Actually, I think a $500 phone (or thereabouts) ought to be a perfectly saleable item. Not of course to a huge mass market, but to a significantly sized one.
However, one needs a couple of things. Brand fairly widely identified with quality, and some clear bragging rights for the model...smaller, more features, etc.
The market is status consious Yuppies and arrived Yuppies. You know, successful lawyers, investment bankers, execs, specialist doctors, and the like trying to impress their breatherin with the latest and greatest.
Hight end laptop computers carry some nerdy connotations in some circles, at least among the middle aged boomer set. Cell phones, the smaller and more wiz bang the better, never.
Now of course tech spec savy engineers, academics, software writers, young techies, older folks, etc., etc. are an entirely different market. And no doubt a more rational one.
All in my opinion, natch. (What Q needs to do is better establish their brand. The point of spending the money is to have the bragging rights; its a fashion statement. $500 will never compete with $150 on features per se.)
Doug |
