Comments on: Apple’s iPhone as “razors and blades” marketing http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2007/01/25/apples-iphone-as-razors-and-blades-marketing/ Brian Phipps on next-generation brands: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:35:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Apple’s iPhone as “razors and blades” marketing | iBIT http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2007/01/25/apples-iphone-as-razors-and-blades-marketing/#comment-8442 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 04:35:17 +0000 http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2007/01/25/apples-iphone-as-razors-and-blades-marketing/#comment-8442 [...] Source: Brian Phipps Filed under Blog by [...] […] Source: Brian Phipps Filed under Blog by […]

]]> by: Brian Phipps http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2007/01/25/apples-iphone-as-razors-and-blades-marketing/#comment-8347 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:58:46 +0000 http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2007/01/25/apples-iphone-as-razors-and-blades-marketing/#comment-8347 You make a very good point. With limited storage, iPhones are not going to take the place of a 30g or 60g iPod any time soon. One could, though, use iTunes as the organizing principle for keepling a set of "mobile hits" on the iPhone. But, if music will play only a limited role as "content," what will be the major personal context elements that will bind customers to the device (in addition to coolness and being a decent phone.) That would seem to depend on the "iLife" type elements that Apple can squeeze in (like photos), and associated apps (like maps, etc.) At this point, it seems that the design life of an iPhone is about the same as a 2-year contract. This would mean that Apple has a two-year time frame to get users to put loads of "essential" content on their iPhones so they won't switch to a Samsung the next time around. It also means that Apple will need to continue to add features to the iPhone OS and apps as a differentiator. Personally, I want the iPhone to be able to link to a digital projector, so you can use it to deliver (Keynote) presentations, with speaker notes and slides in the palm of your hand. You make a very good point. With limited storage, iPhones are not going to take the place of a 30g or 60g iPod any time soon. One could, though, use iTunes as the organizing principle for keepling a set of “mobile hits” on the iPhone. But, if music will play only a limited role as “content,” what will be the major personal context elements that will bind customers to the device (in addition to coolness and being a decent phone.) That would seem to depend on the “iLife” type elements that Apple can squeeze in (like photos), and associated apps (like maps, etc.)

At this point, it seems that the design life of an iPhone is about the same as a 2-year contract. This would mean that Apple has a two-year time frame to get users to put loads of “essential” content on their iPhones so they won’t switch to a Samsung the next time around. It also means that Apple will need to continue to add features to the iPhone OS and apps as a differentiator. Personally, I want the iPhone to be able to link to a digital projector, so you can use it to deliver (Keynote) presentations, with speaker notes and slides in the palm of your hand.

]]> by: steve http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2007/01/25/apples-iphone-as-razors-and-blades-marketing/#comment-8246 Thu, 25 Jan 2007 19:33:36 +0000 http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2007/01/25/apples-iphone-as-razors-and-blades-marketing/#comment-8246 This will require quite a bit to change. People, to first order, don't use iTMS for music for their iPods ... further the margins for music at Apple are in the 0-2% range ... quite a bit below the 20-30% on iPods (by many accounts) and possibly much more than that on early iPhones. If people use these are primary music devices (which is by no means certain) it may be that the stable piece is the content, but that is likely to come from sources other than iTMS (CDs, pirated, etc) ... a few phones already play cleartext aac (eg ... the default rip of a CD on iTunes) .. they have a terrible interface, but allow content most people (even though using iTunes) are building. This will require quite a bit to change. People, to first order, don’t use iTMS for music for their iPods … further the margins for music at Apple are in the 0-2% range … quite a bit below the 20-30% on iPods (by many accounts) and possibly much more than that on early iPhones.

If people use these are primary music devices (which is by no means certain) it may be that the stable piece is the content, but that is likely to come from sources other than iTMS (CDs, pirated, etc) … a few phones already play cleartext aac (eg … the default rip of a CD on iTunes) .. they have a terrible interface, but allow content most people (even though using iTunes) are building.

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