While Apple is still mum on its iPhone launch activation fiasco it's not shy about bragging about how many of us snapped up iPhones this weekend and logged on to it App Store. Apple is reporting that since Friday it has sold over 1 million 3G iPhones as well as the boast that there have been over 10 million application downloads from the App Store.
The first number of 1 million iPhones sold is an impressive one considering that the first iPhone took 74 days to reach that sales milestone. Apple has worked hard to make the iPhone a mainstream device, and this is a good indication that it is succeeding. Of course, that's assuming that the activation problems that plagued the first day of sales hasn't soured people's taste for the typically "consumer friendly" Apple.
Enough Bragging, Please Explain Activation Mess?
The second number of 10 million app downloaded, while impressive, to me is a little less so. With 1 million 3G iPhones out there, and the millions of original iPhones and iPod Touches it averages out to maybe one or two applications downloaded per person. Considering that there are a number of useful free applications, it's hard to say how profitable the App store actually is for Apple.
Meanwhile I'm still waiting for Apple to stop bragging about how much money it's making, and explain why it screwed up so bad handing iPhone activations and upgrades to Apple's first-generation iPhones. I think we deserve more than the deafening silence. One sure way Apple can create bad blood with consumers is keep insisting everything is perfect in Apple-land while it's not. That's advice both Apple and some administrations can use.
While there were problems, they have all been fixed promptly and activation is now proceeding smoothly. There were problems because of trying to do too much at once, and because much of the software was "first time" use...and because of the enthusiastic jam of customers all at once. Much of the activation problems were on the carrier's ends, with number changeovers of switchers, and their activation procedures.
That's why there are "early adopters" and those who wait for the lines to clear. The ultimate success or failure of the iPhone does not lay with early adopters, nor with initial glitches, but with the "rest of us". But for a first-time rollout of a new product in 22 countries, it seems overall successful.
Um, did you ever think that the mess may have cropped up precisely because 1M phones were sold within 36 hours, not to mention that the App Store and MobileMe were put up about the same time? Maybe Steve Jobs was expecting you to be intelligent enough to see that?
Um, did you ever think that the mess may have cropped up precisely because 1M phones were sold within 36 hours, not to mention that the App Store and MobileMe were put up about the same time? Maybe Steve Jobs was expecting you to be intelligent enough to see that?
I think it's pretty obvious apple's activation problems were sales related... But I don't think Apple gets a "get out of jail card free" card because of it.
Questions:
Why wasn't Apple able to handle the traffic?
Can we blame Apple for being such a micro-manager and forcing AT&T to activate all phones on Apple servers?
Why can't Apple acknowledge its huge screw up?
How come Apple declined comment to numerous people who asked and made no statement about the screw up?
Is the last word from Apple on this matter only going to be bragging about how many iphone sold?
We deserve better from Apple.
also.. I spent the better half of saturday updating my old iphoe and dealing with the "mess" first hand. Grrr... don't get me wrong.. I LOVE apple.. but feel let down