Thanks Apple for the $200 bitch-slap
I love my iPhone. I waited 29 hours in line for it and it was worth it. But what Apple did yesterday was wrong, just plain wrong. I can think of no other word than bitch-slap. Not sure why. I know it isn’t politically correct. But it’s how I feel.
First, though, lets look at the definition of bitch-slap, just so we can be clear and all on the same page:
“To open handedley slap someone. Denote disrespect for the person being bitch slapped as they are not worthy of a man sized punch. Suggests the slap was met with little resistance and much whining”
Like a thorough therapist lets analyze this definition sentence by sentence.
“To open handedly slap someone.”
This is definitely what Apple has done. This wasn’t one of those slow burns, it was an in-your-face slap to the Apple consumer. By changing the pricing a mere 68 days after launching it Apple is saying loud and clear, screw you. Reducing the price by 10 or even 20 percent would have been a slap, a 33 percent reduction is an open handed slap.
“Denote disrespect for the person being bitch slapped as they are not worthy of a man sized punch.”
A man-sized punch would have been to reduce the price and improve the product. It would be manly because Apple would be saying, its ok, technology changes, and we improved it and could make things cheaper. But Apple didn’t do this. They took something that cost exactly the same 63 days ago and reduced the price by 33 percent. Last time I checked flash costs didn’t sink in the last 63 days. The early-adopter isn’t worthy to Apple. We are sheep even though we are the most loyal customers.
“Suggests the slap was met with little resistance and much whining”
I suppose I am whining here. I am also not providing that much resistance. That makes me as much a party to this as Apple. See, I love the companies products so much that I can honestly say I would have pay even more for its products. The $200 was worth having the iPhone first.
But I am whining. I’m whining because this simply isn’t fair. And while I understand companies are about profit this seems to cross the line. By bitch-slapping it’s most loyal customers Apple risks alienating them and risks affecting the future impact of new products it releases. If I know that Apple would pull this 63 days after the iPhone what about with their new iPods? Or new computers (remember, they make those).
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With your whining you deserve to be Bitch Slapped….
Good God… What did you expect… You bought the latest and greatest phone immediately…. You paid a premium for being the first on the block.
When I bought my Razor, I paid $399 and now they are giving them away.
BTW I was the 2nd person out of the store with an 8GB iPhone and am happy I was. It has been a blessing to own and use. However, I have waited before buying my wife one until the price came down because she doesn’t need to be on the edge of tech.
Quit your complaining and be a man…..otherwise here is another BITCH SLAP for you!!!!
Ah, first TheRegister, now Apple Matters. The whine of people willing and able to spend $600 on a phone is pathetic beyond belief. Sure, I’d be a bit miffed too, but it certainly is not worth this epic amount of outcry all over the web. At least you do notice that “it was worth it”. Be sure to have one of your other writers prepare a piece of in the line of
“Apple products too cheap, miffed customers complain”
for the next update.
Gawd, now there are analysts whining too! For the hills, I say! RUN FOR THE HILLS!
Slap!Slap!Slap! Right across your melon, easy
Are you suddenly unhappy that you paid $600 for a phone (which you must have been cool with when you bought it), or are you unhappy that other people will get to pay less? Either way, it makes you look small.
Yes, Lord Arawan is right. I can’t believe a writer for a semi-serious publication could have a melt-down about something like this.
Welcome to, well…life. Especially life on the cutting edge.
This is such a 1st World problem you are up at arms about, it’s hard to take you seriously.
I can’t believe a writer for a semi-serious publication could have a melt-down about something like this.
ooh, bitch-slap!
I bought my 8GB iPhone the day it came out. I knew that the price would probubly go down in the future, but I didn’t think that this would be 68 days after launching it. Apple screwed their most loyal users who bought the iPhone first. It doesn’t seem like Apple’s style…
...But I guess there is no price for having the coolest phone ever on the day it came out.
Well let this be a lesson to you. Apple is a company, just like all the others. Their interest is to make money, and nothing more. They are not here to be your friend, or foster some sort of communal spirit, or to bring happiness to everyone. Thinking they are anything else, anything grander or more noble than that will lead you to being hurt like this again. Apple has no obligation to be your friend. Don’t be surprised when they do something that isn’t friendly.
...But I guess there is no price for having the coolest phone ever on the day it came out.
I guess there is a $200 price for that.
Having read lots of comments about this, my advice to late-ish early adopters is CALL AT&T and try and negotiate a credit. Say you’re really upset by this and considering cancelling your contract and returning the iPhone.
Manipulate the hand that manipulates you, I say.
(I also say Apple was well within its rights to do this and if you bought the iPhone at all you decided it was worth what you paid for it.)
Apple screwed their most loyal users who bought the iPhone first. It doesn’t seem like Apple’s style…
First, Apple does this fairly regularly to its most loyal customers (who tend to be the early purchasers), so it’s not exactly a shock.
What IS surprising is that it’s a price cut, which is not Apple’s style, at least not this soon. I’m guessing that Apple is learning a few things about the cell phone business.
I also agree with surflizard that the complaint that other people will get to pay less is a real first-world problem as goodcompany describes it.
I can understand the frustration, but why should they keep the price artificially high longer just so the early buyers don’t feel burned, especially when those early buyers are mostly loyal Apple customers who aren’t going to stop buying their products no matter what they do.
Supposedly, if you bought the phone within the past 14 days, you can get a refund for the difference.
First, Apple does this fairly regularly to its most loyal customers
...
What IS surprising is that it’s a price cut, which is not Apple’s style
Indeed, we are forced to concede that Apple regularly shafts its loyal early adopters by first charging them a premium then cutting the price without in fact doing so, which is not their style.
I can think of a thousand such occasions - which unfortunately this margin is too narrow to contain. But wow - to be able simultaneously do something and not do it for the sake of lame arguments! Now that’s technology, Steve!
Ooooh oooh! Look at me! I have lots of disposable income which I like to bitch about when it gets disposed.
You bought a luxury item that was rapidly going to become a commodity item. WTF did you think was going to happen?
I hate it when people complain that they paid $200 extra for a phone that they didn’t really need in the first place.
Some of us have to take whatever crappy free phone comes with the lowest-priced contract we require.
Guys this hasn’t screwed you the handful of the 750,000 that actually bought an iPhone. It really screws Apple. The next time they come out with a product people are not going to go out and immediately run out and get that product. They will wait. And waiting is bad for business. This hurts new Apple product launches from now on. It just hurt under 750,000 for 200 hundred bucks. Most of which they could afford to do.