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Tarzanman

macrumors 65816
Jul 16, 2010
1,304
15
1. No, the iPhone isn't as 'hot' as it once was. That is what happens when soccer moms and cat ladies start buying a product en masse. It loses its novelty.

2. The iphone will sell on Verizon just fine. It will never do ATT-esque numbers because Verizon is charging out the yin-yang for a device they got 4 years late (ok, maybe just 8 months late). It will be one of their most sold devices, but I can't see it being dominant a la 2008-2009.

3. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
 

Merkie

macrumors 68020
Oct 23, 2008
2,119
734
I think it's quite easy to comprehend why the Verizon iPhone isn't selling like hot cakes.

1. It's not a new device. Most people who really wanted an iPhone most probably got one. This is by far the most important reason I believe.
2. That leaves the biggest iPhone needy target group to be people who had been waiting for the iPhone to appear on Verizon. I think this isn't a very large group of people, it most likely consists of Apple geeks who browse the MR forums (stereotyping them here).
3. The biggest group of people who are buying the Verizon iPhone are most likely Verizon customers who happen to be eligible for contract renewal. This is a steady flow of potential customers who aren't biased towards Apple.

I think the Verizon iPhone will receive a boost in sales when 3GS contracts expire. When the iPhone 5 will come out, it'll most likely be a huge success on both AT&T and Verizon.
 

Sedrick

macrumors 68030
Nov 10, 2010
2,596
26
Bad timing: The Verizon iPhone had the misfortune of arriving after a number of strong second-generation Android models hit the market. A lot of Verizon customers, tired of waiting for the iPhone, upgraded in the last six months to those models.

Bingo. This will continue if Apple doesn't up it's game this summer.
 

vincenz

macrumors 601
Oct 20, 2008
4,285
220
This is partially why Apple needs to redesign the 5, not go through the same cycle like the 3G and 3GS did. Have to keep consumers on their toes too.
 

r0k

macrumors 68040
Mar 3, 2008
3,611
75
Detroit
Three examples:

1 - I purchased an iPhone 4 in September and took my account to At&t. One of my most frequently used apps is "Mark the Spot" and I'm one of those who will switch back to Verizon... When my $325 ETF finally goes low enough, IF Verizon brings back tiered data. More on this later. End result: No sale. Yet.

2 - A friend at work purchased an LG Ally in September. He got it because the phone he had before that was a joke so Verizon did him a favor to let him get the Ally. (Yeah, I know. What kind of favor was that?!?) So now when he goes down and tries to get the iPhone they tell him he only has 15 more months to wait. End result: No sale. Yet.

3 - My wife and I went to a Verizon store the Sunday before Valentine's day and while they had the phone in stock she refused to let my buy it for her. This is despite the fact she carries an LG Env and an iPod Touch all the time. Her reason? At $200, the phone is too expensive for her. At $30 a month, the mandatory unlimited data plan is too expensive for her. Like me, she gets free wifi at work and can't imagine needing unlimited data. End result: No sale. Yet.

For iPhone sales on Verizon to really take off, they need to offer tiered data. The economy isn't all that great right now and for people to dig up $200 just for a phone, there aren't a lot of folks who are willing to dig up another $30 a month for the following two years. Many Verizon customers that are willing to pay top dollar for data have already got Android phones or even Blackberries. At&t made a brilliant move offering tiered data (though I too question their elimination of an unlimited tier). Verizon made a dumb move dropping tiered data at the launch of a new phone. If I could get $15 data on 4 iPhones, every family member would have one by now. When our last Verizon contract expires in late 2011, if Verizon doesn't offer tiered data, I will bring our 3 remaining lines to At&t and simply tolerate dealing with "Mark the Spot."
 

shen

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2003
390
0
Lets face it, droid phones are eating Apples lunch! Proof?

http://brooksreview.net/2011/02/death-to-droid/

See that? See those fine droid phones on the verizon page? The ones listed as "pre-owned" devices? The writing is on the wall! Droid does!

Welcome, droid, to the category known as "not an iPhone."
 

kicko

macrumors 65816
Aug 26, 2008
1,095
0
I enjoy my ip4 and take it for what its worth.

Not for nothing but i was in a verizon store monday and there were a few people asking about the iphone, the sales guy was actually bad mouthing the device much to my surprise. Dont they want to sell these phone? He was mostly mentioning the fact the battery cannot be removed in the event something goes buggy, and that you cant add memory like an Sd card.

