O2's iPhone Discounts Spur Sales

[wolfie37]

"We usually sell one or two a day"?!!? That stinks. Apple needs to sell over 27,000 per day to get to 10M units (worldwide) in 2008.

Lets assume that 2 a day is a smaller Carphone Warehouse store, they have 750 stores so thats 1500 a day minimum (remember the other store said they sold 30 a day) that means CPW have sold 270,000 since launch not counting any peak times such as Christmas or launch day. Add in O2 sales at their shops, Apple store sales and online sales and that low estimate figure looks like 500,000 since launch. Extrapolate that to the end of the year and we are looking at a UK low-estimate sales figure of 1.1m (again not taking into account ay promotions or holiday sales boosts). Thats a healthy contribution to the 10million worldwide sales by year end.

 

[Glenny2lappies]

Apple would have sold a lot more in the UK, if they hadn't restricted themselves to O2. Not only that, it should have been 3G from day one. Oh, and a higher MP camera would have helped.

I've never understood the fixation with camera quality. Certainly when compared with the complete rubbish that is *every* other mobile device's intarwebs browser. Take the 'wonderful' N95 for instance; it doesn't even have a touch screen so selecting a URL is a matter of tabbing through; it doesn't zoom in and out; it's a dire browser.

Yet that gets forgotten about.

Similarly for the music browser. iTunes on the iPhone is a pleasure to use. Not sure about the other phone devices.

As soon as we get the application environment opened up in June, the iPhone will make all other phone/PDAs look like an X-box up against 'ping-pong'.

Hopefully, the new model ( and the rumour that it will be available to multiple carriers in Italy ) will signal the end of the exclusive deals.

That's not going to happen in the UK for at least 2 more years. I'm sure Apple's contract with O2 will last that long.

Bottom line; the iPhone is exclusive. We don't want just any chav having one. Bit like PCs vs. the Mac.

 

[redgaz26]

Lets assume that 2 a day is a smaller Carphone Warehouse store, they have 750 stores so thats 1500 a day minimum (remember the other store said they sold 30 a day) that means CPW have sold 270,000 since launch not counting any peak times such as Christmas or launch day. Add in O2 sales at their shops, Apple store sales and online sales and that low estimate figure looks like 500,000 since launch. Extrapolate that to the end of the year and we are looking at a UK low-estimate sales figure of 1.1m (again not taking into account ay promotions or holiday sales boosts). Thats a healthy contribution to the 10million worldwide sales by year end.

very valid point
i work in one of Scotland's largest train stations and from the launch up until a couple of weeks ago i think i saw two iphones, in the last few weeks ive seen loads.
always brings a smile to my face(sad I know)

"We don't want just any chav having one."
class!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[72930]

very valid point
i work in one of Scotland's largest train stations and from the launch up until a couple of weeks ago i think i saw two iphones, in the last few weeks ive seen loads.
always brings a smile to my face(sad I know)

You're lucky, I always get that jealous feeling when I see people with an iPhone. I'm just so desperate for one...hopefully I'll be able to wait out for and then afford a 32GB model.

 

[jbernie]

I think if I were Apple, I would have focused the Edge models on the US market only, 3G has been around way too long in most if not all of western Europe that an Edge phone can be viewed as a downgrade despite the cool oo its Apple buzz.

I understand that the initial issue with 3G was battery life related and for the US market where 3G coverage can be spotty in many major cities going with Edge on AT&Ts network was a good decision, but for Europe/Asia/Oceania 3G is expected porbably demanded in such a device.

I would expect western Europe sales to get a significant boost once the 3G model is released.

 

[happydude]

sounds like the european market has been slower uptake than expected. I guess the 3G iPhone will help address that.

arn

should also spurn a new interest in the u.s. market

 

[Mock Turtleneck]

+1 for Germany

While I seriously am thinking about buying one for my quite technophobe wife, the obvious shortcomings of the iPhone stop me from buying one for myself.

The Nokia N95 is available with 8 GB for 1 € with a not so shabby contract here. The N96 just around the corner. So Apple better give me MMS and easy file sharing with my friends and my computer via Bluetooth. They better give me better options to edit profiles, select custom ringtones for special people, groups and stuff. And they should finally give me a tethering option to use my data connection on my laptop. I've done that with my 3G phone quite some time, when I'm on the road.

