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?
i assume this was a poll of AT&T customers, not everyone in general?
YES THANKS, if at&t got leftovers, they can send me one. i live in sweden, shouldent be hard to find me with the population here. Just Fed-EX to "sweden"
$500 is just too much for a phone that everyone must have. Yes, the Razr was 400 when it first came out, but I only started seeing them constantly after Verizon started carrying it, and after the price went down.
Though a lot of the smart phones on the market do everything that the iPhone can do, the interface still looks amazing, and it's easy just to sync it up with iTunes. Not to mention the design is amazing, and that Apple does have a nack for producing great hardware, a fact whether you like Apple or not.
Yes, the thing will sell, but like the Razr, I don't think you'll see that many of them until the price comes down, or they release a cheaper version. Personally, I could do without the wireless features, and just have the phone/iPod combo, and a smaller screen wouldn't bother me too much.
I'm Curious to see how the battry holds up being that its built in and also if its capable to charge via usb...
Im sure it will work as advertised, and its plenty nice looking, but as long as there are no buttons it is completely worthless as a serious device.
The price is fine--it won't stay high forever. What I notice though is that it's too big. I bet the iPhone Mini will sell very well when it arrives.
what do you mean the price will come down.... when is the last time you have seen an ipod for more than 10 % off... apple does not do sales or price drops.
Jason, I think you'll find it's smaller than you think.
what a half assed survey. I wouldn't place my bets on so much overwhelming scientific advice.
I hate worthless crap like this.
Overhyped to the extreme, this device has no where to go but down.
I am not an Apple Fanboy (full disclosure).
I wonder what the percentage of people who said that there was no chance they'd buy a RAZR. I doubt it was 2/3. This would be a better idea of what to expect.
I believe that a whole lot of the people who say that they will pick one up will quickly put it down and not buy it... There are whole lot of things to learn about it before buying it -- And many of those things will dissuade people from actually plunking down the cash for one.
It's a big jump to this phone from a RAZR.
Unless you see that iPhone selling for 50 bucks after rebate like so many RAZR's, you can't compare the two. Newer PDA-esque phone's rarely sell for $50 bucks after rebate and you couple that with the price of Apple products in general, it's not so similar.
Cool product, niche market, Stevie J is great at hyping things up to absurd levels....
I was pretty excited to see the iPhone when it was first announced... And anything that i can do to carry fewer devices with me and still stay connected is always welcome...
That being said - I'm always very wary of 1st generation hardware. It seems like it never lives up to expectations. Even if the iPhone does receive favorable reviews when it is released, i think that the lack of 3G connectivity is a huge hurdle in my mind. Any device at this point that is being touted as an Internet Communication Device should include a 3G radio.
3G should be included in this day and age, but honestly, why? The vast majority of the US doesn't have 3G coverage.
Steve Jobs reads Engadget everyday.
It comes with a Family Fued game? Sweet! ...it really needs 3G Steve, it really does.
So considering they're target market penetration, 6% would be high anyways, right? I thought they were only expecting something like 2% of the market. Or was that some other number I randomly made up? I forget now...
They are aiming for 1% by the end of 2008, starting out humbly I think. I don't know what % of the market they will get, but I suspect it will be higher than 1%. I'm holding out for the imaginary iPhone nano myself.
Assuming that there are 150,000,000 individual cellphone users in the US 6% = 9,000,000 iPhones sold. Assuming an average selling cost of $530.000 (2/3 4GB 1/3 8GB model sales which I think is conservative) This equals 4.77 Billion yes billion in sales. Assuming only 15% of that is profit for Apple = $715 Million in profit.
6% market share is huge.
Apple stands to make more form the iPhone then Motorola did from the Razr because the iPhone's price will stay very high for a very long time.
Are you an idiot GBaz? Are 150m people on the single carrier that will have the iPhone?
6% is not bad at all. I wonder if Microsoft( or anyone else in the cell phone market for that mater) would even get 3%. With so many different companies and different phones to pick from, its kind of amazing to see so many people wanting the same phone.
Doesn't microsoft already have like 15% of the market?
I mean, you add up:
8525
Treo w versions
Motorolla Q
Blackjack
That's a pretty good chunk isn't it?
