TEDD

An American Expatriate living his dream

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Member Since: 4/2006 Last Seen: 7/13/2008

First Reports from the field: The iPhone is a Dud!

Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:19 PM EDT

technology, apple, iphone

By Tedd

Apple's iPhone is now reality!

Actually, that isn't true, but that headline was used instead to highlight the fissures that the iPhone has created in the Tech World. When you read that headline you had one of two thoughts. "I knew it! I knew it couldn't be that great!" or "That is a bunch of Garbage! It is simply not true!" (or something to that effect). By no means was it the intention of this author to use this headline to be inflammatory or controversial. Instead, the intention was to help us call the attention to the fact that in the Tech World, there are these two worlds when it comes to Apples new iPhone. Also, and more importantly, to draw attention to the real story behind today's launch of the heralded and over-hyped iPhone. It was, however, not coincidentally that the posting of this article was shortly after 6 o'clock PM on the East Coast of the United States.

The story has been, and will continue to be the iPhone. Until 6PM local time in the United States and around the world, the story has been speculation and what the iPhone is expected to be and what it is not expected to be. It has been hype and more hype, with a lot of expectations mixed in. One of the best managed, and I dare say, largest PR Marketing hypes in the world of technology ever. Hats off to Apple for creating a Buzz so loud it drowned out everything else!

Over the next few days and weeks the story and headlines will become some or all of these:

"The iPhone outsells expectations"

"The iPhone underperforms on its First Weekend"

"Apple's iPhone is Everything it Should be and More!"

"What the iPhone lacks"

"There are thousands of iPhones on Ebay"

"The First iPhone taken into Apple for Repair"

"Apple Stocks have soared (or crashed) Because of the iPhone"

"Apple Exceeds (or misses) iPhone Sales Targets in its First Week"

"iPhone Coming to Canada (and/or Europe)"

"Mad Dog Rumored to Announce the Next Generation iPhone at (pick your event)"

"AT&T (and/or Apple) Fumble the Ball During the Launch of the iPhone"

"Can Apple (and/or AT&T) Keep Up With Demand?"

"Sluggish iPhone Demand Raises Questions"

"Will Apple Dump AT&T for Another U.S. Carrier?"

"The First iPhone Hacked!" (the author's personal favorite!)

This whole time, however, we've been missing the bigger picture regarding the iPhone. I submit to you, that the real and most important headline should be, "The iPhone Ushers in a New Age in Smartphone Technology!" Now, had that been the headline of this piece, many would not have bothered to read this article, but it is so much more important!

June 29, 2007 is so much more than hundreds (or by some accounts thousands) standing in lines for iPhones. It is the day that initiated a new era in Smartphones. This actually already started in R&D labs around the world when an Apple mobile phone rumors started to trickle out. It then went into full force six months ago when Steve Jobs first showed off the iPhone at MacWorld. The likes of SonyEricson, Nokia, Palm, and all of the iPhone's competitors (maybe even ones we haven't yet heard of) started making greater and better Smartphones.

Starting in the very near future, we will finally see smartphones doing what consumers have been demanding that they do. There will be real features, that work, in those smartphones, and a slew of needs addressed. That is what the iPhone is really about. Changing the landscape and it is something that Apple is very, very good at!

Today, the real winners are not those who stood in line for an iPhone. Although a dream come true for many, the real winners are consumers - all of those who use and rely on and relish in technology. Because today, we won the right to be a part of the onslaught of smartphones that really meet our needs! One year from now, the Smartphones of today will look like ancient history and we have Apple and its iPhone to thank for that. Thank you Mad Dog for bringing us more than just an iPhone!

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Public Discussion (28)

Tedd

As I watched coverage of the iPhone launch, I was awed, but not surprised, with Apple's preparedness. Steve Jobs was not going to let anything overshadow this event. There are three time zones to go yet, but the East Coast was the big one anyway.

2 votes

#1 - Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:40 PM EDT

Pamela Drew

Here in NYC my son was on line at one of the AT&T stores, to avoid the flagship and they ran out at 150 phones!! Worse they didn't tell the line waiting until they got into the store. He was ten spots behind the lucky new owners and today is an official day of mourning. Lots of folks got more than a little miffed and the credit card systems were down as well. Not the happy experience we saw with the Wii. No, I didn't buy it for him. He got to play with it as they processed the order to be delivered on July 2 and he seems to think its as cool if not cooler than he believed it to be before touching it..

