iPhone user goes to the Samsung Galaxy S3 (1 Viewer)

[Hanson]

I didn't make it clear, Sam, that I wasn't actually quoting you but rather Apple fandom at large. However, you have referenced articles that support those arguments even though you did not explicitly claim them to be your own.

 

[Sam Posten]

Here's a list to get you started:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/311127/can-amazon-stand-above-the-fray-and-make-sense-of-the-android-tablet-mess
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/311159/the-downside-to-fragmentation (see post two)
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/310298/4-smartphones-the-market-has-spoken-and-it-says-yes See Post 10
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/303216/flash-on-android-sounds-fan-tastic (how'd that one work out?)
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/316535/whatever-works-for-you
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/315491/steve-yegges-google-platform-rant-brilliant See post #4
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/300261/iphone-or-droid-incredible-in-other-words-is-at-t-really-so-bad See Post 28
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/307559/android-honeycomb-tablet-os-is-official-this-does-not-suck Does not suck!
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/306587/android-tablets-honeycomb-might-be-the-droid-you-are-looking-for
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/311294/google-2011-i-o-ice-cream-sandwich-music-beta-arduino-controls-one-os-to-rule-them-all-more
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/300775/gotta-hand-it-to-google-they-put-a-pretty-serious-flanking-move-on-apple-today

 

[Sam Posten]

I didn't make it  clear, Sam, that I wasn't actually quoting you but rather Apple fandom at large. However, you have referenced articles that support those arguments even though you did not explicitly claim them to be your own. 

Fair enough. I post stuff that is INTERESTING, because I agree with it or disagree with it violently. I try to be clear when each is the case. And more so when I find it to be dubious.

 

[Hanson]

Just so you know, when you quote Panzer as a rebuttal without anything else to add (as you did above), it sounds like he's articulating your opinion. The same goes when you drop a Marco quote or a Gruber article without making any case for your stand on the matter. It looks to me any everyone else that you tacitly agree with them.

 

[Sam Posten]

In this instance I do. If anyone is actually surprised that this month's hot Android phone is outselling the year old iPhone with all the leaks and speculation it has attached to it, then I don't know what to say... It's my favorite perjorative apparently, but if you bought an iPhone in the last 45 days you MUST BE crazy. Tho I suppose desperate or uninformed are also possibilities.

 

[TonyD]

Just so you know, when you quote Panzer as a rebuttal without anything else to add (as you did above), it sounds like he's articulating your opinion. The same goes when you drop a Marco quote or a Gruber article without making any case for your stand on the matter. It looks to me any everyone else that you tacitly agree with them.

That's why I've begged Sam when he does that to at least supply
His own opinion or at least include what the link is leading to.

 

[Sam Posten]

I don't think this example was all that ambiguous. And I have asked you for examples of when you think I am leaving any doubt.

 

[Paul D G]

Congrats, Ron. I bought one a little over a week ago and have been very happy with it.

I just want to comment on battery consumption. I turn off Wifi, Mobile Data, and GPS when not needed, and I turn off my phone when I'm sleeping. I'm getting a solid two full days use out of a single charge.

My only real gripe (if you even want to call it that) with it is that it's a little large and difficult to use with one hand. However, my primary use is as a replacement for my ten year old pocket PC rather than as a cell phone.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Paul,

...and congrats to you.

With a rooted phone, I am using software called Juice Defender.

The software does a great job of turning things on and off when not in use.

That's the bad part of the software. I can't have my radio signals turned off
when idle in my pocket to save battery power. I want to immediately be alerted
to email and text messages.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I too may switch when my Iphone 4s Contract is up next year, I'm already used to Android 4.0 and 4.1 as I own a google Nexus 7 and and a Asus Transformer Infinity, 4.1 is a superior OS, and I too am tiring of IOS, we'll see when things shake out.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

It's pretty easy to realize that the Galaxy is Beating the sales of the 4s because everyone is holding off to buy the Iphone 5.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Quote:

It's pretty easy to realize that the Galaxy is Beating the sales of the 4s because everyone is holding off to buy the Iphone 5.

[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Not doubting that, but visiting the local AT&T store[/COLOR]

I am being told by one of the salespeople that there

has been a surge of iPhone users in her store switching

to the Android phones after the iPhone 5 leaks.



So, I do suspect that plays into it as well.

