Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch

iPhone may boost AT&T subscribers by nearly 1 million in 07
By AppleInsider Staff

Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) soon-to-be-released iPhone could potentially serve as a "very disruptive force "in the wireless industry, benefiting AT&T (NYSE: T) at the expense of the other "Big 4" carriers, according to investment bank Bear Stearns.

In a report to clients on Thursday, equity research analyst Mike McCormack said his latest model has the inaugural Apple handset contributing 915,000 new subscribers to AT&T's wireless network during the second half of this year, with an additional 3.5 million likely to follow in 2008.

McCormack's latest calculations represent an approximate 17 percent increase to his previous estimate of 5.4 million new subscribers in 2007, and a 76 percent increase to his 2008 estimate of 4.6 million newcomers. The iPhone should also help curb AT&T's churn (or loss of subscribers) during the same time frames, the analyst said.

"This improvement in churn reflects existing subscribers who were planning to disconnect but were retained as a result of the iPhone," he wrote. "While we have not factored into our estimates the impact of increased retail traffic in AT&T’s stores related to the iPhone, we believe this effect could contribute to further upside for the carrier."

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Bottomline:

Can Apple iPhone create disruption in the wireless marketplace? Would it have a direct impact on the likes of LG, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony? How much of an indirect impact will the iPhone have on AT&T, and the key national wireless carriers? Finally, what about all the suppliers who have provided parts to make the Apple iPhone? Can iPhone become the juggernaut that everyone is hyping it to be? The consumers hold the answer to all these questions. What percentage of current iPod owners will buy the iPhone? How many current cell phone owners will switch to iPhone? How many new mobile phone users will buy iPhone? And how many iPhone users will stay loyal? Many questions, many answers. We will check back in late 2007 for some of the answers.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch

Verizon, Sprint await iPhone onslaught
Marketwatch - June 12, 2007

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- While AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) executives talk confidently about gaining market share in the wireless business after the iPhone is released, skeptical rivals have reserved their fire. Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. all say they are prepared for the iPhone, but none has offered a clear strategy to combat the introduction of the highly anticipated device.

....

AT&T has repeatedly called the iPhone a "game changer," saying more than 1 million potential customers have made inquiries about the device. Many of them have declined to re-sign annual commitments with their current providers so they'll have a chance to check out the iPhone, AT&T executives say.

"We believe the big shift that will occur is it's going to be an opportunity to take share," John Stankey, AT&T's group president for operations, told investors at a Bear Stearns conference.....

Because the iPhone is a data-intensive device -- Web surfing and music playing are two of its most crucial features -- AT&T expects customers who choose the device will spend more each month. Data plans are priced significantly higher than voice-only service.AT&T executives also figure that iPhone users will prove more loyal, helping the company to cut its current churn rate of 1.7%.

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Nonetheless, rival operators and handset makers have expressed skepticism about whether the iPhone will truly shake up a wireless market in which the vast majority of consumers pay less than $100 for the handsets they own.

They point to the iPhone's $500 starting price tag and note that consumers would also have to sign up for more costly monthly plans."It's an expensive device," Forsee said. "If the customer is buying that for music, then we're going to be able to provide very significant alternatives to that at a much cheaper price point."

.....

But just in case the iPhone proves to be a huge hit, Verizon executives are plotting out their response. "You will see you will see more products from us by year-end, so stay tuned," Denny Strigl, Verizon's chief operating officer said.

iPhone to Support Third-Party Web 2.0 Applications

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced on June 11, "that its revolutionary iPhone(TM) will run applications created with Web 2.0 Internet standards when it begins shipping on June 29. Developers can create Web 2.0 applications which look and behave just like the applications built into iPhone, and which can seamlessly access iPhone's services, including making a phone call, sending an email and displaying a location in Google Maps. Third-party applications created using Web 2.0 standards can extend iPhone's capabilities without compromising its reliability or security."

"Developers and users alike are going to be very surprised and pleased at how great these applications look and work on iPhone," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Our innovative approach, using Web 2.0-based standards, lets developers create amazing new applications while keeping the iPhone secure and reliable."

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:

Rival wireless operators are worried, to say the least. They are betting that iPhone fails. If iPhone succeeds beyond expectations, watch out!! AT&T has the most to benefit, besides Apple. In a move to create a larger base of developers, applications and users, Apple wisely chose to open up iPhone to use any Web 2.0 Internet standard application. This will take some time to sink in, but once it does sink in, can iPhone become a mobile platform? Only time will tell.

