Hi,
Couldn't someone just buy a $99 iPhone and not sign up for the data plan?
I don;t know how At&t works with regards to that.
s.
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iPhone (Nano?), Smaller Shuffle and Cheaper MacBook in 2009?
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Hi,
Couldn't someone just buy a $99 iPhone and not sign up for the data plan?
I don;t know how At&t works with regards to that.
s.
if it is released during macworld it would have to be due to exclusivity agreements. if the agreement ends in mid-09 and at&t has not renewed exclusivity (it may already be into 2010) then i guess they could just make the announcement but if i were an at&t exec that would REALLY piss me off b/c many potential new customers would just wait until the exclusivity ended.
There's still some doubt in my mind about a new iPhone platform, but hey, if there's a market for it, we shall see soon.
When I put an AT&T SIM into my iPhone 3G with AT&T after bringing it from Australia I received an e-mail the next day that I was required to add an iPhone 3G data plan and that I needed to call them immediately or one would be added on my behalf. So I think they intend to enforce data plans as much as they can...
iPhone nano?
I quess we will just have to wait and see.
I'm really hoping for a cheaper MacBook.
And about the iPod shuffle getting smaller with a price drop:
Apple, "Introducing the new iPod shuffle. It now comes in either 2GB or 4GB at $39 and $69. EVen plays video! Now in 37 new colors including maroon, baise, and Ruby. It doesn't even have buttons; you control it with the buttons on your headphones! This new iPod is will be the size of your thumbnail and .5mm thin!
I quess we will just have to wait and see.
I'm really hoping for a cheaper MacBook.
And about the iPod shuffle getting smaller with a price drop:
Apple, "Introducing the new iPod shuffle. It now comes in either 2GB or 4GB at $39 and $69. EVen plays video! Now in 37 new colors including maroon, baise, and Ruby. It doesn't even have buttons; you control it with the buttons on your headphones! This new iPod is will be the size of your thumbnail and .5mm thin!
Very good point there. Maybe that's what the new iPod shuffle will be. Or maybe it won't have a headphone jack and instead use wireless headphones.This is exactly what I was thinking. Clip, headphone jack, nothing else. I wonder if people will balk that they have to use Apple headphones. Maybe the new Shuffles will have Display Ports.
When will Apple realize that the up-front cost of the iPhone isn't what is holding people back? I would very happily pay full price for an iPhone, if I didn't have to pay $30 for a data plan, then for text messages, on top of the base fee of at least $69.99 for the voice plan. Each month. A smaller, cheaper version isn't what would get me to switch.
I agree with you, an iPhone NANO would just serve to further grow Apples market share and increase the number of iTunes compatible devices.
The iPhone Nanos main distinction from the iPhone will be the lack of 3G relying on WiFi instead just like the touch. This would appeal to people that dont want to pay the $30 a month for data plan on top of the regular cell plan.
There are already workaround to eliminate the data plan, but it's complicated and most people won't do it. It also requires you to 100% verify that there is a data block on your account so you won't get billed for usage after you do the workaround.
There is absolutely 100% a market for an iphone (nano sized or otherwise) that eliminates a few features and is sold without a data plan. The average consumer could give a crap about checking email and surfing the web when on the cell network.
I honestly think that if Apple can bring such a product to market then they will, as they will take tons of share in the process.
The best time to do this? In the next 90 days to six months as they can springboard off of the huge success of the iPhone 3G.
As to those who say that Apple is "too good" to offer budget products, I would kindly direct them towards the entry level iMacs, iPod Shuffles, etc.
What is the benefit for Apple?
Its not a smartphone so it can't increase that marketshare nor the browser marketshare. At best it would have 0,01 % marketshare for regular phones.
No Appstore = no extra cash for Apple
It would probably eat into sales of the more expensive model
It makes no sense to introduce a new product that doesn't utilizes the AppStore, be it a small iPhone or big ipod tablet. Even the Apple TV may use the AppStore, it would help lower the cost for the hardware.
Very good point there. Maybe that's what the new iPod shuffle will be. Or maybe it won't have a headphone jack and instead use wireless headphones.
At that point it'd be better to build the shuffle into the headphones...
$400 =/= $1000
A netbook is not made to be strong, and honestly, I do not like paying $60/mo for email. I also like a physical keyboard. I like the ability to take notes, and I don't need a notebook for anything else other than schoolwork.
That's what a netbook is good for. It's a nice option to have other than spending insane prices on a phone that just isn't worth it, or a MacBook, that you're never going to really use.
Why spend twice as much when you don't have to? Ever use an Aspire One? They're not half bad, and are powerful enough to go about the internet, type papers, and even the occasional Sims 1 and Starcraft, for $450. That's one hell of a deal. $500 I think for the 6-cell version, which gets some awesome battery life. They're also small enough to put in a purse if you're a woman, or in any bag without much added weight or bulk. The cheaper SSD versions are very reliable and tough, so you don't have to worry about it breaking because it was tossed in your bag and you ran off.
Some people can't afford an iPhone, and I don't want an iPhone, as MMS and Copy and Paste are still issues, I use those constantly. Some people can't shell out $1000 for a MacBook either. Welcome to life, people can't afford expensive things.
Hell, it's even cheaper for Apple to produce notebooks and whatnot because they avoid license fees, there is a real chance for a decent netbook at a good price, though Apple will probably charge $750, call it cheap, and it'll be a piece of crap, but it's a step in the somewhat right direction of having products that don't cost you your soul.
And this is based on what? The extensive market research you've done into cell phone buying trends around the world? I'm sure people said the exact same thing about the iPod when it first came out "oh, it'll never get any market share because it's too expensive...".
Look how that turned out.
