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Has the iPhone Lost its Cool?
Washington Post ^ | September 13 | Hayley Tsukayama

Posted on 09/14/2011 1:02:16 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Martin Fitcher, head of HTC’s U.S. operations, said Monday that he thinks the iPhone is losing its cachet among the younger generation. At least, that’s what he hears from his daughter’s classmates at Reed College in Portland, Ore.

“I talked to a few of the kids on her floor,” Fitcher told a crowd at the Mobile Future Forward conference in downtown Seattle, GeekWire reported. “And none of them has an iPhone because they told me: ‘My dad has an iPhone.’ There’s an interesting thing that’s going on in the market. The iPhone becomes a little less cool than it was.” He went on to say that while other Apple products like the MacBook Air were popular on campus, student phones tended to be made by Samsung, HTC or other manufacturers.

Now, it’s important to consider the source here — HTC is the largest Android maker in the United States and Europe, and it would be an understatement to say it’s not on great terms with Apple. But it is true that Android phones are more popular with younger users than the iPhone, according to research from Pew’s Internet and American Life Project.

That’s most likely because there’s a wider range of price options and models to choose from; iPhones (and BlackBerrys) were more popular with wealthier consumers and college graduates.

What’s not clear is whether younger people are shying away from the iPhone because it’s the phone their parents use or because they can’t afford it.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Society
KEYWORDS: iphone; smartphones; technology
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To: Keith in Iowa

The only thing that worries people with Android and market share is fractionalization, other than that the iPhone will continue to slip as Androids saturate the market. Now that doesn’t mean that iPhone won’t continue to grow in number of users or sales, just that the rate of growth of Android will continue to exceed iPhone.


21 posted on 09/14/2011 1:29:02 PM PDT by aft_lizard (Barack Obama is Hugo Chavez's poodle.)
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To: Keith in Iowa
BTW here are some charts: http://www.businessinsider.com/comscore-july-2011-mobile-subscriber-market-share-report-2011-8
22 posted on 09/14/2011 1:33:14 PM PDT by aft_lizard (Barack Obama is Hugo Chavez's poodle.)
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To: Keith in Iowa
"Poor Martin - he has market-share envy.

And it’s going to get worse in a few weeks when iOS5 comes out, followed by the next version of the iPhone."
Yeah. That was pretty much what I got from that too. Ditto on the "meh".
23 posted on 09/14/2011 1:39:02 PM PDT by moehoward
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To: BookmanTheJanitor
you wonder how many of these "uncool" dads are paying the phone bills for these kids

I think that's part of the problem there. College grads with no job, living at home, dad paying health insurance, car expenses, food, entertainment and cell phone. why shouldn't dad have the cool phone and the yout can have his old one.

24 posted on 09/14/2011 1:39:15 PM PDT by Second Amendment First ("Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..." - Thomas Jefferson.)
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To: nickcarraway
I don't need to carry a computer on my belt. I just want to call out, take calls, store a few phone numbers and maybe figure out a restaurant tip. That's It!
25 posted on 09/14/2011 1:40:14 PM PDT by NavyCanDo
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To: nickcarraway
My daughter is a sophomore at Georgetown. Everybody at Georgetown has an iPhone and most have iPads.

Georgetown is the standard for what's cool. :-)

26 posted on 09/14/2011 1:55:28 PM PDT by Rum Tum Tugger
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To: nickcarraway

What kind of parent would send his kid to Reed College?


27 posted on 09/14/2011 1:58:33 PM PDT by Busywhiskers ("Once you have wrestled, everything else in life is easy" -Dan Gable)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Stupid Zombies best app going


28 posted on 09/14/2011 2:05:16 PM PDT by Pit1 (Can't wait for Sarah to announce. Will be an earthquake.)
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To: Busywhiskers
What kind of parent would send his kid to Reed College?

Apparently wealthy liberals. I had a nephew who attended one year on scholarship, then transferred because just living expenses were too high. He was liberal but poor. Since he got his degree he has worked for six months for the census and at a Starbucks. So much for a degree in political science.

29 posted on 09/14/2011 2:15:30 PM PDT by Second Amendment First ("Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..." - Thomas Jefferson.)
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To: NavyCanDo

It’s not a computer, it is a swiss army knife. I had no idea until I owned one, but it is the most useful tool I own.


30 posted on 09/14/2011 2:50:18 PM PDT by dangerdoc (see post #6)
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To: nickcarraway

Now that I have an iPad, I use my iPhone for... Guess what?... Phone calls and text messages! Seems too pricey for these limited uses.


31 posted on 09/14/2011 3:10:07 PM PDT by The Truth Will Make You Free
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To: Responsibility2nd
Need more than just an app to kill zombies!


32 posted on 09/14/2011 3:14:53 PM PDT by sjmjax (Politicans are like bananas - they start out green, turn yellow, then rot.)
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To: NavyCanDo

I have an iPhone and an iPad that I carry everywhere with me. What I have found is I no longer need the iPhone. All I need is a simple phone so my daughter is turning my iPhone into an iPod for herself as soon as I get a different phone at the end of this month. My monthly charges will be much less too.


33 posted on 09/14/2011 3:22:23 PM PDT by sheana
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To: The Truth Will Make You Free

Now that I have an iPad, I use my iPhone for... Guess what?... Phone calls and text messages! Seems too pricey for these limited uses.
+++++++++++++
Me too. I’m using my wife’s old Motorola Razr. iPad plus Razr is good enough for me.


34 posted on 09/14/2011 3:34:21 PM PDT by InterceptPoint
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To: nickcarraway

There is a problem when your product is owned by everyone — and their grandparents.


35 posted on 09/15/2011 2:05:42 AM PDT by Cronos (www.forfiter.com)
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