With the new heat the iPhone will be getting from the iPod Touch, Apple decided to lower the barrier of entry to a much more palatable $399, and that's for the 8GB model, which just yesterday was rocking at $599 pricepoint. It also looks like Apple is doing away with the 4GB version, which was seriously lagging behind its big brother in sales, but there's no official word yet.
That's a good idea as long as they don't nail me on the letter of the policy which requires a Printed Advertisement. Hopefully AT&T puts something in the Sunday paper this week.
"I think the iphone price drop is great, although I won't be buying one. I do plan to by the ipod touch when its available, i do wish it had a speaker & java support, or a Firefox option. please ignore the handful of detractors complaining about the price drop. To most of your customers & potential customers, like me, it sounds like sour grapes. I guest your CEO was right about this new generation ipod being the one for everyone. I'm very excited about the ipod touch. Thanks."
It's called Penetration price. People that gotta be the first to have it will pay the premium that will cover some the cost for R&D, marketing, product placement, etc. All companies do this, not just apple. It's just that Apple is able to get away with a higher premium just like um... BMW when they come out with a new M class.
Man im SOO pissed i payed 600 bucks on this damn phone! I think all 8 gig owners deserve AT LEAST 200 free F***ing downloads on iTunes!
Seriously?! they are gonna drop the price by 200 bucks?!?! after the phone has only been out 2 months? WTF Steve?
"You know, the surveys are in: the customer satisfaction numbers on the iPhone are off the charts. They're higher from iPhone owners than any Apple product. Ever."
Quit whining you little baby. NO ONE made you go buy an iPhone and anyone with any amount of intelligence would have realized that sooner then later there would be a better cheaper iPhone for sale. Just deal with it and shut up!
I agree that Apple would eventually come out with a better cheaper iPhone... but this isnt either. Its the same phone with a 1/3 of the price hacked off 2 months into its life cycle.
but thanks for the comments, Gary Brinkman... Nerd who picks fights over the iPhone.
go tell it to the mountain! Make sure you let them know how happy/unhappy you are with todays events. When does the apple tax start to effect everyone.
I don't mind that I paid $200 more for my 8gb iphone, I am upset that I couldn't get a 16gb version. My guess is there will soon be a 16gb version and then $599 will be the price for that version. Oh well that is what happens when you want to be an early adopter. Deal with it or stop buying version 1.0 stuff. It never works out for the best.
"Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 10 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 business days of shipment."
I think the early adopters are pissed, because only now you can see the REAL PRICE for an IPhone, Apple couldnt have refined the production method in just 2 months to warrant such a huge drop in price. Guess all those profit margin estimates on the IPhone were right. Thank God I live in Europe...;)
I don't think this is a case of early adoption / price drops.
The roadmap for the iPhone, including original pricing and subsequent price drops, had to be set long before the initial release. Meaning the price drop on Sep. 5 was on the calendar long before the release of the $599.
Now, there is definitely a case for tech coming down in price, and early adopters always paying a little more, but not in 2 months, and not on such a new product, and such a large drop. This is not due to hardware prices dropping, or memory, or other components, this is simply the company defining the profit margins.
If I owned one, I would want to know what the rationale was in determining the timing of the price drop, and knowingly pissing off some of the biggest Apple customers that pushed the iPhone at the onset.
I think that apple must have paid for most of the R&D with the these past two months of iphone sales. Sure they could have left the price the same and had that much more profit, but with this price drop they will sell more phones during the holiday to make up the difference. I remember when the iphone came out, all the people that complained said stuff like " Id never pay 600 for that phone, maybe 3 or 4 hundred and ill get it." now that its lower people are like.. thats still to much. Make up your mind. Also, I did buy an iphone on the first day, and i don't regret it. Now with the price drop i might get one for my girlfriend.
They still need to update the refurbished section on the Store... If they keep the 42% discount, the 8GB iPhone would cost about $230. Not bad for those who happily embrace refurbished stuff.