1 vote

#1.1 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 9:07 AM EDT

Tedd

Pamela, I am so sorry to hear about that! It seemed to me, that things at the Apple Stores were more... how do you say it... Customer Friendly that they were at the AT&T stores.

As far as today being a day of mourning, look on the bright side, you have a lot of cash in your pocket that you wouldn't have had if your son had been able to buy the iPhone.

In all seriousness, a number of professionals and iPhone fanatics are reporting that the iPhone does all that it is supposed to do and was hyped to do - at the same time, many are saying they are bored with it after the first night.

If that does not discourage you, than I can also tell you that all the reports are that there are plenty of iPhones out there. On the Apple site one can check to see if the Apple store in their areas have iPhones or not.

One way or the other, good luck!

1 vote

#1.2 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:50 PM EDT

Pamela Drew

Well you're half right. I have my cash but don't buy any of the gizmos and gadgets or games. Food and clothes plus college tuition is more than enough for this mom. He paid for the iphone and left with the promise it would be delivered via UPS in a few days.

I'm not sure it's worth the price but he's not one to part with cash for everything so we'll see if he stays happy. It's funny though he's a math kid and told me that most folks don't think twice about two three bucks a day for snacks and such and if he gets half the joy from the phone they do from their daily whatever he's ahead. I'm waiting for his little sister to use that argument to sell me on some junk she wants me to pay for, amortize the joy Mom.

2 votes

#1.3 - Mon Jul 2, 2007 10:48 PM EDT

sammiskye

awsome!

#1.4 - Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:30 AM EDT

Faruk Ates

I commend you for owning up to deliberately choosing an attention-grabbing headline and putting a serious, good, inspired article behind it.

*Two thumbs up*

3 votes

#2 - Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:14 PM EDT

Tedd

Very nice of you, thank you! For me, the iPhone is a symbol of things to come rather than of what happened at the launch.

1 vote

#2.1 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:44 AM EDT

Dennis P. McCannDeleted

Rapp3720

Good article.

The hype around this is incredible...

1 vote

#4 - Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:45 PM EDT

Faruk Ates

Even more incredible is that every review so far says it pretty much justifies the hype!

1 vote

#4.1 - Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:13 PM EDT

Eyes

See, I don't think it was Apple that created all the hype, I think it was the new age internet media with blogs and such, because all I saw apple do was introduce it at some convention, reintroduce it with more features and stuff at some other convention, and a couple simple commercials. I think all the hype came from it being such a revolutionary product (to some degree) and the internet, places like Gizmodo and Wired.

2 votes

#4.2 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 12:52 AM EDT

Tedd

Rapp, thank you. The hype was incredible - I've never seen anything like it!

Even more incredible is that every review so far says it pretty much justifies the hype!

It does everything it was supposed, but I am reading on forums and from friends that a few hours after plugging in and syncing up, they are bored with their iPhone.

Eyes, great thought! I agree and disagree though. I agree that the blogs and media made a lot of this launch. They did a lot of leg work for Apple on hyping this thing. Apple, however, did something amazing and they kept it managed. I don't mean to say they managed the hype (that got out of control), but they were able to do something every company and even politician tries to do: manage expectations! They did this through a very calculated and disciplined PR push. This is where I disagree, Apple upped the hype by managing expectations.

2 votes

#4.3 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 3:03 AM EDT

Faruk Ates

It does everything it was supposed, but I am reading on forums and from friends that a few hours after plugging in and syncing up, they are bored with their iPhone.

My Twitter list shows an entirely different story. To each their own I guess =)

#4.4 - Tue Jul 3, 2007 7:19 AM EDT

Tedd

You are right! I'm a Jaiku guy and after the first night, when I posted that comment, quite a few were saying that. That have since repented and are all over their iPhones!

#4.5 - Tue Jul 3, 2007 4:12 PM EDT

Dr Juice

So far a lot of users are reporting problems with the new iPhone-ready version of iTunes (7.3), including myself. iTunes won't save your library (I'm not sure what this means, as all your files are still there). We'll probably see a software update within the next week.

My girlfriend works at a restaurant about 3 doors down from an Apple Store, and even after the lines (around 10 pm) they told her they still had plenty. Curiously, though, online orders are expected to ship in "2-4 weeks."

I'm just hoping that the battery really lasts as long as claimed. So far the reviews say it's coming in minutes under what Apple is claiming, which is damned impressive.

