iphone NOT 4g?

[snousle]

Are consumers aware that the new iphone is NOT a 4G device? This, despite half the Web referring to it as the "4G iPhone"? I only just discovered this and it was a real disappointment, since it moves the phone from "must have" to "why bother". This strikes me as one of the most deceptive marketing moves I've ever seen - it seems like Apple is doing everything it can to further this misconception short of actually lying. Boo, hiss.

[Updated:

The second-generation iPhone was called the iPhone 3G, the third, the 3GS. The sudden adoption of an already arbitrary "generation" number as the name of the phone is obviously not done without a consciousness of it's relation to fourth-generation networking and a foreknowledge that it would ride on that buzz without delivering the goods. Apple can stare off into space, whistling and saying "what, who me?", but with billions of dollars at stake I find it hard to believe that they weren't aware of this years ago and aren't capitalizing on it now.

So yeah, I think it's a deliberate effort to confuse the buyer. You don't have to "lie" to create a false impression, and marketing departments are masters of plausible deniability.]

Comments

[qnetter]

It may move it to "why bother" for you, but for me, there are lots of things, from improved battery life to (potentially) better reception to an improved camera, that make it a "must have."

Do you think it would have been a good idea to ship the device up to a year ahead of the network it needs to run on? Getting an LTE phone in Q2/2010 when AT&T won't have significant LTE network till mid-2011 doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

(How, exactly, is Apple supposed to make sure that bloggers don't call it the 'iPhone 4G'? Apple never did. I suppose they could have called it the 'iPhone 3G/HD' or something like that -- but it IS the fourth-gen iPhone, and that's all they've ever called it. I don't think this rises to the level of "deception" at all -- and certainly not to "doing EVERYTHING it can.")

[snousle.livejournal.com]

I was not aware that AT+T was that far behind on 4G capability.

The second-generation iPhone was called the iPhone 3G, the third, the 3GS. The sudden adoption of an already arbitrary "generation" number as the name of the phone is obviously not done without a consciousness of it's relation to fourth-generation networking and a foreknowledge that it would ride on that buzz without delivering the goods. Apple can stare off into space whistling and saying "what, who me?" but with billions of dollars at stake I find it hard to believe that they weren't aware of this years ago and aren't capitalizing on it now.

So yeah, I think it's deliberate.

[qnetter]

I was not aware that AT+T was that far behind on 4G capability.

"That far behind"? Verizon is expected to have some partial capacity by the end of 2010, Sprint has minimal capacity and is built out only in a few second-tier cities, and T-Mobile has no plan of record yet.

The second-generation iPhone was called the iPhone 3G, the third, the 3GS. The sudden adoption of an already arbitrary "generation" number as the name of the phone is obviously not done without a consciousness of it's relation to fourth-generation networking and a foreknowledge that it would ride on that buzz without delivering the goods.

True - but the "G" terminology is widespread in the common names for Apple products, mobile or not. You hear people talk about "the 1G iPod Touch" or "the 5g MacBook" all the time. So... yes, I'm sure they did set out to benefit from the confusion, but I can't imagine many will buy this and expect it to have 4G speeds. (Not that Sprint's "4G speeds" are anything to write home about -- it's pretty widely understood that current WiMax is only a 5.3G technology, and Sprint and Clearwire are spinning too.)

[snousle.livejournal.com]

That far behind? Well, one might be forgiven the notion that 4G was upon us now when you can actually buy 4G phones today. I don't really keep up with these things, so on further research (which I am doing now) it is something of a surprise to see the gap between casual impressions and the reality of what is available.

[qnetter]

Well, one might be forgiven the notion that 4G was upon us now when you can actually buy 4G phones today.

Well, you can buy *A* 4G phone today -- and that's only if you accept the premise that WiMax is 4G, and that a phone that uses WiMax in parts of [Atlanta, Honolulu, Maui, Boise, Chicago, Kansas City (both MO and KS), Baltimore, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Las Vegas, Portland, Salem, plus the larger cities in Texas and Western Washington] is worth having.

(And when I say "parts" -- I mean "my home office near the window, but not the living room one flight below or the bedroom in the back of the house, or even LOMLFOML's desk in the same home office.")

[snousle.livejournal.com]

Well, you can buy *A* 4G phone today

What, you're not allowed to buy two of them? [*g*]

Do you think that useful 4G is far enough away that being locked into a two-year contract on a new iphone is not an issue? [I'm asking that not knowing what the plan on the new phone actually is, but for $199 I assume there's a contract...]

[qnetter]

Yes, it's a two-year contract - but depending on how much you're paying per month and how badly AT&T wants to keep your business as contracts -- specifically, theirs with Apple -- come up, two-year contracts turn into 12- or 18-month contracts fairly easily.

[snousle.livejournal.com]

It may move it to "why bother" for you, but for me, there are lots of things, from improved battery life to (potentially) better reception to an improved camera, that make it a "must have."

