“Apple’s iPhone is ‘pretty useless’ and sales in Germany have not dented new customer numbers for E-Plus, the German mobile unit of KPN, said Ad Scheepbouwer, chief executive of the Dutch telecoms company,” Michael Steen reports for The Financial TImes.
MacDailyNews Take: We own Apple iPhones. They’re about the most useful devices we own. Of course, we’re not facing the prospect of trying to compete against them like Mr. Scheepbouwer.
Steen continues, “However, speaking after KPN reported fourth-quarter results in line with expectations and an upbeat outlook, Mr Scheepbouwer also said KPN would be interested in selling the iPhone in the Netherlands, where it has yet to be launched.
“‘I had one and I thought it was a pretty useless phone, to be quite honest,’ he told the Financial Times. ‘The battery ran out in no time. I didn’t like the touch screen,'” Steen reports. “‘We’d be more than happy to sell it,’ he added. ‘We have half the market in the Netherlands and we hope we will be the party of choice.'”
MacDailyNews Take: iPhone’s battery does not “run out in no time.” Everyone we meet is enthralled with the iPhone’s multi-touch screen. Scheepbouwer’s statements simply do not match reality. Now, what kind of businessman thinks a product is “pretty useless,” but has no problem trying to sell it to his customers? Answer: A sleazy salesman who has no respect for his customers. If you think iPhone is “pretty useless” why would you want to sell it, Mr. Scheepbouwer? We can only conclude that you either do not believe that iPhone is “pretty useless” and are therefore lying to The Financial Times or you have no respect for your customers and will try to sell them “useless” products? Which is it, genius? Oh, and don’t hold your breath for a deal with Apple. On second thought, do.
Steen continues, “KPN’s E-Plus unit in Germany competes against Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile, which has exclusive rights to market the phone there. But Mr Scheepbouwer said the 70,000 iPhones sold since November in Germany was ‘not a particularly impressive number’ compared with the 700,000 net new customers E-Plus gained in the fourth quarter, its fastest growth since 2000.”
Full article here.
This Scheepbouwer character sure has a funny way of laying the groundwork for a deal with Steve Jobs – or anybody, for that matter. “Your product sucks. Where do I sign so I can sell it?” That’s an, uh, interesting strategy. For some reason, we’re doubtful it’ll work.
they only got that many new customers because they have an aggressive pricing strategy. they are now one of the the cheapest provider here in germany with 10 cents a minute and are not susidizing phones a lot of phone models anymore. no problem to add 700.000 new cheap customers with an average monthly bill of 10-15 euros versus the now probably 100.000 t-mobile customers with monthly bills of approxametly 75 euros. which customers would you like to have?
mdn word: “science” as in “this is not rocket science”
@ralph from berlin… thanks for the reality check. It’s like, “We lose a Mark on every sale, but we make it up on volume.”
Also a good take from MDN on this one.
Ad Scheepbouwer is pretty useless.
MW: “reaction”, as in, that’s my reaction to the headline.
If by “pretty useless” he means the most awesome and cool device ever, then yeah, he’s right.
…Guess this means that KPN did not get the deal in Holland – which might mean that someone else did…
Good news: KPN sucks anyway, and I’ll go with whoever else sells it…
(maybe not in the line on day 1, but certainly on day 2)
DD from Belgium – but living in the Netherlands
Hmmm… that “bloodbath” is pretty slow-flowing. I’m sure I’ll have an iPhone someday, but only when they’re free with a 2-year contract.
At the rate things are going, my guess is we’ll be there pretty soon.
Why are so many people dogging Apple products lately?
It’s way over done……
What is that in Dutch? FUUD?
Ad SheepBuilder is a bean counter…
http://scholieren.nrc.nl/weekkrant/2001/48/2.shtml
Sheepblower.
Typical socialist guy, who apparently married the boss’s daughter. Double-dutch maroon. He’s been living below sea level for too long.