Also check:
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release

Sunday night's ads in 60 minutes showed off several of the gadget's features and ended with the pronouncement that the phone will be available "Only on the new AT&T" and "Coming June 29." One other ad aired on the CW network before a 7 p.m. broadcast of "7th Heaven."

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Also check:

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Sources:

Associated Press

engadget

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2 - (NASDAQ: AAPL)

What does Nokia's Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo have to say about the upcoming Apple iPhone launch?

Nokia NOK1V.HE, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, is investing in Africa to make the region its next big wireless market, Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said on June 01, 2007....

Kallasvuo said the entry of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) into the mobile phone business this month, with its widely anticipated iPhone, marks the first time in years that a major new rival joins the highly competitive market.

Asked how the iPhone, with its touch-sensitive screen, will change design trends in the industry and at Nokia, Kallasvuo hinted Nokia would offer more such technology in the future.

"I definitely believe touch screen will be something that will have increasing relevancy in the mobile phone," he said, "and we definitely are working on that."

Most Nokia phones operate with button keypads rather than touch-based commands. Its first touch-screen device, the Nokia 7700, came out in 1994. It now has touch-screen phones on sale in China and two tablet devices for surfing the Web on the go.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:

Apple iPhone is going to usher in a new era of touch-screen cell phones. Of course, Steve Jobs wants to downplay some of these key new innovations, and want you to focus on how you can browse the Internet on the iPhone, but let's face it: what do users use their cell phone the most for? Making / receiving calls, Texting or SMS, and checking voice mails. If Jobs is right though, browsing the Internet will become a huge thing thanks to the iPhone, and also listening to music.

Also check: Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

References:
Reuters story

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1 - (NASDAQ: AAPL)

Apple iPhone is going to be launched towards late June, 2007. I am going to begin the Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch starting today.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and was voted recently number 1, the top innovator, by BusinessWeek and Boston Consulting Group.

What will the Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch contain?

1. Latest news about iPhone

2. Latest blogs about iPhone

3. Latest gossips and rumors about iPhone

4. Anything else that is interesting about iPhone

Today's latest news about iPhone as reported in MarketWatch:

"But to hear Steve Jobs tell it, the device's strongest selling point may be neither.

As he touted the product to a gathering of tech industry executives this week at D - All things Digital, Apple's chief executive sounded most excited about the iPhone's Internet pedigree -- especially its ability to download and play videos.The iPhone comes equipped with "real versions" of the company's operating system and the Safari Web browser, Jobs said, which will allow Apple to deliver to consumers an experience that others have mostly failed to. "It's the Internet in your pocket," he said.

Even though cell-phone providers have spent billions to build out sophisticated networks to let handsets access the Web, "you can't do a lot with them," according to Jobs. "You get the 'baby Internet,'" he said. "People want to get the 'real Internet' on their phone," Jobs said.

During his presentation at the "D" - All Thing Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif., Jobs managed to turn on its head the most common argument against the iPhone -- that its lack of a keyboard will be a huge negative for consumers used to texting on smart phones like the Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) BlackBerry and the Palm Inc. Treo.

Jobs acknowledged that the iPhone's touch screen will take some getting used to. "It takes about a week; you have to learn how to trust it," he said.

But the feature will provide the device with "incredible versatility," because it allows the device to offer users different interfaces for its different applications. To be sure, it's not that Jobs downplayed the product's music player capabilities. The iPhone "has the best iPod we've ever made," he said.

Still, he acknowledged that Cingular Wireless, which will be the only carrier to sell the product when it begins shipping next month, took a chance by agreeing to carry the product before Apple even showed it to them. "They took a gamble on us," because Apple has never made its own handset, "just as we took a gamble on them," Jobs said.

So why would Cingular, now a unit of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), do it?

Because "music hasn't been good on the phone," he said, and the company felt that partnering with Apple was their best chance of improving that experience. If consumers agree, Apple's sales and stock price may continue to rise, and Jobs may once again look like a genius."

References:

Apple is Number 1, Numero Uno, Top Innovative Company for the 3rd year in a row

The Innovation Index races to 21%, crushes major U.S. indices - Weekly Report 05-25-07

Apple is #1 - Numero Uno - Top Innovative Company in the world 3rd Year in Row

"It should come as little surprise, then, that Apple tops the BusinessWeek-Boston Consulting Group’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for the third year in a row. That sort of staying power speaks volumes about the sort of innovation that matters today. Unlike the Post-it Note, which proves the value of lone inventors, the iPod epitomizes today’s innovation sensibilities. These include the ascendance of design, the focus on the user’s experience, and the power of ecosystems: The iPod is a hit because it works so seamlessly with the iTunes software. The company’s much-anticipated iPhone, which launches in June, will likely keep Apple high on our list next year too."

