“The absence of a 3G iPhone from Apple’s product portfolio has been a hot topic amongst investors, but any concerns in that department are currently a bit overblown, says a new report from one Wall Street analyst,” Slash Lane reports for AppleInsider.
“In a brief research note to client investors on Monday, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu said he’s frequently asked about the lack of a 3G iPhone and what it means for Apple. He explained, however, that he sees these ongoing concerns as ‘overdone and misplaced’ at present, and outlined four key data points in defense of his beliefs,” Lane reports.
• 3G (WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA) is still a relatively niche technology and not widely deployed in the US
• 3G is not as field tested as 2/2.5G
• Costs of 3G iPhone parts would also be somewhat steep
• 3G Battery Hog: 3G requires about 35-40 percent more power than 2/2.5G
More in the full article here.
The alternative explanation is that Apple doesn’t know what the hell it’s doing and just chose 2.5 G out of ignorance. I think I’ll go with Shaw Wu’s explanation.
Funny how none of these people were saying this before it launched, back then everyone was moaning about it.
Even in a small country like the UK 3G coverage is patchy at best, and mostly in metro areas where you’re just as likely to find wi-fi coverage anyway.
On my Vodafone usb modem, I’ve picked up 3G maybe six times in the last year.
@ MXNT41
No, we were saying it, but too many analists and techno geeks chose to ignore us.
Doesn’t matter anyway. Ask the man on the street about 3G and you’ll get a blank stare. All the users care about is that it just works.
Plus, what good is 3G when you live somewhere it’s not. Which is about 90% of the US.
This article is 17 months old, but it’s still interesting reading:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/30/business/3G.php
…iPhone concerns ‘overdone and misplaced’?
Are you kidding me? NO concerns are overdone and misplaced when it comes to Apple. The fact is you just can’t trust these guys. Have you forgotten Apple’s overpriced, proprietary computers? The clear and present danger when it comes to the I-POD/I-Tunes monopoly? Glossy screens? From what I’ve seen you can’t scrutinize Apple too much.
That’s why I use a Dell Ditty with unlimited subscription-based music via Microsoft’s great partner Napster. I get loads of great music and an a fantastic choice of ‘Plays-for-Sure’ devices. In my case I got a Ditty. Dell, Microsoft and Napster are all watching my back instead of locking me into Apple’s awful proprietary system.
Your potential. Our passion.™
It’s really a great hammer. You’ll love it.
Hey, I just checked out Amazon’s Top Sellers for MP3 players, and 9 of the top 10 are iPods, with one Zune. In all, there are 13 iPods in the top 25.
But that’s not the interesting bit. The interesting bit is the number of reviews. Most of the players have 100-150 reviews. The Zune has over 1000, with 456 rated 5 stars.
The original Shuffle only has 481 reviews and it’s been on sale 2 years.
Interesting.
@ChrissyOne
Is that the high density steel hammer with the non-slip grip?
I use those on my co-workers all the time. Really comes in handy.
(this is where ZT will tell us that Zune owners are so happy they can’t wait to tall others about it)
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@ CheekyGit
Only the best. Estwing. Great for smashing electronics.
I used them on some old Dell laptops. If you hit them just right going into the wind, those suckers can really fly.
I just might try some golf clubs on some Gateways.
I’m traveling cross country toward my home in California. I’m currently in I-40 going across Texas and yesterday we drove halfway across Missouri and all the way across Oklahoma. Before that, we drove from Southern Indiana, across Illinois and half of Missouri. On that trip, now approaching 1000 miles, I have have had an Edge connection for all but about five times, each for less than five minutes.
The motel we stayed at in McLean, TX, last night had free WiFi. It was faster than Edge but not that much faster practically. The experience of using the Internet was about the same as on Edge. G3 is faster than Edge but slower than WiFi, so my thinking is that the Internet experience will still be about the same.
This post was entered with my iPhone on interstate 40 somewhere west of Amarillo Texas.
Oh, and in software, you have to go all the way down to #62 to find the first MS operating system – XP pro. Vista seems to be AWOL.
Refering to my previous post, I doubt that any G3 phone could do that.
@ CheekyGit
I suggest a Callaway for the best lift.
PING baby!!!!!!
If I need lift, I’d just drink a couple of Red Bulls.
@C1– I missed something. I started seeing your references to a hammer and ZT last weekend, but I missed the genesis of this ongoing meme. Would you mind enlightening me so I can chortle more knowingly?
3G is one of those things that skillful marketer can use as a weapon against the iPhone. Competitors have not much else to go on, so they are jumping big time onto this one as their damage control. It isn’t exactly working on the uneducated masses, but among the small number of tech people, it actually is. We have witnessed, over the past six months, a heavy volume of declarative statements on these forums how EDGE is the one reason some are not buying the phone. It is a foolish excuse, as everyone has confirmed by now.
This very much reminds me of the GWB re-election campaign. There was nothing they could use to sound credible, so manufacturing opponent’s weaknesses was the only way, and it worked. Anyone remember Swift Boat Veterans for ‘truth’? Comparing a certified, decorated Vietnam veteran with a draft-dodger, and successfully neutralising the advantage was the example of successful PR campaign.
Apparently, Americans do more research when they buy their mobile phones than when they vote for their president…
@ Swordmaker
I’ve found that EDGE is either *almost* as fast as WiFi, or it’s completely un-usably slow. I really don’t think a 3G phone is going to make much difference, at least in my area.
Where it’s fast, it’s fast enough.
Where it’s slow… well, if the EDGE coverage is that bad, I seriously doubt there is any 3G coverage at all. At least out in the sticks where I live.
@ Spark
It’s a bet we made a long time ago, about the time the Zune was released. I said that if the Zune was ever the #1 player by sales, I would smash my black iPod nano with a hammer and put a video of the event on YouTube. If, on the other hand, the Zune line was discontinued, ZT would smash his Zune. He agreed, so we have an ongoing bet.
@ CheekyGit
I use Wilson Deep Reds myself, but those aren’t for use on laptops.
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“(this is where ZT will tell us that Zune owners are so happy they can’t wait to tall others about it)”
It is, and he’ll be right back after he calls all seven of them.
“It is, and he’ll be right back after he calls all seven of them.”
Actually, 6 of them were returned.
If you hit a Zune with a driver, how far can fly?
Who cares! As long as you can hit it, it’s a good thing.