iPhone Seeing Some Issues?

[~Shard~]

Delays happen. Yes, they should be mitigated and so forth, so I'm not excusing Apple, but the fact is, things like happen. Deal with it. I would rather have a working iPhone than one which is riddled with problems and bugs but was released just to meet a certain date. Do it right the first time.

 

[steve jr.]

If there is one thing we can all learn from this is that when Apple builds their new campus, and with all the delays and being what sounds to be a little short-staffed, I think will be looking to hire some new people with all the new space of 2 campuses! Just in time for me to graduate with my MBA

 

[Peace]

If there is one thing we can all learn from this is that when Apple builds their new campus, and with all the delays and being what sounds to be a little short-staffed, I think will be looking to hire some new people with all the new space of 2 campuses! Just in time for me to graduate with my MBA

Apple already is :

http://jobs.apple.com/index.ajs?BID=1&method=mExternal.showJob&RID=582

 

[koobcamuk]

this is just great

apple delays leopard and now the iPhone

apple really needs to stick to what they say

They should have just released it like "BOOM" and not demo'd it. Would have been so cool. Imagine a world wide release within a matter of weeks of a press release.
Awesome.

 

[jonharris200]

Apple has not specified when in June the iPhone would ship

Really?

When they announced that Leopard will be delayed, they said that the iPhone is shipping in late June.

Exactly. I commented on this at the time:

1. A delay of four months is much better than a delay of four (or more) years

2. The iPhone IS a computer. Apple dropped 'computer' because of a popular misconception that computer = desktop/laptop only.

3. Tiger is still streets ahead of Vista on most counts.

4. Has no-one else noticed how iPhone is now 'late June' rather than 'June'. Sneaky Apple!

5. I'm glad I bought my blackbook in February.

Keep up people, this is last week's news!

Now feeling rather smug.

 

[icrude]

for god's sake....i know this is a rumor site....but just freakin be patient!

 

[SiliconAddict]

I've said it before and I will say it again. Anyone stupid enough to use a version 1.0 product that Apple has zero prior experience with is just asking for massive headaches. My phone is a mandatory communications device for my job. It is used extensively throughout the day and week. Most people, not all but most, are jumping on the iPhone because it’s the new shiny in town. That’s all. Heck even if it wasn’t tied to THAT carrier I would still be wary about it. I need something reliable. Not something fashionable and trendy.
Now long term do I think the iPhone will rock? Yes. Sure. No doubt. But I want to see two things. Real world use of this thing by real people and Apple get some real experience under their belt. Wake me on G 2.0. Actually maybe even G 3.0.

 

[glennyboiwpg]

They should have just released it like "BOOM" and not demo'd it. Would have been so cool. Imagine a world wide release within a matter of weeks of a press release.
Awesome.

you know what? Thats EXACTLY what they should have done. If they wouldn't have demoed it in macworld, they could have silently pushed back the iphone, released leopard ahead of schedule, released the iphone when ever it was ready and BAM, instance all-the-hype-you-can-eat pr! And NO ONE would have known or cared that the iphone would have been pushed back.

But then we would have had to sit here and watch the "iphone almost ready?" rumors come through. can't win I guess.

 

[shawnce]

The iPhone delay isn't the same.

What f'n iPhone delay? Apple originally said June, Apple still says June, analysts say June...

 

[job]

What f'n iPhone delay? Apple originally said June, Apple still says June, analysts say June...

Previous posters insinuated that the iPhone had been pushed back.

I was responding to their claims as such.

I agree, June is June, there is no actual delay, only a perceived one.

 

[shawnce]

you know what? Thats EXACTLY what they should have done. If they wouldn't have demoed it in macworld, they could have silently pushed back the iphone, released leopard ahead of schedule, released the iphone when ever it was ready and BAM, instance all-the-hype-you-can-eat pr! And NO ONE would have known or cared that the iphone would have been pushed back.

You are forgetting that Apple knew other companies had phones under development that had similar look and features to the iPhone. Additionally Apple was starting the process of filing with the FCC which is, as I understand it, a public process. Given these two facts Apple basically had to announce the thing early to trump the competition PR wise and to get it out with their PR spin before FCC watchers picked it up.