1 vote

#5 - Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:35 PM EDT

Tedd

I'm sure Apple will fix the iTunes problems quit quickly. As you said, the problem is being reported all over the place.

As for the lines, even at large places, ropes were being taken down about 7:30 or 8:00. There are a few thousand iPhones on ebay, as of this moment ranging from $30 to over $1,000. If I could score a $30 buck iPhone that would be something, huh?!

As for the battery life, that is so key. I have battery life issues with my N95, but at least I can pack around a back-up battery. No such thing on the iPhone. Having said that, I am sure that there will soon be (if there isn't already) an external battery or charger iPhone accessory.

1 vote

#5.1 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 3:16 AM EDT

Dr Juice

All 3 of the Apple Store's in my state are reporting "In Stock" according to the page at Apple.com, and Ars Technica has a post today entitled iPhones iPlenty: The Sell-Out That Wasn't. Frankly, I don't see how having more than enough is a bad thing.

I'm still not sure what the whole iTunes library thing actually means. I listened to a few minutes of an audiobook, closed and restarted iTunes, and it picked up playing in the same place. Users are also reporting trouble activating, but this is probably because everyone was trying to activate roughly at the same time last night.

So far the battery life seems to be as promised by Apple, which is pretty good. Also I think most of your iPod chargers should work with the iPhone, though certain audio playback devices (i.e., FM transmitters) won't.

1 vote

#5.2 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:07 PM EDT

Tedd

Andrew, in my opinion, people wanted the iPhone to sell out for a couple of reasons:

1- They iPhones on Ebay would have commanded A LOT more money!!
2- It raises the hype and keeps it going for awhile.
3- At the same time, those who don't like Apple could have claimed (and this supports your comment!) that Apple wasn't prepared well enough.

As you said, there is nothing wrong with there being enough stock out there. If Apple would have run out, it would have upped the hype, but done Apple more PR damage. This was probably the most though-out and well managed product roll-out in the history of world. And I say that without exaggerating. Apple took everything into consideration. The only weak link was AT&T.

2 votes

#5.3 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:57 PM EDT

Dan Hallo, aka, Zoilus

I waiting for the iPhone killer from Microsoft, called the Zune-a-Phone. It will have a atomic battery and be able to download actual merchandise with it's matter energy matter converter reconverter. and another feature is the convenient instant matter transporter so you can just go and talk to anyone face to face in real space. Then just touch it twice and it remembers where you were and takes you back.

4 votes

#6 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:13 AM EDT

Tedd

That's funny! I'd be fearful of the atomic battery, especially with all the battery explosions over the last year or two.

1 vote

#6.1 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 3:18 AM EDT

Dan Hallo, aka, Zoilus

Apple has a twenty minute video of all the features of the iPhone demonstrated here on their website today. Fun to watch. I heard myself say "cool" out loud a few times.

2 votes

#7 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 9:31 AM EDT

Tedd

Yeah, that video has been out for a week or so. This is a big part of what I was referring to when I wrote that Apple managed expectations while keeping them high!

I think that it was a great PR move on Apple's part. Some people who had been sitting on the fence on whether to buy an iPhone or not were convinced to buy after watching that video.

Thanks for the comment and pointing it out! In retrospect, I should have linked to the video in the article.

1 vote

#7.1 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:53 PM EDT

Tedd

Although I am going to seed this, I just wanted to point out to all of you a great link. It took less than 18 hours and there is a story of an iPhone being taken apart, including pictures. I think it is great! You can find it here.

#8 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 6:01 PM EDT

Rapp3720

Amazing. They already have this posted.

#8.1 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 6:10 PM EDT

Tedd

I am not a "told ya' so" kind of guy, but I have to point this one out too! The first iPhone taken back is already up on engadget. You'll find it . It took less than twenty four hours.

If you are a careful reader, I know I didn't say "First iPhone Returned", but rather ,""The First iPhone taken into Apple for Repair". But I think that this is close enough! Although, its a matter of hours or max. days before the first iPhone repair is reported.

1 vote

#9 - Sat Jun 30, 2007 7:00 PM EDT

Pamela Drew

I'll keep you posted, saying I told you so is part of the job description for a Mom. I checked the handbook on that one. :~)

2 votes

#9.1 - Mon Jul 2, 2007 10:50 PM EDT

Tedd

I wish you and your son the best with the iPhone!!

#9.2 - Tue Jul 3, 2007 5:10 AM EDT

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TEDD

First Reports from the field: The iPhone is a Dud!

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