Apple CEO announces O2 iPhone in UK

To make things perfectly clear to everyone; I'm using a Mac right now. I have one to my left and one behind me. There are two downstairs on my couch and another 3 in the basement. The only PC I have is on the floor and isn't plugged in.

I'm no MS fan boy, but man are they easier to deal with. If only they made better stuff...

Care to elaborate what you are so pissed about?

What exactly are you so upset about? And how exactly is Apple doomed to fail. If you don't like the prices or the deals, then leave the UK, the place where a stupid chocolate bar costs 3x more than anywhere else around the world. Wanna stay in the UK, pay the price. It's that simple.

Apple introduced a phone that has old network standards (EDGE) in an area where UTMS has better coverage. They are almost the most expensive phone available, but not the best (no GPS, no UTMS, no 3'rd party Apps). They are pissing off the carriers and segmenting a market that probably could have been joined to enjoy data roaming at better rates.

Steve is an arrogant ass, read engadget for the Q&A and you'll see what I mean. John was right to fire him in the 80's, they should have never let him back.

Apple is on track to do the same things that let MS take over 90% of the market. They are closed to what people want, instead they tell people what they want. Every time you stop listening to people and start telling people things, you fail.

Apple will do this once again. They are always market players willing to come along, play nice with their partners, listen to their customers and they will take the market share. Steve may have a better product, but that doesn't always matter.

Although I am in the UK alot, I live primarily in Canada. Trust me that things are far, far, far better in the UK than Canada with wireless data plans etc. My problem with Apple does not extend to O2, I love the UK carriers. My issue is with Apple. They are doing the same shit they did in the 80's. They have a good product and they are extorting too much money from their customers for it. People won't put up with it forever.

Not only that they are inflexible in how people use the products that they buy. Remember once you finish paying for the iPhone it becomes yours, it's no longer Apple's! If I own something I can do whatever I want with it. That's how things work. Custom Apps, unlocking, all fair game. I am paying full price for the fücking phone. But Steve seams to think that he has the right to dictate what I can do with something I own; he has been quoted saying that Apple is playing a cat and mouse game with unlockers and jailbrakers and that they have to stay one step ahead. That's crap! It's my phone, not his! A feeling shared by most people when you come right down to things.

When you make people feel that way about you, they look elsewhere. When you combine that feeling with a price that should give a normal person sticker shock, the holiday won't last long.

Why am I so angry. Two reasons:

1. I develop software for Mac OS X

2. I own quite a few Apple shares.

sixcolors, I still don't understand what you don't like.

Apple's iPhone is not the product you want to have? Just buy the one that is closer to being your ideal. And did you think that in Europe Apple will sell some different type of hardware? They could, but why do it now when the hype will drive the sales across the ocean, 3G or not. You think that Apple shares will become useles paper in coming months? Then sell them now while the price is still good. Surely, you won't miss this opportunity, right?

Probably will soon, my target for a partial sell off is near. However, long term Apple is being arrogant again... it will hurt them.

Apple can do wrong and it is.

The last hour I have been looking at different mobile plans with the assumption that I have an unlocked iPhone and would like to choose a carrier and a plan. I got lost in thousands of combinations both at AT&T and T-Mobile whose only plan is to confuse the hell out of any customer and suck as much money from them as possible. Into this pit of bullocks Apple has brought a) an amazing device, b) new mobile technology (visual voice mail) and c) simple and easy to understand plan that gives you what you need - voice, messaging, unlimited data. To be able to do that it had to go into a special relationship with the carrier or it would not have the leverage to pull it off. I don't know how dizzyingly complex plans are in Europe but I guess a plan as clear as the one with O2 is probably a breadth of fresh air as well (and you get free WiFi!!!!!).

In terms of the phone itself. The latest technology, the more megapixels, every possible feature. That is not what makes Apple products work, be usable and be used. There are features missing in iPhone, but I do believe it makes the best overall package.

Unlocking, they don't need to offer it. It was obvious there would be a hack and there is. They have to appease the carriers and they did, for those that want an unlocked phone, the solution is available. Third party applications. Are there as well. And having a product that they just developed themselves it would be nuts to put out an official SDK. They have the hacker to be the pioneers and test things out without Apple taking any responsibility for what comes out of it. In the meantime they can develop iPhone into what they want it to be and then at some point also introduce a stable and bullet-proof SDK. The users that really want it, have the apps. The developers that really want to develop for iPhone can. And Apple does not take the heat for every issue that might go wrong.

I think they have a good plan that is working out quite well. As a share-holder you can be happy. As a wannabe iPhone developer it will just take some more effort to make it.

The thing that I do agree with is that the opportunity to unify European Mobile market by going for one or two carriers that would cover the whole EU and so perhaps enable easy roaming through what should be one market was lost.

And yes, I hate that iPhone as well as iTunes store is and will not be available throughout all the countries in European "Union". That really sucks.

I think sixcolors makes some fair points. However, it's all about cost. £269 for a product as advanced as this is an absolute steal - below cost most likely. Apple get a rumoured 40% of the operator revenue (that's why they too have to prevent the unlockers), so their cut is at least the same again on top. Call it £520 all-in.

£520 is an absolute premium price for a 'phone, and one I would hesitate to pay - at least for a few moments. However, add on the commitment to a fairly average service for 18 months and it's not just not something I can justify purchasing.

And I too am a long-time Apple fan, BTW.

So, yes, I

40% more from £269 will make the amount of money for Apple equal to £377.