Sept 10 Apple Event Thread - iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iOS7

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

So what is your point? Apple should price match the Google Nexus line that exists to give developers a cheap option to test their android apps on? They cant find a big enough venue to hold WWDC, so I doubt they're worried about attracting more developers (nevermind the massive gap in profitability between the two ecosystems). I also would imagine Google is under a lot of pressure from hardware makers to raise the price of the next Nexus phone. We'll find out soon.

What's lost on a lot of people here as well is that the average consumer (ie. No one here) looks at the contract price for the phone... And when they see they can get a brand new iPhone for $99, it's going to be attractive.

Until they realize that they have to pay $70+ per month......

Besides if the iphone 5 is so great and all why did the stock go from $710 to $460?

Also this fingerprint unlocking tech and 64 bit cpu and new camera means nothing when your screen size is still a 2010 4 incher....

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Until they realize that they have to pay $70+ per month......

Besides if the iphone 5 is so great and all why did the stock go from $710 to $460?

Also this fingerprint unlocking tech and 64 bit cpu and new camera means nothing when your screen size is still a 2010 4 incher....

Well, you have a point, but most people would end up having to pay $70+ a month if they went with a Android, Blackberry or Windows 8 device as well.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Well, you have a point, but most people would end up having to pay $70+ a month if they went with a Android, Blackberry or Windows 8 device as well.

I pay $40 a month for my S3 with unlimted talking, data, long distance, and text.

My wife pays $30 for her Note 2 with unlimited talking, data and text. She was paying $50/month for her iphone 4 with Fido for 150 daytime minutes, unlimited calling after 7pm and 500mb of data.....

[Rathji]

I understand what you pay, I understand what I pay, but most people who are on a plan with the Big 3 will be paying $70+ a month, regardless of if it is an iPhone, S4, Note 3, etc.

The point is, adding it as part of the topic of what is wrong with iPhone or Apple really is kind of a red herring.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Yeah, one of the reasons I was excited about this upcoming announcement was the possibility of a lower cost iPhone. In Canada the tide is shifting and making it more feasible to ignore contracts from Telus, Bell or Rogers and own your device outright. If you got with a new contract from these guys now you will lose your old plan. I was hoping we'd see an iPhone that makes sense to buy outright and bring it to the carrier, thus giving yourself more options and even if you want to stay with your current provider, allowing you to keep your older plan.

I was very disappointed to see the lower cost one be.. not really one at all. I think that's where the mark was missed. I know Apple likes to see themselves as a premium brand, and that's fine if they do, but there was a real opportunity here that was missed in my opinion.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

I dunno. I feel like these days, most phones are the same. All phones come out with these new little features all the time. Some people will find the new fingerprint feature pretty cool. Some won't care.

In North America, I think the choice between iPhone, Android, BB and Windows comes down to personal preference. People here will generally pay more for what they like.

But if Apple is trying to break into the Asian market, I think they'll fail with this iteration.

Japan and Korea were always gonna be tough sells due to local brand loyalty. Samsung is obviously huge in Korea. Japan might be a little easier since they love western stuff, but I would assume is primarily a Sony market. But whatever, I doubt they were focusing much efforts there anyway.

China was their best opportunity to break into that market, but that's a market where price point is huge. And I don't think the cost of the 5c will be enough to dent that market let alone take it over.

Edit: huh... just looked it up. Guess there is a solid Chinese phone developer out there these days too in Xiaomi.

Antutu pointed out that the Xiaomi’s relatively lower price to power performance was likely the reason for its success in China.

Samsung’s S4 costs about $600, while the MI 2S goes for less than half, at $277 (1699 RMB). The Mi 2 sold for $326 (1,999 RMB) last year.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/12/xia...tphone-charts/

[Anduril]

If the fingerprint reader actually works smoothly, would definitely be a big feature for future products. Big if though. I actually quite like a lot of the camera features, though mostly the new dual flash for better color tones. Little things like that are noteworthy in my book.

Still though on the topic of the 5C, I still think Apple missed out of really securing more sales at a lower margin per sale, had they not just lowered the price of the device with older internals (iPhone 4S?)
While it's true that the contract price is what a lot of people look at, there are still numerous consumers who need a phone part way through their contract for whatever reason.

Even people starting out with a new smartphone, both kids and the older generation don't need the latest 5S. Selling the 5C at $400 or even $450 would have gotten them a number of more users just because it's attractive at that off contract price for those who can't/don't want to resign.

Really a shame.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I understand what you pay, I understand what I pay, but most people who are on a plan with the Big 3 will be paying $70+ a month, regardless of if it is an iPhone, S4, Note 3, etc.

The point is, adding it as part of the topic of what is wrong with iPhone or Apple really is kind of a red herring.

