Survey: two-thirds say "no thanks" to iPhone
By Chris Ziegler 
posted May 2nd 2007 2:56PM
posted May 2nd 2007 2:56PM
iPhone buzz may be at a strong, rolling boil at this point, but a recent survey suggests that the tabloid-like attention the device has been enjoying may not translate to sales at Apple and AT&T counters come next month. The poll of 1,300 individuals responsible for their own bills uncovered that while 77 percent had heard of the iPhone (wow, only 77 percent?) and 41 percent had a "good impression" of it, a full two-thirds of respondents indicated that there was no chance they'd buy one -- and only 6 percent said they'd pick one up. 6 percent seems like a dismal number at first glance, but the survey firm astutely notes that even at the very peak of its popularity, the now-ubiquitous Motorola RAZR only achieved 6 percent market penetration. So yeah, theoretically, if 6 percent of the American bill-paying populace actually buys an iPhone next month, we officially have the next RAZR on our hands. Way to put a damper on things, eh?
That RAZR thing is a good point, but honestly, as much as I love Apple and stand behind their products (or at least the 2nd or 3rd generation of their products) I wouldn't get one of these because it's so bulky. Granted, there are phones that are a lot bulkier, but I don't want a PDA. That said, I don't think the RAZR stat can be compared. I think the iPhone will still do pretty well, however.
I think the notion of bulk on cell phones is becoming moot. With bluetooth technology and voice independent dialing, its becoming less of an issue, since you don't need to whip out your device to make or receive calls.
I would love to have one, but I won't sacrific call-quality for phone-coolness. I'd rather have crappy looking phones that will work when I need them to.
I'll wait until either Apple builds an iPhone with out VZW's permission to work on a CDMA network, or until VZW's wakes up and asks Apple to build one for their network.
@Albert: Actually, I don't think most people's concerns about bulk have to do with making and receiving calls, and more with carrying convenience. The appeal of the RAZR was that it was one of the first phones you could easily carry in a pants or shirt pocket. It was certainly the reason I purchased one; I don't like holsters or clip-on carry cases, and I'd prefer not have an unsightly bulge in whatever pocket my phone is in. As much as I've been eyeing some of the PDA phones out there, I just haven't been able to come to grips with the size of them. This might be purely superficial to some, but it's a very important purchasing factor for many, especially for men who don't have purses to keep their Treo or Blackberry in.
They should do a survey to see how many people who want the iPhone know what it actually does...
I can't wait for the News Stories.
"Millions of Apple fanboys commit mass suicide as iPhone's suckiness reveals that Steve Jobs is, in fact, not god!"
"Lack of iPhone sales reveals that not all apple products are what they are hyped to be. In other news, Hallmark has realeased a new card in their, 'If at first you don't succeed,' line up."
"I wouldn't get one of these because it's so bulk"
Umm... I don't think the iPhone is as big as you think it is. Compared to the Razr, it's 1/3 of an inch wider, 2/3 of an inch taller, but it's also a bit thinner. It's also slightly smaller than the Q in each dimension. I'm not saying it's tiny (nor is it by any means perfect), but it ain't exactly large.
The comparison is invalid.
1) The RAZR was eventually available on all networks during the peak of its popularity.
2) People NOT responsible for their own bills will own one. (My personal guess is the price point of the iPhone makes this a significant percentage.)
AppleT&T is going to sell a lot of these and they will do well.
No way for me. This makes great strides in convergence, but I want a full smartphone. And that price point is nuts. I'll believe the soft keyboard when I see it but just don't have much hope for something with no tactile feedback and teeny areas for big thumbs. I'll also believe the battery specs when I see them. As suck as iPods and smartphones are with battery life, try combining them. Blah blah blah nothing you haven't heard.
But for the size/bulk crowd out there, remember that you can compare the iPhone to your favorite gizmo or small object over at Sizeasy - http://sizeasy.com . The iPhone is one of their stock comparables. Google your favorite gizmo's specs, enter the there, and compare. It's really pretty slim. A bit taller than I'd like, but plenty slim. I think it will pocket nicely, at least sans case.
Wonder how the weight will feel in, say, a front shirt pocket? Hope it ain't 3G ipod heavy. That thing is a ground magnet.
And whatever happened to the fingerprint smudge issue? I remember that sort of falling into the reality distortion field and not hearing a response. Won't people constantly be wiping this thing off? Ooh product idea... microfiber iPhone thumb condoms!
A fullon PDA-style, touchscreen, handwriting recognition, Symbian smartphone . . . Sony Ericsson M600i, only $300. I'm using it on AT&T.
SE M600i 107 x 57 x 15mm
Razr 99 x 55 x 20mm
Not bad, eh?
lhino9
I will not be getting one for the simple reason that even a great company like apple will be making revisions to this model and if i were going to get one i'd wait until they work the "kinks" out. Everything new has some shit that isn't great so i'd wait until version 2 or 3 IMO. Plus i'd never get one for the simple reason that i'd kill myself if i dropped it!! And i don't know about you but dropping a razor and dropping an iphone is two different things IMHO
No 3G @ Launch? No Removable battery? Consumers are smarter than that I hope.
They'll get the people who wanna look cool and hip to buy one. For people who really know their stuff unless software updates for 3G are introduced none of them will give it a second look.
I like to make fun of Apple Fanboys as much as anyone, but if this thing delivered all its promises, I could see myself paying for it. I think most young active people (target demographic, no?) will realize a touchscreen phone isn't that great when they start cracking though. Also, anyone remember how many mistypes St. Steve had during the keynote? I saw a few..but man it is sexy :)
All said, its not the phone price I'm worried about, but rather what AT&T is going to make me pay them each month to have the privilege of using this thing.
Check out the battle between Seth Godin and Laura Ries regarding the success/failure of the iPhone.
http://verneharnish.typepad.com/growthguy/2007/05/godinrie_smackd.html