iPhone UK Flop

[slycat]

Just finished reading this article on The Register. Before the iPhone came out, I guess I bought the media tripe and thought O2 were going to make a killing and the iPhones would be flying off the shelves on launch day. However, as I walked through Southampton on Friday night, less than an hour after the launch I saw both the O2 shop and Carphone Warehouse which are opposite each other in the main precinct, both had queue controlling barriers set up outside the store, yet there were no customers in either shop. The quote on page 2 of the aforementioned article pretty much nails it. UK people don't want to pay for a phone and a contract, and nor do they want to put up with 2.5G when modern phones here are doing up to 3.5G. I thought that the thing would still sell based on the Apple factor and the number of hardcore followers of everything they do but looks like it didn't happen this time round. Now O2 are left having to pay the bill for the EDGE (2.5g) network rollout they did just for the iPhone while everyone else keeps on using the well established 3G.

Anyway I'm stuck in an 18 month contract as I expect many people in the UK are, so I can't pick up a new phone until May even if I wanted to. I'm still considering the N95 8GB, but I'm hoping there's something more impressive and new out by the time I have to upgrade. As a gadget freak, I do love the interface as it's very futuristic but personally I have problems with companies like Apple and Sony who are so far up their arse, they don't realise that in their attempts to control their hardware for only what they see as suitable, they're pissing off people who would potentially buy from them. Those who like the iPhone's interface can keep their existing phone and not need to commit to a new contract and just get an iPod Touch, however as nice as what the iPods do, they're severely limited format wise and also how iTunes is imposed onto you. My next gadget purchase will be the Cowon A3; it's not got the fancy touch interface but it wipes the floor with any competition with it's feature list (MKV playback - Woo!).

Comments

[slycat.livejournal.com]

2.5G is EDGE which is faster than GPRS (2G) but nowhere near as fast as the data rates over 3G. 3.5G is HSDPA which lets you download (theoretically) at up to 3.6Mbps.