Wading in...
The reporters are stating what we expect them to - surely
every time Apple comes out with something, people will try to say "..But i was there
firrsst?!?.."
Bottom line is the device employs some
unique, some
popular, some
regular technologies, like most gadgets do. The key isn't how many things it can do, it's how
well it can do what they say it can do. And Apple twirls the crown like a basketball when it comes to that sort of business..
With regards to the price of the iPhone, i'm sure that Apple will not price it out of the reach of too many - again for them the key is the business generated by the product. Jobs&Co know that the network operators are all trying and in most cases failing to promote devices that make higher use of their data services.
**I heard not too long ago that some (if not all) Orange sales staff had had the goalposts moved in terms of how they earn sales commission, from how many units they sell, to how much data usage their sales generate! That's whip-cracking by the provider, because they can't deliver the results they expected simply by getting the media-capable phones out there...
The iPhone will change/sidestep a lot of this.
1) It's got the iPod feature which takes care of the music (the best way). The syncing is via Mac/PC-based iTunes, which is selling the content at a rate better than any of the network operators or their partners could ever hope. So i don't think the networks would take it on in the hope that it'll help their music sales efforts. They'll still be marketing other phones for that purpose (until iTunes 'pushes music' to the iPhone via GPRS/HSPDA/3G (still way too expensive). For example,
Three is operating its mobile music store, and i wonder if they'd think about offering a phone that swings people away from something they're trying to market at the moment....
2) The operators
know that the only money they'll make off iPhone owners is from data services trickling through mainly via Email and Internet-Based usage, and normal calling and texting. Enter
Google and
Yahoo! as content delivery partners. The features & services on offer from these big net brands aren't so bandwidth heavy as to cost the earth for the average user, but they'll increase the bottom-line ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) in the long run, as they're pre-installed, well-integrated and usually popular and fun things to use. Any of the network providers can provide the GPRS/HSPDA or 3G services to cater for 'on-the-move' data usage, so i reckon the provider able to demostrate best data bandwidth and coverage will win (I'm thinking either Vodafone or O2???)
3) Apple will look to make money off the hardware regardless, so they'll price it within reach of what people are paying now. There is a premium ofcourse, but people are paying it more and more these days for the product they want, and Jobs&Co know this..
My crude mathematics estimate a price of around £299 sim-free or £199 on contract(8GB version) and maybe £269 simfree or £169 on contract(4GB version). How? Well...
You've got the iPod part (currently £129 & £169 as packaged)
The phone/internet/email part (taking an O2 xda Mini S going for £160 on contract)
Minus costs of combining the two, and i reckon i'm spot on. Remember, Apple tends to keep a very sharp eye on what it's products retail for, and in this case, they'll either
- Have a say in the cost of the final retail price, which is rare & difficult to secure a deal like this in the mobile market, unless you sell like Apple sells
- Let all the operators do a free-for-all with various deals and packages, but collect a set price per iPhone (likely, as it'd get them serious volume sales of the units)
- Or, as they've struck in the US, single-operator exclusive deal, meaning further subsidy for the user, and single point-of-contact for collecting their cash
(most likely)
Either way, i'm saving for a sim-free, full-whack whatever version they come out with, coz them thangs are waaaaay cool hehehe
CaPo