When the finger is taken out of the dike, iPhone will flow in to Holland.
F* him! Next…moving on…who is the second behind KPN’s E-Plus in the Nederlands?
I am a Dutchman and of course I very much enjoy my hacked iPhone. (now running version 1.1.3 ) I know lots of Dutch people already enjoying their iPhones. Mr. Scheepbouwer is pretty good in what he is doing but I can’t see him making the deal. Especially after these remarks. I guess t-mobile will get the deal as they are already Apple’s partner in Germany
Any prayer this mouthbreather had of selling the iPhone in the Netherlands just went out the window.
I’ll have to say that i’m sure that there are much more functional phones than the iphone in Germany… I would say 3G more popular, stereo bluetooth on there cellphone. A video camera, and faster internet access. The iphone is good but it’s lacking lots of good features. I mean honestly i love my iphone, but has anyone seen what the Nokia N95 can do. I mean fanboy or not of apple, you have to know that the iPhone does NOT do everything…
Much more interesting newz…Naval Battle for iPod has been released…looks pretty cool…happy mo and mo games are being released…been playing Pole Position in my spare moments…still waiting for Road Rash
STILL…MDN’s site loads dog slow, but no other Mac sites do.
Sheep Blower is just jealous.
Apparently Andy Rooney agrees with Scheepbouwer…
Maybe they’re both using it the same way.
Quality of the product aside, it has to be remembered that the iPhone is 1 model targetting the high(er) end of the market.
Perhaps its target markets are wider than other similar phones but it’s still purposely limited in its potential penetration. As such it’s never likely to single handedly cause the companies who don’t sell it to lose customers across the board. It may take customers from similar devices on the same network or get new customers from others but at the same time it’s not going to stop unhappy customers on the lower end from moving for its carrier to someone else. It’s not that black and white.
We now know the true identity of Old Mac Man
so this guy bows sheep… hmmmm
To a certain point, everything is useless.
Scheepbouwer has the sheer audacity to admit to fleecing the flock.
A couple of things to consider:
1. The iPhone is still in its first year. The iPod didn’t do fantastically well in year one.
2. The iPhone (and iPod Touch) will evolve significantly in the next few years. Flash iPods made a huge impact for Apple and as the unit prices go down the uptake for these units will skyrocket. I’ll buy the 32 gig iTouch when it drops to 399.
3. As more countries come on board, Apple’s profit margin will increase significantly and they will drop prices to push pressure on competitors.
4. The iPhone clearly has the potential to be a good all in one device.
These are still really early days and Apple have the products to be competitive for the next five years.
This article is no surprise. Just like the Balmer video and all the other quotes from CEO’s whose companies compete with Apple and iPhone. What would we EXPECT them to say, “Apple really beat our ass on this one”? Nobody believes them. They don’t believe themselves. Of course behind closed doors their words are very very different. Otherwise there wouldn’t be such a jump in the number of companies bragging about their new phones with touchscreens the last 6 months or so. This guy immediately has NO credibility, with his, “oh, the iPhone is useless, but we’d LOVE to sell it”. This is a joke.
gosh, 700,000 new subscribers…where did he pull those number from?
To the “Hype only hold out so long…”:
I would advise against holding your breath. I’m not sure how well you know Apple, but one thing is pretty much certain: Apple’s products (and that includes the iPhone) will never be sold for free, no matter what kind of contract the carrier ropes you into. Apple will simply not allow carriers to offer Apple products at no cost to the consumer. Their biggest asset is the brand name value. This value will be dramatically devalued if the products are not sold at premium, regardless of what kind of profit Apple might be ultimately making on them.
As for the hype, it only existed until 6PM (EST) on 30 June 2007. After that, it is no longer hype, since the product is already out and anyone can see it and try it. As we now all know, the iPhone is talked-about so much because it has the highest customer satisfaction ratings by far, well ahead of anyone else.
