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Iphone UK launch backlash begins

Help the peasants are revolting
Monday, 5 November 2007, 18:29

THE British press are reporting how there is a backlash against the fruit based entertainment gadget maker Apple in Blighty.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the devoted followers of St Steve of Cappuccino are up in arms about the company becoming greedy and ruthless.

Some are daring to say that Apple has become like Microsoft, the Jellygraph claims.

Apparently the heart of the problem is the fact that Apple is entirely " closed system", which prevents third parties adding their software to Apple products.

Industry experts think that the rotten Apple image might spoil sales in Blighty and are have also predicted the gadget will not be as popular over the pond.

The Observer quoted Stephen Pentland, director of media strategy at Deloitte saying that the iPhone was not going to be a huge seller.

The reason is that there are a number of other phones that have similar functions at a lower price.

Despite the fact that the US dollar has fallen, the Iphone is costing British punters $70 more than in the US.

Internet speeds will be pants because the iPhone is unable to use the high-speed 3G phone network to browse the web.

In some parts of the country, customers will have to rely on the slower GPRS network to check their email or the surf the web.

More here . ยต

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Comments
hmm...

Did they honestly think this was going to be any different from the US release, or were they just waiting for a confirmation before bitchery?

Granted, it sucks... but, nobody is forcing you to buy the thing.

posted by : mataroo, 05 November 2007 Complain about this comment
Clue-stick time.

Apple's entire philosophy is that Good Design = Hardware + Software. Combined. Separating the two makes no sense.

(Sure, the iPhone lacks some extensibility, but it's a 1.0 release and Apple have already admitted that an SDK is on the way. This is a whole new market for Apple. What more do people want? Blood? A sodding Linux version?)

Nobody complains that they can't change the software in the washing machine. Nobody -- okay, nobody who has a life -- whines endlessly about wanting to open up and tinker with the inner workings of their TV or DVD player.

If I wanted a phone that did X, Y and Z, but Apple were only offering one that did X and Y, I'd go and buy _another phone_. It's not rocket science, folks. Apple may not have hit all the marks with their first model, but it's not exactly a crap phone either. 

I had a chance to play with an iPhone in the US recently and, compared to my bug-ridden, ill-designed MDA Vario-II, it was a dream to use. Two taps to make a call, compared to my MDA's umpteen thumb-clicks (plus the praying needed as I hope it bothers to connect). No wonder HTC are looking at Google's stack if this is the best MS can do after umpteen versions of their own smartphone phone OS.

Finally, what's with all the hype about 3G? I live in bloody Brockley, in *London*, and can't get more than 2 bars of signal from either T-Mobile or Vodafone. Good luck getting reasonable 3G performance here. Even GPRS struggles to get up to double-digit Kbits/sec.

I plan to take my phone back to T-Mobile and replace it with two tins and a very long piece of string.

posted by : Sean Baggaley, 05 November 2007 Complain about this comment
Closed system

OH MY GOD! APPLE IS A COMPANY THAT WANTS TO MILK ITS CUSTOMERS FOR ALL THEY ARE WORTH!!
*shock* 
*disbelief*

HOW COULD THIS BE? 

I'm sorry...I must have missed something... why would there be a difference between apple and microsoft? just because apple has a more friendly logo & user friendlier OS does not mean jack.

All successful companies are ruthless, they have to be. The competition in any market breeds ruthlessness. Eventually you get the top of the food chain predator.

Just because one is a fruit and the other is miniturized softness does not make them any less nasty. Funny how their names just make the wolf in sheeps clothing analogy all the more truthful.

posted by : Someone Special, 05 November 2007 Complain about this comment
Brits will be pissed once they leave...

No one will complain much about the price of the phone or the tariffs, I mean look at how sexy it is! Though imagine the horror once the punter realises they can't switch SIMs as they're accustomed to once across the channel on Eurostar or upon landing wherever in Europe. The confusion, the horror, how fun!

posted by : N Arvanitis, 06 November 2007 Complain about this comment
O2 price plan

Compare the O2 price plan for iPhone users against its normal price plans, especially the monthly cost as well as the cost of calls 
(remember to compare similar contract length plans)

One more reason not to get an iPhone

posted by : No falling for it, 06 November 2007 Complain about this comment
Washing Machine?!


I find it absolutely amazing you think the iPhone is analgous to a washing machine. (rolls eyes)

posted by : jweller13, 06 November 2007 Complain about this comment
It's just Bloody Works

I've used every brand of smartphone so far produced. They are all buggy as hell and hard to use. The Iphone my not look all that from the spec but it is different. It's easy to use and just works. No messing about doing a half arswed job at everything. It's the first Mobile internet device that is just that.

Snipe as much as ya like it's the future.

posted by : Iphoney, 06 November 2007 Complain about this comment
Shoot!

Dang it! I'm too late to be the first person to say: "DUH!"

posted by : mogbert, 06 November 2007 Complain about this comment
lost customer

When I heard about the iphone, I thought brilliant....I am an apple user myself and was looking for a new smartphone. Then I heard about the cost, and the tariffs and no flexibility on what you can do with the phone in terms of network, like other phones. I can't justify paying that sort of money so they have lost my custom-yes it might look sexy and sleek but it is definately not worth that sort of tariff and being tied to O2.

posted by : the pickle, 07 November 2007 Complain about this comment
Close but no cigar

Brits are not as easily drawn to the hype as the Americans, I believe that it will only be a modest success here because :

1) Its too expensive.
2) Its missing the grand-daddy killer feature - copy and paste.

The LG KS20 will clean-up in the business end of the market along with the HTC touch dual. 

posted by : TwoWolves, 08 November 2007 Complain about this comment
Pentland, Schmentland!!

This Steve Pentland fella must have his head up a dark and smelly orifice of his own!!

What a mentalist!!

posted by : super_tee, 09 November 2007 Complain about this comment
If you have an iPhone people will think you're a total w#nker

If you have an iPhone people will think you're a total w#nker, that's why it won't sell in Blighty.

They'll think - you don't mind being shafted on your price plan so long as you look flash, so you're a thick poor w#nker.

They'll think - you don't mind that you can't change the sim card for holidays, you mustn't travel very much, you no-passport w#nker.

They'll think - I wish I had one of those, but I don't want people to think I'm a total w#nker, you brave w#nkers!

Good luck with the iPhone 1.0 w#nkers!

I wish I had one ;-) I'm a total w#nker!

posted by : Boomboom, 12 November 2007 Complain about this comment
You brits are too much

The British instinct to make conservative, downplaying and generally negative remarks about anything new should not be allowed to overrule a clearly superior end-customer proposition.

The extremely healthy sales of the UK iPhone have shown Stephen Faceless-Corporate-Type from Deloittes to be the obvious fool he is. Just because they have flat screens in their foyer doesn't mean you can trust their judgement ...

posted by : tim, 13 November 2007 Complain about this comment
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