Seriously...a smaller Shuffle? Why? At this point, just put the memory in the headphones in a form factor like the Motorola S9 headphones. Don't even bother with a separate device. It's just not worth it. The Shuffle is a great size/form factor for what it does and the controls are still useable.
an iphone nano stripped of features if it was cheaper than an iphone or didn't require a $30-45/mth data plan would sell like hotcakes (not saying it would make sense just that fanboys would flock to it)
it would have to support app store though b/c apple is making a LOT of money on apps. look at video game systems, dvd rentals, etc. - the money is all switching to the services provided and apps/software/rentals. and there being a couple companies with nano cases lends more evidence (although they could just be jumping on the hype bandwagon for sales). the issues i see with an announcement are...
1) current apps wouldn't work. apple filed a patent for resolution independent coding but i would assume something would have broken by now if people were working on this. if not it would be several months before the product was available and apps for it were as well
2) the ipod/touch/iphone product line is starting to get too compressed. an iphone nano would be pretty darn similar to a touch. the only thing i could imagine is if they got rid of the current touch and replaced it with this iphone nano and then came out with a larger ipad/touch tablet. still that's a lot of product shuffling.
3) AT&T exclusivity agreements would prevent apple from releasing a cheap unlocked iphone nano. Even if exclusively locked to them, I wouldn't think AT&T would want Apple to come out with a more basic phone b/c they are getting a LOT of money on the data plans. Then again they could have been strongarmed by Apple or welcome the thousands of add'l customers that would be locked in 24mths even if they aren't as profitable without forced data plans
4) It seems like if there were new iPhones that would be available immediately, we would have been hearing a little more info about them shipping to stores or Apple's suppliers getting big new orders for the parts. I guess they could announce that in spring/summer there would be a refresh but that would cannibalize sales until then.
All of this leads me to believe they will announce a storage bump in the iphone, maybe a firmware or software refresh (push?) or add'l software features, some new apps/games, then the ipad tablet and mac mini and more things like iWork going to cloud. Honestly though, the iPhone 3G just became available 6mths ago so I don't understand why they aren't at LEAST on a yearly product cycle (which would mean a refresh announced at WWDC in June).
Either way, I've decided to not open my iPhone if I can stand it and wait until Tuesday and cross my fingers that nothing iPhone related is announced. Even if unopened I don't want to know what the hassle will be to get a price adjustment or return/exchange. My only question now is if there is any repurcussion if I wait another week to open and call AT&T to activate the phone or if I'm fine just waiting.
it would have to support app store though b/c apple is making a LOT of money on apps. look at video game systems, dvd rentals, etc. - the money is all switching to the services provided and apps/software/rentals. and there being a couple companies with nano cases lends more evidence (although they could just be jumping on the hype bandwagon for sales). the issues i see with an announcement are...
1) current apps wouldn't work. apple filed a patent for resolution independent coding but i would assume something would have broken by now if people were working on this. if not it would be several months before the product was available and apps for it were as well
2) the ipod/touch/iphone product line is starting to get too compressed. an iphone nano would be pretty darn similar to a touch. the only thing i could imagine is if they got rid of the current touch and replaced it with this iphone nano and then came out with a larger ipad/touch tablet. still that's a lot of product shuffling.
3) AT&T exclusivity agreements would prevent apple from releasing a cheap unlocked iphone nano. Even if exclusively locked to them, I wouldn't think AT&T would want Apple to come out with a more basic phone b/c they are getting a LOT of money on the data plans. Then again they could have been strongarmed by Apple or welcome the thousands of add'l customers that would be locked in 24mths even if they aren't as profitable without forced data plans
4) It seems like if there were new iPhones that would be available immediately, we would have been hearing a little more info about them shipping to stores or Apple's suppliers getting big new orders for the parts. I guess they could announce that in spring/summer there would be a refresh but that would cannibalize sales until then.
All of this leads me to believe they will announce a storage bump in the iphone, maybe a firmware or software refresh (push?) or add'l software features, some new apps/games, then the ipad tablet and mac mini and more things like iWork going to cloud. Honestly though, the iPhone 3G just became available 6mths ago so I don't understand why they aren't at LEAST on a yearly product cycle (which would mean a refresh announced at WWDC in June).
Either way, I've decided to not open my iPhone if I can stand it and wait until Tuesday and cross my fingers that nothing iPhone related is announced. Even if unopened I don't want to know what the hassle will be to get a price adjustment or return/exchange. My only question now is if there is any repurcussion if I wait another week to open and call AT&T to activate the phone or if I'm fine just waiting.
who cares about $50 when spending a thousand?
i have always thought that the EDU discount was a bit silly as it is usually just 100.00, but i guess a hundy is a lot when your in college. Although getting a free printer (or a hundred off of one) and a rebate for a free nano (do they still do this?) it adds up to be an ok discount for people.
not to say that i would not take advantage of it if i could... but...
to stay on topic, i don't see an iPhone nano being released, nor do i see anything fantastic (or one more thing) for the last possible MWSF ever.
i would love to be proved wrong next week!
You are making the argument for Why apple is pulling out of the trade shows. NOBODY asks these questions of any other manufacturer of tech.
If Apple sells a netbook or a cheater MacBook form factor device at a lower price point than the lowest MacBook but a higher price point than the iPhone 3G is, without any network afflilated, at $599 [confirmed], then somewhere between $600 and $1200 there is a netbook or mere ATNN device price point.
Rocketman
Rocketman
"We" ? How did you get from you to we with such ease ?
Why don't you quit telling people what they need and let them choose. Why do you have to call things that you don't like *rap ?
They are the fastest growing category of computers. We can't keep them in stock in my store. Customers love them.