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Friday Jun 22, 2007
Essay #5 Patrick Bedics Apple
One week from today Apple is releasing the product that the company and stockholders are forecasting as the best piece of technology to hit the market since the debut of the iPod in 2001. The anticipation of this product has generated numerous articles and discussions. Apple sold over 40,000,000 iPods in the year 2006, and is setting their goal at 10 million units for the year 2008 for their new product (Dignan, 2007). The iPhone already has incredible standards to live up to.
Where can you expect to find the iPhone on June 29, 2007? You can find it in every Apple store, every Apple store that is in the United States that is. The release of the iPhone in other countries is still pending numerous factors. Apple is hesitant to solidify the release date of the iPhone in other countries ?until they become confident that the high risk first release of the iPhone proves worthwhile, and more important, quickly earns wide consumer demand and acceptance? (Carson, 2007). This seems to go against the ?Apple Culture? that the company appeared to work so hard to build and maintain.
Clifford asks the question, ?Who determines where (and when) a community draws its lines, names its insiders and outsiders?? (1992). For Apple, a company that has been working so hard to blur the line between all the countries its products reach, it would have seemed like they agreed with Clifford. This new restriction on the release of the iPhone, however, being limited to the United States allows Apple to box themselves back in using the lines of our country. The delay of the iPhone in other countries will emphasize that it is in fact an American made product once it arrives (if it arrives). Even the researches on the goals of this phone have been taken from American statistics. Apple?s motive, with the release of this phone, is to change consumer habits when it comes to cell phones from buying based on the service to buying because of the phone itself (Cuneo, 2007).
For the company that had probably come close to crossing national boundaries without carrying negative connotations and with smooth acceptance, it appears they are distancing themselves with the iPhone. The second of the two hurdles of globalization that Sreberny-Mohammadi presents is ?to develop adequate theoretical tools to conceptualize the dynamics? (1996, p2). Apple had those tools mastered, and has been incredibly successful in the aspect of getting their name and products built up in multiple countries, but they are taking two steps back by limiting the release of the iPhone next Friday to the United States. Countries that thought of Apple as their own could be re-thinking the thought process of the company.
REFERENCES
Carson, H. (2007). Apple iphone release date ? sort of. KSN Tech ? Daily News & Reviews. Retrieved on June 21, 2007, from http://www.kickstartnews.com/2007/06/apple-iphone-release-date-sort-of.html
Clifford, J. (1992). Traveling cultures. In Cultural Studies, edited by L. Grossberg, C. Nelson and P. Treichler. 96-112
Cuneo, A. Telecoms shore up defenses for iphone invasion. Advertising Age 78(23): 14
Dignan, L. (2007). Apple?s iphone: Is 10 million units in 2008 realistic? Seeking Alpha. Retrieved on June 21, 2007, from http://ce.seekingalpha.com/article/37415
Sreberny-Mohammadi, A. (1996). Globalization, communication and transnational civil society: Introduction. In S. Braman and A. Sreberny-Mohammadi (Eds.), Globalization, communication and transnational civil society, 1-19
Posted at 08:17AM Jun 22, 2007 by BEDICS, PATRICK in General | Comments[3]
I'm really glad that you talked about the iphone today, because there has been so much buildup related to its release. Also, I think its very intersting that Apple, though it is an American company, chose to debut a piece of technology like the iphone in the US prior to its release in other countries. Aren't things such as high tech phones, gaming equipment, music equipment, etc usually debuted in Asian countries? Also, I'd like to know what features this new phone has that may contribute to its creating its own social network.
Posted by K cox on June 22, 2007 at 11:51 AM EDT #
This was interesting and you're interpretation of their release decision raises a lot of good questions about Apple's business strategy. I wonder if the decision to hold off its debut in other countries is in any way tied to the communication infrastructure and/or national regulations associated with cell phones. I also thought the point about consumers buying cell phones for service vs. buying cell phones for the phone was interesting. I think there has been a building trend (judging by recent cell phone commercials) to promote the phones themselves. This should be an interesting product launch. Good timing for the essay too!
Posted by Julia on June 22, 2007 at 12:43 PM EDT #
I have truly enjoyed reading all of the interesting articles you have posted on apple products all semester. It is interesting how apple is finally breaking down and showing some biased concerning what regions they release their products in. Maybe apple sees the phone as a big risk and want to test the market place water before diving in headfirst. It will be interesting to see how the I-phone holds up in market full of cell phone, and cell phone service suppliers. It seems as if you should write one more paper after the phone,and some statistics have been released, in order to come full circle with your informative research on apple and their products.
Posted by J Preston on June 22, 2007 at 12:44 PM EDT #