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Verizon iPhone Launches to Short Lines, Cold Temperatures
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Extremely good point. Much of the motivation to stand in these lines is ensure you get a phone before supplies run out so you can show off to your friends (especially the ones who didn't get one). Who's going to be terribly interested in seeing your brand new iPhone 4 when everybody on the block already has one.
While the Verizon iPhone enjoyed a tremendous pre-sale success story, I think (like most phones) the majority of sales are going to come from the daily steady purchases from the mass majority of people who don't use their mobile phone as a status symbol, but just wants something that works well for them.
I'm also guessing that Verizon had their hopes a little higher for this launch day especially after the pre-order extravaganza, but it really does not make sense when you consider early termination fees and the missing "first on the block" factor.
It's really no surprise -- anyone so impatient for an iPhone that they feel the need to camp out probably switched over to AT&T years ago -- of course there isn't going to be a line of bleeding-edge techies waiting in the cold...
Finally, a true 100% valid point. Thank you. Everything else on this forum lately is a bunch of meaningless word salad. UHHHH VERIZONS BETTER..NAHHH MAN ATT SIMULTEANOUS THIS THAT UHHHH SERVICE UHHH 4G LTE iPHONE 5 UHHH SUMMER JUNE MACWORLD UH
What's The Rush?
As contracts expire, folks who want to will switch to iPhone 4 or 5. Most folks expect a June/July refresh, so why get the old phone?
As contracts expire, folks who want to will switch to iPhone 4 or 5. Most folks expect a June/July refresh, so why get the old phone?
I still say we should all wait for iPhone 8. After how many months after a phone comes out is it considered 'old' when a new product hasn't even been announced except on speculation for the release of 4 devices (not 100). Things can change. Apple isn't married to June. They will do what is profitably best. If they think a June release after 4 months of iPhone 4 is best, then they will. If not, then they won't. They could care less about their 4 year June streak.
Either...
It's either Verizon customers are very smart; the phone is 8 months old, has an antenna issue, it was way too cold out or because Verizon is moving to 4G in many markets.
Either way, enjoy our 8 month old phone becuase a new one will be out in 4-5 months.
It's either Verizon customers are very smart; the phone is 8 months old, has an antenna issue, it was way too cold out or because Verizon is moving to 4G in many markets.
Either way, enjoy our 8 month old phone becuase a new one will be out in 4-5 months.
I always dropped calls and just didn't want to part with my iPhone. Plus I naively kept thinking the next version would get it right. Once I received my iPhone 4 and not only dropped more calls than ever but started having problems getting texts out, I had enough.
I never dropped a call with my Droid X and in the Week I have had my new Verizon iPhone, I have had zero problems.
The instant jailbreak availability was just the ultimate icing on the cake. Now I can MyWi with my unlimited data!
This is great news for my friend who is a truck driver and doesn't get in until later today. This way he will have a higher chance of picking up an iPhone 4 for Verizon. He currently has a Motorola Droid and could use the upgrade.
I think there may be many people in the same boat I'm in; Mid-Contract with Verizon (or at&t). In a down economy - I don't think people are interested in breaking a contract or purchasing an un-subsidized phone.
Because for those of us with 9-5 jobs, going to the store is actually a simpler process than waking up, pre-ordering, and then driving out to some FedEx package center to get our phone.
If FedEx and UPS would stop with the ridiculous "we only do home deliveries while regular people are at work" policy, maybe I'd consider doing the ordering thing.
As is, if I have to drive to do something, I may as well just go buy it at the store.
I'm really not shocked. With the definite knowledge of an iPhone 5 in June/July, it seems that a lot of people could wait it out. Not to mention people still stuck in their current contracts.
The real question is, did Verizon cut people some slack who were still in contract? Because, AT&T certainly won't cut people slack to go to Verizon.
The real question is, did Verizon cut people some slack who were still in contract? Because, AT&T certainly won't cut people slack to go to Verizon.
I need to know more people like you -- every adult I know in their late-20s / early-30s (where I fall) is worried about job cuts and paying bills (especially student loans).
$200-$300 for a phone is lot more than "a few dollars" to most people.
Maybe, just maybe, the reason there are no lines is that there is much less demand for a Verizon iPhone than expected. Weather is not a factor...we see people line up each Christmas outside many stores. Here are some real reasons:
- iPhone 5 around the corner
- Most people are actually happy with AT&T
- Verizon has fewer features, less speed
- NY Media Centric Hype overstated demand.
It's really cold right now in a lot of the country. We're talking frostbite in 30 minutes or less.
That's one good reason Apple usually launches iPhones during the summer... so people can be outside and happy. Well, that, and so people don't notice right away that they can't do anything on the phone while wearing gloves
Smart people order online instead.
Also, with the first iPhone, people had six months' warning to get ready to buy. With this one, there's been what, a few weeks?
Reminds me of the iPod Mini launch in ´04...
