iPhone loses market share in Q4

The contract with AT&T can't end soon enough for Apple. LOL!

I don't think the 3GS is an upgrade enough to warrant consumers purchasing it, and thus the drop. They will have to reinvent the wheel again, as they did with the various iPod incarnations.

I sure hope this means that they will drop prices on these. I have been admiring the Iphone for a few years now and have really wanted to go out and get one. The problem is that my last phone upgrade will not end until July 2010 and they want me to pay full price for the Iphone, which is $400 for the model i want. And right now i am just not willing to pay $400 when they are giving the same model to new customers for half of that price.

Now here is the business logic i need help understanding, please feel free to comment.

1. I have been a long time AT&T customer
2. I write them several times about how i was unhappy with the last phone upgrade and got no response
3. If i were to get the phone i would have to sign the same 2 year agreement as a new customer
4. not only would AT&T have me locked in for another 2 years, the phone also requires a higher monthly plan (about $20 more a month then my current plan)

So why would AT&T not be willing to budge on this issue? I would thing the good business decision would be to lock me in with their company for another 2 years, and not only that they would have me on a higher costing monthly plan for the next 3 years, not just two. Not to mention the fact that if they lose the contract with Apple and you can get them from any phone provider, then they lose all of their exclusiveness and i could just drop them in July and go with another provider for AT&T's unwillingness to help me out when i actually wanted them to.

Sorry to rant, i just can't understand their position on the matter. Seeing that working with national business contracts is what i do all day every day maybe i over think things.

The iphone sucks as a phone, just get an iPod Touch. The iPhone sucks, drops calls, sounds muffled to others that have to hear you. What makes it worth it are the apps. And for that you may as well just get the Touch since it does all the amazing things the iphone does well without the god awful phone, horridly overpriced contract, and sub-par 3G service.

Thank you for the insight. The only reason i wanted the Iphone was for a few basic features. The phone for me was actually the least of my needs. I wanted all the apps, internet service and texting. I know i can currently get internet and texting on the phone i have but the screen size is just too small on a regular phone. And texting without a keyboard is a true pain to use. If the Ipod Touch can do the things i need then i may just look into getting one of those instead.

the iphone is just a toy people. if u wanna play video games. get a PSP or DS. if u really gotta go Touch screen only with a crappy speaker and tilt controls and have the patience to use crappy itunes. then get a Ipod touch and if ur rich get the giant itouch (ipad).

eventually people are gonna see thru the non multitasking not so smart phone the iphone is. and get real phones.

just saying. also AT&T blows as a wireless provider.

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the iphone is just a toy people. if u wanna play video games. get a PSP or DS.

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If playing games or with apps on a phone is a problem for you then yes the iPhone is not for you. Maybe the rest of us enjoy playing games on our phone. It's a matter of personal choice.

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eventually people are gonna see thru the non multitasking not so smart phone the iphone is. and get real phones.

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I'm sure the new version iPhone will have all the stuff you need so badly and more.

I've had a bunch of different phones. I can't speak for the iPhone 2g but the iPhone 3g is every bit as good a "phone" as all the others. I've never had any trouble with it as a phone. Overpriced contract... yes. I'll give you that. AT&T has a lot of issues as well but the 3g service has not been a problem for me.

Originally posted by steimy:

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I sure hope this means that they will drop prices on these. I have been admiring the Iphone for a few years now and have really wanted to go out and get one. The problem is that my last phone upgrade will not end until July 2010 and they want me to pay full price for the Iphone, which is $400 for the model i want. And right now i am just not willing to pay $400 when they are giving the same model to new customers for half of that price.

Now here is the business logic i need help understanding, please feel free to comment.

1. I have been a long time AT&T customer
2. I write them several times about how i was unhappy with the last phone upgrade and got no response
3. If i were to get the phone i would have to sign the same 2 year agreement as a new customer
4. not only would AT&T have me locked in for another 2 years, the phone also requires a higher monthly plan (about $20 more a month then my current plan)

So why would AT&T not be willing to budge on this issue? I would thing the good business decision would be to lock me in with their company for another 2 years, and not only that they would have me on a higher costing monthly plan for the next 3 years, not just two. Not to mention the fact that if they lose the contract with Apple and you can get them from any phone provider, then they lose all of their exclusiveness and i could just drop them in July and go with another provider for AT&T's unwillingness to help me out when i actually wanted them to.

Sorry to rant, i just can't understand their position on the matter. Seeing that working with national business contracts is what i do all day every day maybe i over think things.

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They wouldn't let me upgrade to the iPhone when I had only 2 months until I was "eligible". I have been a customer since 2001 and b*tched them out over the phone and told them that a stranger off the street could get a better deal than I could (they wanted me to pay the full price for the phone.)

I gave them all the same arguments, stating they could have me locked at the iPhone plan rate for 2 years PLUS 2 extra months; rep talked to her boss and best they could offer me was a Blackberry Storm. Unreal. I don't get their position on this!

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