Chronicling the humiliation and anger induced by the iPhone 3G
With the iPhone 3G scheduled to land in consumers' hands nearly simultaneously around the world on Friday, it has been interesting to see the range of emotions, from anger to humiliation, the iconic device has induced since Apple's announcement of it last month.
3 Australia has been downright humiliated by the device, or one could argue that 3 humiliated itself. Its competitors Optus, Telstra and Vodafone will all launch the iPhone 3G later this month, while 3 was left out of the fray. Instead of touting its own strengths, however, 3 opted to point out to its customers that it doesn't have the one thing its customers want. In fact, 3 is appealing to its customers to petition Apple to allow it to distribute the iPhone 3G. To make itself feel even worse, 3 asked its customers to send their thoughts about 3 and the iPhone. It received about 3,500 messages. And Noel Hamill, director Sales, marketing and product with 3 reiterated on the company's website 3's efforts to get the iPhone 3G, but indicated that "for those of you who can't wait, I respect your call and thank you for being with 3 until now. I also hope you return at some point." What sort of marketing tactic do you suppose that is? The please-feel-sorry-for-us-and-don't-leave marketing tactic? Then again, the iPhone makes one do strange things, like waste one's life for a week to stand in line for one.
Meanwhile, Canadians are outraged over the Rogers Wireless 3G iPhone rate structure and are petitioning Apple CEO Steve Jobs over the deal. Some 30,000 Canadians have signed an open letter to Steve. Late last month, Rogers said that customers who purchase the 3G iPhone would have to sign a mandatory three-year contract and the company will cap data usage at 750 MB. Although both AT&T and Rogers offer calling, data and text messaging for $75 a month, Rogers at that price gives Canadians a third less calling time, half as many text messages, and puts a 750 MB cap on 3G data usage--with steep fees for users who go over their monthly limit. That much hatred isn't likely to change Rogers' pricing practices, however, as it is the only operator in Canada that offers GSM/WCDMA, and hence, the only operator in Canada that will offer the iPhone 3G. And while Canadian consumers talk the good talk, you have to wonder if they can really stay away in droves from the iconic device. As I said, the iPhone makes one do strange things, like pay through the nose to an operator one professes to hate.
Of course, it's interesting to see the blatant dichotomy here. 3 is desperate and apologetic to its customers since it doesn't have the iPhone 3G while Rogers shrugs its shoulders and thumbs its nose at its customers because it's the only player in town with the device. And with a pan-European rollout (12 European markets are launching the device), operators there are actually stripping the iPhone of its current "elite" device status, notes Emma Mohr-McClune, principal analyst with Current Analysis. She notes that the new iPhone 3G will be treated to standard, mass-market pricing and promotion practices, including heavily subsidized devices and prepaid promotions.
Still, Mohr-McClune says such a move will make the iPhone 3G a greater threat in Europe--causing more humiliation and anger for all of those operators and handset players desperately trying to compete with the device. --Lynnette
Comments (11) | Post a comment
Comments
Posted by Anonymous | July 7, 2008 - 1:30pm
I happen to see an online demo of HTC Diamond. A powerful touch screen technology based on windows platform. While it may be improper to compare functionalities between the Diamong and iPhone 3G I believe the brand pull behind what Apple is today has created a cult. Getting customers to petition Apple sounds ridiculous but having said that as long as number portability and multiple operators providing iPhone 3G there will be healthy competition. Customers will have a choice to switch. On the other hand HTC Diamond may be a technology demonstrator but despite that the cult image behind the brand is a long way to go!!
Posted by Anonymous | July 7, 2008 - 2:23pm
The HTC Diamond is using Windows Mobile, an antiquated, low-functionality operating system.
Does it have iTunes?, WiFi?, 25,000 new developers?, Multi-touch screen?
I think not!
Good luck!
Posted by Anonymous | July 7, 2008 - 2:44pm
HTC can't even open a PDF.
Doesn't have MobileMe or MS Exchange Server integration.
Posted by Anonymous | July 7, 2008 - 2:48pm
It's about the products, not the branding.
Apple products get the highest marks from CONSUMERS and reviewers, people would couldn't care less about branding...
Posted by Anonymous | July 7, 2008 - 2:49pm
It's about the products, not the branding.
Apple products get the highest marks from CONSUMERS and reviewers, people would couldn't care less about branding...
Posted by Anonymous | July 7, 2008 - 2:49pm
With only 2,000 iPhone in total being shipped to Canada on the July 11th release, it should be interesting.