At the rate we’re going, I don’t see iPhone selling for less than $400 (actually, $399 for those who love picking nit) for the next at least a year or two.
What do you expect from an old baldig git who looks like this…
http://images.google.fr/images?hl=fr&q=Ad+Scheepbouwer&gbv=2
Of course, I meant “balding”…
Some people just refuse any feeling of amazement in their existence…
if i am in a wifi zone, the iphone is killer
on the EGDE, its a mediocre email/internet tool at best. most times very frustrating.
still the best phone i have ever used however
And he’s a Fat Cat…
Did Steen mean that he bought one, didn’t like it and wants to sell it? Did he say how much he wants for it? I might buy it if it’s the new one.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
MDN word – because… Because the iPhone is way cool and I want his.
Did Steen mean that he bought one, didn’t like it and wants to sell it? Did he say how much he wants for it? I might buy it if it’s the new one.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
MDN word – because… Because the iPhone is way cool and I want his.
Did Steen mean that he bought one, didn’t like it and wants to sell it? Did he say how much he wants for it? I might buy it if it’s the new one.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
MDN word – because… Because the iPhone is way cool and I want his.
Did Steen mean that he bought one, didn’t like it and wants to sell it? Did he say how much he wants for it? I might buy it if it’s the new one.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
MDN word – because… Because the iPhone is way cool and I want his.
Did Steen mean that he bought one, didn’t like it and wants to sell it? Did he say how much he wants for it? I might buy it if it’s the new one.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
MDN word – because… Because the iPhone is way cool and I want his.
Of course, MDN and the rest are all experts on the European telephone market…
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
About 90,000,000 people live in Germany and only 70,000 iPhones sold??? (Oh, and there are more handheld phones in Germany than people living there in case you were wondering about the German telephone market.)
That iPhone sales rate in Germany is the equivalent of Apple selling only 210,000 iPhones in the U.S. market of 270,000,000.
One would rate that as not too good.
——-
Why does every MORON on the planet have to comment about the iPhone?
I wish they would all STFU.
That includes you ‘test2’
He’s right.
Thank you, Ad Scheepbouwer, for having the courage to tell the truth. I-Phones are for pretentious MAC sheep who like to burn money and show off their flash-in-the-pan toys. All style (if you like sissy school of design, founded by Apple) and no substance. What can you do with one button? Might as well get a Firefly.
Useful phones include any phone which runs the Windows Mobile OS. IE for Windows Mobile rocks and you can play WMA format files!
Your potential. Our passion.™
I think I’ll use that approach the next time I’m in the market for a new job…
“Your company is terrible. Your product sucks, and your people are ignorant. Are you hiring?”
lol
Nothing cuter than a trash-talkin’, iPhone-slammin’, balding Dutchman.
It is remarkable that Mr. Sheep wants to sell a device in Holland and starts by telling his customers that it’s a useless product. May be something got lost in translation, otherwise this is one dense fellow.
So sick of hearing American fanboys acting like they know anything about the international phone market. There are loads of phones out there with far more advanced features than the iPhone, you guys just haven’t seen them.
Does the iPhone have video calling? Fingerprint locking? GPS? E-money services? 5+MP camera? 3G?
Yes, the iPhone does some nice things but in many ways it’s still a long way behind phones that have been in use for years outside the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_mobile_phone_culture
Yeah, this guy probably thinks Joran van der Sloot is innocient as well.
It is amazing how people can judge things before trying them. People say “oh, you can’t text message very well on the iPhone” or “it doesn’t have 3G”. Stupid. The iPhone is simply the best phone I’ve had. Best device I’ve had. It is amazing how often I use it. Checking mail, texting, looking things up on the net while on the go.
Boycott Holland!!!
Just my $0.02
“Does the iPhone have video calling? Fingerprint locking? GPS? E-money services? 5+MP camera? 3G?”
Do I need any of those features?
No, I don’t. Get it?