On the surface, I'm not too happy about having a 3-week old phone, which is less than a month old, yet one week past the return point.
Yes, I made the decision to buy it then, so I do take responsibility for that. But, on the other side, Apple also didn't provide me with data that could have made me make a more discriminating purchase plan. (And, one can argue, why should they.)
Apple now has an interesting choice. Because of all these early adopters, their phone is a success. However, pissing them off would do some serious damage. One, those people are never going to buy into an early adopter program again and spread negative comments. Two, non-early adopters are going to view this as a model of how Apple treats its customers.
THAT SAID, -twice- in the past, when I have purchased expensive software (about the same cost as the iPhone), Apple has dropped the price, and upon doing so, wrote me a Snail Mail telling me they appreciated my business and enclosed was a check for the difference. Unprompted.
I'd like to think that Apple will have the foresight to do that now, and the amount of good will this would result in would more than make it up.
At the moment, I have -one- iPhone. My wife is on the fence. If I get a refund from Apple, she'll be having an iPhone too (and being realistic, if Apple produces a better version with more memory, I'll be buying the higher end model for myself).
If I'm to eat the difference because of a week, I don't have the right to complain, but I'm going to take it out of Apple's future sales by not upgrading, not early adopting, not evangelizing, and not buy multiple machines. And, let's be honest, Apple knows this.
104. I feel like most of you do. I expected the early adopter penalty after a year or even 6 months. But I never thought it's be TWO MONTHS and them not even release a new model.
I have never felt like Apple screwed over their most loyal customers so terribly. People are saying all of us are stupid for buying on right away and essentially Apple did too.
Please email at earlyiphoners@gmail.com if you're as pissed as I am. I'll get all the emails together and update everyone on what to do next. If anyone has suggestions, please send them along with your email.
Nice! I haven't won anything in the Endgadget giveaway and I'm 19 days into my new 4gb iPhone. I can't comlain since its been a great 19 days and it was an anniversary present (otherwise it would have been an 8gb, 4 is just too small). I know people kept saying that there would be a price drop but lets be realistic here. Apple has historically not dropped the price on hot new products, rather they have introduced better more refined products at the smae price point and usually not for 6months to a year.
I expected that there would be a newer better version next year and that I would then have to shell out more money to have that shiny new toy. But in day 19 I just have take a swig of the pepto and think that wow in less than a week I would have had the 8gb and saved a $100 bucks.
Oh well...it is what it is...but lets all face it. What really gets everyone mad is that stupid activation fee you have to pay when siging up for 2 years and no subsidized equipment.
At least now we can all rest assured that when iphone v2 rolls out next year it wil be much less expensive than what we all shelled out this year. Dollar cost averaging makes it all OK.
I have an iPhone and I'm not happy about this price change. I understand it but I feel jipped by the hand that feeds me. I was enjoying reading the conference until that last 5 minutes. Since those last 5 minutes I've just been in disbelief. Guys aren't the only early adopters feeling abused right now.
When I bought in on its release day everyone looked at me in amazement and admiration when they saw my Iphone. Today the very same people are calling me to tell me I am an idiot. :-(
I was just thinking the same thing....the news was coming out piece by piece and here I'm thinking "oh that's cool, my dad would like one of those" etc...then the kick in the face of the $200 dollar theft job by jobs... Sorry dad, no new iPod for you! Booooooooooooo apple!
I bought 2 8GB, so the damage is $400. While I think it's a huge discount in 2 months, nobody pointed a gun at me to buy them. Yes, I will buy an iPod Touch 16 GB when they are available. Call me an idiot but it's technology what we are buying, right? so relax. -joel
when i purchase technology, i expect that at some point in the future the price will drop and the features will improve.
but a 33% price drop on a product that was introduced only 2 months ago is insulting to the early adopters. AMEX will refund the price difference on a price-drop within 60 days of purchase. at 67 days since the iphone was introduced, we are well out of this range.
will there be an consideration for those of us who overpaid for their iphones or will apple pull a "microsoft" and treat us like paying beta testers?
