∞ Apple says iPhone rumors impacted financials

Written by

Matthew Panzarino:

In the months leading up to the release of the iPhone 4S, rumors of a redesigned, teardrop-shaped iPhone were hot and heavy. This led some to be ‘disappointed’ when the iPhone 4S was introduced. Although the 4S features a wide array of improved features including a faster processor, redesigned antenna and larger battery, the general consensus was that most rumor traders were expecting a redesign.

Keep in mind, these rumors have been going on for months. First people expected an iPhone in the summer, then September, and finally October. A large percentage of the iPhone rumors turned out to be false, so Web sites get pageviews and Apple gets screwed as people wait.



  • http://twitter.com/countermind Jericho Hasselbush

    Yeah, and those of us who actually care and use quality products got new iPhones.

    • http://www.loopinsight.com Jim Dalrymple

      Good point.

  • http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com/ Shawn King

    “Apple gets screwed as people wait.” Maybe but otherwise, the reverse would have been true – people would have gotten screwed by buying a iPhone 4 in August only to have a new version come out in October. No right or wrong in this one.

    And Apple was hardly “screwed” in selling 17 million iPhones this past quarter. :)

    • Steven Fisher

      “Screwed” is going too far. The customers would have got exactly the phone they wanted.

      Another phone would have come out with a few new features, some of which the people would like to have. They would be sad.

      Instead, customers waited for a fully redesigned phone with a few new features, an entirely new design, and free ponies. And now they get the phone AND are disappointed not to get an entirely new design and free ponies.

      Whatever. There’s no real right or wrong between Apple and customers. But in the absence of real information, I don’t think the giant heap of bullshit from rumour sites helped anyone make good decisions.

  • http://twitter.com/axian A.X. Ian

    Can’t have your cake and eat it too. In a grand scheme of things Apple benefits immensely from the rumor site cottage industry. They’re in the news cycle every day. Any other company would kill to have that kind of speculation surrounding its products.

    • http://www.loopinsight.com Jim Dalrymple

      True, they get a ton of news coverage.

      • His Shadow

        I don’t think Apple gives a damn about the ridiculous press consisting of the fevered dreams of rumour sites. They say there is no such thing as bad press, but what if it’s moronic press?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_N6OQITYG5QN57CTPO5XSOFVEXM Jim

    It gets rediculous with rumors, especially when bloggers are saying they come from randomly accurate rumor sites and then hang on every word.  

    The fact, and everyone should remember this, that really only Apple knows what the next iphone will look like,  what features it has and when it will launch.

    If I had a $1 for every time I heard a date spewed from any of the websites as to launch dates I would be a real happy person right now.

    Then we all listen and get all wet and excited over features that these same sites all say will be coming.

    It’s like over on TipB, every time Apple filed for a patent regardless of the fact that it was just a patent for some style of function, they would announce that it would be coming to the iPhone!   Then they have people hanging on expecting this on the next iPhone when it might not appear for years if at all as a feature.

    It set the bar way too high with features that people all expected because blog sites had told people to expect these features.

    I’m still waiting for the ‘liquid metal’ casing that Rene Ritchie over at tipB had everyone wetting themselves for. 

    Let’s just face it,  the iPhone 4s was a huge failure….

    … wait no it was not, it’s a great phone and when it is looked at without having a comparison to previous iphones or future iphone expectations it is a great phone.  

    Well now we all have to deal with the rumors building all the way up until the next launch, whether it is June, July, August or september or later!

    Oh well, now to be flamed by people.