Julian Ivan-Alexander

Apple Sours: Analysts Doubtful of iPhone's Prospects

Christ.. assholes and analysts.. I think I'd rather hear from an asshole. What about all the people (ie. the other 98% of the phone market) who haven't bought an iPhone yet and can now do so for $99 in the US, or buy the new vastly improved one for a very competitive contract deal, who have been stuck with older contracts on other networks for the last 12-18 months but who can now switch as they're contract free?

Naysay naysay naysay. Weren't Apple Stores due to "shut off all the lights after 2 years," and the "iPod be an overpriced flop" when they were launched? Analysts: Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Morons.

U.S. Handset Subsidies to Be Replaced by Something Worse?

Are you nuts? Subsidised handset sales are the norm in Europe. You really need to get out more.

The Google Phone: Blockbuster or Bust?

Google is not positioning itself against Apple. Its positioning itself against Windows Mobile and its lesser competitors. I'm not sure why people find this so hard to understand.

AT&T CEO Promises 3G iPhone Soon - Will it Freeze Demand?

Actually Larry is completely wrong. At the UK iPhone launch in October, Jobs specifically stated he hoped to have a 3G iPhone out by "late 2008," as far as I recall (or words to that effect).

This is not news, except for headline writers with too much time on their hands. Nothing to see. Move along.

Was Verizon Really Wrong To Pass On The iPhone?

Verizon is/will lose millions of high paying, high ARPU customers to AT&T. About half of AT&Ts iPhone buyers are new to the network, and about 50% of those are ex-Verizon.
In addition, AT&T aren't subsidising the phone, so whatever revenue sharing they are giving Apple is counterbalanced by being able to profit on the handset itself.

So to answer your question bluntly and simply - yes Verizon was stupid-wrong to pass on the iPhone.

Apple's iPhone and the Future of AT&T

I have never understood why anyone in their right mind would buy a cellphone that only works in the US, rather than a GSM phone. Verizon and its CDMA brethren are the equivalent of Neanderthal Man - doomed to extinction by a more dominant species in the form of GSM.
Unless you don't have a passport and don't intend to travel overseas (a description I appreciate fits a worryingly high proportion of the US population), then why buy a crippled CDMA handset?

iPhone: Apple Making All the Wrong Moves

Todd, give it a rest, seriously. You're in serious danger of drowning in egg. You will never live this down, trust me, and for sticking your neck out like this about the most anticipated CE releases since, well, since.. the iPod, you are going to get your head knocked off when the iPhone train goes roaring past you, along with AAPL's stock price.

iPhone: Apple Making All the Wrong Moves

"Never underestimate the passion of apple followers. It's like a religion."

No, its a stock up 1300% in 6 years. That's not a religion. That's the best performing large cap in the market.

Verizon Happily Rejected Chance To Be Sole iPhone Service Provider

""The iPhone product is something we are happy we aren't the first to market with," Strigl noted, citing Apple's steep and one-sided terms including a cut of monthly subscription fees and total control over distribution and customer relations. Another Verizon spokesman added, "We have great distribution partners nationally, regionally and locally... And the deal [Apple] wanted would have frozen out those partners."

Translation: Boy oh boy did we screw up two years ago by not taking this product. Now we're dependent on Motorala, Palm, Nokia, and Samsung to get us out of this hole. Oh boy oh boy oh boy are we crapping ourselves! Maybe if we tell people we don't care about the iPhone they'll forget about the fact that our products will suck in comparison at that price point.

Apple's iPhone Partnership With Cingular Could Drag It Down

"Since I’m not an expert and all this just hit the wires maybe I’m missing something. They could add Skype/SIP affinity down the road"

Yes, they could. The iPhone runs OS X, which has a Skype client. I'm sure there will be one tailored for the iPhone pretty soon, once developers get their hands on the SKU. Relax.