Actually, I bought my Xbox 360 on the day it came out also..and 2 years or so later it JUST NOW received a price cut! I'm not upset about that at all, it's expected. But not $200 in two months!
So leave microsoft out of this! Their products at least STAY overpriced! lol
jon, point taken... not a parallel comparison. i just wanted apple to know that i thought of them the same as i thought of microsoft... guess that wasn't as insulting as i wanted it to be.
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Just about every newspaper in the US & A will have a story in it tomorrow saying that the iPhone is now $399.
That should do the trick.
That's a good idea as long as they don't nail me on the letter of the policy which requires a Printed Advertisement. Hopefully AT&T puts something in the Sunday paper this week.
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html
LEAVE FEEDBACK NOW.
This is what I left:
"I think the iphone price drop is great, although I won't be buying one. I do plan to by the ipod touch when its available, i do wish it had a speaker & java support, or a Firefox option. please ignore the handful of detractors complaining about the price drop. To most of your customers & potential customers, like me, it sounds like sour grapes. I guest your CEO was right about this new generation ipod being the one for everyone. I'm very excited about the ipod touch. Thanks."
This is a clear case of price gouging. If Apple can make money at $399 why did they stick it to everyone of the early adopters.
Just another case of great Apple customer service.
It's called Penetration price. People that gotta be the first to have it will pay the premium that will cover some the cost for R&D, marketing, product placement, etc. All companies do this, not just apple. It's just that Apple is able to get away with a higher premium just like um... BMW when they come out with a new M class.
Man im SOO pissed i payed 600 bucks on this damn phone! I think all 8 gig owners deserve AT LEAST 200 free F***ing downloads on iTunes!
Seriously?! they are gonna drop the price by 200 bucks?!?! after the phone has only been out 2 months? WTF Steve?
"You know, the surveys are in: the customer satisfaction numbers on the iPhone are off the charts. They're higher from iPhone owners than any Apple product. Ever."
HA! i want 200 bucks back
Quit whining you little baby. NO ONE made you go buy an iPhone and anyone with any amount of intelligence would have realized that sooner then later there would be a better cheaper iPhone for sale. Just deal with it and shut up!
?
I agree that Apple would eventually come out with a better cheaper iPhone... but this isnt either. Its the same phone with a 1/3 of the price hacked off 2 months into its life cycle.
but thanks for the comments, Gary Brinkman... Nerd who picks fights over the iPhone.
just check the apple store, their refurbished 8gb iphones are 349, and there are no more refurbished 4gb. boooo
dedicated to the "early adopterz"
h**p://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=idiotsjt3.jpg
google, are you reading all of this? now kick apple's ass and bring out the wifi enabled, java enabled, third party enabled gphone
dedicated to the "early adopterz"
http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=idiotsjt3.jpg
I totally agree, Matt. ME WANT FREE ITUNES if anyting...
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html
go tell it to the mountain! Make sure you let them know how happy/unhappy you are with todays events. When does the apple tax start to effect everyone.
I don't mind that I paid $200 more for my 8gb iphone, I am upset that I couldn't get a 16gb version. My guess is there will soon be a 16gb version and then $599 will be the price for that version. Oh well that is what happens when you want to be an early adopter. Deal with it or stop buying version 1.0 stuff. It never works out for the best.
enough crapple news!
Seems there is no way to make any of you happy.
Apple releases the iPhone at $599 and it's a rip-off. Apple lowers the price to $399 and Apple shafted people that bought it for $599.
Price drops happen. If you are concerned about the price of your electronic product dropping, you'll never buy.
In the words of Dane Cook: thank you for not fucking me big time.
I just think it sucks that the $600 price tag was announced and well known longer than it was in affect. I want a credit or something.
Apple does have a policy for this sort of thing:
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/salespolicies.html#topic-15
"Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 10 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 business days of shipment."