I think that's the main thing. There are hoards of people who have to wait up to 12 months or more to switch to the verizon iphone. It's not like it's an ipad where you can just go and pick one up. I'd buy it in an instant if I could but I have to wait till November of this year just to get one at 300 dollars.
lines
Might have to do with the fact that it's a phone that's already been on the market for a better part of the year...
Might have to do with the fact that it's a phone that's already been on the market for a better part of the year...
Why would there be lines?!?
This thread is going in circles and no new ground is being made...
These aren't concert tickets or giveaways, nor are they numbered... Whether you stand in line today, or go to BestBuy after work, or even Wal-Mart at 2AM with the interesting cross-section of people you would find there at that time, you're going to get the same phone, and it's going to work the same way and the sun will still rise tomorrow morning. The pent up demand for this device on CDMA was largely from existing Verizon customers.
Most Verizon customers (myself included) who wanted this phone and were eligible for an upgrade preodered last week and have already had our phones since Monday when most of the Current VZW customer preorders from the 3rd were delivered. If you wanted to use your 'New Every Two' discount that most current Verizon smartphone customers had if they were eligible for it, it is infinitely easier to do it online through the website... why head to the store? I saved $100 by sticking around on Verizon and using my upgrade credit rather than jumping over to AT&T when my contract was up. Most of the pre-order folks were probably in the same situation, or didn't switch because AT&T coverage is less than optimal in their area. In my case, it was more a function of not wanting to move my entire Family plan over and have to buy all new devices for my kids just so I could get the iPhone. My wife has the AT&T version, the experience is identical, except her case won't fit mine due to the slight movement of the volume buttons and mute switch.
iPhone 4 vs. 5? No one knows what this is going to look like yet, it's all BS and speculation. Aren't you going to feel foolish if you're cooling your heels trumpeting this arguement and then you get a modest spec bump and maybe a bit more storage in June, if Verizon even gets another iPhone at all this year? I'm speculating as well, but we're probably more apt to see an incremental upgrade this year more along the lines of the 3 to 3GS than the more monumental differences between the 3GS and the 4. Why would they change the form factor already? The 4 is already considered the most asthetically pleasing design in the market according to most. I don't think Apple would have launched this phone on Verizon now if they were going to completely redesign the phone by Summer, the backlash would be monumental, much like it was with the price drop of the original years back... Or, they'll have some plan to ease the blow for early adopters. If people have been waiting on a CDMA version of this phone, I doubt they're going to wait any longer to see what the 5 holds... I would be willing to bet that most of the people who preordered were probably coming from Blackberry, not Android platforms on Verizon, as most of the Droid users wouldn't be eligible for an upgrade yet. Track RIM's performance over the next quarter or two at Verizon, the outlook won't be pretty. Verizon picked up the disaster that was the Storm and the not much better Storm 2 and if those customers hadn't already thrown those trainwrecks out the window, they were probably the first in line for the iPhone. You will see some migration from Droid, especially the first generation devices, but maybe not until they are in their upgrade windows. The true test of this launch will be when they release the data from the first quarter of sales for the device. There is too much bravado around the numbers right now: it was the fastest pre-sale in the history of Verizon, but what are you comparing it to? The original Droid? The Storm? Once numbers are put behind it then the true debate can begin.
Lastly, the whole arguement of 'my AT&T iPhone can talk and surf at the same time and Verizon can't...'? None of the phones on Verizon have been able to do this based on the limitations of current generation CDMA. Anyone that has had a smartphone of any vintage on any CDMA network has been constrained by this... How often is this really an issue? I've been a Blackberry user on VZW for years for business and personal uses and it's never really been an issue. If you're surfing and you get a call, you can answer the call which will suspend your internet connection, but you can go right back to it when you end the call. Do you really need to multitask that much that this is a dealbreaker to you? If so, you might need to reassess your work/life balance...
This thread is going in circles and no new ground is being made...
These aren't concert tickets or giveaways, nor are they numbered... Whether you stand in line today, or go to BestBuy after work, or even Wal-Mart at 2AM with the interesting cross-section of people you would find there at that time, you're going to get the same phone, and it's going to work the same way and the sun will still rise tomorrow morning. The pent up demand for this device on CDMA was largely from existing Verizon customers.
Most Verizon customers (myself included) who wanted this phone and were eligible for an upgrade preodered last week and have already had our phones since Monday when most of the Current VZW customer preorders from the 3rd were delivered. If you wanted to use your 'New Every Two' discount that most current Verizon smartphone customers had if they were eligible for it, it is infinitely easier to do it online through the website... why head to the store? I saved $100 by sticking around on Verizon and using my upgrade credit rather than jumping over to AT&T when my contract was up. Most of the pre-order folks were probably in the same situation, or didn't switch because AT&T coverage is less than optimal in their area. In my case, it was more a function of not wanting to move my entire Family plan over and have to buy all new devices for my kids just so I could get the iPhone. My wife has the AT&T version, the experience is identical, except her case won't fit mine due to the slight movement of the volume buttons and mute switch.
