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What's been happening is the 'store down the road' has been ordering iphones from the USA, unlocking them and selling them - they're freely available unlocked for ages.

There were high street stores in the UK selling unlocked iPhones over the counter? Where? I know you could get them online, but I never heard of any big chains doing that.
 
I think they'll sell more now simply due to the better plans and lower upfront cost. Not to mention they now have 3G. Availability (at least in the UK) has never been an issue.

I agree. In the Netherlands availability also hasn't been an issue, but the fact that the phone needed to be unlocked was. It was the reason why I didn't buy one. I don't want to wait after an upgrade until some hacker makes new software to unlock the phone. I want it to work out of the box, and I want support.

Although the unlocking procedure is very easy, this was what scared people off. That and the fact that it was only sold on semi professional websites and stores.
 
There were high street stores in the UK selling unlocked iPhones over the counter? Where? I know you could get them online, but I never heard of any big chains doing that.

Not big chains as such, independent mobile phone shops. For example where I am directly opposite the CPW is a phone shop that sells them. They also heavily advertise unlocks so you can buy an official iphone from CPW, walk across the road and unlock it :p

That'll stop now of course.. at least until the 3G is unlocked.. then it'll start all over again.
 
Back to Nokia... The reason why this phone:

nokia_6310i.jpg


Is still the most popular Nokia Phone, is because it was the last Nokia phone to have an understandable menu, good sound quality and structural integrity (it's indestructable). Most if not all phones that came after this one traded features for build quality, sound and usability..

If Nokia et al would produce less different models per year and would focus on perfecting their designs, they would have truly competitive products on the market soon. In stead Nokia in Europe has around 100 :eek: different models in their product palette..
 
I don't get the logic where some here are saying Apple understands what people want, when Nokia is outselling them 118,000,0000 to 1700000. Maybe Nokia is actually the one who knows what people want?

And Apple is outselling Nokia 999,000,000 to 0 computer wise.

I dont get your logic either. Im sure microshit outsells apple by a long way, but does it make microsoft's products more superior then apples?? I dont think so.
 
I think my dad was referring not only the iPhone, but also Apple in general. I remember he called Apple right away when I bitched about this at dinner:

I have a mac-mini as primary for my appletv. Usually, I back all store purchases up immediately - HOWEVER, one night I purchased some South Park seasons via the Apple TV, and they didn't transfer back to my mac mini as it was turned off. Next day I turn the mac mini on in order to take the usual backup of purchased content - BUT, OSX gets "Ring of Death", and Apple Support (AppleCare, thank God) helps me out, and says only way out is a clean install. Now, the clean install would wipe my Apple TV, which could then be filled, but what about my south park purchases that never synced? The support line wouldn't even try to explain to me why I couldn't get a new re-download because I didn't have AppleCare for my AppleTV (Never heard of AC for ATV). So I lost my purchases?

Luckily we have sane laws (in many ways) VS the US etc in Denmark, and after a quick call by my dad to apple support, I received new downloads -yay! They were a bit puzzled about my US account for buying store goods though.

All these kind of experiences and stories about how apple treats their customers in event of something breaking.... wont make up for all the pro's in my dads point of view.



ON TOPIC: See you in line, iPhone3G ftw:apple:
 
And Apple is outselling Nokia 999,000,000 to 0 computer wise.

I dont get your logic either. Im sure microshit outsells apple by a long way, but does it make microsoft's products more superior then apples?? I dont think so.

Maybe you need to make up your mind if great sales mean great products or not. You cant have it both ways.

And I don't know where comparing phones with phone sales brought in Apple computers.
 
And Apple is outselling Nokia 999,000,000 to 0 computer wise.

I dont get your logic either. Im sure microshit outsells apple by a long way, but does it make microsoft's products more superior then apples?? I dont think so.

Actually they are from an enterprise point of view.