@mindpower – you join the long list of pundits and techies who just don’t get it. If piling on “features” and dropping the price made a device better, we’d all be stepping on MacBooks as we scrambled to buy old IBM ThinkPads because they have floppy drives AND a CD tray, plus a rubber mouse toggle.
mindpower: “Geez, the MacBook doesn’t even have a serial port. Feh. What a piece of crap.”
For some reason the word “douchebag” came to mind as I read this article.
KPN is an ex Dutch state controled firm, that used to be called the PTT. KPN sold masses of HTC phones to the Dutch Parlement members recently. They are working under about five different company names to hide their monopoly. The EU forbids monopoly. So they once sold the colored iMacs without software i.net support.. Apple should not go with them.
What is the definition of “usefulness”?
So, in less than two months the iPhone sold 10% of their total sales for the quarter. Not bad.
Crimeny, what an idiot.
What a fool!!
@Hype only holds out so long..
“Hmmm… that “bloodbath” is pretty slow-flowing. I’m sure I’ll have an iPhone someday, but only when they’re free with a 2-year contract.
At the rate things are going, my guess is we’ll be there pretty soon.”
If you cared to back your claims, Apple sold more phones than Motorola or Windows Mobile, so you could say that Moto and MS are donating their blood for Apple to bath on. So if you don’t like Apple, no problem because you are as insignificant as your opinion.
Well, I dond’t want to defend the guy, but until we see the 3G iPhone he’s got a point. KPN doesn’t have an EDGE network anymore, does it? It’s a moot point anyway, as T-Mobile is probably getting it here as well as in Deutschland.
3G
A whole 20% faster than Edge….. Reduces battery life by 40%.
3G – lovely tits on a beautiful Boar….. Let’s all clamor for it! Hurray!
3G – waaaaaaaaaay slower than Wifi…. Just like Edge. But soooooo different, too! Like twin idiots, but ONE twin is smarter! Wow!
Did I hear someone say, “Over-rated”?
Clamor away. I can’t stop you.
“lovely tits on a beautiful Boar”
The one running for President?
And what’s the difference between GPRS and 3G again?
Remember, no edge in the Netherlands means you get gprs speeds. Pls correct me if I’m wrong.
@mindpower.
Having every feature imaginable in a phone is not what I want in a smartphone. I have learned my less on well from the Palm 700P that has a list of features a mile long. Trouble is all but a few of them are useless because they don’t work, crash the phone or are so clumsy to use they make you want to pull your hair out. The iPhone, as with most things Apple, isn’t the most feature-laden product on the market. But it one of the most well thought out and USABLE phones on the market. And the day my contract is over with Verizon I will have one of my very own.
Thats it… no more KPN for me.
to mindpower
you must be correct, guess zero iPhones will sell in Japan.
Want to place a small wager?
We may all remember KPN as one of the Telcos that crashed the hardest due to poor management in the early part of the century.
Looks like they never got rid of enough management.
Closed loop, controlling, dominating, poor customer service company decides offering choice, pleasure and aggressive pricing aren’t in their wheelhouse. What a surprize. Love to see their stock crash again, only to fire this guy. Idiots don’t belong at the top.
I see nothing, I know nothing.
I wouldn’t sweat KPN, when I was living in the Netherlands I was forced to use their phone/internet service and it was terrible!
Put it this way, KPN doesn’t have a good feel for customer service.
@Missy Pants
How can you compare my statement about futuristic phone features like fingerprint locking with a pc serial port? God you’re thick. 😀
And to the many other people going on about how they don’t need the features in Japanese phones, all I can say is you have NO imagination. And you’re pretty stupid if you can’t see how a feature like GPS is way, way better than the iPhone’s crappy “locate by wireless” feature.
Finally, none of you can honestly make a comment about how the iPhone is more “useable” than Japanese smartphones until you’ve actually USED those Japanese phones. And I’m talking the proper Jap phones, not something made in Japan for the US market.