 

[Sam Posten]

I'm sure it's an epidemic. Or, more likely, many people gaming the system the way you are. Hedging bets that they might not want an iPhone but don't want to be cut off in case the S3 is blocked from sale. Of course the fact that sales folks make a remarkably larger spiff for selling android phones has nothing to do with it either, I'm sure. =p
From March:
http://macdailynews.com/2012/05/05/hard-sell-verizon-wireless-clerks-pushing-android-phones-over-iphone/

 

[Hanson]

Every one is holding off buying the iPhone in the second quarter? That's 6 months away from the next phone. So the sales window for iPhone is now only 6 months from launch? No, that's not the reason. That's the convenient explanation. For instance, activations of new Verizon iPhones dropped almost 16% from Q2 last year. AT&T dropped as well. Besides, they were down the first quarter as well, which is why Apple missed their estimates. There just wasn't a Galaxy S3 poised to take the number one spot. Or perhaps the window for new iPhone sales is a mere 3 months after launch?

AT&T told its sales staff to steer customers away from iPhones. Verizon has probably been doing that since the outset. Here's the reason why:

The iPhone is a nightmare for carriers



Quote:

[COLOR= rgb(51, 51, 51)]when Verizon [/COLOR]sold a record 4.2 million iPhones[COLOR= rgb(51, 51, 51)], its margin plunged to 42.2%.[/COLOR]

Apple will get their Q3 sales up. They'll sell out their entire manufacturing run on pre-orders alone. There are still a lot of people who can't wait to get the newest iPhone.

But come October, when people walk into Verizon and AT&T stores to buy phones, maybe they'll be show the new Samsung phones. Or the RAZRs. Thrown in a silicone case. Maybe a $25 rebate. All of a sudden, people who went in to upgrade their iPhones are walking out with RAZRs and S3s. If these companies are as greedy as I think they are, there's a good chance it will happen.

Sprint is a different story. They were so desperate for the iPhone that they bought theirs up front. So they have to sell them or eat them.

 

[DavidJ]

Ron, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I find myself intrigued by the S3, but I'm not sure I'll leave the iPhone. I just like the way it works. I do plan on spending some more time with the S3 while we wait for the iPhone 5.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

David,

Did you purchase an S3 with the intent of trying it
until the release of the iPhone 5?

If you don't mind the $35 restock fee I think it's the
best way to determine which phone better suits your
needs.

 

[Dave Upton]

Sam,
Hanson's above response is the real data I believe we should all be looking at. Irrespective of the platforms and their differences, the truth is that Apple is greedy and charges carriers too much for their device. As a result of this, carriers are going to push alternatives that don't cost them so much. A year ago or more and this would not have been true - Tim Cook was right when he said, as long as the iPhone delivers an unparalleled user experience, carriers will pay for that since the customers will want it.
If you actually use a Galaxy S3 - it's a fair argument to make that the iPhone is no longer unparalleled - the S3 is just as smooth and responsive - and while it's not superior in every way, especially to those with a keen eye for industrial design and ease of use - it's no longer far enough off the mark to justify Apple's ridiculous money grabbing. The result? Carriers will do what they have to in order to please the shareholder - sell devices that help their margins rather than hurt them. It's simple math.
Some background/sources:
http://seekingalpha.com/article/624181-7-things-that-can-hurt-apple
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/iPhone-and-Carriers-How-Long-Can-Apple-Keep-Its-Stranglehold-450317/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304020104577384562576617618.html

 

[Sam Posten]

Oh I agree absolutely, tho I tend to put less stock in the greed angle than in manipulating the carriers who have been dysfunctional bullies for DECADES who deserved to be punched in their collective nose by a vendor like Apple and by their customers.
But it absolutely is a dangerous game Apple plays. I have friends who work for Vz and they DESPISE Apple because of Apple's nonchalance and unwillingness to BOHICA to the carriers terms.
This is why I posited in the past that Apple might try to become an MVNO, but that still seems unlikely. Given Verizon's LTE penetration it is possible Apple needs Vz more than they do the other carriers now.
Will be interesting to see how it shakes out. Can Apple continue to command the special privledges they get now with alternatives on the market? Will they go entirely a different direction? Can you imagine the shitstorm next week if the iPhone 5 is an AT&T exclusive? =)
There is a REASON why Google is becoming a fiber operator. If they can scale that out wide enough they could put telephonics hanging off those fibers and end around the carriers. Could Apple do the same? Maybe. With their cash haul could Apple buy a carrier and do the same? Yes, but then you have the spectre of monopoly accusations.

 

[Dave Upton]

While it's within the realm of possibility for Google or Apple to go after the carrier market - it feels as though that would be too great a risk with the massive buildout costs. My real complaint is the whole idea of subsidized devices sucks to begin with. It kills us with higher and higher monthly charges. I personally much prefer the European model - pay up front to save money over the next 12 or 24 months.

 

[Sam Posten]

Those plans were popular in the US long before Apple came to town, and no matter how much you or I might prefer them the price conscious market will (well I won't say NEVER but it's VERY unlikely) not go that way any time soon. Also, you CAN buy the phones unlocked in the US now at full price. If that's the way you prefer go nuts, but guess what, you'll still be paying the same amount in your bill every month. What a deal!