 

[sjo]

All this speculation is why Apple doesn't pre-announce products. Makes you wonder why they have done this with the iPhone, AppleTV, and Leopard. Maybe it's a strategic decision, but all this idiotic speculation and commentary makes me wish Apple would go back to keeping everything a secret until it's released.

Leopard: MacPro wasn't quite enough to fill WWDC and because of Vista, too, I'd guess
iPhone: it would have "leaked" in the FCC approval process anyway
AppleTV: they needed to discuss about it with the content owners to get them onboard and were suspecting leaks

 

[shawnce]

Leopard: MacPro wasn't quite enough to fill WWDC and because of Vista, too, I'd guess

Developers have to get access to Leopard early and as you see time and time again some developers cannot be trusted to keep their mouths shut about developer preview releases (lots of screen shot leaks, etc.)... so Apple generally has to do some level of user facing PR related to the next major OS release since aspect of it will leak out.

Also many folks complain that Apple doesn't give folks enough lead time on when an OS releases become available so Apple is attempting to set a release time frame so that organizations, end users, and developers can do some planning ahead of time.

 

[ortuno2k]

I think Apple said they'd be shipping it late June.
And I honestly don't care, the faster they get that phone out, the better. Maybe Apple will dedicate more time to releasing more Macs and software.

 

[xenotaku]

It's not an AAPL stock price drop, it's a buying opportunity

*I realize the proper grammar is "Think positively," but I just wanted to riff off Apple's grammatically-(ahem!)interesting slogan.

hehe, its not a buying opportunity when you already have a few hundred shares. I want that baby to keep rising and rising! All my money is tied up in other stocks! I wish I had the money to invest more though.

 

[slu]

Do your best Jan Brady and scream, "iPhone, iPhone, iPhone!"

Done and Done. And you know what, I do feel a bit better.

 

[marmotte]

Total package price is key

The total price of the package is what matters, not just the price of the phone, which by itself is irrelevant.

The price to beat for Apple is a standard data+voice plan by another provider. For comparison purpose I looked at T-mobile, Cingular's direct competitor (the only other GSM provider in the US). The result is that you can get unlimited data+text messaging + unlimited week-end minutes + 600 anytime minutes for $75/month and a one time $285 fee for a fairly standard data+voice full keyboard phone (Blackberry 8700g price = $250 + $35 fee, i.e. $285). The first 2 year cost is therefore about $2,085 (on average $87/month). You also have to add taxes, but it's true also for Cingular so let's ignore taxes for now.

Then you need to add some value to T-mobile-specific intangible features, such as the possibility to unlock your Blackberry device at some point in the future (which apparently will never be an option for the iPhone) and change providers. Finally you will have to add the value of a $249 8GB iPod.

Total cost of competitor package: $2,335

You will then have to compare that to the iPhone total plan.

The more the iPhone+Cingular package is above $2,335, the least successful the iPhone will be. In fact (see below), I would even argue that the iPhone package will have to be $2,000 to have any chance of success.

Some of what will go against the iPhone:
- Phone is locked and forces you to stay with Cingular (which in the US, sounds like a terrible idea, based on prior experience of US customers with any provider, not just Cingular)
- You have to get a 2 year contract for a non-3G phone, which is terrible long, considering the speed at which technology evolves
- It's the first generation iPhone and you have to believe in Apple to do it right
- The iPhone is for now locked to third-party applications so power users will be frustrated they cannot do everything they want with that phone

So we'll see where the total price lands....

--------------------------------------------------------------------
T-mobile plan as of April 17, 2007 (New York City):
- Get More Plan with T-Mobile BlackBerry 8700g
* Whenever minutes: 600
* Weekend minutes: unlimited
* Weeknights minutes: unlimited $39.99 per month
- T-Mobile BlackBerry 8700g (Suggested retail $399.99)
Instant discount -$150.00
Mail-in rebate -$50.00
$199.99
- WorldClass International Service FREE
- Unlimited Domestic Messages $14.99 per month
- BlackBerry Unlimited Add-on $19.99 per month
---
Total due today*$249.99
Total due monthly**$74.97
One time activation fee†$35.00

 

[Analog Kid]

Spin is such a funny thing... Shouldn't this article be "there were issues with iPhone and Apple has addressed them"? Apple pulled trained, skilled personnel from Leopard to address issues with iPhone. iPhone is still on track for June. All of this was in the press release Apple gave on the 12th.