Good Job Ted!
Posted by Anonymous | July 7, 2008 - 2:58pm
You have your facts all wrong. I have the HTC Touch and it supports PDF through Adobe Reader Lite 2.0. The phone also supports multitudes of email methods including Outlook and Hotmail (Live). You can nitpick all you want, but if you can't get your email with one these methods, then you're too stupid to even use a computer. I also have Unlimited Browsing/Email for $7.00 a month with Bell.
Posted by Anonymous | July 7, 2008 - 6:07pm
"By Anonymous | Posted 2:23pm | July 7, 2008
The HTC Diamond is using Windows Mobile, an antiquated, low-functionality operating system.
Does it have iTunes?, WiFi?, 25,000 new developers?, Multi-touch screen?
I think not!
Good luck!
"
Ummm - what re you on about? Windows Mobile has orders of magnitude more developers than iPhone. Why would I want an entirely crippled iTunes when I can access ANY of the music sites on the planet and use them instead. Not sure about the Diamond but there are dozens of WiFi windows mobile devices in the market today. Yes the UI on Windows Mobile is somewhat lacking but you simply cant compare WM devices to the iPhone on a functionality basis - iPhone is a long long long way behind the pack here one you get past the eye candy.
Posted by Anonymous | July 8, 2008 - 5:25am
What a load of bull! Adobe Reader is available for Windows Mobile, as are third-party solutions for viewing Adobe PDF files.
And not only does Windows Mobile (you know, being a Microsoft product and all) have Exchange ActiveSync support, but it's what the others (Apple included, having licensed the technology from Microsoft) are emulating. It's the definitive implementation!
The HTC Diamond may well be inferior to the Apple iPhone 3G, or not, but you really should know what you're talking about before mouthing off.
Posted by Anonymous | July 8, 2008 - 5:29am
Hmmm. My comment (immediately above) was in response to Don "HTC can't even open a PDF. Doesn't have MobileMe or MS Exchange Server integration."
Sorry, I expected when I clicked the reply link below the individual comment that there'd be some kind of threaded display.
[Oh, and site admins should see my upcoming article entitled "Using desktop calculators as authentication tokens considered harmful." Or else just visit recaptcha dot com.]
Posted by Anonymous | July 8, 2008 - 7:54pm
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THE CHEAPER iPHONE !!
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TOO LATE.... TOO LITTLE..... BIG GAMBLE..... (for ATT, while Apple cleans out)
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Now that early enthusiasts (& Steve Jobs groupies) have paid top dollars to purchase the iPhone, ATT has decided to drop the price (& take a loss) in the hopes of locking in subscribers for the long run..
This strategy is wishful at best.... while there are many other phones with same (or better) functions available out there......
For example,
Here is the comparison between Sprint Instinct and the "new/cheaper" 3G iPhone.
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SPRINT INSTINCT
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Price: $129.99 with a two-year service contract and a $100 mail-in rebate
U.S. launch date: June 20
Creator: Samsung Mobile
Wireless carrier: Sprint Nextel Corp.
Download speed: As much as 3.1 Mbps
Size: 4.57 inches tall, 2.17 inches wide, 0.49 inches thick
Capacity: 2 GB, expandable to 8 GB
Features: Touch screen, Web browsing, e-mail access, multitasking capabilities, 2.0-megapixel camera with camcorder, multimedia capabilities, visual voice mail, music store, GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, advanced stereo Bluetooth, live and on-demand TV programming, voice activation, commercial-free radio
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The "CHEAPER" iPhone 3G
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Price: $199 with a two-year service contract
U.S. launch date: July 11
Creator: Apple Inc.
Wireless carrier: AT&T Inc.
Download speed: As much as 1.4 Mbps on AT&T 3G mobile broadband networkSize: 4.5 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, 0.48 inches thick
Capacity: 8 GB; 16 GB version available for $299
Features: Touch screen, Web browsing, e-mail access, multitasking capabilities, 2.0-megapixel camera, multimedia capabilities, visual voice mail, music store, GPS technology and real-time mapping, Wi-Fi support, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, wireless App Store to download applications, YouTube
BOTTOM LINE
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"Cheaper" iPhone = $199 with upto 1.5 Mbps downloads and much less features than Instinct.
Regular Instinct = $29 (w/ $100 rebate) with upto 3.5 Mbps downloads and a lot more features than iPhone.
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Cheaper, faster and better will ALWAYS beat expensive, slow and cultish ............
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