RSSApple iPhone lines: No longer the social event of the season
By Tim Conneally | Published June 19, 2009, 12:50 PM
For fanatics of anything, camping out in line for the latest product or event is a chance to show off their loyalty and devotion to whatever their chosen obsession may be. Waiting for hours in unforgiving conditions creates a real camaraderie between folks, and helps soften a person's judgment of the product they waited for.
I think back ten years when Star Wars: The Phantom Menace came out, when dozens of people I knew, Star Wars geeks or not, waited in a line that extended literally six blocks down the street from Baltimore's Senator Theater just for a ticket to any showing. After we witnessed that cinematographic abomination, we held our tongues and told ourselves it really wasn't that bad. Even harsh critics I knew who I'd followed out of theaters mid-movie in the past gave the movie a longer consideration than it deserved.
Apple really tapped into this emotional attachment with its iPhone launches, welcoming line waiters with a full crew of "geniuses" thunderously cheering and high-fiving the entering crowds to congratulate them for purchasing a phone only marginally as useful as a BlackBerry.
Today's iPhone 3G S launch tried desperately to retain the experience of the "iLine" while simultaneously having system that is less prone to failure. Unfortunately, it really can't be both ways. The Apple Store in Towson, Maryland, like most of the others across the country, set up two lines: one for pre-order customers, and one for walk-ups. At 9:00 am, the time when "general availability" of the iPhone 3G S began, there were less than a dozen people in the walk-up line, while the pre-order line was at lest ten times longer.
Apple has made the process of obtaining the new iPhone much smoother, and in doing so, much less exciting. Customers who pre-ordered the device can pick up their reserved iPhone at their leisure, or get it shipped to their house. I asked a youngish looking guy at the end of the line why he chose to wait in line, and he said "Oh, I don't know, I just wanted to come down here," and made no mention of his excitement for the phone.
It doesn't help that the 3G S is only an incremental upgrade with no change in design (other than with the new white-backed model), making it even less of an exciting product to line up for. It wasn't just the kid I spoke to, no one in Towson seemed to be clawing at his own eyes in anticipation of getting a magnetic compass and 3 megapixel camera. That is not to say there weren't happy customers leaving with a new toy, but the lack of incentive to show up and act silly was obvious.
hey i m 24 year old boy & I want to being my chest like women. so how can it possiable please send me my answer
Score: 0
|The vast majority of businesses in this country are small.
The vast majority of customers for phones are consumer, not business.
Therefore, the idea that because it isn't enterprise ready is a big deal, well, that is just silly. Because the vast majority of smartphones do not come OOB enterprise ready, and typically need third party modifications to get them third enterprise ready.
Even MSFT supports iphones for its employees.
Commenters that say the changes aren't significant are missing out on the 50% performance improvements, AND better battery life and performance for pretty much every aspect of the phone. I'd call that significant. They gave the Palm Pre 2 days of glorious leadership before the smackdown.
Impressed. Apple has some very smart people working for them.
Score: 0
|I just can't understand why anyone would wait in a line to spend this kind of money on a phone.
Wait a few days. Wait a few weeks even. Or buy online and have it shipped. You shouldn't have to wait to spend $400.
And while there are some nice features, there's nothing that really makes it worth upgrading if you already have an iphone. The things people will do for the "cool" factor never ceases to amaze me. The sad part though, is they and those they are in line with are the only ones who see it as "cool".
Score: 0
|All these mac fanboys...the iphone is a paperweight. I actually think I could get more done with a paperweight.
Score: -3
|Fire...good. Rock...good. Fire make rock hot.
Score: 0
|My thinking is that a lot of the talk about AT&T's upgrade pricing has dampened any cheer about upgrading from the 3G to 3G S model. Add to that, the lack of huge differentiation and ability to activate online.
If I were getting one, I wouldn't stand in the line with the fanatics anyway. I did that once and that was enough.
Score: 0
|Easy, Apple fanboys. When all is said and done, it's still just a smart phone and most of you are 9-5 cogs in a giant machine you will never get ahead in.
Score: -2
|Obviously they are somewhat "ahead" as it takes a pretty penny to be able to afford one of these+contract.
Score: 0
|Yes, the phones are $99 and most of the people who buy them don't think about the long term costs.
Score: 0
|Apple will soon realize that its biggest IPHONE threat is in fact the BLACKBERRY, the lack of features in the iphone makes it a phone that makes you think twice to spend a chunk of money for a phone that has basic features that even att's simplest phone has.
