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Steve Jobs Won’t Apologize

Written on: Sep 7, 2007
Author: Apple.com |
: Share; Steve Jobs Won’t Apologize

To all iPhone customers:
I have received hundreds of emails from iPhone customers who are upset about Apple dropping the price of iPhone by $200 two months after it went on sale. After reading every one of these emails, I have some observations and conclusions.

First, I am sure that we are making the correct decision to lower the price of the 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399, and that now is the right time to do it. iPhone is a breakthrough product, and we have the chance to ‘go for it’ this holiday season. iPhone is so far ahead of the competition, and now it will be affordable by even more customers. It benefits both Apple and every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone ‘tent’. We strongly believe the $399 price will help us do just that this holiday season.

Second, being in technology for 30+ years I can attest to the fact that the technology road is bumpy. There is always change and improvement, and there is always someone who bought a product before a particular cutoff date and misses the new price or the new operating system or the new whatever. This is life in the technology lane. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon. The good news is that if you buy products from companies that support them well, like Apple tries to do, you will receive years of useful and satisfying service from them even as newer models are introduced.

Third, even though we are making the right decision to lower the price of iPhone, and even though the technology road is bumpy, we need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price. Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these.

Therefore, we have decided to offer every iPhone customer who purchased an iPhone from either Apple or AT&T, and who is not receiving a rebate or any other consideration, a $100 store credit towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store. Details are still being worked out and will be posted on Apple’s website next week. Stay tuned.

We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple.

Steve Jobs
Apple CEO

Compliments of Apple.com

Reader Comments.

Well this will be the first and last time I buy a apple product within the first two months. A small price drop would of been fine but $200? C’mon….

Posted by Adrian | 2:20 pm on September 7, 2007.

Title is misleading? Looks like an apology to me.

“We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple.”

Posted by Noah | 2:20 pm on September 7, 2007.

As someone reading this article on my iPhone right now I am just glad to get the credit.

Posted by dan | 2:24 pm on September 7, 2007.

Apology? No apology?

Do the headline writers read the stories?

Posted by Bruce Koren | 5:58 pm on September 7, 2007.

What’s with the title?

“We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple.”

I was at-least expecting some commentary to support this seeminly backwards title. You guys big Microsoft fans over there?

Posted by Pete | 6:07 pm on September 7, 2007.

As Publisher of Adotas, I’d like to point out that the title reflects the decision by Mr. Jobs to not appologize for lowering the price, as he believes this as the right things to do. The letter reflects his reasoning on the price reduction and how he will make up for the irritation Apple consumers have felt from the high early adopter price tag. Many consumers feel that the price reduction was inappropriate and that the credit is a modest offering that most have little need for.

> Robert Regular, Publisher

Posted by Bob | 4:16 pm on September 8, 2007.

Bob,

Your explanation for the misleading headline doesn’t excuse it. Jobs apologized, plain and simple, for disappointing any of the early adopters that bought an iPhone. Your headline is a direct contradiction of that. And frankly, is unprofessional and uncalled for. I read Adotas regularly, but this kind of bias hurts your credibility tremendously. How can I trust any future headlines from you guys?

Posted by jc | 9:39 pm on September 8, 2007.

I don’t think Steve needs to apologize. People who bought the higher price did enjoy a ‘show off’ period though it’s a bit short I would say.
If you are not willing to spend for having that innovative product at that price and what you can do is only wait…
That’s business and that’s a make sense world. What Apple returns to that fans is keep innovative and always brings you the best….

Posted by jackie | 9:42 pm on September 9, 2007.

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