Reuters and the German iPhone Report


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Reuters published an article today claiming that the iPhone has “failed to grip Germany” based on the fact that only a few hundred people waited out all night to get their hands on them.

They also go on to state that “Almost all the people lining up to buy the phone were men.” and “Away from the hardcore fans, however, Germans in downtown Frankfurt lived up to their reputation for thrift and resistance to hype.”

Does anyone else find that kind of wording odd, or have I just not had enough sleep?

Regardless, a lack of long lines with people waiting to get the iPhone is not surprising in the least. It’s been made pretty clear that the iPhone is going to be available to anyone who wants it – there is plenty of supply. Plus, in the US, many of the people waiting in line were looking to resale the iPhone, thinking that they were going to make big bucks off of Ebay – which I’m delighted to say wasn’t the case.

Only the hardest of the hardcore are going to wait in line for the iPhone during its European releases – the rest of the world is just going to go by the shop on their way home and pick one up. The lines aren’t necessary in the slightest – they’re just fun.


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

10 Comments

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  1. I was in two T-Mobile stores in Duisburg, Germany today, just to see how they do. The first store in the city centre sold… tadaaa… two iPhones. The second – a store primarily for business customers – even sold eight. This was in the late afternoon.

    Well, I’m not surprised. And by the way: I didn’t buy one either, although I really want one.

    Looks like the iPhone’s start in Germany is going to be a huge failure. Of course, the official announcements will tell you otherwise, and, sure, there are some people who already bought iPhones. But I’m pretty sure, in T-Mobile’s next press announcements you won’t find any numbers, just because they’re too bad.

    I think the main reason is: T-Mobile was not able to come up with truly innovative plans for the iPhone. In addition to that, Apple is not as well-known in Germany, as it is in the US. It’s a lot harder here for Apple, partly because they’re not advertising that much over here. I’ve never seen a TV spot for a Mac here, only for iPods and the iPhone.

    Let’s hope that Apple put some success expectations in the contracts with T-Mobile, which will force T-Mobile to become creative on how to sell all these phones they have in stock. Bundling them with some accessories, coming up with better plans, or dropping the price would be nice.

  2. Is it just me, or does Germany not like anything this is not designed by Germans? You know, that whole “German engineering” thing.

  3. There is a steady Apple fan community here in Germany, and believe me it’s growing. The problem is, however, that there is no marketing here in Germany for Macs besides word-of-mouth.

    Most Germans know the iPods. (But hey – who on Earth doesn’t?)
    And that’s it.

    I’m pretty sure Germany could be a great market for Apple’s computer hardware. But Apple still has its “good-looking-but-expensive-stuff-for-designers-only”-image here.

    I’d love to know why Apple didn’t air the Mac-vs.-PC TV spots here…

  4. I live in Germany and it seems the German press doesn’t really like the iPhone. They are all complaining about the phone not having UMTS and stuff… I think either they are just jealous or that’s just the way of German life, complaining and whining…

  5. @Slaser

    Wow…those are terrible sales numbers. Thanks for the report. It sounds like T-Mobile and Apple have a steep uphill climb when it comes to being successful with the iPhone in Germany.

  6. The plans are crap here in Germany! It is as simple as that.
    Germans like well engineered tools no matter where they were designed. But maybe we are bit conservative when it comes to price/performance ratio.
    Typing this from an iPod touch, because the iPhone is a ripp-off over here IMHO.
    Regards, obi

  7. And $584? Doesn’t it cost in America something like $400? I would want my $180 back! What’s with this rip-off Europeans strategy?

    (most of the people I know who bought Macs, bought them in America, cause here the price of Apple products is here in many cases simply ridiculous high)

  8. I think the price is a big problem for many people here in Germany. I’d really like to have an iPhone but for about 568$ with a contract of at minimum about 73$ a month it’s too expensive for me. If it would cost maybe about 500€ (~730$) and would have no sim-lock, it would probably be more successful. But let’s see how it goes. I mean, many people complain about missing UMTS and MMS. But hey, who the hell uses MMS? Okay, for such an expensive phone you’d expect it, but I could live very well without it.

  9. Ok, for those who hasn’t done any international traveling/business/trading…

    Mercedes and BMWs, headquartered in Germany (but doesn’t matter where it’s produced), costs more in the US. German tools cost more in the US, etc.

    Apple products, headquartered in US, will cost more in other countries.

    Simple as that.