back to article iPhone 5 sales curbed by lack of smashable screens – report

Sales of the iPhone 5 on the first weekend of its release were lower than expected because the phone is so innovative, not because customer interest is tailing off, reports newswire Bloomberg. The iPhone 5 sold 5 million units in its first three days of sale: and while the huge figure is an increase on the 4 million iPhone 4Ss …

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  1. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. GettinSadda
      Gimp

      They hate it so much...

      ...they only gave it 90% when reviewed

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

        1. ShadowedOne
          WTF?

          Re: They hate it so much...

          Seriously love, if you hate her articles so much, why do you keep reading/replying to them? Just ignore them and they'll probably go away.

        2. h4rm0ny

          Re: They hate it so much...

          Downvote for using the patronising phrase "seriously, love" because the person you're talking to is female. You want to win people to an argument, don't alienate half your potential readers by sounding like a sexist tosser.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: They hate it so much...

        Hate Apple and still gave it 90% - must be one hell-of-a-product.

      3. toadwarrior

        Re: They hate it so much...

        One person gave it a 90%. That doesn't mean they all like it.

        That said, I'm sure they do like Apple products. They also like mentioning Apple as often as possible to get the fandroids frothing. The more often people comment the more often ads get viewed.

        Shame views weren't generated by something interesting to read.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: something interesting to read

          I found the 'Scratches are normal' comment interesting, although I suppose it's hardly surprising.

    2. FartingHippo
      Devil

      Meanwhile, at El Reg Towers...

      ...the editorial team sit back, smile, and declare "Mission Accomplished".

    3. The Alpha Klutz

      imagine dinner at Tim Cook's house

      lets bow our heads and say grace; we thank you Steve Jobs for this bounty we are about to receive, amen.

      and they all get a plain white breathmint.

    4. Joe User
      Thumb Down

      @PassiveSmoking

      Here are a couple newsflashes for you:

      1. You aren't the only person with an opinion.

      2. If you don't like someone else's opinion, don't read it.

      1. envmod

        Re: @PassiveSmoking

        how do you know if you like it or not without reading it?

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Dear Americans,

      The Brits love to fight for the underdog, corollary they like to knock the big guy on top. what's more Brits find Schadenfreude delicious. It's nothing personal. Please get over it, or fuck off.

      Ta muchly,

      a Brit.

      1. David Neil
        Trollface

        Re: Dear Americans,

        schadenfreude ist die schoenste freude

    6. Piro Silver badge

      Whoops

      Did you notice the iPhone 5 was given 90%?

      Ahh, this is great.

  2. Nate Amsden

    soft demand?

    Everything I have read/heard says they were sold out everywhere, how do people conclude there is soft demand?!

    Seeing the Jobs' reality distortion field in full effect at these apple stores with everyone cheering and clapping is really a sick(as in bad) site to see (only seen it on TV of course have not seen it in person. Actually I can't think of if I've ever seen an Apple retail store in person).

    If you can collect all of the Windows Phone die hards from around the world at one retail location maybe they can replicate the experience for a few minutes when the Nokia 920 launches.

    1. Paul E

      Re: soft demand?

      "Everything I have read/heard says they were sold out everywhere, how do people conclude there is soft demand?!"

      I assume they are referring to both those sold on the day and those preordered. The hardened apple follower will get theirs on the day so I assume this refers to a decrease in the preorders compared to expectations.

    2. Kwac
      Facepalm

      Re: soft demand?

      Clue: " but it's more likely to be Apple throttling back on supplies to allow the manufacturers to cope with making the screen"

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: soft demand?

        " Clue: " but it's more likely to be Apple throttling back on supplies to allow the manufacturers to cope with making the screen" "

        I take that as a media commentators justification for why they got it wrong.

        Here we have Apple who have seen regular increases in the number of new phones they sell once the phone is released and must be able to make a good prediction of how many need to make. Would it be so bad if they released a rumour that they launch was delayed so they could produce enough to meet the expected demand?