The Razr sold almost 1 million handsets in the first 3 months it was out, cost $400, and was not available to Verizon customers, so the survey size of "people Grant17 sees" should not be counted on for an accurate count of early phone sales.
6% who will plop down their cash and buy it right now? That's not bad. I'll bet there are more than a few potential buyers out there who prefer to wait 'n see it in real life and then decide. If I had to decide right now, I'd pass. But I'm definitely interested.
No surprise here. Dropping $500 next month isn't in most people's plans-no matter how awesome the phone. It's really only a matter of time until it does get bundled up, distributed via multiple carriers, and offered to customers for FREE*!
*Offer requires acceptance of five years of hard labor and fees. Termination of the contract will result in a penalty fee of your first-born child. See store for details.
I thought Cingular had an exclusivity contract to the phone so no other carrier could carry it....which would limit the bundling and multiple carrier.
To the comment on 3G not being widespread in the US...if you are spending 500 on a phone and know how to use all the gadgets...you are probably the demographic that is in the area of 3G and actively uses it...so you would be at a disadvantage
As long as Rogers is the only one to carry it in Ontario (or all of Canada? Not sure.), there's no chance I'll be getting one. My Rogers contract is up in November and there's no chance I'm going back.
1/3 say they might shell out for a $500 iPhone should be the correct way to read this headline. Apple is very happy chugging along and selling profitable hardware and software to 1/10th of the PC market they will be tickled pink to sell iPhones to 1/3 of the cell market.
If the iPhone does what it claims many might see it as a bargain compared to the individual items ( iPod nano, Cell, PDA ) and stylish to boot.
why would you buy a cell and pda when you can get a Q or blackjack for free with contract?
And why buy an ipod when you can get better players cheaper? Granted, some just want an ipod, but an ipod and a free Q or blackjack is still, what, 1/5 the cost of the iPhone?
I think if 33 percent of people bought a first generation iPhone they would be doing well enough.It would provide a good base.
they showed ONE ad. And you think these numbers reflect anything? When Apple starts advertising this thing.. sometime next month I guess... you'll change your tune.
Yeah but that 6% that the RAZR has is probably from all the different carries that sell one... Having just AT&T sell the iPhone limits its market share right off the bat...
Oh and if anyone has ever tried using a touch screen ONLY it is a total pain in the ass... I don't care about multitap... that isn't the problem... with a touch screen ONLY you HAVE to look at the screen... period... without some kind of tactile feedback you cannot tell what you are pressing without looking at it... that is going to be a HUGE drawback.
And people who are comparing the iPhone to anything Microsoft need to understand that Microsoft makes a platform not hardware... it would be interesting to see how many phones have WM installed on them.
When does the iPhone Shuffle come out?
*No more late-night drunk dials, the iPhone shuffle uses an advanced algorithm to randomly call numbers in your phonebook at random times, so you don't have to.
Also... How many people CARRY around a huge iPod? People who have an iPod on them all the time have a nano or shuffle... the iPhone isn't going to replace anyones iPod... I'd bet anyone who thought it would will be dissapointed when they see how much bigger and heavier is is than the tiny iPod they carry around.
Don't get me wrong, $500 is a chunk, but is it really THAT bad? It's like every consumer product (and movie, ugh) has to be within grasp of a teenager or its deemed DOA. It's $500. If it's worth it and you want it - buy it. If you can't afford it, shout it down on a blog. Yawn.
What a surprise, yet another post about the iPhone?! I hate to imagine what it will be like once it is released…how to control your iPhone with a Wii Controller?!
Bit of news to quiet down all the iPhone lovers, especially in Europe. Talking to my friend’s boss at Phones4U, the iPhone is not coming to Europe till 3Q next year at the earliest. Also, the iPhone has already been manufactured and 1,000 units were sent to Mobile Phone stores in the U.K. for testing and every one was sent back due to all of them failing to boot. Add to that all the people in the store who saw it, say it’s an absolute brick. N95>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>iPhone.
Amazing - hundreds of sites & blogs are clamoring for any detail they can get about this thing, yet you happen to have the inside scoop that a 1000 of them had been sent out, and NONE of them would boot up.
