Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

After all the discussions about how good the iPhone is compared to the tablets, how much consumers want finger driven UIs and how the success of the iPhone shows this, it might be interesting to read this:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle3770932.ece

It says that in 2007, european carriers sold only about 60% of the iPhones they'd expected to sell. Sales go down even more in 2008 because of potential buyers waiting for a 3G version. A similar german language article says carriers need to cut prices now in order to avoid even higher losses.

The bottom line is that whatever we might say about "what consumers want" and what "will sell well" - it all depends on markets, geographic regions etc. The success they had in the US was not repeated in Europe (so far), so only copying their strategy will not be *the* ideal way to go.

:D

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

All good points. But the article doesn't say that consumers aren't buying the iPhone because of its UI, it says they're too expensive or don't provide the connectivity features wanted in European markets.

And I still see more iPhones on a daily commute than N8x0s :-(

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

What should i do with an iPhone in Austria?
3g connectivity nearly everywhere I am, a motorola v3xx bought for 3€ + data plan 1GB for free(included in my voice plan[about 6€ per month but atm I'm paying nothing])
And Wifi nearly nowhere.
Not the perfect place for an iPhone...

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

It says it doesn't sell. And the reason why it sells in the US in the first place is its design and user interface. (It's expensive in the US, too. And it doesn't have many of the features other smartphones have - neither in Europe nor in the US.)

The difference is that consumers in the US seem to buy it because they really like what it offers (a different UI) regardless of what it costs and what it can do technically. If it doesn't sell in Europe, we have to assume that consumers here don't think design/UI is such a big thing. They're not willing to pay more or sacrifice functionality for a UI.

As for my commuter experience:
0 iPhones
1 N800
Not a representative sample :) (Even though the guy with the N800 had a very interesting software and I wasn't able to figure out what exactly it was. I should have asked him.)

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

On my commuter ride home it's the same train with the same people around all the time. And quite a few people do the same thing as me...watch videos of tv or movies. Most use PSP's actually...with some rare iPhones and a few iTouch'es. I am the only Nokia user of course. We are a rare breed it seems.

My N810 DOES draw comments though. Email notification went off once on the trip and I went to reply and pushed out the keyboard and it made the 2 other guys sitting in my section stop their videos to ask about my toy. They were impressed I could just pause the video and use a keyboard on something so small. Imagine that...a keyboard and multitasking!

Funny though...even the iPhone users are just watching videos even. We all are.

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

if they are watching video it may well be a touch they are using.

also, i have a impression that many early adopters got hold of jailbroken iphones from the us.

and the plan that the iphone comes with in the us seems to be as big a draw as the phone iitself. specifially that it comes with unlimited data included, while tether plans seems to be expensive to add on to most plans.

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

well, first off, i think it has mostly to do with 3g and pricing,
but i also think we should look at the sales of itouches because i see those things everywhere here in Paris.

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

I'm sure it has nothing to do with 3g... I also see and use iTouch every day at home: It is the wireless keyboard made by Logitech.

Maybe you mean iPod Touch?

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

Surely its the length of the contracts and pricing of the item. When you can get an N95 8GB for 50 pounds on 12 month contract why would you pay 150 for the iPhone on an 18 month. My buddy in London has a jailbroken unlocked iPhone he bought off ebay instead of signing up for the contract. Apple got greedy with the revenue share thinking the model would work in countries outside the US. They should simply sell unlocked, off contract devices at a semi reasonable price and their sales would sky rocket.

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

I'm not sure about that.
Sure the pricing is a great con. The greater problem I think is that social networking, mobil internet(except with laptops) and little gadgets aren't as important for people in Europe. Of course some people want that but it's a minority. Just my 2 cents

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

And you know very well why that is.

Which one is a conventional phone?

;)

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

As I said yesterday to a friend:
If you use the iPhone as a phone you bought the wrong device ;)

If you realy like the whole iPhone stuff...better get an iPod Touch and a good normal Phone. For me, the iPhone is too large for a phone... And the crappy EDGE connection isn't worth the extra charge

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

snore.
iPost

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

Interesting thought... So what you're suggesting is that the mobile phone market in general is bigger than the market for tablet devices? ;)

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

The iPhone is too big, so just buy a phone and a tablet?? quite some logic there..

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

Include a GSM Modul and 3g connectivity to the N810, change maemo to Symbian and a lot more people would buy it. I wouldn't because I like the way it is now but I'm quite sure that it would sell better...

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

You silly man. :p

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

Maybe he meant too big to use as a modem? :p

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

My phone is always in my pocket. The NIT normally stays in my backpack and I only take it with me if I know that I will use it.

It's my own kind of logic ;)

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

A) Do you take your tablet with you every day, every place?
B) Do you take your phone with you every day, every place?

If you say "no" to A) but "yes" to B), it's probably a good idea to make the phone as small and lightweight as possible and have a somewhat larger tablet as an extra to be used when necessary.

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

They've already got something very much like that in the works; see the whole Tube/iSlayer/5800 thread for more details, flames, and wild speculation...
The keyboard version can't be too far behind, I'd think.

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

A) Yes.
B) No.
(That's a no because I sometimes forget it on the charger. I can't afford to forget my N800, so I check more carefully for it.)

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

I am the iWalrus
I am the iEggman

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

...sitting on an iCornflake, waiting for the iVan to come...

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

Let's iGnore all this iNsanity..

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

You, sir, are a mutant.

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

A). No
B). Yes
C). Many 'smartphones' (palm, wm, blackberry, symbians) already provide features from A & B in similar\smaller formfactor.. I think we can (or are close to being able to) have our cakes and eat it too, nowadays.

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

Yeah... before long, cell phones wil be reduced to usb dongles.

:D

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

Starting to nibble on the hands (operators) that have been feeding you (Nokia), Texrat? ;)

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

LOL... I wish.

Here in the US, operators tend to beat the stuffing out of us. I just found out that in Russia it's just the opposite. Now there's a model I'd like to copy!

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

LOL, in soviet russia...

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

No no no-- FORMER Soviet Russia!

Re: Europe resists: iPhone doesn't sell
 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2034/...a8f477.jpg?v=0

I couldn't resist.