibility that apple will create a new model that has all the bells and whistles. In the mean time I am leaning towards waiting for that to happen rather than dump my classic for plastic with a little more speed.

X-

 

[nickspohn]

AT&T is paying for your iPhone basically. If that is still the case though, there has been so many different stories and misunderstandings since yesterday.

The plastic isn't going to feel "cheap". For gods sake, you havent even held one yet. Apple knows what they are doing, and a bunch of consumers that are whining about it don't. I'm not saying you are whining, but the phone isn't even in your hands yet, and yet it has been in the hands of others, and they like the feeling.

The iPhone is also so slightly slightly thicker you couldn't even notice it was bigger, really. And now it's skinnier at the bottom, and according to Apple, it feels a lot better in your hand.

Apple will probably do a huge upgrade to the iPhone come next year. If they maxed all out this year, what would we get this year?

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Apple will probably do a huge upgrade to the iPhone come next year. If they maxed all out this year, what would we get this year?

see, I don't buy into that mentality. the whole 'let's not make it as good as we can so we have something to do later' idea. I believe people should make the best product they can at the current time. and then figure out after you release it how you can improve upon it. It's not right to say "ok.. well let's NOT include this and that and this other thing... Yea I wanna make sure we have some other ideas for the next iphone"

it's that kind of mentality that slows down the industry...

 

[xploit]

downgrade

All i'm saying is this is an obvious downgrade and if you don't see that then I can't really help you. It is being positioned as their base model. Plastic never feels as good as metal and now theres room for a high end model with OLED, VIDEO and other treats that have been left out.

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[edesignuk]

All i'm saying is this is an obvious downgrade and if you don't see that then I can't really help you. It is being positioned as their base model. Plastic never feels as good as metal and now theres room for a high end model with OLED, VIDEO and other treats that have been left out.

X-

Yes, clearly GPS, 3G, all with a better battery life is a "downgrade"

You haven't even come close to holding one or seeing one in person yet, enough bitching about the plastic back.

 

[rioja]

see, I don't buy into that mentality. the whole 'let's not make it as good as we can so we have something to do later' idea. I believe people should make the best product they can at the current time. and then figure out after you release it how you can improve upon it. It's not right to say "ok.. well let's NOT include this and that and this other thing... Yea I wanna make sure we have some other ideas for the next iphone"

it's that kind of mentality that slows down the industry...

Agree 100%... Yet I'm sure a lot of the electronics/gadget makers do it.

If they can sell 50% of the new features this year and another 50% next year, in-turn making twice as much money as they would have rolling out all the features together, then they will.

 

[question fear]

Could be a mass market plan but I highly doubt it. There aren't to my knowledge ANY 3G metal phones. The signal degrades through metal quickly, hence the plastic backing.

Even Nokia, who love making fancy high end phones, doesn't slap metal on their high end symbian models.

 

[brn2ski00]

This new 3g is actually a little thicker and to add insult to injury they decided to go with a full plastic back.

Thicker? I don't think so... It's actually thinner and the plastic back will help all other customers that weren't getting great reception in rural areas.

 

[c1963jtg]

the 3G iphone screen

is the screen still glass or is it plastic?

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

AT&T is paying for your iPhone basically. If that is still the case though, there has been so many different stories and misunderstandings since yesterday.

The plastic isn't going to feel "cheap". For gods sake, you havent even held one yet. Apple knows what they are doing, and a bunch of consumers that are whining about it don't. I'm not saying you are whining, but the phone isn't even in your hands yet, and yet it has been in the hands of others, and they like the feeling.

The iPhone is also so slightly slightly thicker you couldn't even notice it was bigger, really. And now it's skinnier at the bottom, and according to Apple, it feels a lot better in your hand.

Apple will probably do a huge upgrade to the iPhone come next year. If they maxed all out this year, what would we get this year?

I do find it strange how steve jobs said it was thinner though. He might have added "around the edges", I can't recall, but if so that's just a ridiculous statement.

 

[rogersmj]

All i'm saying is this is an obvious downgrade and if you don't see that then I can't really help you. It is being positioned as their base model. Plastic never feels as good as metal and now theres room for a high end model with OLED, VIDEO and other treats that have been left out.

