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According to http://www.phonearena.com/news/iPhone-4-sales-hit-a-million-units-over-the-first-weekend_id17160 http://www.phonearena.com/news/iPhone-4-sales-hit-

by scrrr 15y ago

According to http://www.phonearena.com/news/iPhone-4-sales-hit-a-million-units-over-the-first-weekend_id17160 http://www.phonearena.com/news/iPhone-4-sales-hit-a-million-... AT&T sold 1.7 million units on the first weekend. I wonder if Steve Jobs being dead actually is a reason for increased sales. It could be like a singer dying and people buy more of his records. On the other hand it might be just that many people held back buying the iphone 4 and waited for the next one.

mcphilip 15y ago
I too wonder the same thing. Especially with the pre-order record for a phone that seemed to initially miss expectations upon announcement. The articles I've found on the topic are just speculative[1][2]. [1]http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/228095/20111010/iphone-4s-fortunes-linked-to-steve-jobs-untimely-death-loyal-apple-customers-drive-iphone-4s-sales-a.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/228095/20111010/iphone-4s-fo... [2]http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/228902/20111011/iphone-4s-sold-out-pre-order-record-memory-steve-jobs.htm http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/228902/20111011/iph...
- epo 15y ago
  The missed expectations were held by fanboy contributors to MacRumors and the equally witless anti-fanboys (fandroids for the most part) who chimed in with "Ha! No new case after 18 months? Lame! Fail!" Perhaps the buyers were at the end of a contract, or looking to upgrade, or simply saw the best phone on the market.
  - glhaynes 15y ago
    And tons of guy-on-the-street types (both real and those dreamed up by news media, propagating the meme further) were disappointed, too. But the frame has shifted over the last few days and now everybody's talking about Siri, theoretical teardrop case be damned.
technoslut 15y ago
I don't think there are many people who are going to spend $200+ and a two-year contract on a device just because of Jobs. iOS devices have continually seen 100% year-over-year growth so it's not really a surprise, especially when they're available on more carriers.
ap3 15y ago
I think it's all the people with 3GS's plus new customers jumping on to the iphone and more carriers. Numbers seem to support that. I was on a dumbphone contract on verizon and waited on the iphone 4 until the 4s was released. Personally I wanted an iphone and would have bought on any form factor they released
glhaynes 15y ago
Not sure why this is being downvoted - I mean, it could've probably been phrased more tactfully, but I'm the biggest Jobs (and iPhone) fan in the world and I have to agree they've gotten a ton of publicity and awareness recently. (And I don't think Jobs—who almost seemed to identify more with Apple than with Steve Jobs!—would have been bothered by that in the least.) That leading to some sales isn't surprising. And it's a damn good phone.
jeswin 15y ago
I don't know why you are being down voted. Did you wonder if the increased media exposure for the company may have had an impact on sales? In a thread that otherwise feels like a chatroom, what made the comment particularly unacceptable? Sadly, this is becoming more common on HN. Have seen this in the evolution of /., before it got completely overrun.
ethank 15y ago
Sure, because a 200-800 dollar spend is how we honor fallen CEO's. When a band breaks up or a musician dies, the run on music is to the tune of 9.99, and usually less because they sell them as loss leaders.

by scrrr 15y ago

mcphilip 15y ago

I too wonder the same thing. Especially with the pre-order record for a phone that seemed to initially miss expectations upon announcement. The articles I've found on the topic are just speculative[1][2]. [1]http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/228095/20111010/iphone-4s-fortunes-linked-to-steve-jobs-untimely-death-loyal-apple-customers-drive-iphone-4s-sales-a.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/228095/20111010/iphone-4s-fo... [2]http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/228902/20111011/iphone-4s-sold-out-pre-order-record-memory-steve-jobs.htm http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/228902/20111011/iph...

epo 15y ago
The missed expectations were held by fanboy contributors to MacRumors and the equally witless anti-fanboys (fandroids for the most part) who chimed in with "Ha! No new case after 18 months? Lame! Fail!" Perhaps the buyers were at the end of a contract, or looking to upgrade, or simply saw the best phone on the market.
- glhaynes 15y ago
  And tons of guy-on-the-street types (both real and those dreamed up by news media, propagating the meme further) were disappointed, too. But the frame has shifted over the last few days and now everybody's talking about Siri, theoretical teardrop case be damned.

technoslut 15y ago

I don't think there are many people who are going to spend $200+ and a two-year contract on a device just because of Jobs. iOS devices have continually seen 100% year-over-year growth so it's not really a surprise, especially when they're available on more carriers.

ap3 15y ago

I think it's all the people with 3GS's plus new customers jumping on to the iphone and more carriers. Numbers seem to support that. I was on a dumbphone contract on verizon and waited on the iphone 4 until the 4s was released. Personally I wanted an iphone and would have bought on any form factor they released

glhaynes 15y ago

Not sure why this is being downvoted - I mean, it could've probably been phrased more tactfully, but I'm the biggest Jobs (and iPhone) fan in the world and I have to agree they've gotten a ton of publicity and awareness recently. (And I don't think Jobs—who almost seemed to identify more with Apple than with Steve Jobs!—would have been bothered by that in the least.) That leading to some sales isn't surprising. And it's a damn good phone.

jeswin 15y ago

I don't know why you are being down voted. Did you wonder if the increased media exposure for the company may have had an impact on sales? In a thread that otherwise feels like a chatroom, what made the comment particularly unacceptable? Sadly, this is becoming more common on HN. Have seen this in the evolution of /., before it got completely overrun.

ethank 15y ago

Sure, because a 200-800 dollar spend is how we honor fallen CEO's. When a band breaks up or a musician dies, the run on music is to the tune of 9.99, and usually less because they sell them as loss leaders.