        To me (label as android fan boy if you wish) there is something about the iphone that is very reminiscent of countless 'bubbles'. All is well as long as the majority are happy and people get this input from the media etc that all is well and the iphone is the pinnacle but I do feel their is a risk that the media have been very reluctant to admit that android now significantly outsells the iphone helped by the "creative types" who have iphones and persuade their managers that their company only needs to produce a iphone app. This has given a false impression to many people, both users and managers that the iphone has a stronger position in the market that in actually has. As with house prices the more out from reality a situation is the more likely that there will be a dramatic readjustment.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: soft demand?

      They sold all they could make - so they clearly could only make 5m but will fulfil the rest of the orders as quickly as possible. Rather the BS about some analysts uninformed GUESSES why not wait for the 1st month, 1st quarter and 6 month figures.

      1. Paul E

        Re: soft demand?

        How it clear they could only make 5 million?

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: soft demand?

        Actually they delivered 5M iPhone 5 with poor build quality. So Apple could not even achieve that 5M target. According to the polls up to 2M of delivered iPhone 5:s could have scuff marks. They sold crap to customers. THIS IS UTTERLY EXPENSIVE WAY TO HANDLE A PRODUCT LAUNCH.

        This is really bad for Apple. No-one can trust Apple quality anymore. And official statement? "Scratches to aluminum are normal." <sic> the arrogance, the pure arrogance of Apple execs.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: soft demand?

          if my iPhone 5 turns up scratched im going to china and killing some of the foxconn workers myself

          at least thats what i would say if i was a typical fanboi waiting for an iphone.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @PassiveSmoking

    When Apple and the Church of Scientology finally merge, then you will see what we are all on about.

    Until then, do try to calm down and at least spell thing correctly. YELLING just makes you look like a twit.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. dotslash
      Thumb Up

      Re: @PassiveSmoking

      I'm glad I'm not the only one who's seen similarities between Apple and Scientology. When can we call them terrorists?

  4. c2423
    Go

    Business as usual

    Step 1) All phones with aluminium backs are scratched easily.

    Step 2) Our phones do not scratch easily

    Step 3) All phones except ours scratch easily

  5. Ben Tasker
    Joke

    Any aluminum product may scratch or chip with use, exposing its natural silver color. That is normal.

    Doesn't have quite the same ring as "you're holding it wrong", or my personal favourite re the iPad wifi "Try moving closer to the router"

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Sounds like its PAINTED aluminium, so the question is why paint it? what is wrong with the raw colour of aluminium??

      Samsung, here is your chance to release a phone with carbon fibre body, I would love a Carbon fibre phone....

  6. Aaron Em

    Aluminum a poor design choice

    Too soft for the purpose. The glass back on the 4S may be more prone to shatter when dropped, but it doesn't scratch for beans.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Aluminum a poor design choice

      Not just that. The aluminum back blocks the radio signals from the back.

    2. Lusty
      Boffin

      Re: Aluminum a poor design choice

      "The glass back on the 4S may be more prone to shatter"

      But thanks to AppleCare they will give you a new phone free of charge if it does, just take it to an Apple store. Presumably Samsung has a similar scheme for accidental damage for their god like devices in case the huge screens smash but I'm not familiar with it.

    3. Azzy

      Re: Aluminum a poor design choice

      I don't know about the rest of you, but i'd rather have a phone whose case got scratched than one whose case would shatter.

      Has Apple considered, however, that maybe there's a good reason most phone manufacturers make the backing of their phone out of plastic (or, if you're motorola, reinforced plastic)? Scratches aren't noticeable, because it's the same color the whole way through, and it's not brittle like glass, and it's lighter than either aluminum or glass... But it's hard to charge a premium for plastic...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: But it's hard to charge a premium for plastic...

        Carbon fibre.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: But it's hard to charge a premium for plastic...

          Rubberised plastic. Touchy-feely, grippy, and looks nice in a matte finish.

