The iPhone 4S has been marketed by Apple as the phone that picked up where “amazing left off”, and we’d agree that the iPhone 4 sales showed it was amazing, although the device launched with a number of problems and a price tag not suitable for everyone.
Now we’re about to enter 2012 and heading towards another WWDC, we hope that event will involve a new iPhone 5, which Apple enthusiasts missed at WWDC 2011. The real debate starts when we think about the needed features and design for a new iPhone, the 6th generation (6G), and if Apple sticks with the one model then should this still carry a premium price?
Apple has some really dedicated followers of its brand, and these people normally start with one product that migrates into a home with multiply Apple devices, which include iMacs and MacBook’s, Airport Express, Apple TVs and many accessories. These users feel that Apple products work together better, and some even buy many 3rd party devices to work with their products like Withings range of fitness gadgets.
The buyer that will only buy Apple – Since the iPod became the “cool” MP3 player, we’ve seen many Apple products become the must-have fashion accessory. When it comes to the iPhone 5, those that can afford the price and love Apple are likely to never buy another brand.
If Apple decided to lower the price of iPhone 5 or launch two 6G models, then they could entice a massive number of new iPhone owners that have never owned an iPhone before. These people may learn to love the way the iPhone works with Apple TV for gaming and live streaming, and the way an iPhone works with many other Apple products. This can then lead to another dedicated Apple fan, and if these people invest a lot of money in iTunes moves, music, apps and a lot more, then Apple wins from marketing to a whole new audience.
You will find many iPhone owners that want a redesign more and are happy to pay a premium price for an iPhone, are you one of these people? If the redesign is more important, what features and form factor do you want?
Let us know what’s more important to you: Lower priced iPhone 5 or a redesigned model?
With the above in-mind, we think Apple should start to market the iPhone to a new audience that prefer lower priced phones. They should also offer another model in 2012, one that would please those that are willing to pay for extras. The real change would come in a lower priced iPhone, this would need to cost less to make but also allow for the possibility that Apple would gain millions of Apple fans that spend money on other services and products.
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