X-

Hey, how about not being so snarky and implying people are idiots because they don't agree with you? It's not an "obvious downgrade". It's got some nice new features, and although I like metal as much as the next guy, people who have actually held it (that's an important distinction before you start bitching, no?) say it feels quite substantial and good in the hands. "The plastic back didn't feel too cheap. In fact, it felt pretty solid." --Engadget

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

Thicker? I don't think so... It's actually thinner and the plastic back will help all other customers that weren't getting great reception in rural areas.

Oh and it is thicker. The old one was 11.6 mm and the new one is 12.3 or something.

 

[rogersmj]

is the screen still glass or is it plastic?

Glass.

I do find it strange how steve jobs said it was thinner though. He might have added "around the edges", I can't recall, but if so that's just a ridiculous statement.

The direct quote (I was listening to the audio stream) was "thinner around the edges". Which, technically, it is...but it's a typical Jobs RDS trick. But with the tapered edges and the thickest point only being 0.7mm thicker, I don't think it's going to ruin anyone's life.

 

[nickspohn]

Does it really matter if it is thicker. Holy ****. It's thicker by like .03 of an inch.

 

[Fibonacci]

Please keep in mind that a full and proper design must take financials into account. So, since profits are driven by volume, I am fairly sure that Apple left some features on the table NOT so that they could have something to add later, but so that everyone (AT&T and Apple) were in agreement about the risks associated with the subsidies.

If this phone takes off at this price point, and many of the financial assumptions become reality, then next year or later this year, Apple will be able to add features and/or modify based upon consumer response.

I know we would all like to think that the almightly Apple designers work in a special place, but the financials will always have an impact on the delivered product.

 

[Grimace]

Apple didn't lower the price. It is still $399. But, AT&T has generously offered to pay $200 of it for each customer. That makes it $199.

The only catch is that you pay $10 more per month for the required data plan. Over the course of 2 years, that is an extra $240 in AT&T bills. $199 + $240 = $439.

So, you are actually paying $40 more than before.

Apple wins because they don't have to care about losing money on unlocked phones - AT&T (and other carriers) subsidize each phone no matter what.

AT&T wins because the monthly rates are higher over time.

 

[phinnaeus]

I've got my flame retardant boots on, just so you know.

But does anyone remember that video of that guy trying to etch an iPhone with a laser? Apparently they went through with it and they proposed that the current iPhone is actually just high grade plastic. Normally I would just say maybe it is low grade aluminum, but why else would Apple not offer their engraving service for the iPhone?

Anyway, I am not going to pass judgment on the construction of iPhone3G until I have held both in each hand for comparison.

Oh, and I am happy to be proved wrong. Seriously, I am as down on this new iPhone as the next guy, but this whole aluminum/plastic thing has been bugging me for a while.

 

[Donz0r]

Technically in the middle of the device it's about half a millimeter thicker, but look at it, which one would you rather hold in your hand?

Wait to hold it in person before you start bitching!

A new higher end model?
What would be higher end about it?
A better camera? video conferencing? Who the hell uses video conferencing?!
This phone is incredibly high end, get a reality check.

 

[rogersmj]

<snip>

Technically in the middle of the device it's about half a millimeter thicker, but look at it, which one would you rather hold in your hand?

Wait to hold it in person before you start bitching!

Whoa, buddy...that makes way, way too much sense to be posted on MR forums. You're going to have to take that level head somewhere else.

 

[xploit]

basic and budget

OK when you take the original iPhone and after one year you swap metal for plastic, increase the thickness, and do nothing about resolution, screen type, picture messaging, camera or video but gain 3g which is kinda becoming the norm. Well to me thats a base model. Apple doesn't make one model of anything. I believe its heading the way of iPOD with multiple models and if you believe that then you have to believe that this is the basic.

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[Kavik]

see, I don't buy into that mentality. the whole 'let's not make it as good as we can so we have something to do later' idea. I believe people should make the best product they can at the current time. and then figure out after you release it how you can improve upon it. It's not right to say "ok.. well let's NOT include this and that and this other thing... Yea I wanna make sure we have some other ideas for the next iphone"

it's that kind of mentality that slows down the industry...

Jobs gave an interview two years ago where he basically came right out and said that this is Apple's philosophy:

In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, Apple CEO Steve Jobs explained why Apple comes up with new iPod models so frequently: "You keep on innovating, you keep on making better stuff," Jobs said, in response to a question from Williams about why a new iPod might seem outdated as soon as you take it out of the box. Then Jobs offered a bit of advice to consumers: "If you always want the latest and greatest, then you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year."​