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Just a thought, why no engravings?
- Thread starter joeblow7777
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Probably because it's such a high volume product and adding engravings would slow down production
Maybe, but I figured they would produce units like normal and the ones that opt for engravings might just take a bit longer to ship.
Yeah, I considered those factors as well. But I like the idea of engravings. My iPad is engraved. Our phones are among the most personal items that we carry on us these days. I think it would be nice to be able to truly personalize them. It would also be a good anti theft feature since it would make it harder for a thief to sell.
I don't worry about reselling electronics (I usually just pass them on to a friend or relative) and I tend to favour clear cases.
But most iPads are also likely used with some backing or integrated case/stand as well. I would say a majority tend to use cases on their iPads. But given there are way more iPhones for sale over iPads due to the net popularity, that would likely have a negative effect on the iPhone used value if it said "BigMcguire" on the back of it for example.
Plus, iPhones are upgraded annually, where as iPads are every 18 months approximately, so it could decrease productivity by engraving an iPhone due to the amount they produce.
All I know is that I would go for it if Apple offered. I would love to be able to personalize my phone, and I don't just mean by changing the wallpaper or with a case or skin. There must be factors that make it impractical for Apple, as others have suggested. Otherwise I don't see why they do it for iPods and iPads but not iPhones.
I think the reason could be how the iPhones are advertised/sold and the importance we give phones over iPads or iPods. Fewer sales would hurt Apple and the cell companies, and the importance many give phones in their daily lives means wanting a phone right this second. To expand on my thoughts...
Many companies are jumping on year upgrades which require you to return your year old phone in order to get the newest and lots of people take advantage of this and I see companies really emphasizing this "feature" of their plans to get the sales. If the iPhone was custom engraved, then very likely they would not be eligible for trade ins, just like with iPads and iPods. Apple and cell companies benefit greatly from these yearly upgrades and aren't going to want to do anything to affect this.
The other thing is when people walk into a store to buy a cell phone, they usually don't have time or don't want to wait for a week or however long engravings would take. Phones are almost a necessity, but iPads and iPods are more accessories and gifts that people are willing to wait a little longer for. I don't use my iPhone much, but it is the only way for my employer to get ahold of me quickly if something catastrophic were to happen outside of business hours, and for that reason I can't afford not to have a phone for a week just so that I can have it engraved. Also look at how many people can't go 5 minutes without Facebook, Instagram, or texting, and then ask if those people would be willing to wait a week or more for engraving.
Many companies are jumping on year upgrades which require you to return your year old phone in order to get the newest and lots of people take advantage of this and I see companies really emphasizing this "feature" of their plans to get the sales. If the iPhone was custom engraved, then very likely they would not be eligible for trade ins, just like with iPads and iPods. Apple and cell companies benefit greatly from these yearly upgrades and aren't going to want to do anything to affect this.
The other thing is when people walk into a store to buy a cell phone, they usually don't have time or don't want to wait for a week or however long engravings would take. Phones are almost a necessity, but iPads and iPods are more accessories and gifts that people are willing to wait a little longer for. I don't use my iPhone much, but it is the only way for my employer to get ahold of me quickly if something catastrophic were to happen outside of business hours, and for that reason I can't afford not to have a phone for a week just so that I can have it engraved. Also look at how many people can't go 5 minutes without Facebook, Instagram, or texting, and then ask if those people would be willing to wait a week or more for engraving.
Those are good points, but it doesn't really explain why the option isn't available for those people for whom those factors don't apply. I don't know what percentage of people actually wait until they are without a functioning phone to buy a new one. I figure those people are the ones who go into the store so that they can actually walk out with a phone, not the ones who are ordering online, which is where engraving is offered.
I think it's just a lose-lose situation. Most people go to an actual store for phones so they can have them right away, or because they're setting up new lines, plans, etc. If you mention the wait time for engraving, most will just take what's available instead. Those who decide to go online and wait, you know Verizon, Sprint, etc. aren't going to walk them through the process but instead tell them to go home, go to apple.com, and order. Not only did that rep just lose commission and put his sales target in a rut, but most likely that person goes home and doesn't order or waits to order or orders a different phone. None of those are ideal. It's quite likely the sales person wouldn't even mention engraving unless directly asked, to avoid these issues.
There also may be a high cost in setting up and maintaining engraving machines for iPhones. I think offering this would be digging your own grave because once it's offered Apple would have to keep it until the iPhone line was gone completely or risk backlash and bad PR. I have a feeling that there simply aren't enough people wanting this and suggesting it to Apple for them to want to take the risk.
Engraving must be ordered online, but if you walk into an Apple store, at least the ones here, they are pretty open about offering engraving but do tell you it'll take extra time which isn't an issue for accessories and gifts. The Apple employee then walks you through ordering it online and all that jazz then so even though you came into the store, you're still ordering online.
I usually give my products a silly engraving when I'm buying new, seeing as I've had to replace every Apple product I've ever owned under warranty I know it won't be there forever.
