I don't think that (awesome) quote is really relevant.
The point is not that the iphone isn't popular, it's that with popularity come changes in the way it's perceived, and that will affect its future momentum in some places.
When the iphone came out, it was very much an exclusive fashion item; when everybody has them, it's not exclusive. Whether it's still viewed as a "luxury" good is probably more complex—some brands have been surprisingly successful at retaining their luxury image despite widespread adoption—but given carriers offering completely subsidized iphones, it may be an uphill battle.
Not everybody cares about such perceptions, but there are definitely cultures where many people do.
None of this seems surprising, or particularly controversial to me...
The point is not that the iphone isn't popular, it's that with popularity come changes in the way it's perceived, and that will affect its future momentum in some places.
When the iphone came out, it was very much an exclusive fashion item; when everybody has them, it's not exclusive. Whether it's still viewed as a "luxury" good is probably more complex—some brands have been surprisingly successful at retaining their luxury image despite widespread adoption—but given carriers offering completely subsidized iphones, it may be an uphill battle.
Not everybody cares about such perceptions, but there are definitely cultures where many people do.
None of this seems surprising, or particularly controversial to me...