And this is the first time anyone hears about this, is from you?
My sister's friend's brother's teacher's aunt said so...
I'm sorry but there's no need for this FUD. No one let alone phones4u have had their sweaty hands on the iPhone. Most certainly NOT mere retail staff. I'm sorry but the staff in the Product and Planning team in the network that is favourite to recieve the iPhone in Europe haven't seen the phone yet...
And as for the brick comment, it's all relevant. Pick up the Sony Ericsson M600i, the iPhone isn't far off that...
The phone is still on European Roadmaps for the Q4 this year.
There is also no phone that is more eagerly awaited on than the iPhone in the circles that are "in the know". None of the prototypes from the nokia's, SE's and Moto's (While still really cool!!) have the same wow factor.
I'd love to hate Apple, especially as they have this whole "cool" thing going on, but they're making it really hard!
iPhone will be in the UK (and maybe Europe) more like Q3 *this* year. And you can bet your life they won't be sold through Phones4U.
Sorry to disappoint your mate, but these will be an Apple Store and Operator deal only...
Keep in mind that a good deal of apple's targer market doesn't follow technological developments. I asked the two people that I thought would have an iPhone on opening day what they thought about it, and had to walk them both through what it was and why it was so revolutionary - now they're both anxious for it's release date so they can pick one up.
I think that, just like the Razr, it's gain most of its popularity from people coming up to its early adopters and asking them "is that the new blackberry I've been hearing all about?"
I wanted one until I actually used Cingular for the first time for a month. (last month) The service was horrible and the customer service was even more horrific. That alone is keeping from going with the Iphone.
What's the point of having a sweet $$$ phone if the service is poor and customer service are poorer. I'm sure Cingular works fine others, but I doubt you could take the Iphone and put it on another network like the Razr.
LOL, Apple isn't even shooting for 6%. So according to the survey 6% will want to buy the, when there'll only be enough for 1%. So what's the problem?
Everyone loves to bash the iPhone but it will succeed for one reason. It is already an American icon device. Because of the beauty of the sim card this does not have to be your primary device. You can still have your Blackberry or WM device by day but this will be one heck of a talking piece as a night time toy. Imagine Heff being baffled on who he wants to spend the evening with. All he has to do is pull out his iPhone, close his eyes and give his virtual rolodex a spin and he's guaranteed to pick a perfect 10 each time!! Great commercial idea BTW.
Everyone loves to bash the iPhone but it will succeed for one reason. It is already an American icon device. Because of the beauty of the sim card this does not have to be your primary device. You can still have your Blackberry or WM device by day but this will be one heck of a talking piece as a night time toy. Imagine Heff being baffled on who he wants to spend the evening with. All he has to do is pull out his iPhone, close his eyes and give his virtual rolodex a spin and he's guaranteed to pick a perfect 10 each time!! Great commercial idea BTW.
Everyone loves to bash the iPhone but it will succeed for one reason. It is already an American icon device. Because of the beauty of the sim card this does not have to be your primary device. You can still have your Blackberry or WM device by day but this will be one heck of a talking piece as a night time toy. Imagine Heff being baffled on who he wants to spend the evening with. All he has to do is pull out his iPhone, close his eyes and give his virtual rolodex a spin and he's guaranteed to pick a perfect 10 each time!! Great commercial idea BTW.
"Don't get me wrong, $500 is a chunk, but is it really THAT bad?"
Funny how the tables turn when we're not talking about the PS3.
Anyways, all-in-one devices typically tend to be "jack of all trads, master of none"...let's see how Apple fares.
title should have been "Survey Says:"
The iphone will sell very good its a "design" phone it looks alot better then any other phone and also comes with real internet (not like all the others)
some of the other phones like the new nokia 95N can more but to be honest its ugly and that matters alot.
And yes alot whats to just use an ipod nano or shuffle for music but at the same time they all got a phone this will be alot easyer I bet it will sell alot and u dont have to look at the screen all the time the keybord is quite big when u got the phone turned the right way and u dont have to look when u white after a few months with it I bet.
@Klaus
What? The iPhone doesn't have a keyboard at all, its all a touch screen.