Competitors Response To The iPhone? Can We Talk About Something Else Please!
from the oooh,-look-over-there! dept
Back on June 29th, when the iPhone launched, we had some of the experts in the Techdirt Insight Community give their thoughts on how competitors should respond. There were, as per usual with the experts in the community, some really insightful and interesting responses. From that, we've been able to sign new business helping companies formulate and execute on their latest strategies. However, it seems that not everyone is taking a proactive approach to responding to the iPhone (or, at least they're not willing to admit it publicly). Gizmodo points us to an unintentionally amusing article where Laptop Magazine tried to get four competitors to give their thoughts on the iPhone. Rather than admitting that the iPhone has really shifted how many people view mobile phones and what they can do, all of the companies basically toe the corporate line, look the other way on iPhone questions and make sure to mention their own phones as many times as possible. Given the market response, however, it seems pretty clear that Apple is delivering what the market wanted, while these other guys have not. Insisting that you do have what it takes when the market is shifting elsewhere isn't going to be a winning strategy. Of course, we're here to help. If companies want to formulate a real strategic response to the iPhone, they might want to give us a call.
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Filed Under: iphone
Companies: apple, helio, motorola, nokia, samsung
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Like it or not mobile devices are primarily fashion accessories not functional devices matched to the demands of a "market".
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Laptop Website Is Pushy
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Verison's response.
Yea yea, the iphone's been hacked, but if you think your unlock will work for more than 2 update cycles, please send me some of what you've been smoking.
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Really, I still think most people use mobile phones to make phone calls. Other than a pretty GUI and different style touch screen input there isn't anything really that new about the iPhone. The other smartphones all offer similar functionality minus the marketing hype and the "REAL" Internet. Which really when I want to look up something on my cell phone the "REAL" internt isn't necessary. Besides the "REAL" Internet implies all major plugins are available.
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But all the indepth reviews I've read point out a number of features are lacking that would discourage most if not all power-users from adopting. No 3G, no GPS ($600 at launch? I would have expected both!), extremely limited 3rd party software availability, no texting?!? the list goes on and on, I pray that some of these items are addressed in future updates, but thats just for my faith in humanity that such a half-assed device could make billions.
The competetors ARE bringing alternatives to market, HTC and HP to name a few. And all signs are pointing to the fact that their devices will not only equal the iPhone in scenester friendly features, but they will also offer the configurability and 3rd party software support that will interest power-users. And make the device that is actually worth $300-$600!
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No iPhone - Not wanted
Not everyone wants an iPhone. For instance, I wouldn't use one if they were free. I prefer my trusty Treo 650, where I can load applications I write myself. So, there are multiple cell phone markets, and Apple made a big splash because they tapped a particular market that had not been well served before.
Other cell phone companies can continue to improve existing models and serve the market segments they've been serving all along. If they want, they could try to create new models to compete with Apple in the market they've brought to light, but it would be a mistake to switch completely to an iPhone-like product line and abandon the markets that don't appreciate the iPhone design.
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wow what a shitty article
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iPhone...slightly innovative
1. 8GB of flash memory, as opposed to the 64MB built in or the maximum of 2GB that I can add via MiniSD cards.
2. Slightly larger, but definitely higher resolution screen.
3. A more full-featured, non-WAP web browser that actually displays most web pages the way that they were intended to be seen, especially those that use columns, instead of just crunching everything into a 1-inch wide column that's 7 feet long that you have to scroll through.
None of that seems particularly innovative to me.
Things that I like about my phone that the iPhone doesn't do:
1. Let's me use a stylus instead of my fat fingers.
2. Integrated pocket version of Word/Excel/Powerpoint/Outlook.
3. Syncs with my corporate Exchange server, not just email but contacts, calendar, tasks, etc.
4. Syncs with my non-corporate email accounts (mostly multiple GMail accounts, but handles synchronization with no problems).
5. Text messaging.
6. Can be tethered to my laptop so that I can use it for wireless broadband access over EVDO for my laptop (VPN connection to work from the road, etc).
And of course, the obligatory thing that they both need:
1. Built in GPS.
Now it doesn't seem like rockets science to me. Phones exist today with all of these features. What would it take for some enterprising company to produce a single phone that does all of those things? If they could, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
It's funny when you think about it though, the "coolest" phone around before the iPhone was the Motorola RAZR. It was just like every other flip phone in the world, except a bit longer, wider and thinner. So they made the whole thing bigger so that they could call it the thinnest phone ever, and they sold them by the bucketloads. Funny how that was the most appealing feature that they could come up with before that.
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iPhone
Jim
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Re: iPhone
The iPhone is a toy. A cool toy but a toy no less. No need to put someone down because they see this. Some of us younger bucks are on a whole different playing field. As a whole, I feel the iPhone is another expenisive toy for people to buy their over-privileged brats. I do commend you for using the iPhone. Mac has always been a great way to introduce people to technology. Unfortunately their marketing department has yet to see that the techie world is not so into it like they say. It would be nice if they had a device that had an ease of use and an easy price so those who would benefit most, (newbies, older folks, kids) could enjoy technology the same as I do.
