Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 $9.95 tag unfair for iPod touch users

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#1

During iPhone 3G launch , Apple proudly announced that the company have sold more than 40 million iPhone and iPod touches and that there are more than 50,000 apps in the App Store. There is not a streak of doubt there and I’d say kudos Apple!

Apple again made history when they successfully sold 1 million iPhone 3GS in three days disproving predictions of brave industry watchers and analysts. That was a repetition of successful iPhone sales history. Well and good for the company.

However, upgrade to iPhone OS 3.0 seems to be going pretty slow. The OS was released two days prior to the launch of the iPhone 3GS and Apple on Monday announced that 6 million customers have downloaded the software, which is way too less. Where are the other 34 million users of iPhone and iPod touch?

Accepted, most jailbroken and unlocked iPhone users stayed away from the download race for reasons best known to them. They don’t want to brick their devices. Where did the millions of iPod touch users go? They aren’t afraid of the bricking affair.

Well, here is the open secret. Apple is charging $9.95 as upgrade fee for iPod touch users (ask Apple for explanation), I only know that this is the main reason why iPod users are not going for the upgrade. Many iPod users are therefore still on OS 2.0 introduced last year.

What does this mean to developers? Developers who are planning to develop and sell applications exploiting the 3.0 features and those that can be used only on devices running on OS 3.0 need to make a quick calculation. Only six million plus devices (add 1 million iPhone 3GS) are there running on OS 3.O, how many would possibly download your application? How fast do you think iPod touch users would adopt the OS 3.0?

Has Apple done the right thing in charging for the software upgrade?

#2

They did the same thing for 2.0. Really, I see no problem with it. If you’re the kind of person who pays for the OS upgrade, you are the kind of person that needs/wants the extra features, the ability to use the latest software, etc. That $10 is basically nothing more than another power user application in the App Store, really; many of the other power applications hit the $10 mark easily.

In the case of the iPhone, though, the users kinda need the software update at some point in time, so they don’t quite have to pay for it. Then again, there is the premise where you might just upgrade the whole iPhone to a new model with the latest software.

I didn’t mind paying for 3.0. But I’m sure there is someone out there who does, even though [or because] they would have been fine just staying with version 2.2.1.

#3

Yea but a bit more digging they didn’t charge to the iphone users. neither version.

#4

Like I want to believe, the iPhone users kind of need to update eventually due to carrier restrictions [for troubleshooting purposes and such]. Or they just get new hardware with the new software. iPod touch users only have it as more of a luxury to upgrade, and it’s not really needed in the same way. [There isn’t often a compelling reason to upgrade to a newer iPod touch altogether, and this way, you still have the latest software]. I consider it sort of a bonus, myself; just get new software for the same hardware.

#5

46 security fixes in the firmware update. I understand the luxury but not for 10 usd maybe 3 or 4.

#6

In the world of Apple, that’s not but a drop in the bucket for most, IMHO. If you’re that addicted that you’ve gotten your iPod touch and are using it like a mini netbook, then you are undoubtedly connected to iTunes, and are undoubtedly buying content on there left and right. It’s like giving up the purchase of 1 full music album, a few TV shows, or [like above] a really good application, on average; that’s something we can work with. I agree, it could have been cheaper, but it also could have been a lot worse.

I still stand by the idea that if you have practices that would take you to unsafe content and require everything that 3.0 offers, you wouldn’t mind paying $10 to keep your device at the latest and greatest, anyway.

#7

[QUOTE=Dr. Who;2299437]Accepted, most jailbroken and unlocked iPhone users stayed away from the download race for reasons best known to them. They don’t want to brick their devices.[/QUOTE]
The flash to 3.0 from a jail-broken phone works fine, but then it’s no longer jail broken & you can’t install non-apple-approved apps that you get from ripdev.

At least you can use repdevs “instal-app” to pull ringtones down & install them with itunes :wink:

I can’t wait until they’ve got a jailbreak for Firmware V3.0 :wink: