Marketing

When you think quality shopping experience you think Wal_Mart! Maybe that isn’t quite right. The aisles are crowded and the floor is generally a little grungy and the associates don’t seem to want to be there… When you think low prices you think Wal-Mart. That is true allure, one supposes, of Wal-Mart you can buy anything in the place and be pretty sure you won’t see it anywhere cheaper until you come back to Wal-Mart and the price has been dropped.

Don’t forget you can get cell phones at Wal-Mart (along with tires, olives, and all your haberdashery needs). But the cell phone are always the ones you don’t want and the demo models never work. Well, starting Wednesday, all that is about to change. Well, it is about to change if you want an G1. No word on whether the demo model will actually work or not. That is right, Wednesday Wal-Mart is selling the G1 from Google and T-mobile. how exciting is this? Very if you want to pick up a bag of beef jerky and a cell phone and not so exciting if you have a bunch of questions… more...

What can’t be beat even though its only a year old? If you said 50 kids that have just learned to walk (1 year olds) you not only have some mental defect you’re also wrong. the answer is, of course, the iPhone. Yes, companies have had 15 months to copy the iPhone (or make something better) and all they’ve come up with is phones that look like the iPhone.

What do competitors hate about the iPhone? Freaking everything. From the marketing to the well, let Matt Hamblem tell you:

At this week’s CTIA show here, where hundreds of companies that build devices and applications or offer network services are convening, corporate leaders keep pointing out iPhone weaknesses—from networks issues to lesser video capabilities. But they also have to keep answering why their devices can’t be as special as the iPhone or its touch interface, slew of applications and functions.

Yep Matt is at this week’s CTIA show and is guaging the mood of the various vendors in attendance. There are surprisingly frank admissions from competitors throughout Matt’s article so be sure to read… more...

Good news: on Sunday Best Buy started selling iPhones.
Bad News: Best Buy sucks at customer service
Good News: You can get an iPhone three different places.
Bad news: Two of the three places have horrible customer service (AT&T, Best Buy)
Good news: One place has great customer service (Apple stores)
Bad news: You’re likely much closer to an AT&T or a Best Buy than an Apple store.
Good news: The price remains unchanged ($199.00 and $299.00)
Bad news: still no insurance option.

Well, there is more to it to that. If you remember the ascension of the iPod to the market making and dominating device it has become the trail closely parallels the number of different places the iPod was available at. First, it was just the Apple online store, then Target came on board followed by Dell and now the things are everywhere. More stores mean more exposure and more exposure means a growing market share. If you’re a fan of the iPhone… more...

If you want to get your hands on an iPhone and you live in China you can either get a job building the things or pay top dollar for an unlocked iPhone. AFP reports that that is about to change. Sources tell AFP that Apple is in the final stages of talks with China’s largest telecom provider China Mobile. According to AFP the holdup was over Apple’s revenue sharing demands. Apple wants a big slice of the iPhone pie? Is such a thing even possible?

China has a population of 1.3 billion and 608 million current cell phone users,so the opportunity is huge. If Apple can make the iPhone cool in China expect big sales and the goal of 10 million iPhones sold in 2008 to seem quaint.

Yesterday, a friend of mine found herself stuck on a runway for 5 hours because of poor weather conditions. If she had been a first class passenger, and had been the owner of an iPhone, and had been living two days in the future… she would have been able to hook up her Apple device to a dock connector right in armrest of those plush (and oh-so-expensive) leather seats.

The first iPhone-compatible flight left Washington D.C. for Zurich yesterday, and United promised that all of their international planes would be upgraded within the next two years. Unfortunately, this connectivity won’t be available where it is most needed- in coach. If you are flying first or business, however, you’ll be able to control your iPhone or iPod through your armrest, and watch movies on the existing personal entertainment system- a 15-inch LCD screen.

Although Greg Joswiak, an Apple VP, had lots to say about the system’s capabilities, he didn’t mention whether or not United planned on expanding iPhone support further down the aisle:

“The iPod and iPhone have become essential for millions of travelers around the world. We think United… more...

You are probably familiar with those iPhone commercials depicting people using their phones in real situations that would occur in life. Well I have my own.

I regularly attend a computer class at my local college. One day during class a discussion arose about the sharp rise in price of technology stocks. My teacher used Google as an example and asked if anyone knew what the price per share currently was and what it had been 1 year ago. Having had Google as one of the stocks I was monitoring, I quickly took out my iPhone and checked the price. The class was amazed at the speed with which I was able to gather this information. The professor soon used this information to calculate the amount of money one would have gained in investing a certain amount about a year ago. I was glad that our class was able to learn using valid information, and not a mere estimate. The professor then thanked me after class.

Thank you iPhone! You may have just gotten me an A.

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Most geeks are familiar with Black Friday. This is the day when there are insanely great deals on decent, sometimes great, electronics. This year there are many companies joining in to save the consumer some cash and kick off the holiday season. Apple is not one to miss out on the fun, so they will also have limited deals on electronics up on their site at 12:01 AM on the 23rd. Details are sketchy, but it is also believed that retail stores will participate and join in on the action. Here is what Apple has stated in a post up on their website:

Come back to the Apple Online Store the day after Thanksgiving for a special one-day-only holiday shopping event. You will find dozens of great iPod, iPhone, and Mac gift ideas all with free shipping.
Mark your calendars now. And until then, start your research by visiting our Holiday Gift Guide to find iPod, iPhone, and Mac gifts for everyone on your list.

Expect lines at some locations as well as much competition by those wanting in on the deals this holiday season. If you participate,… more...

As we all know a 3G iPhone is imminent, it’s not a question of how but a question of when. Coupled with the fact that Apple worked something out with Interdigital regarding 3G patents, it all but confirms the fact. However one analyst makes the claim that Apple will introduce a 3G iPhone before Christmas.

We all know how analysts are, to me they seem like those people who make seemingly reliable rumors but once you read into it there is little validity, but not all analysts are like this.

I know that the cellular industry is a fast paced industry, so much so that I had written that Apple may have killed the iPhone by pushing updates so slow and while I won’t whine that a 3G iPhone is somewhat overdue (depending how you look at the matter) it would be disatrous for Apple to unloose such a major update before Macworld.

Think about it, after Thanksgiving and right before Macworld sales are huge. Steve said himself that the price decrease was meant to lure in potential consumers for the… more...

Who would’ve thought that even with the millions splurged on its wireless network in preparation for the iPhone that AT&T is dropping “the fewest dropped calls” campaign.
Can you hear me now?

The marketing campaign started in March last year but it was flawed from the getgo.
The irony is that the Ads were based on a report by Telephia that clearly stated AT&T was not the most reliable network. Even funnier was AT&T’s competitor T-Mobile was the only one capable of claiming the title of “fewest dropped calls”.

Since Cingular and now AT&T has taken some legal flack over it they are now dropping the slogan (like its hot) because almost good is good enough.

Via: Digg

Steve Jobs had a goal of reaching 10 million iPhone sales by the end of 2008, but according to SeekingAlpha analysts, Apple will reach 13.5 million units by the end of 2008.

SeekingAlpha also suggest that Apple will be releasing new iPhone products soon, with a 16GB version available at some point next year and a 3G enabled handset by Spring (but this particular writer is hoping that 3G reaches Europe before then).

Whilst market share will still be rather low after 13.5 million shipped units next year, it’s thought that this number will crush Microsoft’s Windows Mobile devices as last year only 4 million units were sold. Whether or not the iPhone trend will slowly come down to a calm next year is anyone’s guess but it appears that it’s selling like hot-cakes at th minute.