Yes you can reboot the phone (how often do you really have to??) and isn't it great you dont have to add memory! With my droid incredible i had to supply my own sd card, luckly i got one cheap on amazon but they do run around $50-ish+, which only adds to the cost. I liked my droid a lot but the battery life was terrible, and i refused to buy a bulky extended battery for $50. So just to get my android up to the same expectations as my iphone 4 it would have cost me an extra $100+

We all know never to take the sales person's advice... more often then not they are wrong.
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,776
10,838
I don't give a damn about the iPhone's hotness. It's the most reliable, and gets the job done better than any other device I've had or tried out. I'm not the type of person who shows off my iPhone for any type of coolness factor.
I really have no complaints except for blutooth, and of course it's only natural to want improvement or more features with anything.
 

synagence

macrumors 6502a
Jul 23, 2008
879
0
I think iOS5 is make or break for me with iPhone....

I'm really loving the way android is maturing and the active homepages and widgets etc .... apps are catching up and the hardware is nice ....yes Apple is a more integrated experience but iOS homepage layout and lockscreen are getting really tired .... 4 years without a makeover is an eternity in tech ... they can't do another year like this

If they do .... i'll be most likely switching to Samsung Galaxy S2
 

kicko

macrumors 65816
Aug 26, 2008
1,095
0
I think iOS5 is make or break for me with iPhone....

I'm really loving the way android is maturing and the active homepages and widgets etc .... apps are catching up and the hardware is nice ....yes Apple is a more integrated experience but iOS homepage layout and lockscreen are getting really tired .... 4 years without a makeover is an eternity in tech ... they can't do another year like this

If they do .... i'll be most likely switching to Samsung Galaxy S2

I think iOS5 will be a nice update. I felt the same way you did after the iOS4 update came out and switched to android. Andriod was nice but despite all that it can do, the apps were more buggy and not as polished as iOS versions. Plus all of that extra stuff does run the battery down a lot quicker. The other bothersome aspect of android is the updates. I still really like android but i switched back only because i wanted a simple phone and less hassle.
 

grantsdale

macrumors 6502a
May 11, 2008
551
0
It'll be hot again when the iPhone 5 hits. Same as the iPad will grab press again when they announce the iPad 2 next week.
 

synagence

macrumors 6502a
Jul 23, 2008
879
0
I think iOS5 will be a nice update. I felt the same way you did after the iOS4 update came out and switched to android. Andriod was nice but despite all that it can do, the apps were more buggy and not as polished as iOS versions. Plus all of that extra stuff does run the battery down a lot quicker. The other bothersome aspect of android is the updates. I still really like android but i switched back only because i wanted a simple phone and less hassle.

Think that irks me that absolute most and keeps me from being totally interested in android is the inconsistent manner handset makers are rolling out OS updates ... the one thing you can be sure of is that for a minimum of 2 years you'll get every single update (yes the odd feature might not be there) but in general its damn close.

Some of the android devices are stuck on the release at point of sale and that just blows the experience for me....
 

yayitsezekiel

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2008
620
0
Irvine, CA
2. That leaves the biggest iPhone needy target group to be people who had been waiting for the iPhone to appear on Verizon. I think this isn't a very large group of people, it most likely consists of Apple geeks who browse the MR forums (stereotyping them here).

I laughed so hard at this because this is EXACTLY me :p
 

stonemann

macrumors regular
Mar 3, 2009
143
5
I'm really loving the way android is maturing and the active homepages and widgets etc .... apps are catching up and the hardware is nice ....yes Apple is a more integrated experience but iOS homepage layout and lockscreen are getting really tired ....

Not to mention the price. In the UK an iPhone 4 will set you back between £800-1000 over a two-year contract compared to around £350 for an HTC Desire. I could buy an iPad2 with the money I'd save on the HTC phone. In fact, I could buy an entry-level phone and buy a new Macbook Pro with the money instead.
 

Dumbledorelives

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2010
255
1
I think iOS5 is make or break for me with iPhone....

I'm really loving the way android is maturing and the active homepages and widgets etc .... apps are catching up and the hardware is nice ....yes Apple is a more integrated experience but iOS homepage layout and lockscreen are getting really tired .... 4 years without a makeover is an eternity in tech ... they can't do another year like this

If they do .... i'll be most likely switching to Samsung Galaxy S2

I would absolutely avoid the galaxy s. I have a galaxy s phone right now (vibrant) and I hate it with a burning passion. I'm not saying you shouldn't switch to android - if that's what suits you, go ahead and do it. Just, please, avoid Samsung. They're horrible about updates - it took them 8 months to get froyo to us and even then it wasn't a prop update - you had to go online, download their software, and run the risk of their sketchy software bricking your phone like it did to mine and plenty of other people. And don't bother trying their live chat, because it's computer operated - there are no real people there.

