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Apple Turning Cell Phone Market Upside Down?
joek writes "This MacRumors analysis puts some of the iPhone/Cingular pieces together and suggests that Apple may be turning the the cell phone market upside down. Everyone assumed that Apple's $499/$599 prices for the iPhone was subsidized by Cingular. But, it appears that Apple is not allowing mobile carriers to subsidize the iPhone. Why? Because when Apple comes out with the Touch iPod, they don't want it compared in price to a discounted/subsidized iPhone. Add to that rumors that Cingular may heavily discount service (but according to a Cingular rep, they will not be giving away service, as previously suggested) to attract Verizon customers. Without kicking in $100-$200 against the price of the phone, Cingular can discount the service as an incentive. Other cell phone manufacturers will certainly be interested in the outcome of this new model."
Then you're not in the target market for an iPhone.
End. Period. Full stop.
You might want to consider other devices like the Blackberry, perhaps a PalmOS, windows Mobile, or Symbian device with a similar keyboard and application set. But going on about the iPhone and how it isn't a good fit for you is just silly, same as telling us how a tank probably doesn't fit your car needs and Playdough doesn't make for a good meal.
The solipsism of some folks is extraordinary.
Just because the iPhone looks to be awesome gadget phone that doesn't mean it is necessarily gonna be your perfect gadget phone. If you need a full keyboard then, d'uh! , forget about an iPhone. If you need to connect directly to an MS Exchange Server then forget about an iPhone. If you need a SD card in your phone then forget about an iPhone.
See the pattern?
However Apple clearly thinks there is a market for folks other then you (I know, shocking!) And Apple has a pretty good record of consumer products. They've also a good record for UI's, your inane quibbling that they don't ship with a 3 button mouse aside (Hint: Most folks don't know what more then 1 mouse button does, now please back away from most folks before your head detonates trying to absorb that it's-not-all-about-you concept.)
Your sort are are why /. is so useless for discussing consumer products.
It doesn't come with WiMax! That's the future! Nearly nothing ships with WiMax yet, come back 2Q 2007
It doesn't run Linux/BSD/OGG/methane/whatever! 99.9999% of folks don't care, won't care, and frankly don't need to care.
I need it in blue, with a juicer attachment! Great, whittle yourself one.
Consumer products are meant to have broad appeal and therefore won't ever fit everyone absolutely perfectly. Revel in being on the far end of the bell curve.
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
Yeah and they sold for shit. Who the fuck buys a $500 phone when there's one that can do all of the same shit for $50? Does the iPhone look $450 better? Who gives a shit. It's a FUCKING PHONE!!! If it rings when somebody calls you, then good a god damned nuff.
nothing