iLounge

1

Let’s just ignore the fact that this research raises my eyebrows (how can people rate a product they haven’t used superior in user experience, except for their assessment based on a hype?), it actually would be interesting what kind of handsets these 10 percent own…

Posted by f.duane on May 24, 2007 at 2:11 PM (PDT)

2

Sounds like a made-up research group to me. Strategy Analytics Wireless Device Labs?

Posted by David on May 24, 2007 at 2:15 PM (PDT)

3

Is there a morning after pill for the iPhone? It’s not even out and I already don’t want it.

Posted by Scott on May 24, 2007 at 2:26 PM (PDT)

4

The grass is always greener on the other side.  It’s easy to rate an unseen yet well hyped product higher than the crap mobile you currently use.

Posted by dodo on May 24, 2007 at 2:31 PM (PDT)

5

actually, i need to revoke myself a little. it seems they did a panel study, and that could mean they might have used actual iPhones - although i’m not sure how they could have gotten their hand on it. and even so, it’s questionable what the results then mean. and again, who are the remaining 10 percent?

Posted by f.duane on May 24, 2007 at 3:24 PM (PDT)

6

Read people!

It’s a consumer perceptions study. People compared the iPhone to their cellphone based on what they thought they knew about the iPhone.

Posted by Steve on May 24, 2007 at 4:33 PM (PDT)

7

i can tell you of 10 different phones that i “perceive” are better than my current phone, doesn’t mean i would buy them

i like the idea of the iPhone but i do like having my mp3 player and phone separate

Posted by hydra-calm on May 24, 2007 at 4:51 PM (PDT)

8

In another recent study done by Strategy Analytics’ Wireless Device Labs into consumer perceptions of BMW automobile experience shows that 90 percent of respondents gave BMW higher marks than their own Skoda. “An overwhelming 90 percent of respondents gave the BMW higher marks than their own Skodas and over 40 percent of respondents rated the BMW much better across key functional categories-- including reliability, rust prevention, and not getting pointed and laughed at while driving.”

Posted by Warren Piece on May 24, 2007 at 8:08 PM (PDT)

9

To clarify, “The study captured consumer reactions to an Apple-developed video highlighting the features of the iPhone.” They showed participants an Apple-produced video about the iPhone, not the phone itself. Nor did they make the assumption that the participants already knew about the iPhone.

Posted by Charles Starrett on May 25, 2007 at 6:19 AM (PDT)

10

@ Steve
Maybe you should follow your own advice. The article clearly states that respondants provided “reactions to an Apple-developed video highlighting the features of the iPhone”, meaning it wasn’t simply what “they thought they knew” about the iPhone”.

That being said, I do agree with everyone else that this comparison is fairly vague as a video can easily manipulate a positive impression, compared to actual experience with the device. Though considering what I’ve seen so far, and the fact that this is Apple we’re talking about, it wouldn’t really be much of a shocker if the iPhone did infact turn out to be more user-friendly in alot of regards, compared to a good deal of the grim alternatives outthere today.

Posted by Flark on May 25, 2007 at 6:25 AM (PDT)

11

Flark,

Too true.  Video many of the hyped features look great but may fall down under real world conditions.  Coverflow looks cool, and would be fine when browsing tens of albums, but hundreds? - pass.  Likewise, scrolling a list of tens of contacts by flicking your finger looks cool - but finding someone whose name starts with the letter T among hundreds? - better give me a search function that takes me to the beginning of the T’s or forget it!

Posted by WhoCares on May 25, 2007 at 9:21 AM (PDT)

12

@ WhoCares
Fine points, although some of your proposed problems are actually already kinda solved.
Regarding cover-flow, the storage-limitations of the coming iPhone kind of takes care of that. Not really room for to many albums anyways. Besides, while I do agree that cover-flow is a very impractical way to find a specifically desired album amongst 100+, I don’t think it was ever really intended for that. I reckon it’s really more a way to browse music at random, and rediscover long forgotten albums. At least that’s how I’ve been using it, and for that purpose, it definately does it’s task. Doesn’t hurt that it looks cool in the process ofcourse.

Regarding contact-finding, if you look closer, the iPhone does infact have a way to jump to a particular letter. On the right hand side of all lists are small letters lining up the alphabet. Jobs actually used this in the keynote, making the list jump straight to “r“ when lookin for Red Hot Chili Peppers.

At the end of the day, I guess none of us will know whether iPhone will be a smash hit or crash and burn before we all see it in action.

Posted by Flark on May 25, 2007 at 10:04 AM (PDT)

13

So what the survey says is that 1 in 10 people already have a phone they prefer to the iPhone.
Given that most people have crappy free phones, that’s not surprising at all.

Posted by Christopher Glass on May 26, 2007 at 3:11 AM (PDT)

14

I would expect a $500 ($600) to have a lot of features that are much better than the current phone that 95% of the people in that survey probably got for free or for sure less than $100.

Posted by Paul on May 28, 2007 at 7:29 PM (PDT)