Archie's point is that the iPhone's sales dropped more than the general market's for Q1 2008. Now some of this could be due to cut back in supply - although not due to the forthcoming release of the iPhone 3G as that rumour didn't really solidify until early April - but equally some of it was probably due to exhausting the pool of available buyers - we have to remember the iPhone was released back in June, it's only one model and that smartphones have limited sales lives.

Apple have made good inroads into the smartphone market and I expect the iPhone 3G to take another step forward but - and it's a big but - they don't have Nokia's diversity and product range so not sure it'll compete in terms of pure sales volume.

But 10 million in 2008? Oh yes, quite easily.
 
Nokia has 52% of the smartphone market (40% of the world market). Symbian is in 65% of all phones.

The smartphone market is a tiny proportion of the world phone market. Most people do not have smartphones nor do they want them. Apple simply aren't going for the kind of domination you expect - they're selling a high value item to those that can afford to pay. It's not like the ipod (which didn't get popular until it got cheap - the iphone is not going to get cheap).

The Iphone is already pretty reasonably priced. If you compare the iphone to other smart phones, its actually quite cheap. People us the fact that it has a monthly plan to call it "expensive." The bottom line is, these days, everybody has a cell phone, and everyone pays monthly dues. Add a data plan onto it, and drop 200$ on the phone, and thats really not that much more of a dent in your wallet. Actually it is quite reasonable. Cost of ownership for an iphone is on par with most blackberries, and cheaper that many other smart phones.
 
He's envious of Steve Jobs.


Not his fault Nokia doesn't know how to create a huge hype and sell.


Keywords SELL SELL SELL.
 
He's envious of Steve Jobs.


Not his fault Nokia doesn't know how to create a huge hype and sell.


Keywords SELL SELL SELL.

This is really my point- his phone probably sold better.

The Nokia 3210 was a highly popular cellular phone, first launched in 1999. A combination of cutting-edge features such as built-in antennas and T9 (predictive text) ensured the 3210 huge commercial success (approximately 160 million units) especially across Western Europe and North America. The 3210 can also attribute much of its success to an advertising campaign which was aimed predominantly at young people, a first in the mobile phone industry. The inclusion of 3 games, changeable covers, customisable ringtones and competitive prices led to the handset's huge popularity with those aged 15-25.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_3210

If you measure worth by how much a phone SELL SELL SELL then Nokia clearly has Apple beat.
 
Typical for geeks to quickly yank out their pocket calculators and start crunching numbers, cant be helped after all, geeks see the world in terms of numbers. Instead how about taking a good long look at the mediocre piece of sheit Nokia offers and then contrast it to the aesthetic genius seeping from every aspect of the iPhone. Everything from unit design, meticulous attention to detail, the light years ahead of anyone else touch interface, hell, even the box the iPhone ships in is better designed and more well thought through than most phones from Nokia.

In the history of commerce you'd have to look hard to find examples of truly superior products outselling mediocre cheaper ones because the average human thrives in the mediocre bliss of ignorance. Only those who truly care about quality will be willing to go the extra length to acquire it. This is true for any consumer product, TV's, cars, Audio equipment and even clothes.
 
This is really my point- his phone probably sold better.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_3210

If you measure worth by how much a phone SELL SELL SELL then Nokia clearly has Apple beat.


This is really my point- you don't know how to compare.

Nokia: 1998
Apple: 2007; middle of the year


How many different models of phones does Nokia have? Not even sure. Well over 1000 since 1998.
How many different models of phones does Apple have? 1.


How many countries does Nokia sell in? Pretty sure they sell WORLDWIDE.
How many countries does Apple CURRENTLY sell in? The iPhone has been in america for a year and few days now, and a select few countries in Europe. for 9 months.


How many phones has Apple sold? Over 6 million in 1 year.

Nokia has sold 160,000,000 phones in 9 years, which is under 18,000,000 phones a year, that include hundreds of phone models, at both cheaper and expensive than the iphone.

Nokia is a phone company.
Apple is a computer company.


Apple wins.
 
The mistake your father makes, and I mean this with all respect, is that he mistakenly places too great an emphasis on what he thinks customers will want and not enough on what they are willing to spend money on.

