Steve Jobs - To All iPhone Customers

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/openiphoneletter/

by mk • 19 years ago

52 46 19 years ago

umjames• 19 years ago

Wow. This is why I like Apple. Despite all of the business rationale for this move, it actually feels like Apple cares for its early adopters. Whether they do or not is immaterial; the effect is still the same, it feels sincere.

aston6• 19 years ago

I think most early buyers would prefer a $200 cash rebate rather than a $100 gift certificate to the Apple store. Especially since almost everything in there is above the $100 level.

I think the gesture's nice, but it's definitely not completely fair.

curi3• 19 years ago

What's fair about buying something at a price that you think is worth it, then going back a month later and complaining you aren't happy anymore?

nirs2• 19 years ago

Thats life - you want to be the first one to use a technology, you pay more and get less. The next version will be always chipper and better.

Apple is known to try a higher price on first releases. Thats why I never buy the first release of a product.

sanj• 19 years ago

If you didn't get $100 of schwing factor out of your iPhone over the last 3 months (that's only about $1/day for schwing!), then you've got only yourself to blame.

vikram2• 19 years ago

Isn't it nice that he offered some money back? I think this is unprecedented, I don't remember any company lowering prices in retrospect.

byrneseyeview• 19 years ago

And they'd prefer a $20,000 cash rebate and a Macbook Pro even more. Especially since Macbook Pros are nice.

What of it? They thought $599 for an iPhone was fair. They're getting at least $100 more than they expected.

mk• 19 years ago

Yeah, I was just having a conversation with someone yesterday about how I would be somewhat upset that the price had dropped so much in such a short period of time. I mean there is risk involved with being the first customers of any product, but even understanding those risks you don't expect such a sharp price drop. This is really cool that they not only realize this, but respond as well.

davidw2• 19 years ago

Damn... now that's a business. Screw people out of $100 and people like you for it.

davidw2• 19 years ago

Maybe 'screw people' is a bit strong, but let's face it... you've got to have quite a loyal following to get away with that kind of thing. Can you imagine what people would do if Microsoft pulled a similar stunt? They'd want Gates' head on a pike.

Harj• 19 years ago

"even though we are making the right decision to lower the price of iPhone"

what a fantastic line to put in an apology email. there's only one steve jobs.

sethg• 19 years ago

Whenever I am tempted to buy some new and cool high-end electronic product, I ask myself, "Since this thing will probably cost half as much a year from now, do I really need to own it right now?" The answer is almost always "No."

(Of course, that new iPod Touch is--SLAP! Bad consumer! No retirement fund!)

zach2• 19 years ago

Ha! So true. And it makes even less sense to buy software right now when the same content will be cheaper within months -- DVDs that you know are going to end up in a box set, single-player video games, even hardback books.

mattculbreth• 19 years ago

This is great! I'm pleased as can be. Hereby stating publicly to spend the money buying something else from them. :)

dawie• 19 years ago

This is the reason that Apple is going to be the next Microsoft

axod• 19 years ago

What??!?!?? Explain your workings please.

vikram2• 19 years ago

Buying the 1st generation of an apple product is never a great idea, if you are going to be pissed off about problems or future price drops. Its just something that hardcore apple fans expect from apple and love about apple. I try and let others find the problems and buy the 2nd lot which either has more capacity or is slightly cheaper.

I guess with the iPhone a lot of the customers are first time apple customers, so they don't know how the system works.

adamdoupe• 19 years ago

> I guess with the iPhone a lot of the customers are first time apple customers, so they don't know how the system works.

I think this is exactly the problem they had with dropping the price of the iPhone. That and the fact it's been on the market for 2 months.

semigeek• 19 years ago

Steve was damned if he did, damned if he didn't.

zach2• 19 years ago

I've been reading Fake Steve Jobs too much. I expected a "Bokay, cheaptards?" at the end.

Readmore• 19 years ago

Steve is brilliant! What can you get at an Apple store for $100? A keyboard, a mouse, or a gift card. This $100 store credit is going to end up selling MORE Apple hardware because everything is so expensive. People get to feel all warm and fuzzy again and Apple makes more money. It's amazing.

curi3• 19 years ago

an external hard drive?

gommm• 19 years ago

And then it's not like people who allready own an iphone are going to spend money on an iphone or an ipod... So it's a great way to get new consumers to start buying products like the apple tv or macs....

gqgy• 19 years ago

this strategy is about gaining and maintaining market share. 'pleasing customers' is merely a pheripheral initiative to the overall strategy of market share. jobs is an innovator, but he does it by sticking to old school traditional business strategies. i wouldn't be surprised, if sometime in the next decade, apple is accused of 'bundling', similarly to microsoft with IE and windows. apple has been gaining market share little by little in various industries. once their share reaches a dominant position, its products will become dependent on each other. until they reach that position, jobs will be the nicest guy in the industry.

nirs2• 19 years ago

They already do this: you want QuickTime for Windows? you must install also iTunes, because both come in the same installer.

inrev• 19 years ago

not anymore

mattmaroon• 19 years ago

Steve should issue everyone an extra $100 credit for being a dunce and going with AT&T

Steve Jobs - To All iPhone Customers

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