      2. Lusty

        Re: Aluminum a poor design choice @Azzy

        "I don't know about the rest of you, but i'd rather have a phone whose case got scratched than one whose case would shatter."

        As I said above, AppleCare. But I guess your phone manufacturer would laugh if you asked for a new phone when the screen broke.

        1. Geoff Campbell Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: AppleCare

          So Apple will sell you an insurance policy for your iPhone. So fucking what? I can buy insurance for my S3, too. In fact I have a feeling it is probably covered by my house contents insurance. Although personally, I prefer to handle it carefully such that I don't drop it.

          GJC

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          @ Lusty

          So you NEED insurance with your phone in case you drop it a short distance?

          If you drop it, it smashes... Wow crap phone...

          I've dropped my Samsung Galaxy phone a few dozen times, probably 1-1.5M off the ground when it fell from my hand onto tiles/concrete, and its still going strong 3 years later, now my 2 year old uses it and has thrown it across the room a few times! THAT is a tough phone!!

          My SGS3 seems just as tough!

          1. Lusty

            Re: @ Lusty

            "I've dropped my Samsung Galaxy phone a few dozen times, probably 1-1.5M off the ground when it fell from my hand onto tiles/concrete, and its still going strong 3 years later"

            I've done the same with my iPhone many times, what's your point?

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Aluminum a poor design choice

      No, it is not. Aluminum is used also in airplanes. But that is specially hardened beyond standard steel properties. Apple apparently settled to use normal "consumer grade" aluminum, unlike other manufacturers. Like a jewelery, my ass.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Aluminum a poor design choice

      And can I just say, apart from phones, where I like aluminium generally,

      I think when carmakers put it inside cars for no good reason it looks gauche and tacky, worse than stick-on carbon fibre! And then there's the ones that simply paint or electrostatically metallise plastic parts aluminium colour. Ewwwww.

      Plus, lumps of squishy plastic like dead flesh. Just give us some decent quality solid stuff. We can handle the truth.

  7. The Alpha Klutz

    all the effort to shave off some micrometres?

    whats the point when the damn thing is as big as an OS map already.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Phil's first respone was before thinking better of it

    was 'just buy another one, not that big of a deal'

  9. The Alpha Klutz
    Facepalm

    it has nevertheless disappointed analysts who were predicting sales of six to 10 million.

    Gosh if the analysts are disappointed by that, imagine how they'll react when the economy collapses and we all have to live under global feudalism.

    1. Lallabalalla

      Re: it has nevertheless disappointed analysts who were predicting sales of six to 10 million.

      that's a first-world-problem if ever i heard one

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    iPhone sales were not a high as expected because

    1) narcissistic personality traits are on the decrease

    2) mum and dad are in an economic recession and cant fund their kiddies tech lust

    3) it's technologically stale

    4) the design is stale

    5) people are happy without the extra row of icons

    6) those navigating to their nearest apple store using their friends iPhone 5 have got lost

    7) function is now as important as form

    8) andriod is better than iOS

    9) winmo will be better than iOs

    10) Nokia make better phones

    11) Samsung make better phones

    etc. etc.

  11. Bernard

    An introduction to maths

    A slowing of the growth in demand for something is not a 'dropping off in demand'.

    People really are scraping around to find stories about Apple based on absolutely nothing.

    As for the 'analysts'. In any other industry when you get something wrong you look silly. For analysts being wrong is a sign that Apple are in decline.

    Enough with this garbage please.

  12. Whitter
    Megaphone

    Alternative title

    Perhaps the true story here is that business analysts are a bunch of fuckwads?

    1. Paul E

      Re: Alternative title

      I would more use the word 'Herd' or even more appropriately "Shoal" than bunch as I think it more closely resembles the way they behave. No analyst wants to go out on a limb and suggest anything other than the accepted norm. If they predict the same as everyone else and are wrong they can point to the fact they were not the only ones that got it wrong.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Only 5 million iphones?

    That's still 5 million too many!

    1. Paul E

      Re: Only 5 million iphones?