I think my feelings on it are a pretty good example.

I don't particularly like the price and proprietary platforms, but the bottom line is that the product, taken as a whole, is a wonderful little piece of technology.

I don't care if Apple limits my choices if the choices they do give me are ones i want anyway.

For example, if I really want Filet Mignon, cooked rare, with steamed asparagus, a baked potato and bernaise sauce cooked really well, and there is a restaurant that provides me with that, I don't care if they don't also offer Grilled Halibut or Broiled pheasant.

And if the food is to my liking, I also don't care if I could get something similar a little more cheaply somewhere else or with some different side dishes.

If I'm the type of diner who needs lots of choices and flexibility, I should probably just go somewhere else and enjoy my choices there.

But to wonder why someone enjoys what they like, seems a bit silly.

Apple manages to put out products that a lot of people really like. Not everyone will like them as much, and so the lack of choice or high pricing or other issues will sour them on the products. Nothing wrong with that. To each his own.

Very well said.
 
This is really my point- you don't know how to compare.

Nokia: 1998
Apple: 2007; middle of the year


How many different models of phones does Nokia have? Not even sure. Well over 1000 since 1998.
How many different models of phones does Apple have? 1.


How many countries does Nokia sell in? Pretty sure they sell WORLDWIDE.
How many countries does Apple CURRENTLY sell in? The iPhone has been in america for a year and few days now, and a select few countries in Europe. for 9 months.


How many phones has Apple sold? Over 6 million in 1 year.

Nokia has sold 160,000,000 phones in 9 years, which is under 18,000,000 phones a year, that include hundreds of phone models, at both cheaper and expensive than the iphone.

Nokia is a phone company.
Apple is a computer company.


Apple wins.

The problem is that you dont read very well. That's 160 million for one model. They sold their billionth phone in 2005, and have sold another billion phones in the 2 1/2 years since. They sold 437 million phones in 2007. With an ever increasing market share, they are likely soon to sell a billion phones every 2 years.

So far cumulative shipments for all Nokia phones are more than 2 billion (2,000,000,000).

BTW, Nokia is a woodpulp company, and I think when it comes to phones, they have already won a while ago.
 
Nokia make nice phones. Apple make a nice phone.

Some will prefer Nokia, some Apple.

So it goes.
 
life is apple. take a bite

Ha! I love it. Its so true. But anyway I can understand what your dad is saying but at the same time i totally disagree (no offense to dad). The reason people like apple so much is because they are built on QUALITY and INNOVATION and are willing to spend the money on protection plans for their investments. And in the technology age that we are living in, we require those two qualities. I have been an obsessed apple head since day one and as someone once told me there are apple people and there is everyone else. APPLE F:apple:' LIFE!
 
The real pathetic party here is Nokia when comparing their offerings to the iPhone. For more than a decade Nokia and others like them had been slapping each other silly trying to compete but then Apple came out of the blue and managed to not only kick them all in the bollocks with its first offering but at the same time made all other phones look like something a group of chimps had accidentally fashioned by banging various pieces of ugly plastic together with rocks.

When Steve Jobs took the scene in January 2007 and said what they had made was 5 years ahead of the industry it was not the usual bullsheit hot wind that one has come to expect being released in ones face when the mobile phone manufacturers are taunting their newest mediocre offering, no sir, in Apples case it was the actual truth. Here we are 1.5 years later and non of the so called iPhone killers have managed to be anything more than a awkward, embarrassing kindergarten jab at the king. You see, it is hard to stab a ruler in the heart when you don't even stretch higher than his knees.

The only people who still don't think so are geeks who get a bulge in their pants from looking at a spec sheet and whose brains are somehow wired in a way to make them impervious to beautiful industrial or clever human interface designs. Let those people go back to running their ugly self assembled Linux boxes via the command line and think that their N95 is a better mobile phone because it has more mega pixels in the camera or has swappable batteries, they'll never learn.