I don't give a damn about media player features and I could care less about mobile Safari, as Nokias WebKit isn't too shabby. Mobile Safari won't make me pay 300 bucks more on a phone with so many shortcomings!

Just for starters, this message reeks of entitlement. Apple doesn't need to provide any features that they don't deem fit, nor do you need to purchase the device if it doesn't meet your need.

For starters, yes, MMS hopefully will be added in the near future, as for file sharing with your friends and computer...that is a useless feature as the iPhone has no ability to be used as a portable data device. The iPhone has never been advertised as a data storage device so why would Apple add file sharing abilities to the iPhone?

Adding custom ringtones to a user, easily done in current software revisions, thus that feature has already been added.

Data tethering is something that I would imagine is not permitted in Apple's Contracts, most unlimited data plans would be hurt or removed if we had users connecting their laptops through their iPhones all the time. From Apple's point of view it's better to protect the Internet Experience on the iPhone rather than let those agreements for data with their carriers disappear.

If you don't care about the Web Browsing abilities or the iPod abilities, perhaps the iPhone is not for you!

Regards,

The Mock Turtleneck

 

[twoodcc]

makes me think that the price cuts are just to sell more iPhones, and not really clear inventory

 

[DevilInDisguise]

hey

just wanted to know if a tourist cud just go into the o2 or cpw store and buy an iphone with cash? cos i have a frnd who wud be in the UK for a few days and want him to get an iphone for me

wud they sell it to him just like that? or r there more things involved?

 

[Delta-NC]

Deleted.

 

[Delta-NC]

Deleted.

 

[L3X]

May as well mention while I am here. I have only ever seen one person with an iPhone, me, and I returned it for a full refund less than 24 hours later. Was far to slow to be useful to me. Waiting for 3G.

I've seen maybe 6 people in the past year with an iPhone. I know many more people have them but they are not using them when I see them obviously.

Two of my co-workers have them. (I work in an IT dept)

Several other co-workers want them, but don't want to spend the money.

Blackberries are much more prevalent in the "IT" field.

 

[/dev/toaster]

I've seen maybe 6 people in the past year with an iPhone. I know many more people have them but they are not using them when I see them obviously.

Two of my co-workers have them. (I work in an IT dept)

Several other co-workers want them, but don't want to spend the money.

Blackberries are much more prevalent in the "IT" field.

Out here, I see 6 people a day with an iPhone. (Not counting my coworkers who have them)

A large portion of the company I work for has them, but then again we are already a very heavy Mac shop. We are down to 2 hard core Windows users

 

[BongoBanger]

Lets assume that 2 a day is a smaller Carphone Warehouse store, they have 750 stores so thats 1500 a day minimum (remember the other store said they sold 30 a day) that means CPW have sold 270,000 since launch not counting any peak times such as Christmas or launch day. Add in O2 sales at their shops, Apple store sales and online sales and that low estimate figure looks like 500,000 since launch. Extrapolate that to the end of the year and we are looking at a UK low-estimate sales figure of 1.1m (again not taking into account ay promotions or holiday sales boosts). Thats a healthy contribution to the 10million worldwide sales by year end.

Sorry, that's not the case. Sales aren't flat averaged - they peaked and then fell away quite considerably. In addition your figure of 500K is way too high.

 

[skunk]

Sorry, that's not the case. Sales aren't flat averaged - they peaked and then fell away quite considerably. In addition your figure of 500K is way too high.

Until actual sales figures are published, your anecdotal guesstimate is no more valid than anyone else's.

 

[DevilInDisguise]

The only restriction is you have to pay by Credit or Debit card. However they only charge you for the phone using it. From then you can walk out the door and do as you wish. You do not have to sign anything, and have no obligations.

wud this be both at an o2 and cpw store? wat about the apple store?

does CPW have more stores then o2? cos then i can just ask my friends to go to a cpw as he can find one of them easily

 

[weckart]

650 CPW shops in the UK according to website, 2,200 in 11 countries.

Still, say average 15 a day, x 650 shops 9,750 per day, not bad going.

Too optimistic. There are some concrete figures on Macbidouille.com about the number of sales on day 2 of the discount - some 5400 were sold by CPW throughout the UK, compared with 1300 Nokia 2310s and some 450 N95s.

Ordinarily, I would have expected the sales to be in the low hundreds prior to the discount. The figures may go up a little over the first week or two as people hear about the discount, but the longer the sale goes on the more these figures will tail off.