      5 million sounds like a lot till you realise that android activations are currently running at 1.3 million a day. So what we are saying is that in this peak period of iphone sales they have sold the equivalent of 4 days of android devices.

      1. Lallabalalla
        FAIL

        Re: Only 5 million iphones?

        Yes but then factor in that any piece of old crap can run a version of android and only iPhones run iOS. So how many of those android activations are on tuppeny-halfpenny plasticware?

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    1.3m activations a day seems generous - considering they also state 500m in the 4 years it has been out. At that rate of growth every man, woman, child and sheep will have 5 Android phones within a few years.

    1. Paul E

      http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57506722-94/android-activations-hit-1.3m-per-day-says-googles-schmidt/

  15. Kirstian K
    Stop

    Cant believe i got sucked in

    BUT:

    1.3 million activations per day..... ok

    but you know what they say about stats.

    this is not android sales, this is activations.

    so re-installs, upgrades, new purchases etc,

    its one of those stats that sounds cool, but i bet there are also 0.5 million de-activated devices/os's too,

    through upgrades, loss, thrown in the bin etc.

    im personaly not bias either way on apple / other, but i admit the constant trolling of anything to make a story,

    and using stats to just get readers is REALLY starting to grate.

    the old days of Spectrum / Commodore was bad enough, this is fanatical, and has to stop sooner or later.

    i hate to say this i really do, but its only a matter of time before this goes sour. im just waiting for : android (or apple) user kills other etc on the news, its got to the point where it it cant go anywhere else, everyone really needs to grow up and get a life, its only phones, and operating systems. the hate that this causes is really a joke.

  16. Lusty
    WTF?

    Comparison

    Samsung sold 10 million Galaxy S3 phones into the channel (i.e. to shops and disties) in its first 2 months.

    Apple sold over 5 million phones to consumers (i.e. actually sold the phones) in a weekend.

    Yes, the number was disapointing compared to the prediction, but it certainly wasn't a low number.

    And as for "activations hit 1.3 Million per day" surely Apple activations hit a minimum 2.5 million per day over the weekend?

    1. Paul E

      Re: Comparison

      But the punters will not get the majority of those phones for three weeks or so I don't thin the difference at the end of 2 months will be as great as is implied by your statement. That is not taking into account all the other android phones that are being sold compared to the limited range of iphones.

      1. Lusty

        Re: Comparison @Paul E

        You're right, but my statement still stands that saying 5 million in a weekend is poor sales is nonsense. Also, you may have missed the part where I said Samsung sold theirs into the channel, so if Apple do get the same figure after 2 months then they probably are doing better.

        You're right also, there are hundreds of Android phones on the market. The scatter gun approach is currently doing well for them despite the low satisfaction rates when people buy the lower end ones. I have an HTC Wildfire S from work and it's reinforced my love for the iPhone. If they had given me the Galaxy S then maybe I'd have liked Android. Either way, we're talking about individual models and it looks like the iPhone 5 is the fastest selling in history yet the article says this is considered dissapointing.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Comparison

      Your stats are wrong. Samsung sold 9 million S3s for *preorders*. They've sold somewhere between 20 and 30 million by now.

      1. Lusty

        Re: Comparison

        "Your stats are wrong. Samsung sold 9 million S3s for *preorders*. They've sold somewhere between 20 and 30 million by now."

        Where did you get that info? All the sites I've seen, and I did look before posting, had the figures I mentioned. Given that all Samsung figures are for the channel though I don't doubt they had preorders for 9 Million, but none of those were sold phones they were sent to warehouses and then to shops and then eventually sold a month or two down the line.

  17. Bradley Hardleigh-Hadderchance
    Joke

    They just aren't holding the hammer at the right angle..

    ..to connect with the glass, at sufficient pressure.

    Don't try this at home, as opposed to, here's one I 'destroyed' earlier.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Economy

    Seriously -- hardware sales in general are pretty flat. Individual discretionary income is low.

    1. Bradley Hardleigh-Hadderchance
      Facepalm

      Re: Economy - But seriously folks...