But I agree about the iPhone thing, odd that they don't offer engravings.
But I agree about the iPhone thing, odd that they don't offer engravings.
I'm just thinking about the people who were buying from Apple.com anyway. There's no reason why carrier stores would have to say anything about engravings. If you buy an iPad from a retailer besides Apple, I don't think they bring it up. It has nothing to do with them. I'm just talking about having the option when you order from Apple.com, like they do for other devices. It has nothing to do with other retailers.
And it may be that I don't understand the process or the equipment that it entails, but I figured that the same engraving machines that they use already would work on iPhones.
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You've had to replace every Apple device under warranty? That sounds like pretty bad luck!
Never engraved any of my Apple devices, never occurred for me to do so.
Seems a little vain to me.
Seems a little vain to me.
I engraved one, worst idea ever. I quickly found out no one wanted to buy my old device with my name on it and so when I wanted to upgrade I got to throw the old device away instead of getting a little money back for it. With year upgrades and everyone selling their old devices on eBay, craigslist, and other areas, I bet the market for engraved iPhones is very little.
They'd likely want to automate, which means the machines used would have to know hot to adapt to the iPhone sizes to be able to flip/rotate it correctly and know dimensions of the devices. It would be bad to have someone's iPhone engraving be flipped upside down or written vertically because the machine didn't know what device it was. I would be surprised if a human is orientating the devices correctly and manually typing the messages to be printed out.
At the end of the day, if the demand and ROI were there, Apple would have already done it like they do for other products. I mean you could ask why your computers and laptops can't be engraved too. Same reasons.
Since you think this is such a high-demand offering that Apple is missing out on, why not create a business to offer this service ?
Where in the thread did the OP state any thing about engraving being in "High demand?" Seems it's just a preference for personalizing his iPhone as already mentioned from Apple.
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I never suggested that there's a high demand. I'm basically just thinking out loud about something that I would personally be interested in.
Also, it's quite a stretch to assume that I have the knowledge, interest, or resources to launch such a venture, so I'll assume that you were being facetious.
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Well, yeah, it should go without saying that you don't personalize an item that you plan to re-sell.
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What's vain about wanting to put a personal or meaningful message on an item that's very personal to you?
I'm a teacher, and I take great pride in that. The engraving on my iPad reads, "Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach." (A quotation attributed to Aristotle). I find it inspirational, especially when I'm having a tough day. And if I do sell/give away my iPad one day, it will likely be to another teacher.
I think 90% of people know they're not keeping the device for more than 1-3 years, so why bother ? An engraving is usually done on keepsake items, things one plan to keep "forever" and even pass down to children, relatives, etc.
Ipods and iPads, as shocking as this may be to some, are devices that people keep until they quit working, get lost, etc. I see 1st-gen iPads for sale all the time as well as 4th and 5th generation iPods. The fact that no iOS updates may be available, many apps can't be installed anymore, and so on don't matter to many people.
I tend to give my devices to less fortunate member of my family and I doubt they would like me engraving it. That would go for iPhones and iPads.
They all wear cases so engraving is . . . . well lets just say not a want or requirement.
They all wear cases so engraving is . . . . well lets just say not a want or requirement.
It was partly sarcasm based on his apparent passion for this. His passion, again, I'm being sarcastic, is based on almost half of the posts in this thread arguing - oh, sorry, too strong of a word - giving reasons for why Apple should do this.
I don't know if Apple ever offered engraving options for iPhones. If they did and no longer do, I'd say it was because of a lack of interest or demand. If they never have, it's likely for some of the reasons that others have posted in this thread and after ~10 years, Apple isn't likely to decide now it's a viable option.
Let's look at this strategically from Apple's perspective: personalized products experience lower return rates compared to standard products.
Which two products are clear sales laggards in Apple's product line up? iPod and iPad.
Consider:
Given these factors, Apple has no real incentive to offer iPhone engraving.
Which two products are clear sales laggards in Apple's product line up? iPod and iPad.
Consider:
- Customer satisfaction rate is extremely high with iPhone. Returns due to non-satisfaction are probably lowest in the industry.
- Carrier contracts further discourage iPhone returns.
- Personalized products are often gifted. How often are iPhones gifted compared to iPod and iPad?
Given these factors, Apple has no real incentive to offer iPhone engraving.
Have you had your previous iPhones or your current one engraved, using a jeweler or similar place (I've seen stores or kiosks in shopping malls, for example) that offers this service ?
So Your intended sarcasm contributes to part of the arguing in the Thread? Part of discussion is disagreement, not everyone agree's with everything. Otherwise, what would be the point of discussion if everybody agreed with everything.
Regardless, it's just a preference what the OP prefers with engraving. I see the iPad or iPod being engraved, because that's likely more to be a gift. I personally would not engrave my iPhone, because I upgrade annually and it would make no sense for me to do so.
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I have not. To be honest, I'm not interested enough to pay extra or seek out a service. I would only do it if Apple offered it the way they do for iPads/iPods, where you can just type in a message when you order, at no extra charge.