Score: 0
|Unless of course if you know HOW to make those features to work ;)
I LOVE my iphone, fastest most reliable smartphone i've ever used and I've used Palm, Windows CE, Windows Mobile etc....... ALL junk except for the Iphone.
Score: 0
|There is a large and glaringly obvious lack of professionalism in this article, especially with statements such as the iPhone being "only marginally as useful as a BlackBerry" and my personal favorite, "It doesn't help that the 3G S is only an incremental upgrade with no change in design (other than with the new white-backed model)."
If the writer actually had taken the time to stop and research, he would know that:
1. Lines are not as long due to the whole debacle going on with AT&T and upgrade users, putting only the people who can get it as those who pay top dollar for their plans, and those who can shell out the large dollars for a full priced iPhone 3G S.
2. The iPhone has 10.9% of the smart phone market (compared to BlackBerry's 19%) as of November of 2008, and has been continuing to grow steadily. The BlackBerry was released in 2002 however, while the iPhone was released in 2007.
3. The iPhone 3G S is more than just a magnetic compass and improved camera, also featuring a faster processor, voice control (which, contrary to a previous article, is not a 3.0 feature. They are thinking of voice memos), and improved graphic capabilities. (I do not think it justifies the outrageous pricetag, however).
4. The white iPhone was introduced last year, with the 3G.
Score: 2
|Well written. Can we get an Apple/iPhone Hate Section going? kthx.
Score: -1
|""only marginally as useful as a BlackBerry""
"2. The iPhone has 10.9% of the smart phone market (compared to BlackBerry's 19%) as of November of 2008, and has been continuing to grow steadily. The BlackBerry was released in 2002 however, while the iPhone was released in 2007."
Um, you may want to note that your response to that bit has absolutely *zero* to do with the usefulness of either device. Market-share statistics and "time on Earth" are not functions or features of the phones and have no effect on their usefulness.
Score: -4
|[Wrong reply]
Score: 0
|PC_Tool,
You too may wish to note that I did not link the two statements together, but was simply making a point. The author decided to step outside the realm of neutral journalism and make a personal statement regarding his opinion of the iPhone's usefulness versus the BlackBerry. While both have their positive and negative aspects, I think it's fair to say that, for the most part, neither can be considered better than the other anymore. My point, however, was simply to display a comparison between the usage of the BlackBerry and iPhone, the current 2 leading smart phones.
Score: 2
|Journalism neutral???? ...and what wonderland do you live in?
Score: 0
|Nice CYA...
Comparable? Huh... Ever actually *used* a blackberry?
Score: -5
|Bogunch,
Journalism is supposed to be neutral, simply telling the story that is supposed to be told. They are simply supposed to purvey the information.
PC_Tool,
I've played around with and used a few, yes. If you are trying to make a point simply because I am expressing my opinion regarding the functionality of the two, you are not doing a good job. User A's needs and demands may not equal User B's, and with my job as a web developer and server administrator, I have need to keep in contact via numerous methods. Both phones have served me wonderfully in that regard.
Score: 0
|@PC_Tool
Yeah, the Blackberry devices are horrible. My work gave me one and i tried to use it for about a week and then dumped it into one of my drawers as it is absolutely horrible. The iPhone is so much more easier to use and way better built too. No wonder Apple is selling so many.
When people have a choice, the iPhone wins just about every time over Blackberry. The only people using Blackberries are forced to by their idiot IT departments.
Score: -3
|Welcome to the site. This is nothing new for Betanews. It is very clear Microsoft slush money has found its way here. Even posts which are somewhat positive towards Apple or Google include verbage and phrases which put Microsoft in a positive position and or light. It is really sad.
Like the Black Screen of Death story. It starts out by saying Vista really was not all that bad. ROFL. Wonder how long it will take those IE 8 marketing points to start fnding their way into stories here. Those are hilarious.
Score: -1
|@fatty:
Huh, funny. Every person I know in IT (dozens BTW) practically *begs* for a Blackberry and some even asked for one as a condition of their employment! Not sure what kind of IT people are in your area...
Score: 0
|@ir0nw0lf
Give them a choice...Blackberry or iPhone 3G S. You and I both know which one the vast majority would choose....the iPhone
Score: -3
|Actually, as a tech, you can have VPN capabilities, along with telnet/ssh/ping, plus a whole host of other tools that are useful for admins.