But that isn't the case right now though. My wife's plan was with Fido(Rogers) and was $50/month. My brother's plan is with Telus and he pays $50/month too. My coworker is with Bell and she pays $55/month. I don't think i know a single person paying $70 or more for a plan with data for a single phone right now.

[puckluck2]

nm

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

I pay $40 a month for my S3 with unlimted talking, data, long distance, and text.

My wife pays $30 for her Note 2 with unlimited talking, data and text. She was paying $50/month for her iphone 4 with Fido for 150 daytime minutes, unlimited calling after 7pm and 500mb of data.....

You guys must be with Wind.

I wouldn't use them if they offered me all that for free. Different strokes for different folks.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

You guys must be with Wind.

I wouldn't use them if they offered me all that for free. Different strokes for different folks.

Yup. Was with telus for 9 years and will never go back.

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

But that isn't the case right now though. My wife's plan was with Fido(Rogers) and was $50/month. My brother's plan is with Telus and he pays $50/month too. My coworker is with Bell and she pays $55/month. I don't think i know a single person paying $70 or more for a plan with data for a single phone right now.

I pay 75 for my plan with 6 gigs

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

I pay 75 for my plan with 6 gigs

Thoughts and prayers dude. Thoughts and prayers.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

I pay 75 for my plan with 6 gigs

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Thoughts and prayers dude. Thoughts and prayers.

Psh, what's $30 to us typical CPers who bring down a couple hundred grand a year?

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Psh, what's $30 to us typical CPers who bring down a couple hundred grand a year?

Us simple country folk don't get the privilege of using Wind. I could probably get away with it since I'm in the city most of the day but Cochrane isn't on their coverage map and it could end up costing me a lot.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

You guys must be with Wind.

I wouldn't use them if they offered me all that for free. Different strokes for different folks.

I pay $55 with Telus for a 1 gig plan.

[HotHotHeat]

The basic argument against apple seems to be:

Don't buy an iPhone because it has a "2010 sized screen" with a boring OS and you should only pay 400 for it cause that's what a smartphone is worth now, and don't sign a contract because screw the cell phone companies and we promise everyone will love any other brand of phone because apple just copies them anyways and spends all their money on suing people and the CEO has ruined the company.

How did I do?

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

The basic argument against apple seems to be:

Don't buy an iPhone because it has a "2010 sized screen" with a boring OS and you should only pay 400 for it cause that's what a smartphone is worth now, and don't sign a contract because screw the cell phone companies and we promise everyone will love any other brand of phone because apple just copies them anyways and spends all their money on suing people and the CEO has ruined the company.

How did I do?

Honestly pretty good. My wife saw the Iphone 5c and got really excited for it. Since I am still perfectly ok with the 4s (I'm in the minority that likes small phones) I was going to get it for her. Normally we upgrade our phones and I get the newest Iphone and she gets my old one. Now that if we renew my contract I lose my 6 gig data plan (which is up for renewal now) I am not willing to renew it and lose the plan and get her the 5c. We are stuck waiting for her plan to renew or for the used marked to get flooded after next years event.

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

You guys must be with Wind.

I wouldn't use them if they offered me all that for free. Different strokes for different folks.

I'm with Rogers and I pay $17 for the phone plan. I have a flex data plan that goes from $10 for 100mb to $25 for 1gb. I've only gone over $10 for the data once since I'm on wifi most of the time.

I'll probably pick up a Nexus 4 (or Nexus 5 when it comes up) because I doubt they'll let me pick up a new smartphone subsidized when I renew at that price point.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

Now that if we renew my contract I lose my 6 gig data plan (which is up for renewal now) I am not willing to renew it and lose the plan and get her the 5c. We are stuck waiting for her plan to renew or for the used marked to get flooded after next years event.

That's why I think Apple missed the mark. And it could very well just be a Canadian thing with our new 2 year contracts. A lot of people are going to have a plan that's well below the $70 minimum and works for them. They are going to look at that price and consider no-contract.

So some quick math; let's say the person is paying $50 now and would have to pay $70 to get a subsidized phone. $20 times 24 months is $480. So by going on a contract I only save $20 over the next 2 years, and lose the flexibility to roam or switch carriers. So the person considers outright buying the $700 iPhone, and then sees they can get a different phone with similar features for $300-400.

So it isn't just that I am a cheap SOB and think that Apple should just charge me less; there is actually a reason behind it. And just a couple of weeks ago I helped my uncle buy a phone, and we had looked at a $60 plan for him. He ended up getting extra data to bring it up to $70; but we did consider the extra $240 that was likely going to waste. My uncle is not tech-savvy; so it isn't just the people in this thread who would work out the math.