      Yep, seriously.

      Wtf in their right mind would pay over half a grand for a frigging f***ing fone. Sorry, Ifone. (Must have been bought in Swansea).

      Lovely. Never mind.

      But (ahem) (flick back quiff) seriously folks, wtf has over 500 quid to pay on a phone?

      (I can hear you shouting at the back "Someone with a f***ing job you f****ing parasite)...

      I'll ignore you for now.

      I'm not bitter (well, just a bit, but not coz of the iphone), it's just that you could buy a nice little netbook that you could have a decent peruse at a decent pair of middletons (no I haven't seen them yet, and never do I want to).

      I wouldn't mind the slight inconvenience of having to put that up to my ear occasionally to take a call from friends. It's a good solution as they say in enterprise and win/win as they say on Fark.

      Seriously.

      Where is the point where feature becomes impediment/inconvenience?

      Or, deity forbid, impediment/inconvenience becomes a feature?

      You all know the old one about how it's not a.........

  19. Dick Pountain
    Angel

    God save us from scratches

    I just waited 20mins in a Telecom Italia Mobile shop while the assistant was affixing an anti-scratch film to the back of a kid's iPhone 4S, with all the devotion and concentration of a brain surgeon. Then the kid took the phone and put it into a case! The whole world is going OCD, these gadgets are making people crazy.

    1. BioPeek
      Meh

      Re: God save us from scratches

      Actually, not being part of the Apple core thing, I must give kudos where it is due to the assistant in that store. The sale had been made, yet went the extra mile to make sure the kid's phone screen was looked after. Usually in the UK you buy a screen protector and it's FOff time so the assistant can go back to lounging around.

      And the kid putting it in the phone in the case -- without being told by a parent! Fme! can I adopt that kid, obviously cares about mum and dad's dwindling wallet stuffing.

      Agree it must have been a pain to watch but give them both credit doing the right thing!

  20. Bradley Hardleigh-Hadderchance
    Windows

    Take it easy Dick

    I'm giving blood for the first time in my life ever in a few weeks.

    I'm going to see if I can give half a kidney too.

    I mean, you only really need one, really.

    So, if you have a half of one left on top, you'd be in win again.

    I might have got your message wrong, but it sounds like you might to donate half a kidney too.

    Maybe 3/4 of one for a fully anti-scratch proof screen?

    INTTP (I'm not taking the piss). IOTS. I am on the spectrum.

    Were you observing and just happened to be there, or were you waiting for the fifth coming?

    Btw, my kidneys are in a lot better condition than my liver.

    Just saying.

    Livers go for better prices than kidneys I mean. But a bit drastic of an action just to get a phone, then again, there is prolly someone out there that could be talked into it. Like they weren't talked into it anyway....

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Dick Pountain

      Re: Take it easy Dick

      To clarify, I was in the shop to top up the 3G deal for my Windows laptop - which I need for work, and which has many scratches on its lid. I own no Apple products, and no, you can't have any of my organs.

      1. BioPeek
        Paris Hilton

        Re: Take it easy Dick

        >...no, you can't have any of my organs.

        Now would you say that to Paris?

        1. Dick Pountain

          Re: Take it easy Dick

          That would only be a loan

  21. JaitcH
    FAIL

    That is normal

    Actually it isn't ... it's another cheap production short-cut.

    Besides Apple claims their products are NOT normal ... that they are 'special' (at least in their minds). Obviously this heap bak is less than the experted Apple standard.

    Return the junk - under the 30-day Money Back Warranty and say it's because of the heap back.

  22. h4rm0ny

    Do we really have to look for reasons in the phone itself?

    There's a recession on and nearly everyone who wants a smartphone already has one.

  23. MachDiamond Silver badge

    Saturated Market.