I bought my 1st gen iPhone used and it's been great. It's been upgraded twice now but I'll wait till the price drops before I upgrade. I do not want to pay the Apple tax.
Score: 0
|@tenpaiyomi
What makes your opinions better than anyone elses? You said it yourself, user A's needs are different than user B's....and yet you are claiming one is better than the other. In terms of what?
If you look at it from *both perspectives, the iPhone is a great "toy". The Blackberry is a great "tool".
If you're looking for a toy, get the iPhone...you can't go wrong. If you are looking for something that can integrate with the majority of your work environments? It's the Blackberry...hands down.\
@fatty:
Gee...you think the iPhone is God's gift to mankind...how shocking. Really. We're all speechless with amazement. *yawn*
Score: 0
|@PC_TOOL
I think Fatty would give Steve Jobs his liver if it wasn't so messed up from drowing his sorrows.
Score: 1
|PC_Tool,
I'm not stating that my opinions are any better than any other opinion, but as a reader of the story I am allowed to give my own personal opinion. Fact is, however, I have worked to keep my opinion to myself for the most part, and only provide facts in this situation. I never made the claim that either phone was better than the other, and in fact stated "While both have their positive and negative aspects, I think it's fair to say that, for the most part, neither can be considered better than the other anymore." I even went on to state "User A's needs and demands may not equal User B's, and with my job as a web developer and server administrator, I have need to keep in contact via numerous methods. Both phones have served me wonderfully in that regard." Never did I make a statement through any of my comments that one phone was better than the other.
However, you now are making the statement that one is a toy, and the other is a tool. Please emphasize in what regard? Everything I need in regards as a *tool*, I can do with my iPhone. I can s***o a server for emergency maintenance, I can manage one of my client's slices on Slicehost, I can keep up with the work I do via Freshbooks, I can communicate with clients over all mediums by Skype, BeeJiveIM, email, and phone. All of which can also be done on a BlackBerry. On the *toy* aspect, I have a few games to pass time, I have a Twitter client, and a WordPress client. I also have others which fall into the *personal* aspect. Check my wireless phone account and check my banking account, as well as do shopping on amazon if I want. All of which can be done on the BlackBerry as well.
So, I once again ask you, how is it that one is a toy, and the other is a tool, when what justifies it is how the person uses it? A computer, as well, can be a tool or a toy, but no make, brand, or model can be claimed as one or the other. It all depends on how the person *uses* it.
Score: 0
|Easy.
The majority of enterprise-level corporations use them. Why? Better integration with email, Office, and enterprise-level security standards. The iPhone did get push email and remote locking in 2.0, but it still lacks many of the basic tools and security functionality *required* for use in the enterprise as a tool for business. Assuredly, many of the tools can be developed outside of Apple...and many currently are.
I am not saying that the iPhone won't ever *be* ready. Hell, for smaller businesses, it's quite capable. But it is not ready for the enterprise....yet. In my world, that relegates it to "toy" status. ;) In the world of smaller businesses and personal use? Why not?
So...
To me? Toy vs. tool. To you? Both tools.
While you never said one was better than the other, it was the implication I got from your OP comparing the two. If the implication was merely imagined, I apologize. One cannot get it right all of the time. ;)
Score: -1
|PC_Tool,
I can easily see the basis of enterprise-level corporations using BlackBerry's over iPhones, though some of the issues have been remedied (on a hugely minor level). iPhone syncs with ActiveSync, and can now intergrate with Exchange servers, but with the integration that BlackBerry's have with BES, it's clear there is no way for the iPhone to take it's place where such a fine grain of control over the BlackBerry is required. But, to that, I must add a very bold 'yet', which you yourself seemed to agree to in your statement of "I am not saying that the iPhone won't ever *be* ready. "
Given that my line of work is all freelance based, I have no enterprise which I must integrate into. In such, the iPhone's huge flexibility and broad spectrum with applications makes it a perfect tool for me right now (citing an example as before with the Freshbooks and Slicehost apps), which I can leverage to make my job all the easier. In such, it makes a very malleable tool for myself.
I did not imply, nor try to imply, that one was better than the other, but with the way I made my bold initial statements I can see how it would seem like I was, so no worries on that front. :)
I thoroughly enjoyed our little debate here, and I hope I was able to expand your view on the ability to see the iPhone as a tool versus a toy, from different perspectives.
Score: 0
|