iPhone 4 vs. 5? No one knows what this is going to look like yet, it's all BS and speculation. Aren't you going to feel foolish if you're cooling your heels trumpeting this arguement and then you get a modest spec bump and maybe a bit more storage in June, if Verizon even gets another iPhone at all this year? I'm speculating as well, but we're probably more apt to see an incremental upgrade this year more along the lines of the 3 to 3GS than the more monumental differences between the 3GS and the 4. Why would they change the form factor already? The 4 is already considered the most asthetically pleasing design in the market according to most. I don't think Apple would have launched this phone on Verizon now if they were going to completely redesign the phone by Summer, the backlash would be monumental, much like it was with the price drop of the original years back... Or, they'll have some plan to ease the blow for early adopters. If people have been waiting on a CDMA version of this phone, I doubt they're going to wait any longer to see what the 5 holds... I would be willing to bet that most of the people who preordered were probably coming from Blackberry, not Android platforms on Verizon, as most of the Droid users wouldn't be eligible for an upgrade yet. Track RIM's performance over the next quarter or two at Verizon, the outlook won't be pretty. Verizon picked up the disaster that was the Storm and the not much better Storm 2 and if those customers hadn't already thrown those trainwrecks out the window, they were probably the first in line for the iPhone. You will see some migration from Droid, especially the first generation devices, but maybe not until they are in their upgrade windows. The true test of this launch will be when they release the data from the first quarter of sales for the device. There is too much bravado around the numbers right now: it was the fastest pre-sale in the history of Verizon, but what are you comparing it to? The original Droid? The Storm? Once numbers are put behind it then the true debate can begin.
Lastly, the whole arguement of 'my AT&T iPhone can talk and surf at the same time and Verizon can't...'? None of the phones on Verizon have been able to do this based on the limitations of current generation CDMA. Anyone that has had a smartphone of any vintage on any CDMA network has been constrained by this... How often is this really an issue? I've been a Blackberry user on VZW for years for business and personal uses and it's never really been an issue. If you're surfing and you get a call, you can answer the call which will suspend your internet connection, but you can go right back to it when you end the call. Do you really need to multitask that much that this is a dealbreaker to you? If so, you might need to reassess your work/life balance...
i still call me and my friend lucky bc we got our iPhone 4 the first day it came out last year without having preordered and being in line for like 15 mins before the store opened with only 5 ppl in front of us while many who had pre-ordered actually waited over a month
while many who had pre-ordered actually waited over a monthIt's either Verizon customers are very smart; the phone is 8 months old, has an antenna issue, it was way too cold out or because Verizon is moving to 4G in many markets.
Either way, enjoy our 8 month old phone becuase a new one will be out in 4-5 months.
There will always be something new coming out. Why put off a purchase for another 4-5 months, maybe more? If you get the iphone 4 now, sign a 2 year contract, you will be eligible for the iphone 6 in October 2012 (20 months you can upgrade at discounted price)
It's good that the queues are short, it shows Americans, or at least some, are not buying this marketing campaign that is acting like Apple is releasing a new phone. It's exactly the same as the iPhone 4 that we have all had since June. Here in the UK as I'm sure has been said many times, you can buy the phone unlocked, or have a choice of 6 networks to buy it from. It's not a huge thing at all, I can't understand why magazines are reviewing it as if it's the iPhone 5, and people who have camped outside Verizon stores will be sorry in 3 months when an iPhone that is actually a new phone comes out.
Verizon's fault
If Verizon had offered to waive contract cancellation fees to existing customers, a lot more people would be buying the iPhone today.
Similarly, a lot of AT&T customers are probably waiting until the end of their contract to switch.
If Verizon had offered to waive contract cancellation fees to existing customers, a lot more people would be buying the iPhone today.
Similarly, a lot of AT&T customers are probably waiting until the end of their contract to switch.
They took too long
I'm not surprised that there's not a huge pent up demand. Apple and Verizon simply waited too long. Everyone who wanted an iPhone either switched to AT&T a while ago or they found an alternative with Verizon. I prefer the iPhone, but I can admit there are a lot of worthy competitors out there on all networks. Who would actually wait YEARS for a specific phone?! I guess the answer "no one" is now provable. And with a new iPhone coming out in just a few months, there's even less reason to buy an iPhone 4 right now. Apple's cycles are predictable and their products are the most valuable for the short time immediately following their release. Verizon should have just waited for the iPhone 5 instead of showing up to the party with last year's date.
I'm not surprised that there's not a huge pent up demand. Apple and Verizon simply waited too long. Everyone who wanted an iPhone either switched to AT&T a while ago or they found an alternative with Verizon. I prefer the iPhone, but I can admit there are a lot of worthy competitors out there on all networks. Who would actually wait YEARS for a specific phone?! I guess the answer "no one" is now provable. And with a new iPhone coming out in just a few months, there's even less reason to buy an iPhone 4 right now. Apple's cycles are predictable and their products are the most valuable for the short time immediately following their release. Verizon should have just waited for the iPhone 5 instead of showing up to the party with last year's date.