When Steve Jobs unveiled the newest line of iPods, he also announced something that literally shocked loyal Apple customers who bought the first wave of iPhones that were released into the market. Apple decided to drop the 4GB iPhone model and they also did a massive $200 price cut on their 8GB iPhone model! While this was very good news for people who found the iPhone too expensive, this was a slap to the face of all the people who lined up at various gadget stores just to buy the first batch of iPhones.
More after the jump.
Apple stocks fell and a lot of customers flooded the customer support of Apple. In an attempt stop the world from crashing on them, Steve Jobs came out with an open apology, together with an offer for a rebate. Here’s his letter as posted on the Apple site:
To all iPhone customers:
I have received hundreds of emails from iPhone customers who are upset about Apple dropping the price of iPhone by $200 two months after it went on sale. After reading every one of these emails, I have some observations and conclusions.
First, I am sure that we are making the correct decision to lower the price of the 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399, and that now is the right time to do it. iPhone is a breakthrough product, and we have the chance to ‘go for it’ this holiday season. iPhone is so far ahead of the competition, and now it will be affordable by even more customers. It benefits both Apple and every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone ‘tent’. We strongly believe the $399 price will help us do just that this holiday season.
Second, being in technology for 30+ years I can attest to the fact that the technology road is bumpy. There is always change and improvement, and there is always someone who bought a product before a particular cutoff date and misses the new price or the new operating system or the new whatever. This is life in the technology lane. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon. The good news is that if you buy products from companies that support them well, like Apple tries to do, you will receive years of useful and satisfying service from them even as newer models are introduced.
Third, even though we are making the right decision to lower the price of iPhone, and even though the technology road is bumpy, we need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price. Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these.
Therefore, we have decided to offer every iPhone customer who purchased an iPhone from either Apple or AT&T, and who is not receiving a rebate or any other consideration, a $100 store credit towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store. Details are still being worked out and will be posted on Apple’s website next week. Stay tuned.
We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple.
Steve Jobs
Apple CEO
I’m thinking if I should still buy an iPhone when it comes out in the Philippines. Maybe they’ll do another $200 price cut next year, hehe. Here’s to wishful thinking! Hahaha XD
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Tasty on September 8, 2007
hehe possible na drinop nila yung price dahil may nakapag openline na ng iphone sa US. hindi na limited sa AT&T. pero grabe yung nakahanap ng loophole isang HS student lang na papasok sa college. tapos inexchange for the openline technology nakipagtrade siya ng isang Nissan 350z and 4 iphone sa isang company
314- on September 8, 2007
patience is a virtue hahaha
JackValen on September 8, 2007
its really hurts ^_^
mhuu~ on September 8, 2007
100usd rebate on their own store. O_O hahahaha Kitang kita tuloy on how much profit Apple was having dun sa first batch ng IPhones. x-x
asarNA on September 9, 2007
Why wait next year to get an iPhone? Havent heard of the pinoy hacker who already unlocked iPhone to be used here in the Philippines? /gg
Wauks on September 9, 2007
Update – iTouch will be selling for 16,000-20,000 PHP here in the Philippines. It’s a tad too expensive for an MP3 Player don’t you think? @_@
hotsei on September 9, 2007
buti na lang mahirap ako kaya d ako nakabili @_@
Talangka on September 9, 2007
Kuya wauks, available na ba dito yung iPod Touch? Medyo mahal nga para sa isang MP3 player pero sulit na rin kasi may web browser at touchscreen eh
Tasty on September 9, 2007
masmaliit ata mem capacity ng ipod touch mukha lang siyang iphone pag malayo
Wauks on September 10, 2007
I’ll do another update about this particular product on Monday. Need to call up some of my friends for more info. :heh:
Whistler on September 10, 2007
hintayin nyo na lang yung ipod touch… yung kasamang inannounce ng 3rd gen nano… (bad trip yung 3rd gen nano may video na rin… pero mas gusto ko parin design ng 2nd gen nano ko /gg)
Noa on September 11, 2007
If that product arrives here in the Philippines with added tax, perhaps the range of the iPhone would be an estimate of 14-15k php XD