iPhone X Apple is losing its mainstream, non-fan core with the X

[The-Real-Deal82]

How is the X not aimed at the average iPhone user?

Since the first Android phones started building momentum at low prices, the iPhone consumer has always been high end, agreeing to pay more for a premium product at a premium price. Remember that less than 3 years ago it was customary that a subsidized Android was $0 and a subsidized iPhone was $99, and to get an iPhone with a decent amount of space you needed to spend $199 or more.

Today with subsidies virtually gone and manufacturers selling at realistic prices, the delta between an iPhone X and the latest Samsung is a few hundred dollars, just like the old days. And, what, we're talking about $400 more expensive than an 8? Over a 4 year lifespan of a typical smartphone, it's $100 a year, it's $8.33 a month. I pay more than that a day for a coffee and a bagel.

Point is, the "average" iPhone user has always been a premium consumer used to paying more. If Android is Honda and Apple is BMW, as the years went by Apple decided that besides a 3 Series it was time for a 5 Series. The X is the 5 Series. It's a step-up for a premium consumer. They're not alienating anyone. They're still offering the 6/7/8 form factor. The X is business class for those who don't fly economy.

If the X was aimed at the average iPhone user then it would be more popular than it is. It’s an expensive version of an iPhone 8 and the 8 is far from an ‘economy’ product. It still carries the premium we are used to with iPhones and delivers an identical experience without the slightly less shiny and over marketed hardware. I would say the 8 Plus is the device aimed at business customers but also other demographics.

The iPhone is no longer an elite brand and hasn’t been really for nearly a decade. After it’s first year of release it was becoming available to a wider audience. You now see people from all walks of life using iPhones including mothers at my daughters school who don’t even work. The X is a niche product aimed at people who are willing to pay a few hundred quid more for the same iOS experience in a slightly more premium shell.

The average iPhone user is no longer the young professional with high disposable income who is willing to pay a lot more just for the brand. Far too many demographics are iPhone users now.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Here's what you don't understand. It's not Kool Aid. It's ecosystem preference.

I have never, ever even looked at an Android phone let alone understand what makes it better or worse than an iPhone. To millions of us very happy in the Apple ecosystem, every 2-3 years when our iPhone's are getting old we see what Apple offers, pick the one that suits us, and that's that. Our movies, TV shows, music, home videos, they're all in iTunes, they're on our Apple TV's, they're on our iPad's, therefore they're on our Smartphone's too.

Android? To millions of people it's not even a consideration. We've never picked one up. It doesn't even exist. That's what you and the other rah-rah Android people will never understand. The 8 is our BMW 3 Series and the X is our BMW 5 Series. Telling us that Kia makes a better car? LOL. No BMW owner would be caught dead in a Kia.

My word your post comes across here as incredibly snobbish. I’m an iPhone user who doesn’t really consider Android but I am well aware there are Android users out there where an iPhone isn’t a consideration either. It works both ways and people have their own preferences. High end Android handsets cost almost the same as high end iPhones yet there is still a high market for those who prefer the Android platform.

At the end of the day all it comes down to is which OS the person prefers using. We all generally do the same thing in our phones and the standard smartphone tasks can be achieved on pretty much every smartphone these days. If everybody had the same preferences then there wouldn’t be a competitive market in the first place.

The comparison that an iPhone 8 is the equivalent to a 3 series BMW whereas the X is a 5 Series is quite a stretch too.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

True that, I also wanted to buy an Plus-version if the X didn't come out but deep inside I knew that it could've been too big so I would probably give it back or sell it. People buying the wrong device for themselves is something everyone could do so I can't blame the X for that tbh

True it’s not the iPhone X’s fault if people are returning it. As long as the alternative proves correct then it doesn’t matter.

 

[zorinlynx]

I have a 7 Plus; the X isn't even on the table because my phone is still about a year old and working great.

Most people upgrade on a 2-3 year cycle. A better question to ask is, did people who have an iPhone 6 or 6s upgrade to the X, 8, or 7?

7? Probably a cost issue; wanting to save money.
8? Probably a form factor issue. Prefers the classic iPhone design with TouchID. Also could be a cost issue to a lesser extent.

Personally if I were buying an iPhone right now I'd get an 8 Plus. I've played with the X; I like Touch ID and the slightly larger screen on the 8 Plus. Maybe I'll jump if Apple releases an "Xs Plus" or whatever next year. But right now, I'm happy with my 7 Plus. There's literally no need for me to upgrade; I'm not a good metric for determining if the X is popular right now.

 

[KingslayerG5]

I have only seen three people who was holding an iPhone X. When 5/5s and 6 was released, I saw more of them after only a few weeks. Phone lust is waning like anything in life. Better for the planet too.

