6 ms·

"I don't use it, so nobody will use it." Slippery slope, man. Easy to forget there are a billion others you haven't met yet.

joebadmo 15y ago
Oh, I wasn't trying to imply that it will fail. Just relating my experience that social norms and robopsychology are bigger hurdles than the technology, imo.
drats 15y ago
I imagine of the ~7 billion people alive today, perhaps 6 billion are not potential Apple customers at all due to price. Quite a few billion are potential low-end Android phone users though. As I said in another comment in this thread it costs to put luxury seats into a cheap car to attempt to catch up to a BMW, it doesn't cost to put a great many features into budget Android phones though. This is why Apple is starting to use patents, because they actually don't have much when you boil it down. Even an Apple fan would be hard pressed to say Apple is 20% "better" than the latest Android. They will mostly point to a few UI features and say 10% better. I would say Android is easily better than iOS, as do many others, it seems to be largely a matter of taste. The tidal-wave of Android phones will swamp Apple in the end unless they can sue tons of people.
- ceejayoz 15y ago
  > I imagine of the ~7 billion people alive today, perhaps 6 billion are not potential Apple customers at all due to price. Quite a few billion are potential low-end Android phone users though. The 3GS is now free with a contract, just like the low-end Android phones.
  - whatusername 15y ago
    My 32GB 3GS was free with a contract 27 months ago. I would expect the 4S to be the same on the 14th.
  - mikeash 15y ago
    "Free with contract" is still a roughly $1500 commitment. For the real low end, you need to look at what it costs for budget prepaid carriers, and in the iPhone's case I believe that you still simply can't get one there.
    - joebadmo 15y ago
      And you're still restricting yourself to the US market. Globally, your second sentence is a lot more representative, I think, because handsets aren't bundled with contracts. So the real prices of the handsets are reflected more accurately.
    - Steko 15y ago
      Who buys a smartphone for 2 months? If you're someone who wants a smartphone odds are even if it was off contract you'd end up paying the $1500 anyway. You might switch carriers more often but honestly all 4 carriers give the same "I wish it was somewhat better but I'm fine with any of them" service where I live.
      - joebadmo 15y ago
        It's not for serial upgraders, it's for prepaid/regional carrier accounts. I have a friend who bought a Motorola Triumph recently and pays something $30/mo. for unlimited voice and data. There are also people who want a smartphone with just a voice plan because they only plan on using data while on wifi.
        Steko 15y ago
        Virgin Mobile updated their rates this month: "$30/mo" is now "$35/mo" and "unlimited" is now "unlimted with throttling at 2.5 GB". It's great that small carriers are offering some great deals to lure customers and it's great that there are some cracks in the system for the tiny minority that doesn't want a data plan (or whatever) sbut that doesn't change the basic truth that nearly everyone is going to be paying for phone and data every month anyway. These "total cost of ownership is obscene" things are always disingenuous to me. No, that's the price of the phone and phone service and a data plan for 2 years.

joebadmo 15y ago

Oh, I wasn't trying to imply that it will fail. Just relating my experience that social norms and robopsychology are bigger hurdles than the technology, imo.

drats 15y ago

I imagine of the ~7 billion people alive today, perhaps 6 billion are not potential Apple customers at all due to price. Quite a few billion are potential low-end Android phone users though. As I said in another comment in this thread it costs to put luxury seats into a cheap car to attempt to catch up to a BMW, it doesn't cost to put a great many features into budget Android phones though. This is why Apple is starting to use patents, because they actually don't have much when you boil it down. Even an Apple fan would be hard pressed to say Apple is 20% "better" than the latest Android. They will mostly point to a few UI features and say 10% better. I would say Android is easily better than iOS, as do many others, it seems to be largely a matter of taste. The tidal-wave of Android phones will swamp Apple in the end unless they can sue tons of people.

ceejayoz 15y ago
> I imagine of the ~7 billion people alive today, perhaps 6 billion are not potential Apple customers at all due to price. Quite a few billion are potential low-end Android phone users though. The 3GS is now free with a contract, just like the low-end Android phones.
- whatusername 15y ago
  My 32GB 3GS was free with a contract 27 months ago. I would expect the 4S to be the same on the 14th.
- mikeash 15y ago
  "Free with contract" is still a roughly $1500 commitment. For the real low end, you need to look at what it costs for budget prepaid carriers, and in the iPhone's case I believe that you still simply can't get one there.
  - joebadmo 15y ago
    And you're still restricting yourself to the US market. Globally, your second sentence is a lot more representative, I think, because handsets aren't bundled with contracts. So the real prices of the handsets are reflected more accurately.
  - Steko 15y ago
    Who buys a smartphone for 2 months? If you're someone who wants a smartphone odds are even if it was off contract you'd end up paying the $1500 anyway. You might switch carriers more often but honestly all 4 carriers give the same "I wish it was somewhat better but I'm fine with any of them" service where I live.
    - joebadmo 15y ago
      It's not for serial upgraders, it's for prepaid/regional carrier accounts. I have a friend who bought a Motorola Triumph recently and pays something $30/mo. for unlimited voice and data. There are also people who want a smartphone with just a voice plan because they only plan on using data while on wifi.
      - Steko 15y ago
        Virgin Mobile updated their rates this month: "$30/mo" is now "$35/mo" and "unlimited" is now "unlimted with throttling at 2.5 GB". It's great that small carriers are offering some great deals to lure customers and it's great that there are some cracks in the system for the tiny minority that doesn't want a data plan (or whatever) sbut that doesn't change the basic truth that nearly everyone is going to be paying for phone and data every month anyway. These "total cost of ownership is obscene" things are always disingenuous to me. No, that's the price of the phone and phone service and a data plan for 2 years.