No wonder UK iPhone sales were slow
Faithful Macenstein reader Steven Haskayne has sent us a picture that may explain why UK iPhone sales weren’t all that stellar.
“Here is a shot of a 4gb iPhone on display on an o2 store uk (Abington street Northampton). You can see that it is a 4gb, thought it might spark some debate as some people are happy with 4gb (I personally will only be happy with 32, but even then I’d be making a compromise!)
I have also made a trip to the westgate street store in Gloucester and can confirm that they are also on display there.”
That’s right, the UK stores are displaying 4GB iPhones.
But that’s not the real reason hurting iPhone sales. Look at how horribly blurry the iPhone’s camera is, even with insane amounts of unsharp mask applied!! Who would buy such a phone?
🙂
Here’s hoping Apple upgrades the optics in the still camera before it adds a rumored second video camera in iPhone v2.
Yeah the 4GB’s have been used for shop displays. I guess these are all the extra ones built but not sold before they where removed from sale in the US. Just a way I suppose for them to minimize the risk.
The 4GB ones have been on display since the iPhone first went on sale in the UK.
The more significant reason why the iPhone displays in O2’s stores are abysmal (at least the smaller ones I’ve been into, such as in Camden) is that they don’t let you connect to the internet… yes, that’s right – you can’t even use Mobile Safari on them! How crap is that?
that – and maybe UK residents balk at the network quality and the thought that phones that have been released long ago there, are of better quality then the iPhone.
I’m amazed to see O2 selling half the phones they have. Not only do you regularly see 4GB models in stores but I have forgotten the amount of times I’ve explained the importance (and simplicity) of upgrading firmware to the retail stores – most of the handsets I see are still on 1.1.1 or 1.1.2 which is crazy. Most of them have no clue what their selling, they especially seem oblivious to the rumourmill which is an invaluable thing to be upto date on (especially when its your signature product!).
there are little sales here in europe because the pirce is crazy. for example germany: http://skitch.com/t/ni7 (remember all prices in euro)
250€ for an 8gb iPhone and you can talk for 50 Minutes, have no free sms, only 500mb for surfing and no free wlan at telekom hot spots. awesome – i wount buy one for that conditions.