Update: It’s been about 10 months since this article was posted. Since then, Apple has brought the iPhone 3G to South Africa and I am now a happy Macbook and iPhone 3G user. I also have a normal HP laptop and Nokia N95. I have the best of both worlds now.
Apple has been one of my favourite brands for quite some time now. I own an iPod, which I was going to upgrade after reading this iPod Touch review. I was also going to purchase a Macbook Pro this December. A lot of my peers in the online industry use Macbooks and some really popular bloggers I follow use them too. I was worried about the transition from PC to Mac, but now I don’t because I am going to buy a Dell Vostro (thanks Mike).
Ever since the launch of the iPhone I have been waiting patiently for them to announce its arrival in South Africa. I was really disappointed this morning when I found out that Apple HQ in the States has decided not to distribute the iPhone in South Africa. I wanted to have an iPod, an iPhone and a Macbook to create the perfect Apple setup. I wanted to have 3 devices that could communicate with ease and become a part of my lifestyle.
Guess what Apple, my iPod and iPhone will be replaced by a snazzy Nokia N95 which actually has 3G unlike your useless iPhone. It also has a 5 megapixel camera (3 more megapixels more than the iPhone) and a GPS, take that! I don’t need to use your not so new touch screen because Nokia uses cutting edge technology, buttons! Every time I use my new Nokia N95 I will smile, because I know I can use my device freely, because a real device has no limits.
Update: Created a Facebook group to see if there are people in South Africa who want Apple to bring the iPhone here, join over here: Apple – Bring iPhone To South Africa
Tags: Consumer
Thanks for the pingback Tyler.
It’s a big disappointment that they are not going to sell the phone here. I can completely understand what you mean by ‘the perfect setup’. It’s like getting a suite of furniture of software, you need all the pieces to get it just right :/
Keeping up the blogging!
same here Tyler. Its so stupid that apple wont release it here.
Apple is so stupid, they are going to lose out on so many sales on the iPhone in South Africa.
It does seem a little odd. Apple is only now starting to can some traction here in SA. You would have thought the hype around an iPhine launch would have pushed Apple in the mainstream consciousness.
Pity.
This seems more like an emotional reaction to them neglecting SA rather than a practical response. If the iPhone is so crappy (which, on paper, it is) then why would you really want one in the first place? I have a Nokia E70 (gotta have a keyboard!) and it works great with the Mac, along with an iPod Touch which does everything the iPhone does except the phone bit.
I’m not sure what the lack of an iPhone in a market has to do with their computers. They had no iPhone a year ago too but their computers were still worth buying. It’s not essential to buy every item of electronics from one vendor as long as they can all communicate.
iPhones are great (apparently) because its a phone built for 2.0 applications, and applications are built solely for the Iphone (itweet etc). Thats why I would want one, N95 are good phones as they do feeds extremely well and mobile and web browsing (ie choices of both layouts)
perhaps I’ll ditch the Nokia when the GPhone arrives
Tyler, I’m amazed that you’d do a complete about turn on an entire method of working based on a single insignificant decision by Apple HQ. The reason the iPhone will not be launched in SA is probably based purely on economics. Simply put, they won’t sell enough of them in SA so why bother.
If you really want one, you CAN buy one (for less than it actually costs Apple to make one), hack it, then use it over any one of SA’s mobile networks.
I was in the States the day it launched, I have played around with it and a number of my friends own one, they are brilliant, the Nokia N95 is not even in the same league! A friend in the UK bought one from the states and has been using it in the UK for the last month or so on the T-mobile network, it works perfectly.
Tomorrow is d-day for the UK launch, I will definitely be acquiring one and a few minutes later I will throw my useless HTC Touch as far into the Thames as possible.
I am not an Apple nut, I do however own a new Macbook and have been using a Mac for a few years, I fully agree with you that it makes sense to have the full suite of equipment from the same supplier using the same operating system. And the only company that even comes close to providing that solution is Apple.
Have a rethink, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
@ Dave – bull. The iPhone is like a pretty girl with a crappy personality. Nice for the first few weeks and disappointing thereafter. I have an N95 and they are incomparable devices – HSDPA connectivity, 5 megapixel camera, flickr integration just to name a few advantages.
As for the age old Macbook vs. PC discussion, neither is perfect. It comes down to personal preference, the applications you run, workflow, etc. There is no one perfect solution. I use a Mac primarily because I think it makes me look cooler and is a discussion point. I’ve never experienced such a phenomenal computing differentiation that I’d never go back to PC. Frankly, after seeing some of what the PC market is producing, I’m a little jealous.
