5 Reasons Why the iPhone is a Mistake for Apple
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Apple is slated to release their new iPhone, an all-in-one cell phone, mp3 player, web browser, contact manager, and organizer this Summer. The hype surrounding it has been strong, and Apple is touting to re-define the cell phone with it. Apple’s name brand recognition alone could well do this, but I think it’s a mistake for Apple, and here’s 5 reasons why:
The Cell Phone/MP3 market already exists
Apple already makes the best mp3 player on the market. They beat many to the punch in the hard-drive based mp3 player, and because of it, have continued leading the way since. They have a strong niche in that market. However, I think they will lose their mp3 player niche if they move into the cell phone market. The cell phone market has been around for a long time, and there are already many very nice cell phone makers and very big companies backing those cell phones, some with many of the same features as the iPhone. If Apple enters this market, it’s not going to be about introducing the coolest and greatest features - the cell phone manufacturers already know how to do this. It’s going to mostly be a Marketing game for Apple, and if Apple loses, by abandoning their mp3 player line they will lose this market, along with the iPods they used to sell.
Apple is Selling Through Only One Carrier
I don’t get this only selling through Cingular thing. True, it gives them an automatic audience, with strong focus from Cingular, but what carrier wouldn’t want to focus on promoting an Apple product in their product line? Looking at the Blackberry, the Treo, the Slivr (however you spell it), and others - you can look around and get all of them through several different carriers, no contract needed, even on different networks! I’d rather buy from one of those manufacturers that make an equivally good phone, perhaps with even more features.
Microsoft is Ahead of the Game in the Media Market
While Apple is gaining ground, and holds the stronghold in the MP3 player market, Microsoft already owns the Media Center market, with Windows XP Media Center Edition, and Media Center capabilities built into Vista Ultimate. Then take into account the number of Xbox 360 owners that can use these features (I’m one of them), stream (not just recorded, but live) TV, music, videos, and pictures over their network, all on one of the best gaming systems out there (in full HD!), Apple TV isn’t anywhere near that league yet. Don’t forget that the Zune, while it has its issues, it already has bluetooth and wifi capability. All Zune needs to do (which they are rumored to do), is produce a phone version of their player and they are mostly caught up to Apple in that market, with additional benefits of hooking into the system I mention above.
No Business Focus
Apple doesn’t seem to care about the business market with this release. True, they have integrated PDA-type functionality into the phone, but their target market seems to be the teenagers and younger generation. I don’t think this will hold much of a dent in the already existing Blackberry market which the business world uses. They will need more of this focus for world domination - perhaps it’s mainly a marketing move, I’m not sure.
No Outside Developer Involvement
This one irks me. A developer myself, I want a tie into the Operating System! I’ll produce all kinds of cool little programs for it to enhance the functionality, and build a larger community. Involve software developers in your phone, and you instantaneously will have new uses for the phone that Apple could never imagine, nor have time to write. By removing this functionality, Apple loses the geek and software developer focus they have maintained in their Operating System. Steve Jobs - just as music, we will hack it. It’s just a matter of whether you want to provide the means for that and maintain some form of control, or whether you want us to find our own workarounds. We like the easier solutions.
Apple, I hope you’re listening - perhaps it can be done. I love your products. I just hope you can overcome some of the flaws I list and make this just as successful as the iPod and your computers. I’m really starting to lean towards Microsoft due to the reasons I state.
April 26th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
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http://digg.com/apple/5_Reasons_Why_the_iPhone_is_a_Mistake_for_Apple
April 26th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
5 reasons this post is wrong:
1): The current cellphone/MP3 market is shit. It needs Apple to shake it up to make some devices that are simple AND worthy of the pricetag.
2): Apple is selling through one carrier because that one carrier has the services required to get this phone working. Word is that the iPhone is going to be sold through Vodafone in Europe. Apple is going after numbers and services because THAT makes sense not going after someone who’s network is crap.
3): I can’t believe you tried to pull that one out. How many people actually use Media Center? Stuff all. Because it is a shit product. As is Windows Mobile. Apple invented the PDA market therefore M$ has only followed and has performed a shit job of it. You’re missing the point as to what the iPhone is about. It’s not about producing something that hasn’t been done before, it’s about producing a better rat trap.
4): The iPhone has push email like the Blackberry. The iPhone has visual voicemail that the Blackberry DOESN’T have. The iPhone has the ability to have applications that can extend its use into say things like editing Word and Excel documents etc something the BlackBerry CANNOT do. Clutching at straws on this one here mate. Also why do you tangent into the world of AppleTV in a post about the iPhone?
5): One word, PALM. Running just the software that comes with the Palm the unit runs sweetly. Running outside developed apps causes it to fall over more times than a one legged man on a bender. Outside development is a double edged sword. It relies on developers making quality products. Apple KNOWS how to make quality products including software so having complete control is actually a good thing. It means the iPhone is stable and the software isn’t bloated and crash happy. Merely because you are a developer doesn’t mean that you should have the right to make software for it. Apple knows what it wants the iPhone to do. What piece of glorious software can you really come up with that Apple hasn’t thought of yet? The iPhone has/will have GPS, mapping, a webbrowser I seriously doubt you could ever have come up with, an email reader I seriously doubt you could ever have come up with, a voicemail system I seriously doubt you could have come up with, etc. See my point. Apple is ahead of the game so chances are it’s already developing stuff that you have thought of and being Apple will do it better than most developers would. Do we really need a bunch of crap software or do we really need a limited supply of seriously powerful and simple to use software? Give me the latter any day of the week.
I don’t see how any of your points actually point out any flaws in the iPhone. Like most of the iPhone dejectors you have failed to grasp what the iPhone actually is about. You think about what you want out of the phone but you’re a developer and what you want isn’t necessarily what the people this phone is aimed at need from a phone. It’s developers that have made the current crop of phones such shit in the first place.
I suggest you read some of these articles if you haven’t already.
http://roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM/19A62044-5937-4245-B320-CF4020F7368D.html
May 5th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
@Loweded Wookie, you don’t understand - I’m not against the iPhone. I’m just worried it will fail. I’m an Apple user myself, in fact a fanatic. I’m also a realist.
“Also why do you tangent into the world of AppleTV in a post about the iPhone?”
That’s what AppleTV is all about! Apple, like Microsoft, wants to take over your living room, in fact, your entire house. The more integration you have with your other products, the more it ties your customers into your products. Microsoft has beat Apple to the punch on this - I think you would be surprised as to how many people use Media Center out there right now. There are entire communities built around it, so I doubt “no one” uses it. Without a gaming console I don’t think Apple will have an edge to stand against in the future.
I’m simply writing this as a warning to Apple. They had better keep up the quality, and have a plan to meet the competitive points I mention, or they will not succeed.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
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