Proprietary formats and technologies? Hell, I welcome that from Apple, all that means is that everything Apple makes not only looks better and works better than anything their competitor could ever offer but it also interoperates well with anything else from Apple. That is one of the major reasons why I love their products after all, everything just works so well together, good luck getting all those other "free" devices to play nice with each other.

Fo Sho!

Just imagine what cell phones would be like in 4 years without the iPhone. The iPhone kicked the industry in the ass and now the other manufacturers are making touchscreen phones far advanced from what they were making last year, of course these still can't take the crown from the iPhone but some are coming close (LG Dare, HTC Diamond, etc.)
 
Fo Sho!

Just imagine what cell phones would be like in 4 years without the iPhone. The iPhone kicked the industry in the ass and now the other manufacturers are making touchscreen phones far advanced from what they were making last year, of course these still can't take the crown from the iPhone but some are coming close (LG Dare, HTC Diamond, etc.)

Well maybe, but in a year these manufacturers have come close. Apple in the meantime has released essentially the same phone with 3G and GPS. What do you think the other manufacturers will do this year?
 
i guess if that other guy doesn't read very well, you don't think very well. Nokia is pretty a much flat out phone company, that's all they do. they live, breathe, and sell phones.

even if Apple sells 6 million iphones a month they will still be shy of the 437 million phones in which you are so in awe of. hell if they sold 10 million units in a month it will take roughly 3.5 years to even match Nokia.

so what's your point exactly? that the sales figure of the iphone is so beneath you that you don't consider it worthy of being a phone? you think the features on it are piss poor so it shouldn't be considered a smart phone? i've looked at your previous posts and most of them are pretty much stating that you think the iphone sucks donkey schlong and that Nokia, RIM, LG etc. are the "real" phone companies who knows what the consumers want. if that's the case this sudden interest by them in producing a iphone-like unit is really bewildering.

so why bother posting in this iphone subforum then? surely it must boil your blood to see so many Steve Job worshippers wait for the iphone 2.0 like the second coming of Jesus.

if you're trying to drive the point that the iphone really isn't all that great it's not working out all that well either.

The problem is that you dont read very well. That's 160 million for one model. They sold their billionth phone in 2005, and have sold another billion phones in the 2 1/2 years since. They sold 437 million phones in 2007. With an ever increasing market share, they are likely soon to sell a billion phones every 2 years.

So far cumulative shipments for all Nokia phones are more than 2 billion (2,000,000,000).

BTW, Nokia is a woodpulp company, and I think when it comes to phones, they have already won a while ago.
 
iPhone OS already has taken 7% of the world smartphone market (as of Q4 2007), it's only currently available in a few countries and at the time of that data had been available for all of 6 months. What do you think will happen when it goes worldwide with the enhancements in the 2.0 software (apps etc.)? Symbian is about to get its ass handed to it on a plate, along with Palm and WM.

IMHO Apple are poised to do to the smartphone market with the iPhone what they did to the mp3 player market with the iPod. they won't dominate in enterprise (at least not for now, I think RIM will hold on there) but the consumer market will be theirs. You only have to look at the iPhone imitators from LG, Samsung et al to see that they're worried. You can call me out on this in 5 years if I'm wrong. :)

Uhh no. That article points out that Apple shipped 7% of all smartphones in Q4... That does not mean the iPhone is 7% of all smartphones in use. It means of all the smartphones sold in the 4th Quarter, 7% of them were iPhones. Worldwide, Apple has but a small piece of marketshare.
 
As a thousand of you have pointed out, the OP's dad did have arguable gripes, and I have seen others on here too. The problem is a lot of naysayers fail to point out one of the top features the iPhone has: it's an iPod. I carried around both a phone (a Razr) and an iPod for about 2 years. I now have a combined device that has better controls than the iPod and is much easier to use than any phone I've ever had.

After using the virtual keyboard, I have no interest in ever using a model with a physical keyboard. I have no clue how people type on some of those smaller BlackBerry models I've seen, and this allows me to have the entire screen when I don't need a keyboard without the extra thickness of a keyboard.
 
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