I was so surprised over the price drop I accidentally dropped my iPhone, and the screen is now spider webbed.
Thanks Steve.
Price was fine when you bought it. You liked it, you've paid it! There's nobody to blame but you!
If Apple didn't lower the price, you'd still own the $600 device!
this just means it was overpriced by $200. that or they're paying lower slave labor salaries.
I just posted on the iphone feedback under "Bugs"
That i would like to report a bug... not with the phone, but in steves brain.
They should really get that looked at...
in all my 20 years of being an apple supporter i have never seen this level
of disrespect.
http://www.bugapple.com
coming soon ;)
For all of you that purchased your iPhone within the past 14 days at an Apple store, you can request a refund of the difference.
Here is Apple's Refund Policy:
http://www.apple.com/legal/sales_policies/retail_us.html
holy shit does this mean a refurb is only $299?
I HAVEN'T BOUGHT ONE YET!!!!!!!!! YAY!
I think the early adopters are pissed, because only now you can see the REAL PRICE for an IPhone, Apple couldnt have refined the production method in just 2 months to warrant such a huge drop in price. Guess all those profit margin estimates on the IPhone were right. Thank God I live in Europe...;)
you assholes that say early adopters deserved to get screwed are fricking idiots. I hope your dicks fall off.
I expected a price drop after a year or even half a year but 33% after 2 months is just ridiculous!
They may not have deserved it, but history tells them they will pay the price for early adoption.
I don't think this is a case of early adoption / price drops.
The roadmap for the iPhone, including original pricing and subsequent price drops, had to be set long before the initial release. Meaning the price drop on Sep. 5 was on the calendar long before the release of the $599.
Now, there is definitely a case for tech coming down in price, and early adopters always paying a little more, but not in 2 months, and not on such a new product, and such a large drop. This is not due to hardware prices dropping, or memory, or other components, this is simply the company defining the profit margins.
If I owned one, I would want to know what the rationale was in determining the timing of the price drop, and knowingly pissing off some of the biggest Apple customers that pushed the iPhone at the onset.
I think that apple must have paid for most of the R&D with the these past two months of iphone sales. Sure they could have left the price the same and had that much more profit, but with this price drop they will sell more phones during the holiday to make up the difference. I remember when the iphone came out, all the people that complained said stuff like " Id never pay 600 for that phone, maybe 3 or 4 hundred and ill get it." now that its lower people are like.. thats still to much. Make up your mind. Also, I did buy an iphone on the first day, and i don't regret it. Now with the price drop i might get one for my girlfriend.
They still need to update the refurbished section on the Store... If they keep the 42% discount, the 8GB iPhone would cost about $230. Not bad for those who happily embrace refurbished stuff.
On the surface, I'm not too happy about having a 3-week old phone, which is less than a month old, yet one week past the return point.
Yes, I made the decision to buy it then, so I do take responsibility for that. But, on the other side, Apple also didn't provide me with data that could have made me make a more discriminating purchase plan. (And, one can argue, why should they.)
Apple now has an interesting choice. Because of all these early adopters, their phone is a success. However, pissing them off would do some serious damage. One, those people are never going to buy into an early adopter program again and spread negative comments. Two, non-early adopters are going to view this as a model of how Apple treats its customers.
THAT SAID, -twice- in the past, when I have purchased expensive software (about the same cost as the iPhone), Apple has dropped the price, and upon doing so, wrote me a Snail Mail telling me they appreciated my business and enclosed was a check for the difference. Unprompted.
I'd like to think that Apple will have the foresight to do that now, and the amount of good will this would result in would more than make it up.
At the moment, I have -one- iPhone. My wife is on the fence. If I get a refund from Apple, she'll be having an iPhone too (and being realistic, if Apple produces a better version with more memory, I'll be buying the higher end model for myself).
