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When I was sitting here yesterday covering Apple’s big event I heard that they dropped the price on the 8GB iPhone. I was ecstatic, Apple had found some way to drop the price of their phone to make it more affordable for the average Joe. Unfortunately, I was one of the few that saw this as a good thing.
Many people that lined up on launch day to shell out $600 for an iPhone are up in arms that Apple would dare drop the price on the iPhone. Don’t you guys think that’s just a bit petty and selfish? Here’s some food for thought. Would you rather that Apple kept the same price that they did and gouge the people that purchase the iPhone for the next six months or so and pocket the profits? Had they done this, you’d never even thought twice about that money you paid. Now other people are going to save money that you didn’t.
People, this is the world of technology. If you want to be on the bleeding-edge you have to pay the price. The sad truth is that the price you paid a few months ago is going to fall. Try buying a top-end video card sometime. The price generally comes down in a few months to the tune of a couple hundred bucks, yet you don’t hear people screaming. If you want to be first, you have to pay the price.
They didn’t break some magical code to drop the price! They over estimated the demand and over priced to try to take advantage of their loyal customers. I’m not mad that more people can get it cheaper! I just want some type of refund, rebate, gift certificate, or AT&T credit. Something that says, “We screwed up. We overcharged you, but we still value your loyalty, so here is a gift from the company you used to trust.”
I think it is not a $200 loss people crying about, but more that’s about trust they felt was betrayed. True or not the feelings are real. Price cut is great , no arguments about it. What upsetting is the feeling of arrogance of the Apple to the core customers, (early adopters, beta testers, whatever), people that answer Jobs call to take part in the “revolution” and helped to launch the IPhone in the firsts place. Forget compensation or store credit, there were not even a word addressed to this crowd.
Actually, the open letter from Jobs just popped out on Apple site, so I guess it will calm the storm in the cap.
“Loyal cutomers”? Do you expect ANYone to believe that? If you bought an iPhone prior to yesterday and paid $599 for it, you did it for one reason and only one reason. You wanted it enough to part with $599 + tax. “Loyalty” had nothing to do with it. For some people, it was more of a financial stretch than others, but you all wanted it and you wanted it early. Sometimes it hurts to be on the bleeding edge. For the last twenty years I have been buying Apple computers (I have a graphics business) only to find out that a much-improved model was released one, two or three months later. Yeah, it hurts. I remember lugging my black PowerBook G3 around for a year while it seemed that everyone else was sporting one of those new Titanium models. After 20 years, I am as ‘loyal’ as ever, I just don’t pretend it’s for any other reason than I want the stuff they are selling.