Test ad hints at lower iPhone prices
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But don't pee your pants yet! At least two blogs are carrying images of test advertisement that price Apple's iPhone for as low as $299, leading to speculation the much-vaunted gadget may sell for significantly less than Steve Jobs announced last month.â¦
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(InfoWorld) - The number of iPhones manufactured by Apple may not be enough to meet customer demand when the smart phone goes on sale later Friday, CEO Steve Jobs said in an interview published the same day. "We had to make our best guess as to what the demand was going to be and what supply we were going to put in place many, many months ago. We built factories to build these things and everything. We've taken our best guess but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it ain't enough," Jobs told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. The iPhone, which combines the functions of an iPod with a smart phone, goes on sale in the U.S. at 6 p.m. and is one of the most anticipated gadgets in recent years. Two models will offered, the 4GB model costs $499 and the 8GB model is priced at $599. Users also have toÂ sign a two-year contractÂ with carrier AT&T. The cost of those plans range from $59.99 per month to $99.99 per month. Some prospective buyers have beenÂ camping outside storesÂ in hope of being among the first to own one of the new smart phones. A surge in demand for the iPhones could mean the devices are hard to come by at first, depending on the number that Apple and AT&T have in stock. A shortage of iPhones would not be unusual. Vendors often have a limited number of units to sell when a new product hits the market. In the case of products where demand is particularly high, such as for new game consoles, limited product availability -- whether intentional or not -- andÂ long lines outside storesÂ help build buzz and generate media coverage. Jobs also downplayed concerns over the iPhone's dependence on AT&T's EDGE network, which is slower than 3G (third-generation) networks. "You know every (AT&T) Blackberry gets its mail over EDGE. It turns out EDGE is great for mail, and it works well for maps and a whole bunch of other stuff. Where you wish you had faster speed isâ¦on a Web browser. It's good enough, but you wish it was a little faster. That's where sandwiching EDGE with Wi-Fi really makes sense because Wi-Fi is much faster than any 3G network," Jobs told the Wall Street Journal. He said the iPhone had been designed to switch to Wi-Fi when such networks are detected. Â
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Blog: We've already seen that waiting in line for an iPhone wasn't really necessary. As a result, the profit margins aren't too great.
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There's more to gain than lose from the upcoming iPhone.
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The hardware needed to make each iPhone costs less than half the device's retail price, according to a tear down analysis of the phone by iSuppli Corp.
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Despite sub-$1000 prices, the answer still depends on what apps you run.
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(InfoWorld) - Apple will follow up its debut iPhone with a cheaper version based on the iPod nano, a JPMorgan financial analyst said yesterday, echoing comments last week by bloggers scouring the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database. Kevin Chang, a Taiwan-based analyst with New York's JPMorgan Chase, said that Apple will release a less-expensive iPhone in the fourth quarter, according to Reuters. Chang, who based his forecast on unnamed sources in the supply channel and an Apple application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filed last week, said a follow-up to the current iPhone could be based on the iPod nano, Apple's flash drive-based music player. "We believe that iPod nano will be converted into a phone because it's probably the only way for Apple to launch a lower-end phone without severely cannibalizing iPod nano," Chang told Reuters. At $300, a scaled-down nano-based iPhone might sell as many as 30 million to 40 million units in 2008, Chang argued. Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, has fixed the iPhone sales target through 2008 at 10 million handsets. Apple's iPod nano currently sells for between $149 and $249. Chang's take comes after bloggers last week noticed a July 5 patent application titled "Touch pad with symbols based on mode" that, they theorized, could serve as the interface for an entry-level iPhone. Both Unwired View and MyiTablet, for instance, noted that the patent described a touchpad-based device that would serve as only phone and iPod. Unlike the current iPhone, the cheaper alternative would not boast a large screen or allow Internet browsing. The patent application spells out a touchpad similar to the iPod's click-wheel that would change modes -- and its display -- depending on the application. When in phone mode, for example, the circular touchpad could show dialing numbers in a style reminiscent of long-obsolete rotary phones. Switch to music mode, and the touchscreen reverts to a traditional iPod click-wheel for traversing artist or genre lists. Apple introduced the iPhone on June 29 to fanfare and long lines of customers.
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You think low-priced products are going to cut down on profits at Apple? Think again.
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Blog: Apple and AT&#38;T stores are starting to advertise the iPhone, promising "the wait is almost over."
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If you were watching television Sunday night, you might have seen the commercials for the highly anticipated Apple iPhone. The commercials indicate the official launch date is June 29.
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A financial analyst says Apple will follow its iPhone with a cheaper version based on the iPod Nano.
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Apple Inc. and AT&T Inc. said on Tuesday they will offer three price plans, starting at $59.99 per month, for the widely anticipated iPhone that is set to go on sale this week.
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Apple Inc.'s  iPhone may be  too expensive for most Americans, but the much-hyped device is  expected to help AT&T Inc.  win quality customers and  drive shoppers into its stores.
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InfoWorld - Consumers aren&#39;t willing to pay what Apple&#160;may ask for the&#160;iPhone, but if the price drops they&#39;ll switch their mobile service to AT&amp;T in order to get it, according to results of a survey released Thursday.
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If you crave an Apple iPhone, but balk at the idea of spending half a thousand dollars on a smartphone, then take heart in analysts&#39; predictions that a less expensive iPhone is on the way. Those predictions suggest a new iPhone might use the iPod Nano&#39;s click wheel interface.
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Apple Inc. said on Tuesday its hotly anticipated iPhone could cost as much as $3,000 with a required two-year service contract, and a handful of eager buyers started lining up to spend their money.
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Apple's price drop may look like a preemptive holiday strike, but is it really the result of struggling sales figures?