Mac’s recent actions are beginning to alienate it’s uber-faithful customer base. Not so smart. USA isn’t the final frontier…
@Dave, please give me your HTC Touch as I am currently madly in love with my HTC P4350 but the touch looks awesome!
@Mike, I fully agree with you on that one! Mac vs PC is the same as the Windows vs Linux debate. I recently switched to Ubuntu and I’ve been blown away by it. so easy and just plain awesome! Perfect for research and developement!
Off Topic but I have to say I am extremely disappointed with Apple. I have had a new Macbook Pro for about a week now after not having owned an Apple computer of any sort for about 5 years. It came with Tiger installed but also with a Leopard DVD which I immediately installed. Well Leopard has immense problems with wireless networking and basically its unusable. If you Google for it there are many many cases of this issue and no solution is forthcoming from Apple. How they could release such an important and major upgrade with such bad issues just smacks of Microsoft, which is why I thought I would give Apple another try. (5 years ago I also abandoned Apple because the early versions of OS X also had major problems)
Peter: Valid, but it’s not about technical features, it’s about the lifestyle. It about status, I want all my Apple products or none at all. If I am not good enough for one product then why should I buy the others?
StevenMcD: HTC Touch sucks, I’ve been playing with HTC’s this whole year, Vox is the only one I like.
Derek: Yeah, after playing with Mike’s I was sold on the spot. A mate of mine has the GPS on his, it’s is really cool.
Dave: I don’t want a hacked phone, I want a phone with a warranty and support. HTC Touch is useless though, that I can agree with. I love the look of a Mac, but if I am not good enough for one product then why should I buy the others? I can understand the economics, but then why not ship 1 000 units from the States in a deal with some a provider and make it an exclusive offer.
Mike: Spot on, I would love to buy a Mac to start a conversation, to look different and because I have seen how powerful they can be. However, Dell’s new offerings look really good. They are starting to listen.
Neville: Ouch, sorry to hear that. You should read this story as well.
Valid, but it’s not about technical features, it’s about the lifestyle. It about status, I want all my Apple products or none at all. If I am not good enough for one product then why should I buy the others?
So it’s just a difference in technique. I’m heavily pragmatic and practical, I buy the best thing for the job.. status, emotions, or prestige be damned, but.. I guess this explains why the advertising industry is still doing so well!
Peter Cooper: I buy the best thing for the job too. I was referring in context to Apple’s products for this specific situation.
What a huge mistake not to bring the iPhone to our cell mad country!! I will never buy a Mac.. I dont have time for compatibility issues..
I will stick with Bill Gates
Yeeah, Tyler,
i love Apple, (Although i can’t afford it right now ,lol,), but i’ve been saving quite a while now to buy a mac, but
i think i should also reverse my decision all based on the iphone bad news !,
with that said , i think let’s start a group on Facebook to bring the iphone to SA!,
and put pressure on Apple, (Who says it won’t work? lol, )
The power of (new)Media might help change Apple’s decision!!
Toi Toi Against Apple’s Decision,
Bring iphone To S.Africa!!!!!
You said it, ‘favourite brand’ – it’s all quite ironic actually, the brand is built around a very artificial perception that Apple is the alternative to the mainstream – yet the brand is built on the design philosophy of following the commonest denominator, that, and consumer lock-in. No thanks. PS.
Charl: Haha, I don’t want Vista, I am happy with XP.
Yasser: Started, check the update above. I sent you an invite.
Andre: Apple likes to control the user experience, right now they’re doing a crap job!
small things…..
N95 is shit, purely because it runs Symbian OS. Symbian OS is kak, although, I probably won’t use anything else the SA Market has to offer. I would, however, use an iPhone as I have played with one before and it rocks the nuts off an n95.
I have an iMac, Macbook Pro(work) and an 60gb iPod. All of them have broken, and given me problems, just as a PC would. However, the software is far more superior. If Apple HQ decides not to launch the iPhone in SA, why should you try and boycott(which is utterly stupid because it won’t make a difference to any but yourself) the rest of the products.
Fact is, when you have a macbook or macbook pro, your penis instantly gains an additional 15″ and a further 5″ for every other apple product you own, furthermore, it’s really pointless to argue that non apple products aren’t as compatible with apple products, as other apple products would be. I use an n73 and have never had a phone that works as well with OS X.
I have also never had any cross platform compatibility issues as there is software for everything out there.
What a crock of nonsense i tell you.
So glad that you are choosing Dell! We do love our product.
Dell South Africa