iPhone 'World's Worst'

[tonado]

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/artic...mily-love_money

 

I love to have one anyway for its applications.

[dnoblett]

The Japanese feel the same way.

 

Why the Japanese Hate the iPhone

 

Apple’s iPhone has wowed most of the globe — but not Japan, where the handset is selling so poorly it’s being offered for free.

 

What’s wrong with the iPhone, from a Japanese perspective? Almost everything: the high monthly data plans that go with it, its paucity of features, the low-quality camera, the unfashionable design and the fact that it’s not Japanese.

 

In an effort to boost business, Japanese carrier SoftBank this week launched the "iPhone for Everybody" campaign, which gives away the 8-GB model of the iPhone 3G if customers agree to a two-year contract.

 

"The pricing has been completely out of whack with market reality," said Global Crown Research analyst Tero Kuittinen in regard to Apple’s iPhone prices internationally. "I think they [Apple and its partners overseas] are in the process of adjusting to local conditions."

 

Apple’s iPhone is inarguably popular elsewhere: CEO Steve Jobs announced in October that the handset drove Apple to becoming the third-largest mobile supplier in the world, after selling 10 million units in 2008. However, even before the iPhone 3G’s July launch in Japan, analysts were predicting the handset would fail to crack the Japanese market. Japan has been historically hostile toward western brands — including Nokia and Motorola, whose attempts to grab Japanese customers were futile.

 

Besides cultural opposition, Japanese citizens possess high, complex standards when it comes to cellphones. The country is famous for being ahead of its time when it comes to technology, and the iPhone just doesn’t cut it. For example, Japanese handset users are extremely into video and photos — and the iPhone has neither a video camera nor multimedia text messaging. And a highlight feature many in Japan enjoy on their handset is a TV tuner, according to Kuittinen.

 

What else bugs the Japanese about the iPhone? The pricing plans, Kuittinen said. Japan’s carrier environment is very competitive, which equates to relatively low monthly rates for handsets. The iPhone’s monthly plan starts at about $60, which is too high compared to competitors, Kuittinen added.

 

And then there’s the matter of compartmentalization. A large portion of Japanese citizens live with only a cellphone as their computing device — not a personal computer, said Hideshi Hamaguchi, a concept creator and chief operating officer of LUNARR. And the problem with the iPhone is it depends on a computer for syncing media and running software updates via iTunes.

 

"iPhone penetration is very high among the Mac users, but it has a huge physical and mental hurdle to the majority who just get used to live with their cellphone, which does not require PC for many services," Hamaguchi said.

 

Cellphones are also more of a fashion accessory in Japan than in the United States, according to Daiji Hirata, chief financial officer of News2u Corporation and creator of Japan’s first wireless LAN, who spoke to Wired.com in June 2008.

 

So that would suggest that in Japan, carrying around an iPhone — a nearly year-old handset compared to the very latest Japanese cellphones — could make you look pretty lame.

 

Nobi Hayashi, a journalist and author of Steve Jobs: The Greatest Creative Director, told Wired.com in June 2008 that Japanese consumers also tend to shop for features, picking phones like the Panasonic P905i, a fancy cellphone that doubles as a 3-inch TV. It also features 3-G, GPS, a 5.1-megapixel camera and motion sensors for Wii-style games.

 

"When I show this to visitors from the U.S, they’re amazed," Hayashi said at the time. "They think there’s no way anybody would want an iPhone in Japan. But that’s only because I’m setting it up for them so that they can see the cool features."

 

However, despite its wow factor, the Panasonic proved to be crippled by usability problems, Hayashi noted. Hayashi is the proud owner of an iPhone, although he also carries other phones that can be used to pay for subway fares, taxis and food.

 

Kuittinen said he’s predicting Apple’s next iPhone will have better photo capabilities, which could increase its odds of success in Japan. However, he said the monthly rates must be lowered as well.

 

Otherwise, Apple might as well say sayonara to Japan.

 

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/02/why-the-iphone/ Edited November 6, 2009 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[Batmaniac]

<======= iPhone fan.

 

A couple of days after launch in China (China Unicom) it had only sold 5000 units. Of course it's more expensive than grey market iPhones and lacks wifi.

