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Steve Jobs Makes Nice With Mad iPhone Early Adotpers

September 6th, 2007

Ah well, this happened surprisingly fast. Steve Jobs writes a nice letter that states Apple’s reason for the price drop and offers $100 credit towards an Apple purchase to anybody who bought an iPhone before the annoucenment.

There’s really nothing wrong with this approach:

  • By dropping the iPhone price, Apple will surely sell tons more iPhones.
  • Apple handing out store credit to early adopters is basically handing out money that will return quickly – there are new keyboards, iLife ‘08, iWork ‘08, new iPods, and the upcoming Leopard OS X – lots of items around a hundred clams on many an early adopter’s shopping list.
  • It’s deft PR – this move demonstrates (once again) that Apple actually listens to customers (no matter how whiny they may be) and turns a negative into a positive.
  • The early adopters that had no issues with the “lost” $200 just got a $100 bonus. Can’t argue with that, either.

So how can anybody really complain – Apple hands out money they’ll get back, they sell tons more iPhones due to the lower price, loyal Apple users are rewarded, and Steve Jobs looks like a saint – before the mainstream even has any idea this “controversy” was going on.

Additional Reading: TUAW, Jeremy Toeman’s LIVEdigitally, ArsTechnica

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  • Wow. Nice move by Jobs.

    You've already said it, but this should put this controversy to rest.
  • JC
    It should put the controversy to rest, but it won't just yet, judging by the message boards I've been reading this afternoon. We first have to endure all the whiners who still want to whine (and there are more of them than you'd think) and then the rest of the whiners who have now become gloaters.

    You can't make Apple fanboys happy. Apple shouldn't have tried. Just let them whine and keep buying your products. Every single one of them will be back in line the next time you release something. It never fails.
  • Someone who feels taken after being an early adopter for a V1 product and still does after this free $100 from Jobs - must have some other problem going on that has nothing to do with Apple. Maybe they bought a bunch of iPhones hoping to sell them on eBay and just now got the credit card bill? Or they're secretly miffed that now a bunch of other people will have cheaper iPhones (and iTouches looking like iPhones) so the early adopters don't look so special anymore? Who knows...

    There will always be whiners but the best any company can do is keep them to a minimum so they don't start causing negative buzz. This nitpicking over $100 now is definitely bordering on the ridiculous - just a year ago at this date, the iPhone was just a fantasy in some fanboy mockups and Apple basically delivered this uber iPod device with a touch screen, a web browser, and multitouch. Where's the gratitidue if you think about it?

    When does Leopard come out? I wonder what kind of whining will happen then...
  • If Leopard doesn't cook me breakfast, I'm going to be seriously indignant.
  • DaveD
    Before you go so far as to talk about a "free $100"....

    Let's first wait until the details. As an owner of 4 iPods and 4 Macs, I have only one reason to what is REALLY a $100 store credit - Leopard.

    If I can purchase that for 429 - fantastic. If not? I'm still buying it but at full price - like my 4GB iPhone - which I'm _not_ complaining about. Just saying this:

    (1) This is not any sort of "free $100" from anyone.

    (2) Most likely anybody using the $100 store credir will spend MORE than that.

    No complaints. Just business as usual. And really, disregarding some 66 day cut of 33% in price for "Christmas season" on September 5th...

    It's all cool. Or at least business as usual.
  • DaveD I may be jumping the gun a bit in my annoyance... probably better to wait until the details. What I meant by "free $100" was this was $100 that was unexpected - Jobs didn't have to offer it up. It magically appeared today.

    I'm assuming Leopard will be $129, too, and that it will come out in October which isn't for sure either. We have 4 iPods and 2 Macs but I can think of a few things I might want from Apple that's under a hundred - iWork ($79) or tons of stuff from the iTunes Store.

    Tunequest Leopard doesn't cook breakfast? That does it!
  • Very smart move by Steve, but oddly enough, a few people I've talked to are like "why not the full $200 in itunes/store credit?"

    I live in Canada, so I can't wait to see what happens with the whole iPhone thing when it finally comes up here.
  • I can't but say; very smart move. To be honest, I didn't see this one coming and I must say that it was indeed a very clever move.

    They managed to please both their previous customers (which I presume purchase a lot of apple related products) as well as their new ones. Bravo.
  • I personally think they shouldn't have to justify anything. People who could afford the iPhone at the original price bought it. Tough luck if Apple drops the price later. Though this is easy to say as someone who even now can't afford one :)
  • I'm not sure I've ever heard a good explanation of why Apple discounted the phone so much so soon after it's release. Was it a pre-meditated move? (For those of you who can manage a remote mind meld with Steve Jobs.) Was it because sales expectations weren't being met? The fact that Apple is offering a refund (ahem, store credit) seems to indicate to me that it wasn't planned.

    I also heard today that Apple is pursuing a relationship with T-Mobile in Germany. Does this mean that a visting iPhone equipped German will be able to talk on the Tmobile network in the U.S.? (Off topic I know but interesting to know what you're all hearing.) See story here...http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41049
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