Has IDC got the wrong number for iPhone?
By Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 13:08
"While the allure of owning the next 'cool' device will undoubtedly have early adopters – and die-hard Apple fans – queuing up to get the iPhone regardless of the price, the associated costs of ownership will persuade many others into a 'wait and see' position," said Shiv Bakhshi, director of mobility research at IDC.
Since M:Metrics checked that respondents were aware of the iPhone's price and that it will only be available from AT&T, how do we reconcile these two sets of results and conclusions?
The most obvious difference is in the sample size. M:Metrics had 11,060 respondents, IDC just 456. The sample space was also different, with M:Metrics apparently sampling from mobile phone subscribers, while IDC looked at online mobile phone shoppers.
Is there a difference between these two groups? Yes! If you were planning to buy an iPhone, you're unlikely to be shopping for a new mobile shortly before it goes on sale. It seems clear that IDC's sample is biassed towards those who have already decided against buying an iPhone.