If I'm to eat the difference because of a week, I don't have the right to complain, but I'm going to take it out of Apple's future sales by not upgrading, not early adopting, not evangelizing, and not buy multiple machines. And, let's be honest, Apple knows this.
If you're doing anything called "evangelizing" for computer stuff, you need to seriously reconsider your life.
104. I feel like most of you do. I expected the early adopter penalty after a year or even 6 months. But I never thought it's be TWO MONTHS and them not even release a new model.
I have never felt like Apple screwed over their most loyal customers so terribly. People are saying all of us are stupid for buying on right away and essentially Apple did too.
Please email at earlyiphoners@gmail.com if you're as pissed as I am. I'll get all the emails together and update everyone on what to do next. If anyone has suggestions, please send them along with your email.
Fuck you, Apple. Worse than Microsoft.
whats that going to do? nothing? thought so, just dont buy any more apple products.
Be sure and share your "story" of iPhone bliss with apple...
http://www.apple.com/iphone/share/
Obviously it pays to be patient.
Nice! I haven't won anything in the Endgadget giveaway and I'm 19 days into my new 4gb iPhone. I can't comlain since its been a great 19 days and it was an anniversary present (otherwise it would have been an 8gb, 4 is just too small). I know people kept saying that there would be a price drop but lets be realistic here. Apple has historically not dropped the price on hot new products, rather they have introduced better more refined products at the smae price point and usually not for 6months to a year.
I expected that there would be a newer better version next year and that I would then have to shell out more money to have that shiny new toy. But in day 19 I just have take a swig of the pepto and think that wow in less than a week I would have had the 8gb and saved a $100 bucks.
Oh well...it is what it is...but lets all face it. What really gets everyone mad is that stupid activation fee you have to pay when siging up for 2 years and no subsidized equipment.
At least now we can all rest assured that when iphone v2 rolls out next year it wil be much less expensive than what we all shelled out this year. Dollar cost averaging makes it all OK.
I have an iPhone and I'm not happy about this price change. I understand it but I feel jipped by the hand that feeds me. I was enjoying reading the conference until that last 5 minutes. Since those last 5 minutes I've just been in disbelief. Guys aren't the only early adopters feeling abused right now.
When I bought in on its release day everyone looked at me in amazement and admiration when they saw my Iphone. Today the very same people are calling me to tell me I am an idiot. :-(
Steve I want 200 worth in accesories or music!!!
I was just thinking the same thing....the news was coming out piece by piece and here I'm thinking "oh that's cool, my dad would like one of those" etc...then the kick in the face of the $200 dollar theft job by jobs...
Sorry dad, no new iPod for you!
Booooooooooooo apple!
Just sent something to the iPhone feedback team. Doubt it'll do any good. But it was nice to vent.
ATT,
Quick, bring out the HTC Kaiser now!
I bought 2 8GB, so the damage is $400. While I think it's a huge discount in 2 months, nobody pointed a gun at me to buy them. Yes, I will buy an iPod Touch 16 GB when they are available. Call me an idiot but it's technology what we are buying, right? so relax. -joel
what i sent to apple product feedback:
when i purchase technology, i expect that at some point in the future the price will drop and the features will improve.
but a 33% price drop on a product that was introduced only 2 months ago is insulting to the early adopters. AMEX will refund the price difference on a price-drop within 60 days of purchase. at 67 days since the iphone was introduced, we are well out of this range.
will there be an consideration for those of us who overpaid for their iphones or will apple pull a "microsoft" and treat us like paying beta testers?
$200 off a future purchase would be nice.
Actually, I bought my Xbox 360 on the day it came out also..and 2 years or so later it JUST NOW received a price cut!
I'm not upset about that at all, it's expected. But not $200 in two months!
So leave microsoft out of this! Their products at least STAY overpriced! lol
jon,
point taken... not a parallel comparison. i just wanted apple to know that i thought of them the same as i thought of microsoft... guess that wasn't as insulting as i wanted it to be.
How about we suggest a rebate for the early adopters, say free Apple Care on the device?