In the latest BusinessWeek-Boston Consulting Group's list of the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) tops the list 3rd year in a row. Apple is crowned the #1 - Number One - Top Innovative Company. Although BusinessWeek and the readers tout Apple's iPod and iTunes, and soon to be launched iPhone, I believe iMac has come onto its own now, and Apple TV will also have a significant impact in 2007 and beyond.

What does Erich Joachimsthaler think of Apple in his latest book - Hidden In Plain Sight? Specifically, what was his answer to the question:

What drives Apple's innovation and growth? Is Apple better at connecting with and engaging consumers?

Click here to find the answer.

Apple is a top innovator, and is one of the top 20 innovators tracked weekly on The Innovation Index.

The Complete Story on Hidden In Plain Sight can be found at: Creativity And Innovation Driving Business

Ten Questions with Erich Joachimsthaler - Hidden In Plain Sight - Demand-first Innovation And Growth

What do Allianz Group, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Axe, GE Healthcare (NYSE: GE), BMW, Proctor & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), and Netflix have in common? These innovators consistently and successfully bring to market winning innovations, achieve profitable new growth, and reinvent their business for the future.

Erich Joachimsthaler, founder and CEO of Vivaldi Partners, a strategy, innovation and marketing consulting company, in his newly published book - Hidden In Plain Sight : How to find and execute your company's next big growth strategy - provides us insightful answers to real questions facing businesses today: on creating successful innovations and driving profitable growth - by introducing a new methodology “demand-first innovation and growth” (DIG). Joachimsthaler purports a poignant view of the misplaced state of innovation in the broader market.

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Question #10: What drives Apple's innovation and growth? Is Apple better at connecting with and engaging consumers?

Erich Joachimsthaler: Apple’s innovation and growth is first and foremost driven by inner conviction about the outer world – a conviction that is manifested by Steve Jobs and largely led by him and people around him.

This conviction is about changing how consumers live around music or entertainment. It is not merely a product focus, although it might appear this way. Apple has created the transformational change that I talk about in the book, it has created the customer advantage as I define it. It has changed the way we find out about music, the way we select music, buy music, listen to music, store music and discard music – in short, it has changed how we manage music in our lives (something that is fairly important to all of us), it also has changed how we manage video, etc.

It is not merely a better experience from competitor X, but it is a transformation of our lives, a part of our lives and Apple moves on doing the same with our entire digital lives, watch the launches of iTV and iPhone.

If Apple merely would define a set of needs and wants and then seek to fulfill it, they would ask consumers what they like or dislike about the Walkman and then create a better Walkman. I think that model of need-fulfillment paradigm is NOT at the core of the Apple process. Instead, Apple develops a notion of the changing consumer landscape. Think about around 2000 or 2001, there were already some consumers who downloaded songs from Napster and Kazaa. They see how the demand landscape is changing and they develop their own thinking, what I call structured thinking, around how to create a transformative experience for consumers. They don’t rely solely on consumer input and focus groups. In the process, Steve Jobs reframes the entire opportunity space for Apple – from a computer company, to a music company (Apple happens to be now one of the largest music retailers), to be an entertainment company. You ask about connecting with consumers? What would Madison Avenue recommend you? They would say: you need to find an emotional message that creates a connection with the consumers – touting functional and emotional benefits and achieve a clear positioning relative to competitors. How would that look like? Most likely a message, communicated over TV that clearly explains the principal benefits and the reasons to believe this benefits to targeted consumers. What would a marketer recommend? He or she would recommend that Apple segments the market into those who like more noisy music versus the sophisticated music lover who perhaps listen to classic music. And if you look at what Apple did, it seems they have followed little of the standard advice from marketers or advertising professionals. Connection and engagement does not happen on the small screen, the TV set or the large screen, but it happens in the 1,440 minutes where consumers live and work and play. Engagement and connection for Apple has nothing to do with emotionalizing the difference of iPod over the Walkman or touting superior product attributes. Look at their advertisements. Their marketing program or advertising program cannot be printed on paper or shown in little films called TV or cinema spots. Their program of connecting with consumers is about the 2,000 accessories that they have licensed to Bose and other companies so that we can absorb and assimilate the iPod into our 1,400 minutes we all live every day.

The Complete Story can be found at: Creativity And Innovation Driving Business