 

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/tec..._iphones_c.html

[Kyle]

My brother had an iphone, and it is cool, and although I used to want one, I don't anymore. I'm looking at HTC's Hero, which is really cool. It runs on Google's Android, which I also like. Currently, I have an HTC Touch that run Win Mobile 6.1. Don't really care for it. Looking forward to making a change soon. Unfortunately, my wife WON'T let me, as this whole visa process/immediate trip to GUZ has tapped our pocketbooks to the point that they're bleeding. Someday. . .

 

http://www.htc.com/www/product/hero/overview.html

 

I love to have one anyway for its applications.

Did you guys see this? I've never really watched the show, but came across this on You Tube.

 

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-july-21-2009/ifeud

Edited November 6, 2009 by Kyle (see edit history)

[Zhen's Tiger]

Maybe there not selling the new ones in China? I know the one I just got for Zhen is wifi enabled because I set it up. When she's in the house & hits the Internet it uses our wifi connection rather than the 3G network & it'll find wifi hotspots when you're in places that have it & allow you to use them as well.

 

To me it was the best gift I've ever given her. I love her very much, but the 10+ phone calls a day I used to get while working asking me to look for this or that on the Internet or email this person, have completely stopped & she can do it all herself now no matter where she is.

[tonado]

Iphone is good for apps but if you use it for calling, it might not be very dependable.

[Smitty]

The Japanese feel the same way.

 

Why the Japanese Hate the iPhone

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/02/why-the-iphone/

Not so fast there Dnoblett!

 

After seeing the Wired article, Hayashi pointed out in his own blog that his comments on the P905i were not only taken out of context, but also rather dated, as that model is from late 2007. He also says he never called the iPhone too lame to carry. "My cellular weapon of choice, of course," Hayashi wrote, "is an iPhone and my cellular weapon of choice to the foreigners is INFOBAR2 and I don't even dare to charge my P905i these days."

 

After Hayashi complained about being misrepresented, Chen edited the article to say "His cellular weapon of choice when he spoke to Wired.com June 2008? A Panasonic P905i, a fancy cellphone that doubles as a 3-inch TV. It also features 3-G, GPS, a 5.1-megapixel camera and motion sensors for Wii-style games."

Edited November 6, 2009 by Smitty (see edit history)

[Yuanyang]

I love my iPhone and the gadgets and games I have on it. I've not had any connectivity problems with it.

[HelloWorld08]

JB iphone = great gadjet

[True Blue]

Maybe there not selling the new ones in China? I know the one I just got for Zhen is wifi enabled because I set it up. When she's in the house & hits the Internet it uses our wifi connection rather than the 3G network & it'll find wifi hotspots when you're in places that have it & allow you to use them as well.

 

To me it was the best gift I've ever given her. I love her very much, but the 10+ phone calls a day I used to get while working asking me to look for this or that on the Internet or email this person, have completely stopped & she can do it all herself now no matter where she is.

 

The very best things about an I Phone (after you get your wife's friends and family in China added to her contacts list in the I phone) will be your wife's ability to connect with her family and friends in China in real time.

 

(1) With Wifi access, you can couple the I Phone with the Skype unlimited to make unlimited calls to China very easily. Just add all her friends and family in the contacts area and all she needs to do is open up Skype, open up her contact book and push a button to select a friend and she is dialing their number in China - no codes, no access numbers and since it does not use AT&T minutes those minutes can be rolled over. Since Skype unlimited includes US as well the only minutes ever used will be for calls made from the car or in the park or out shopping when there is no Wifi access and the call must be placed over AT&T 3 G network with a telephone card.

 

(2) However if the call can wait a few minutes, there are free apps to locate Wifi hotspots on the road when you are traveling.

 

(3) Or if she can communicate by email during those times that she is away from WIFI access, your wife can easily take photo's and movies and upload them to the internet and email them to China in real time. Her friends and family can see the wild deer she just encountered while she is still walking in the park or the new dress she just bought while she is still in the store.

 

Plus many free Chinese language applications, news, weather, translator, compass, check prices at other stores while in the store.

 

Easy to use - it is THE BEST gift you can give your wife!