One major screw up from Apple

[kytiger]

Why didn't Apple ship a few of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to their stores so people can at least see and hold them to help figure out which one they wanted? The size question is a new one for iPhone customers and they should have provided some help here.

By not doing that, people are going to stores looking at competitive devices. Or asking their friends who have competitive devices. That gives the competition a great chance to convert those people. Or hear from their friends how much they love the competitive device. Samsung is probably all over this with incentives too knowing this was happening.

Really dumb move by Apple.

 

[myforwik]

I think he has a point.

Is it really that hard for apple to put the phones on display in their stores from today?

Maybe it would back fire the other way: Less people will buy without all the internet hype for a device they have never even seen or touched in real live. Once you see and touch it in store, the hype wears off and by the time its available for purchase a week later, you might not want it anymore.

 

[eelw]

Yes it would be nice to have demo units prior to the launch. But if people have been waiting for a larger iPhone, they are not going to jump ship to comparable android phone at this point. If anything, there's going to be huge surge in returns worse than people returning because of colour prior years.

 

[ScubaCinci]

Apple is barely going to keep up with demand as is...having demos to win over a few more customers is not worth the effort of shipping demo units that are subject to theft, etc.

 

[Winona Northdakota]

Yes it would be nice to have demo units prior to the launch. But if people have been waiting for a larger iPhone, they are not going to jump ship to comparable android phone at this point. If anything, there's going to be huge surge in returns worse than people returning because of colour prior years.

Why should Apple provide a demo of a new product that hasn't launched? What is the launch for? The launch is the introduction, when a product is unveiled, when it is made public and the official announcement of the product. By the way, launch and availability are two different things.

 

[drpellypo]

In answer to the OP's question... Because you don't actually have to buy an iPhone on launch day to own an iPhone.

 

[anthdci]

In answer to the OP's question... Because you don't actually have to buy an iPhone on launch day to own an iPhone.

exactly, just wait a few weeks until demand settles down then go into a sore and have a go. That's what I'm planning on doing.

 

[nostresshere]

Apple is barely going to keep up with demand as is...having demos to win over a few more customers is not worth the effort of shipping demo units that are subject to theft, etc.

WRONG

They will still be sending out demo units.

Somewhere in the marketing world they have always opted to not send any BEFORE the initial release. Maybe because they know millions will go online and order them sight unseen anyways.

 

[kytiger]

In answer to the OP's question... Because you don't actually have to buy an iPhone on launch day to own an iPhone.

Of course you don't have to buy the new iPhone on launch day. Everyone is missing the bigger point...why give Samsung and others this opportunity. The new iPhones exist so why not put them in the stores for people to at least see. That's marketing 101. I was in an AT&T store yesterday and there were many people in there looking at Samsung devices simply due to the size comparison.

Or you can just continue to do what you've always done because you've always done it that way. Those are moves that gets companies stomped by competition.

But the Apple fanboys can keep posting funny pictures and keeping their heads in the sand (or up somewhere else).

 

[akhilleus]

Apple has enough dedicated followers that they're going to buy these things regardless. Once they're released, people will have them in-hand and everyone else will make their decisions from there. I don't really see it as a misstep since they have a built-in and devoted following.

 

[ninaco]

I understand why Apple doesn't put demos of unreleased products in their stores.

But, have to say that the Galaxy Note 3 I played with to feel its size was impressive. So, I get the op's point.

 

[atari1356]

Ars Technica has a PDF with cutouts for the iPhone 5, 6 and 6 Plus. I printed it out and it really helps you see how big the new iPhones will be.

Personally I like the iPhone 6 size the best... but as an app developer, I think I'll need to get the 6 Plus because of the new UI challenges it presents (especially in landscape, where it displays split view controllers as dual paned like an iPad).

 

[ScubaCinci]

WRONG

They will still be sending out demo units.

Somewhere in the marketing world they have always opted to not send any BEFORE the initial release. Maybe because they know millions will go online and order them sight unseen anyways.

I was talking about BEFORE the release, genius. Everyone knows they have demo units in the store after launch.

 

[aristobrat]

Or you can just continue to do what you've always done because you've always done it that way. Those are moves that gets companies stomped by competition.

But the Apple fanboys can keep posting funny pictures and keeping their heads in the sand (or up somewhere else).

It's interesting to me how quickly the word "fanboy" comes up when someone posts an idea on MacRumors that doesn't quickly gain traction.

Personally, I like your idea, and I think it would cut down on the crowds that show up at stores on launch day (vs. those who pre-order online). I'd imagine there's a good size group of folks that buy from the stores (vs. pre-ordering) specifically so that they can see the new phone before they make the final decision.

But everyone knows that Apple LOVES its launch day crowds. I'd say that they couldn't afford to pay for the true value of all of the free marketing they get from all of the news coverages that their crowds bring them, but it's Apple ... they could definitely afford to pay for it. In that aspect, it doesn't make any sense to do something (like put demo models out before the launch) that stands the potential of reducing the crowds.

AFAIK, Apple's never done a "demo" of an iDevice in stores, before the actual launch day (going back over a decade with all of the iPods). I'm sure Apple's lost sales because of that, but I honestly don't think the amount was of any significance. And I realllllly don't think "not having a demo before launch" is going to cause Apple to get stomped.

Speaking of demos, what cracks me up are the non-functional Android demos in many of the carriers stores -- the phones with a screen cover that makes it look like it's on, but it's really not. Never seen that with an iPhone.

 

[ET iPhone Home]

Why didn't Apple ship a few of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to their stores so people can at least see and hold them to help figure out which one they wanted? The size question is a new one for iPhone customers and they should have provided some help here.

By not doing that, people are going to stores looking at competitive devices. Or asking their friends who have competitive devices. That gives the competition a great chance to convert those people. Or hear from their friends how much they love the competitive device. Samsung is probably all over this with incentives too knowing this was happening.

Really dumb move by Apple.

i agree… Apple should have had these phones out the following day of the event for viewing.