Any analyst who can't or doesn't read a highly publicized press release should be terminated immediately... Since this is Businessweek, I'll give everyone the benefit of the doubt and assume the article was written before the press release went out-- making this article a NOP.

 

[bfresh]

Newbie discouraged

I was planning on buying a new iMac once Leopard or a new iMac was Released, but it looks like I might have to wait longer.

I hope Apple has something big down the pipeline. I don't want to have to go the MS route again.

 

[slu]

Apple just became a big company like DELL, Microsoft etc. and got all theirs illnesses. But in addition to it also they became a liars. Two weeks before launch of Apple TV they perfectly knew that this will be delayed, and said there'll be no delay. Month ago they said Leopard will be shipped this spring, and they knew that it won't. Now they promise that iPhone will be shipped in June, and believe me, somewhere on 20's of June they'll say that it'll be delayed because of third party something. As well as Leopard won't be shipped on October. If you believe all that Apple say, so you should assume that Apple is a kind of company, that have no idea about time framing of project management, that develop products spontaneously and unable to estimate which part of work we'll be done in a month on specific project.

Apple has been a "big company" since at least the early 80s (whatever that even means). And the rest of this post makes no sense at all...Nice try though.

 

[Counter]

By that logic, Apple can just tell the suppliers to "make it happen" and the parts will be available in time?

That's absurd.

What you said is absurd. Apple being responsible for their own products ship time is not.

 

[Macula]

Apple needs Developers-Developers-Developers-Developers

 

[nagromme]

I've said it before and I will say it again. Anyone stupid enough to use a version 1.0 product that Apple has zero prior experience with is just asking for massive headaches. My phone is a mandatory communications device for my job. It is used extensively throughout the day and week. Most people, not all but most, are jumping on the iPhone because it’s the new shiny in town. That’s all. Heck even if it wasn’t tied to THAT carrier I would still be wary about it. I need something reliable. Not something fashionable and trendy.
Now long term do I think the iPhone will rock? Yes. Sure. No doubt. But I want to see two things. Real world use of this thing by real people and Apple get some real experience under their belt. Wake me on G 2.0. Actually maybe even G 3.0.

Agreed--always wait, if you can, on any new technology.

Except I'd disagree with a few specifics:

1. "stupid": First-generation products have more problems than later ones, true--and that's a principle that guides my own purchases. But "more problems" is relative: MOST people get a perfect unit even with the first version. Better odds if you wait, but still good odds if you buy at the start. Not "stupid" if you need something sooner rather than later.

2. "Apple": The same issues apply to brand-new products from ANY company, not just Apple. (I will refrain from car analogies )

3. "zero prior experience": Even if Apple DID have prior phone experience, a new product would still be riskier than an older one. A redesigned MacBook, despite Apple's experience, will still have more problems in version 1 than in version 3.

4. "Most people, not all but most, are jumping on the iPhone because it’s the new shiny in town. That’s all.": My impression it that the iPhone's FEATURES are what make people want to buy--very FEW people are sinking $500 into style alone.

What you said is absurd. Apple being responsible for their own products ship time is not.

Crazy idea: maybe Apple is PARTLY in control of when things ship, and OTHER parties are partly responsible too

It's not ALL under Apple's control, and it's not ALL suppliers (or FCC or employees leaving or a million other factors that can change from week to week). It IS fair to say that outside forces have an impact on Apple's ship dates which Apple can't control. That's not to say the iPhone is delayed by components (it's not delayed at all, so far, and if it was, we don't know ALL the components). But you're talking about Apple in general being solely responsible for ship times, and that's too simple.

 

[lord patton]

The iPhone could slip a few more weeks and it wouldn't make Apple liars. In the southern hemisphere June runs until August 32nd.

 

[baddaddy]

Apple Already Announced Late June Ship Date!!!

This is stupid. Apple already announced that they weren't shipping iPhone till late June on their website under "hotnews". One would hope that Macrumors and the analists had read the press release before putting something like this up.

iPhone has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned. We can’t wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is. However, iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price — we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned. While Leopard's features will be complete by then, we cannot deliver the quality release that we and our customers expect from us.