 

[BongoBanger]

Until actual sales figures are published, your anecdotal guesstimate is no more valid than anyone else's.

I'm basing it on Orange France's published sales figures - 70,000 in month one dropping to about 10,000 over the next two months then to about 5,000 for the next two. These figures have been disclosed and - given that the business model is the same in France as it is in the UK - there is no reason to suppose O2's sales pattern is any different.

 

[swagi]

Just for starters, this message reeks of entitlement. Apple doesn't need to provide any features that they don't deem fit, nor do you need to purchase the device if it doesn't meet your need.

For starters, yes, MMS hopefully will be added in the near future, as for file sharing with your friends and computer...that is a useless feature as the iPhone has no ability to be used as a portable data device. The iPhone has never been advertised as a data storage device so why would Apple add file sharing abilities to the iPhone?

Adding custom ringtones to a user, easily done in current software revisions, thus that feature has already been added.

Data tethering is something that I would imagine is not permitted in Apple's Contracts, most unlimited data plans would be hurt or removed if we had users connecting their laptops through their iPhones all the time. From Apple's point of view it's better to protect the Internet Experience on the iPhone rather than let those agreements for data with their carriers disappear.

If you don't care about the Web Browsing abilities or the iPod abilities, perhaps the iPhone is not for you!

Regards,

The Mock Turtleneck

First of all, yeah, that's why I said I don't consider an iPhone for myself. And I guess the article was about the slow European uptake of the phone, wasn't it. I'm a little geeky, I was in the T-Mobile store the first day, so yeah, I was interested. But the price/performance ratio just is not right.

So I'm fully acknowledging my right not to buy the iPhone. If Apple doesn't care about my money...well so be it. Bad for me as a shareholder, and even worse for my cash waiting for some new gadgets.

Considering File sharing with friends and a computer: Well, my iPhone first of all should double as portable data device. Heck, nearly every Bluetooth capable phone on the market allows me to pair it and access the filesystem.

Second my phone generates data. I currently have 2GB in my Nokia phone. Nokia has a damn good Windows integration, so every soundclip, video and pic I CREATED (caps for emphasis) with my phone get downstreamed to the Windows comp as soon as pairing occurs. I also do this by hand on Mac OS X. So just for novelty sake I attached a pic I made with my Nokia, I wouldn't want to miss (my new car ).

And Data tethering is actively promoted by o2 in Germany, when they sell you the phone. E.g. they actively promote their o2 Connection Manager for OS X (current version 2.1), which allows for easy tethering.

But, Mock Turtleneck, you are definitely right. In current performance, the iPhone is not meant for me. Basically I could use an ugly brick, as long as its killer app is working properly. And that is making and receiving calls with great battery time (Nokia 6310 anyone?).

Maybe iPhone Rev. B will make me buy. Currently I'm in the process of terminating my contract, so in 3 months I have to buy a new phone. Well, maybe o2 Germany will give me an offer, I can't resist. Maybe Apple will.

In short - these are the reasons why Apple lost my money. I consider myself a rather typical European mobile user. So I'm a perfect example as to why the iPhone does not sell in Europe.

 

[Mock Turtleneck]

First of all, yeah, that's why I said I don't consider an iPhone for myself. And I guess the article was about the slow European uptake of the phone, wasn't it. I'm a little geeky, I was in the T-Mobile store the first day, so yeah, I was interested. But the price/performance ratio just is not right.

So I'm fully acknowledging my right not to buy the iPhone. If Apple doesn't care about my money...well so be it. Bad for me as a shareholder, and even worse for my cash waiting for some new gadgets.

Considering File sharing with friends and a computer: Well, my iPhone first of all should double as portable data device. Heck, nearly every Bluetooth capable phone on the market allows me to pair it and access the filesystem.

Second my phone generates data. I currently have 2GB in my Nokia phone. Nokia has a damn good Windows integration, so every soundclip, video and pic I CREATED (caps for emphasis) with my phone get downstreamed to the Windows comp as soon as pairing occurs. I also do this by hand on Mac OS X. So just for novelty sake I attached a pic I made with my Nokia, I wouldn't want to miss (my new car ).

And Data tethering is actively promoted by o2 in Germany, when they sell you the phone. E.g. they actively promote their o2 Connection Manager for OS X (current version 2.1), which allows for easy tethering.