Also: I may be exaggerating a bit on both reactions, but since I am just about to finish up the contract on my first iphone it would be a natural time to buy a 4G device. I will almost certainly get a 4G phone when it comes out but I think (?) that buying this iPhone would require me to either delay a 4G upgrade (because I'd have to wait out the contract on this one), or pay much more for the 4G phone to use an existing contract.

I might be wildly wrong on that, though. If there was a way to buy this phone without getting locked in I would do so, it only has to generate a few additional billable hours to pay for itself...

[qnetter]

BTW: I have a Sprint Overdrive mobile 4G hotspot. When tethering is enabled on my corporate account for my iPhone, I'm going to give it up and terminate the contract, because there is so little buildout, and because there is so little speed difference where there is Sprint 4G capacity.

[wolfstoy.livejournal.com]

Apple has been very clear that it is the iPhone 4. People calling it iPhone 4G means 4th Generation iPhone, but that isn't Apple's line. Beyond that, it really doesn't matter. AT&T isn't moving to LTE for another 2 - 3 years, hell they haven't even outfitted their network in 3G completely yet (though they hope to finish by the end of the year). They plan on upgrading to HSPA+ (7.2 Mb down, 5.8 Mb up) in the coming years which is "near 4g" speed. 4G won't be wide spread for 2 - 3 years on most of the networks except maybe Sprint, who may switch off of WiMax (which is their current 4g solution to use LTE (which is what the rest of the world is moving to). 4g at this point is pretty much useless. 2 years from now it'll be important.

I don't really care for Apple as a company. They seem to be far more heavy fisted that Microsoft these days. Still, I can't fault them on this. If people really want 4G, they need to know what they are asking for and know the facts and not just assume because something has a 4 in it, that it is 4G, especially when a fourth generation product is being released.

[qnetter]

Someone I work with made a very good point today: that many of us are looking for exactly that "heavy-handedness" -- that it's a matter of priorities, not good vs. evil.

The 'problems' of walled gardens can't be fixed, since they are entirely in the perceptions of those in (or not in) the garden.

A walled garden is what it is. Either one accepts the garden as a place of safety, utility, security, simplicity, and predictability, or one finds it too oppressive, and leaves the garden to struggle alone in the jungle, with its concomitant freedoms, complexities, and dangers.

Each choice is correct for those enlightened enough to choose. The metaphor of eve in the garden, studying the apple is so perfect.

[snousle.livejournal.com]

Yes, I personally very much like the "curated" approach. Spending a lot more time hand-holding nontechnical users who get themselves into trouble with their computers, I see that the amount of trauma inflicted by the "jungle" on ordinary people far outweighs the thrill of freedom for the elite. Personal computers are fucking up many people's lives, and IMHO Apple has provided the first platform that can solve that problem. I'm willing to put up with a LOT of control if it helps non-technical people escape their dysfunctional relationship with PCs.

[bluebear2.livejournal.com]

I wasn't even aware that there was a 4G network.

[bigjohnsf.livejournal.com]

Apple is just a nice company that makes products that people want.

When do you expect 4G in your neighborhood?

[snousle.livejournal.com]

Our POTS lines here are in such dire shape, and replacing them would be such an extravagant expense, that I wouldn't be surprised if we got some sort of wireless relatively early.

As of now, our number rings at the neighbors phone half a mile away as well as on our own phone. If they can't find another pair of wires in the existing cable - a crisis that will strike eventually, if not today - then they have to dig up 6 miles of road to fix it.

Not sure exactly what they will do, but there is a huge incentive to put in something other than wire, and I'm kind of hoping that they do so.

[bbearseviltwin.livejournal.com]

interesting, you have a party line. I haven't heard of those since the late 60's or early 70's. Sort of takes me back to my childhood. (I'm old, what can I say?)

[snousle.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not SUPPOSED to be a party line! But I guess that's what it is, LOL.

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

Although I suppose it might take longer, were it me I'd prefer if they put in optical fiber. ;) It's going to be a while before wireless is as fast as a hard line for data transfer... and with fiber, you don't have the kind of distance limitation that DSL over copper has.

[linuxcub.livejournal.com]

Heh, I've heard you say that before about another company *cough* M$ *cough*

:-)

[broduke2000.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, I checked my Bikerbaer™ Metric Birthday Calendar for 2010 (which proved that I turned 39 this year) and discovered a tiny entry font that says: 4G-39.

So apparently, I'm in 4G.

[urbear]

I very much doubt that was Apple's intention. I'm guessing that the potential for confusion probably occurred to someone but was dismissed (and if it was Jobs himself, probably dismissed imperiously and with total contempt for the poor fool who brought it up).

Apple could have named it the "iPhone Poopypants" and people would have lined up to buy the damned thing. There's no need for them to resort to deceptive marketing. My own guess, pre-announcement, was that it would be called the "iPhone HD", but if they'd done that someone would have bitched that it didn't qualify as an HD device since its screen resolution is less than 1280 x 720.