    Let's face it, there are too many smartphones in the wild now. With finances tight for many people, they are going to hold off on spending more money to replace something they already have that works just fine, thank you very much. I haven't hit anybody.... yet, but I have some friends (and they are just barely hanging on to that status) that are addicted to their phones. Text, Facebook and even phone calls when I get together with them for a lunch or a chat. I feel that I don't rate very high since I'm not presented in electrons, photons and electromagnetic radiation. I wouldn't mind if they had their smartphones surgically removed and replaced with a bog standard cell phone with limited minutes.

    I have held off of buying a smartphone or a xPad device. The added cost of the smartphone's service will buy me a holiday in Prague for a week each year. Every once in a while, I could use a smarty, but not often enough to justify the cost. It's not like I'm getting emails offering me loads of cash if I respond in the next 30 minutes.... oh, wait......yes, actually there are a couple in my inbox from a nice firm of solicitors in Nigeria. Gotta go, bye

  24. Mystic Megabyte
    Terminator

    Mugs

    For that sort of money it should be made of Titanium, not low grade Aluminium.

    <---- see icon for almost indestructible construction

  25. The Alpha Klutz
    FAIL

    Any aluminum product may scratch or chip with use. That is normal.

    Yeah when i go to the supermarket i always marvel at how scratched up all the aluminium cans look. every one of them covered in scratches. not

  26. CCCP
    Mushroom

    Tipping point for Apple?

    Just pontificating here. Be gentle, or not.

    Could this be the point when the Apple juggernaut starts slowing down? The general office reaction here to the 5 (mainly early adopters) is meh. Sure, the OCD driven hords are still queuing, but it seems more forced than before. When you start losing early adopters in tech, it's usually the beginning of trouble. Apple's maniacal focus on litigation too, seems a sign of a defensive stance. The map move also, whilst understandable, smacks a little of desperation.

    It appears to me they now have serious competition in their core growth areas: phones, slabs, (thin)laptops and music. And it is intensifying with Microsoft piling in.

    Apple's shops/brand/hype/fans/momentum/cash will maintain them for a good while, but the halo and shine is starting to come off.

    Tackling TV/Video is a possible strategy, but I believe the national nature of TV, i.e. public broadcasters and language/culture, will prevent Apple "doing an iTunes". A maxiPhone/miniPad is just a plugging gap.

    1. Lallabalalla
      Stop

      Re: Tipping point for Apple?

      Seriously.

      They need to reclaim the moral high ground. Make peace not war with the other mfrs. Susbcribe to giving their customers the best possible experience again, not replacing decent functionality with rubbish just because they're having a hissy fit with google. That kind of thing. Till then they are looking increasingly petty and tarnished.

    2. Maliciously Crafted Packet

      Re: Tipping point for Apple?

      Your right but not in the way that you hope. The enterprise is buying iOS devices by the boatload. Including major banks, airlines, insurance and healthcare companies.

      These organisations are just not going to touch Android. They need to keep their confidential data confidential. Standardising on an OS who's main purpose in life is to profile its user base and feed this information back to Google kind of goes against that requirement. And we haven't even started to talk about the malware issues that afflict the platform.

      Apple have been conservative with their iOS UI (as criticised by fandroids) keeping things consistent and familiar which the enterprise likes as proved by the longevity of Windows XP. iOS is now a mature solid OS with a suite of secure native apps that hook nicely into corporate ERP.

      Whilst Windows 8 may get a look in,the lack of apps and an unfamiliar UI make for an up hill struggle. I think the tipping point this time is in Apple's favour.

      1. Paul E

        Re: Tipping point for Apple?

        i know a number of people who have work iphones and own their own S3. They only use their iphones for business calls now and use their S3's the rest of the time. One used to use the iphone to check his mileage but can't even do that any more. If apple may win the battle in the enterprise but it does not mean they will win the war.

        Even in the enterprise I think it faces a greater threat from windows 8 than you think. For more business use I don't see a lack of apps is an issue for windows 8 mobile. How well a phone.Integrates with a companies windows infrastructure is possibly considered more important that being able to install angry birds or 101 farting apps.

  27. Lallabalalla
    FAIL

    Man this is all such a first world problem

    that is all

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