But, Mock Turtleneck, you are definitely right. In current performance, the iPhone is not meant for me. Basically I could use an ugly brick, as long as its killer app is working properly. And that is making and receiving calls with great battery time (Nokia 6310 anyone?).

Maybe iPhone Rev. B will make me buy. Currently I'm in the process of terminating my contract, so in 3 months I have to buy a new phone. Well, maybe o2 Germany will give me an offer, I can't resist. Maybe Apple will.

In short - these are the reasons why Apple lost my money. I consider myself a rather typical European mobile user. So I'm a perfect example as to why the iPhone does not sell in Europe.

You will get no argument from me that the price / performance ratio on the iPhone does find itself lacking, it's truly a very specialized device that Apple doesn't seem interested in taking beyond it's nitch market. With that being said, I am an iPhone owner and user myself, I replaced my HTC Wizard Device with one.

I suppose with how you described file sharing between you and your computer I just wonder why you wouldn't want to sit down at your Computer (Desktop/Laptop) and just plug in the Sync Cable or slip the iPhone into its dock so that you could not only complete the tasks you mentioned, but also start the charging process.

The data paring between iPhoto and iTunes is seamless on the iPhone, at times annoyingly seamless. The lack of video creation support on the iPhone is something I will agree with you on, I'd love to shoot some live action and sync that back to the Mac, perhaps one day!

BTW, off topic but congrats on your new car! I picked a new one up last night myself and will toss a shot from my iPhone on here. (Technically it's my wife's new car but I'm paying the bill so...)

When data tethering comes into the picture, I suppose I can only and did base my opinions off the US market, EU country providers must take a more liberal stance on it...I know the majority of US providers are more interested in selling you a 3G data card than letting you use your phone's unlimited connection for your laptop. I've known people who have been kicked off their unlimited data plans for tethering too much data traffic.

As a fellow Apple Shareholder, I can hope that Apple does consider feedback as to what will make their product more appealing overseas, however as with most things it seems Apple designs and thinks purely out of the box...as long as that out of box experience is firmly rooted here in the US....

Hopefully with iPhone 3 you will find a product that will meet your needs a bit closer, if not, there is always the post 3G revisions down the road!

Enjoy your new car!

The Mock Turtleneck

 

[Max_Walker]

iphone reality

I've just bought the £169 8GB and unlocked it for use with Orange. Data on the move and visual voicemail would be nice but not £35 per month nice.
If you make the decision to unlock you clearly exclude these two key features and hence the arrival of 3G isn't going to change that. So why did I do it ?

Well, my Orange SIM has a old but still excellent deal that combines PAYG and direct billing. Initially the Unlocks available would only unlock to other O2 or O2 network using cards ( ie. TESCO PAYG). Now that any SIM works, the phone adds PDA type functionality to it and features not on my Nokia + ipod capability.

The next generation iphone, if it comes with a £35 per month contract will still not be worth it to me, given my pattern of use. Unfortunately the data charging in the UK is not good on other networks and, if you need it, O2 is good compared with what's on offer elsewhere in the UK.

What might make the difference, well, if the iphone connected to my laptop by bluetooth and the data package was the same, it would give you the same as a vodaphone data card (currently £15 + per month) and a phone functionality. I can do data with my Nokia 6310 - which is years old , so why not the iPhone !!

 

[Max_Walker]

iPhone reality Pt 2

Having just read Mock Turtleneck's post it struck me that Apple needs to look at the market again to focus on who it is looking to 'convert'. Is it the Blackberry market ? - I'm not so sure.

I think its the Nokia 6310 owner - like me and i guess 'SWAGI- those that want a business phone first and foremost. They want excellent battery life and data capable, but they also open to changing to the next generation of phone when it comes along, providing it makes a compelling case. As I said above, hooking laptop to phone seamlessly is one of those issues.

 

[mikey.f]

Amazing, what a difference does £100 make . I am getting ready to hear all the complaining in two or so months, when the 3G iphone (hopefully) arrives and these "early" adopters will whine that apple screwed them...

 

[DevilInDisguise]

ok very simple question again..

i have a friend whos going to the uk for a few days n i want him to get me an iphone so i can unlock n use it..

now can he buy the iphone from the cpw stores and even an o2 store?

plus since u guys say he needs to buy using a credit or debit card, is that it, or do they do some verification or such on his credit rating and wont give him an iphone as hes not a resident of uk??

ur reply is much appreciated..

 

[Delta-NC]

Deleted.