Anyway - just thought I'd throw that in as advice to anyone who is unhappy with their iPhone.
 

Krandor

macrumors 6502
Jul 15, 2010
478
80
Think that irks me that absolute most and keeps me from being totally interested in android is the inconsistent manner handset makers are rolling out OS updates ... the one thing you can be sure of is that for a minimum of 2 years you'll get every single update (yes the odd feature might not be there) but in general its damn close.

Some of the android devices are stuck on the release at point of sale and that just blows the experience for me....

That is the big thing for me too. That and they have no good way to get music and stuff to the device. I lsiten to a lot of music and stuff on the iphone and make heavy use of smart playlists in itunes to automatically shuffle songs in and out of the iphone and android doesn't (yet) have anything like that.
 

Jack105

macrumors member
Jan 23, 2011
78
0
Three examples:

1 - I purchased an iPhone 4 in September and took my account to At&t. One of my most frequently used apps is "Mark the Spot" and I'm one of those who will switch back to Verizon... When my $325 ETF finally goes low enough, IF Verizon brings back tiered data. More on this later. End result: No sale. Yet.

2 - A friend at work purchased an LG Ally in September. He got it because the phone he had before that was a joke so Verizon did him a favor to let him get the Ally. (Yeah, I know. What kind of favor was that?!?) So now when he goes down and tries to get the iPhone they tell him he only has 15 more months to wait. End result: No sale. Yet.

3 - My wife and I went to a Verizon store the Sunday before Valentine's day and while they had the phone in stock she refused to let my buy it for her. This is despite the fact she carries an LG Env and an iPod Touch all the time. Her reason? At $200, the phone is too expensive for her. At $30 a month, the mandatory unlimited data plan is too expensive for her. Like me, she gets free wifi at work and can't imagine needing unlimited data. End result: No sale. Yet.

For iPhone sales on Verizon to really take off, they need to offer tiered data. The economy isn't all that great right now and for people to dig up $200 just for a phone, there aren't a lot of folks who are willing to dig up another $30 a month for the following two years. Many Verizon customers that are willing to pay top dollar for data have already got Android phones or even Blackberries. At&t made a brilliant move offering tiered data (though I too question their elimination of an unlimited tier). Verizon made a dumb move dropping tiered data at the launch of a new phone. If I could get $15 data on 4 iPhones, every family member would have one by now. When our last Verizon contract expires in late 2011, if Verizon doesn't offer tiered data, I will bring our 3 remaining lines to At&t and simply tolerate dealing with "Mark the Spot."

This is ridiculous. No sale for Verizon because you are under contract with AT&T, so what, that means nothing for the "hotness" of the phone. You won't buy one because it's $200 again means nothing about the "hotness" of the phone. $200 for a new smartphone is what you are going to be paying for any new smartphone, as a matter of fact the HTC Thunderbolt is gonna cost you $250, so again not really an issue of the "hotness" of the phone. So it sounds like you are implying that your family wants to get iphones, well the simple solution for you is to move everyone to AT&T.
 

Poop Boy

macrumors newbie
Feb 22, 2011
13
0
Also, Verizon customers they're going get the fifth generation iPhone the same time as AT&T. LOL. Not gonna happen, failure.
 

cloakedpegasus

macrumors member
Apr 13, 2010
80
0
It's because everyone has the iphone now. Even uncool people trying to be cool have the iphone. This makes the iphone loose it's "coolness" factor.
 

QuarterSwede

macrumors G3
Oct 1, 2005
9,778
2,026
Colorado Springs, CO
I disagree. The iPhone may not be as absolutely hot as it used to be last June but it will be again this June and I still get asked if I'm using an iPhone. Just the other day (literally) I pulled out my iPhone and was asked, "is that an iPhone? How do you like it?" I find that most of the people interested in it have Android devices they kind of like or Blackberries. That's a lot of them unfortunately.
 

iserian

macrumors 6502
Apr 30, 2010
389
0
Palo Alto Apple Store
Perhaps it never ever ONCE WAS. It's easy to impress when you compare something to nothing. When the original came out it was one of a kind but fast forward to today and it's still basically a 2007 phone in a 2011 market.
 
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