The iPhone 3GS, Apple's latest addition to its smartphone lineup, has been flying off of store shelves faster than you can say "shiny new status symbol." In fact, the iPhone 3GS sold out in many places before it was publicly available, due to a deluge of pre-orders. White Apple iPhone 3GS with Damage from Overheating (via Le Journal du Geek)
That's no shock, given the company's skillful marketing of the iPhone and all things Apple, as well as the device's general popularity and tendency to appear in all the hottest movies and coolest television series. What's more surprising are the many quality and performance issues popping up around the new iPhone 3GS...and the iPhone community's apparent lack of concern.
The hubbub started shortly after Apple's June 8 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) announcement, in which Apple unveiled the new iPhone. Shortly after the WWDC opening keynote, iPhone 3G users interested in upgrading to the new iPhone 3GS cried foul over AT&T's upgrade pricing. iPhone 3G users with significant time left on their AT&T contracts thought they too should be eligible for the new contract pricing of $199 for a 16GB iPhone 3GS and $299 for the 32GB version. AT&T disagreed, citing specific terms in iPhone users' contracts that block all additional hardware subsidies until the contracts expire.
Neither AT&T nor Apple did anything wrong here, as iPhone 3G users inked contracts and agreed to AT&T's terms. But it illustrates early animosity between potential iPhone 3GS buyers and Apple/AT&T. The carrier eventually extended its iPhone upgrade eligibility window to include more wannabe iPhone 3GS owners, but many were still left to wait out their existing AT&T contracts.
Then, just after the new iPhone was released on Friday, June 19, another set of problems reared its head: Marketing issues. Apple, ever the marketing ace, seems to have made an advertising faux pas or two this time around.
For example, when Apple first released the iPhone 3GS, all the related literature and mentions of the device on the company's website stated the product name as "iPhone 3G S" with a space between "3G" and "S." However, Apple quickly realized that a Google search for "iPhone 3G S," the most common way for interested parties to find information on Apple products, turned up a mixed bag of results for the new iPhone and the older iPhone 3G.
Without any sort of official announcement or even an acknowledgement, Apple quietly changed the official iPhone name to "iPhone 3GS" with no space. Again, this is nothing major from a user perspective; however, it's proof that Apple's advertising juggernaut isn't perfect...and represents a significant scar on the face of Apple's iPhone 3GS launch.
I also noticed another marketing "problem," though this one has been less publicized: The iPhone 3GS looks exactly like the iPhone 3G. The existing form factor is impressive--sexy even--yet it would've made more sense for Apple to differentiate the new iPhone from the "old" one in some way&even if that differentiator came in the form of just one more casing-color option.
The iPhone, like all Apple products, is a status symbol for many folks. (Why do you think so many iPhone users carry around their devices by hand instead of in a pocket or holster?) But the iPhone 3G has been around for a year now, and it's common. As such, the device's value as a status symbol is lessened, because your coworker and neighbor both likely have an iPhone 3G.
As is, you can't really tell the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS apart--at least until you look at the rear panel, where the device name and storage capacity are listed. Had Apple made the iPhone 3GS bezel another color instead of silver, offered an all-white front panel or something--anything--the devices would've looked quite different. And more iPhone users probably would've upgraded, if
Comments
The original iPhone was great. The 3g was awesome! But the 3g S....the S stands for "SUCKS!"
The phone is a paperweight. It won't hold a signal...drops 9 out of 10 calls. AAA should offer roadside service to keep the battery charged. I want my old iPhone back...this 3g S blows!
I'm on my third iphone 3gs. Within 2 hrs my 1st phone froze with the white apple symbol. It would not turn on or off. My second phone had issues where it would turn itself off and would not turn back on. The touch screen would also stop working so I could not answer phone calls. My third iphone had worked well until I realized I missed several important phone calls from work because the iphone speaker quit working.
Hi Ryan. You said that the iPhone ringer stopped ringing unexpectedly. It happens to me too sometimes.. Did they tell anything about fixing that problem? With an update or somehow, even with changing it with a new one?
I have apple 3gs 16gb black! I can only say it is great!
My iPhone 3GS spontaneously cuts off while I am using the touch screen for Internet usage or app usage. This has been happening since it was new, but with alarming regularity now. I have to do a hard reset as many as 6 times a day, and sometimes a hard reset takes a dozen attempts.
I'm on my 3rd 3gs and already need a fourth. My first one had to be reset at least a dozen times a day and my second one kept shutting itself off and took several attempts to turn back on and my latest one uses alot of battery power even when it is completely turned off or when not using at all.
I have the white 16gig and would love to have my 3g black model back. I'm told I can't because I originaly bought the 3gs more than 30days ago but not a single one of them lasted for more than 30days, their should be some kind of lemon law in place because it is not fair and all of us 3gs owners should start a pettition against apple.
Funny how most of the complaints about the iPhone 3GS surface right around the launch of a major competitor.
Ian Lamont
Managing Editor
The Industry Standard
twitter.com/the_standard
twitter.com/ilamont
this phone is pice of work. i returned it and switched to my 3g back and still waiting on the check cause i had paid cash.
Actually, the only problem I've had is keeping my 5 year old son off my phone. This has been the most amazing phone I've had so far. The pictures are not that great and the video is sometimes hazy due to my son's fingerprints on the lens but other than that I've only had a couple of instances where I couldn't get it to work. If you got a dud (which can be expected) then that sucks but I got a winner and I'm grateful. I really want to try the next phone that is supposed to be just like the IPhone but can keep applications running. Not sure of the name but I saw a commercial.
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