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Jim Jim Jim
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3G/GPS
And apparently I'm one of the few people who usually knows where they're located, and where they happen to be going to boot. On the exceeding rare occasion that I don't and REALLY need directions, I think I can spare the 30 seconds needed to type in an address.
So again, a feature I don't need, or more battery life... hmm... let me think...
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More iPhoniness
http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/06/solar-cell-breakthrough-40-efficiency-achieved/
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so i turned 3G off.. battery life now much much better.
solution, and i realise this in't innovative at all.
3G iphone, with the ability to turn it off when you don't need it, or want to extend battery life, but the ability to use it when you want it
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Nokia E90
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Details can not be ignored...
"Rather than admitting that the iPhone has really shifted how many people view mobile phones and what they can do, all of the companies basically toe the corporate line, look the other way on iPhone questions and make sure to mention their own phones as many times as possible."
After reading the article it seems as if the questions were posed as comparing the iPhone to the offerings from the questioned sources.
Further, from the undertones and wording of the article it seemed like a "The iPhone is better than you, so let's rub it in and see what your reaction is" article than a "What does the competition think of the iPhone" question...
What you and all other news sources (and especially Apple and it's fan-boys) fail to realize is that the iPhone is simply not even remotely usable to those of us who actually use it for business. Having actually used an iPhone, you can rest assured that I am not just saying this out of my dislike for Apple.
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So much anger
I do not own an iPhone and I don't think it's right for someone like me and what I do.
That said, the point of the story wasn't to praise the iPhone as is, but to note that the interface advancements presented by the iPhone absolutely do represent a huge challenge for competitors. The demand for the iPhone, even at such a high price, has clearly shown that there is strong demand for such a phone, and that there is a certain feeling towards older phones that they just don't have the sexyness they need to compete.
No where did I say that the iPhone was the perfect phone for everyone. In fact, it's not even the perfect (or even an acceptable) phone for me. However, it is true that the iPhone is changing how people think about mobile phones. It's changing the way they consider how a mobile device should function. Yes, there's plenty of hype surrounding the iPhone, but to dismiss it all as hype is a strategy destined for failure.
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Re: So much anger
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In other news, I loved this from the article:
Q: What about the iPhone don't you like?
[...]
MOTOROLA: No comment.
Hands down, the funniest tech news bit I've read this month. (SCO's news, well satisfying, was expected.)
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Initial
First response, of course, was the touch interface. But then, silence.
What is it about the iPhone that is revolutionary? An MP3 player? Camera? Video playback? Web browsing? Email?
In reality, the one thing the iPhone has done is to make the consumer base accept that $400+ for a phone is okay.
Besides that, it doesn't seem to offer anything unique, besides cool looks and a new touch interface. In fact, it is a v1.0 wireless device with all the problems that come with a 1.0 wireless device. They forgot to let users turn off the radio, it has a fixed battery, it is a closed platform. Apple appears to not have learned much from the experience of dozens of companies before it.
...though their CEO does wear jeans during presentations.
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Re: Initial
it's not the list of features, but how those features are implemented. Not to mention the convergence and integration with everything else I use daily on my Mac. Or the fact it's probably the best video iPod Apple's made to date.
Or to put it another way, elegance lies in knowing what to leave out.
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Re: Re: Initial
I do not agree that the apps are "seemlessly integrated", I find that many of the apps appear to have been designed in separate silos. I don't agree that they've converged the features that they've added well (see my v1.0 comments).
And the fact that the i_Phone_ is a good i_Pod_ is irrelevant. Why add bad phone technology to the iPod rather than come up with a better iPod (which they apparently are hard at work doing).
I do agree that many PMs take a cookie-cutter approach to product design (that is, product copying); but in Apple's case they sure could have used a bit more of that.
And the devices being showed at the show I was at most certainly aren't "creaky plastic with [too many] features".
BTW: how do you find the iPhone when it comes to composing emails?
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Nice commercial
Well, I like it better than stupid banners any day of the week.
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Separate Devices
But when I have a cell phone, I only really care to have it be a phone. It is much cheaper than getting some high tech mp3 player mixed in. And that is all I really care to have it for.
Sometimes I like just turning the phone off for a day.
It is good to disconnect every once in awhile (or at least I feel so).
When I want a mp3 player, I will get out the mp3 player, without having to have my phone on.
I prefer smaller specialized devices and programs to one ginormous aggregate thing.
I could go on with examples but I assume that you guys understand how I think about this already.
Just how I am.
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Did someone confuse the MP3 player market...
Its pretty, it has features but the end result is its another phone choice (albeit limited when chained to AT&T's 2yr contract) in a broader market.
The iPod did well in that it brought a decent product to a fragmented market. The wireless phone market is more complicated than that, has entrenched stalwarts who already have good products, and fans that are unlikely to easier just convert from their favorite.
Personally I'll take my dash w/a full keyboard anyday.
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iPhone
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