If Apple is deliberately slowing down phones which has been the hot topic for the last week and a half and Apple actually admitted it, I guess more consumers don't want to me suckers and hoodwinked anymore to this greedy practice called planned obsolescence.

We're better off just holding on to a phone for as long as we can. My Mom upgraded from a 6 Plus to 8 Plus from an AT&T BOGO deal because her 6 Plus' battery went to the crapper after iOS11. The 8 Plus is practically the same thing to her she told me. Slightly faster and better, different year.

 

[thesaint024]

Trying to justify Apple's decisions to make yourself feel better about them taking advantage of their consumers. Your entire middle paragraph is all strawmans.

I'm not going to rewrite my entire message. I will repeat 1 major point. Prior to the iPhone 6, each year the iPhone would cost the same amount & have new features. This meant the consumers were effectively getting a better deal each year. value = specs/price. With iPhone 6, Apple's started withholding features from the less expensive phone. With the iPhone X this has gone to the extreme. Instead of releasing a phone for everyone, they are trying to squeeze as much money as possible from their costumers with more expensive phones. That is a huge difference in philosophy and you are completely glossing over it.

I don't need to make myself feel better. I like my phone and haven't looked back after my purchase. I login MR and sometimes comment on people crying about Apple's "new" pricing. This happens on all Apple product launches. As if they used to be affordable for all, but in the latest iteration are pricing people out. I'm not sure what point I am not addressing. What am I avoiding?

Your perception of reality doesn't agree with mine. You seem to believe Apple was a value brand in iPhones at some point. You keep sidestepping my many arguments about Apple not being any different. Just calling something a strawman doesn't mean it is. Again, I've never heard of Apple being a value brand. You have a real short memory if your history of Apple only covers from iPhone 6 to the X. Have you seen their other products? MBP's, ATV's, Apple Watches, Mac Pros, iMacs, etc, etc. They are all 50% or so higher in price than competitors. Squeezing money from customers? I didn't know this was a recent development. Your argument about the 6 is weak and a strawman itself. The 6 and the 6+ were the highest priced phones around. How does that support your argument that it was somehow affordable at the time? I didn't see the whole world walking around with 6's at the time. The reason, price. Androids serve the same function at a much lower price. I'm sorry, but you're a luxury phone buyer too.

Apple did NOT change their philosophy with the X. The first Macbook Air cost almost $2k from my recollection. First edition Apple products and many follow ups usually are the highest prices in the industry. You are glossing over or completely ignoring my primary argument that Apple has always had elitist pricing.

I'm sorry you don't find value in the X. But I'm not going to lose sleep that not everyone is going to buy one. Again, it's not my mission to put an X in everyone's hands. Now I am tired of repeating my arguments and being told I am avoiding some point when I am addressing everything you say. You continually just call my arguments names without elaborating. In case you didn't hear me the first few times, Apple has always been premium priced and has always squeezed money for profit. Get over it, it's not changing. They give something in return that some of us feel is valued. Feel free to stop calling my arguments names and actually refute one of my many, many points.

 

[macher]

I have a 7 Plus; the X isn't even on the table because my phone is still about a year old and working great.

Most people upgrade on a 2-3 year cycle. A better question to ask is, did people who have an iPhone 6 or 6s upgrade to the X, 8, or 7?

7? Probably a cost issue; wanting to save money.
8? Probably a form factor issue. Prefers the classic iPhone design with TouchID. Also could be a cost issue to a lesser extent.

Personally if I were buying an iPhone right now I'd get an 8 Plus. I've played with the X; I like Touch ID and the slightly larger screen on the 8 Plus. Maybe I'll jump if Apple releases an "Xs Plus" or whatever next year. But right now, I'm happy with my 7 Plus. There's literally no need for me to upgrade; I'm not a good metric for determining if the X is popular right now.

I would have kept my 7 after returning my X if my wife didn’t want to go from a 6S Plus to a 7/8. So in this case we got the 8 on her line and I took the 8 and gave her my 7.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

I don't need to make myself feel better. I like my phone and haven't looked back after my purchase. I login MR and sometimes comment on people crying about Apple's "new" pricing. This happens on all Apple product launches. As if they used to be affordable for all, but in the latest iteration are pricing people out. I'm not sure what point I am not addressing. What am I avoiding?

Your perception of reality doesn't agree with mine. You seem to believe Apple was a value brand in iPhones at some point. You keep sidestepping my many arguments about Apple not being any different. Just calling something a strawman doesn't mean it is. Again, I've never heard of Apple being a value brand. You have a real short memory if your history of Apple only covers from iPhone 6 to the X. Have you seen their other products? MBP's, ATV's, Apple Watches, Mac Pros, iMacs, etc, etc. They are all 50% or so higher in price than competitors. Squeezing money from customers? I didn't know this was a recent development. Your argument about the 6 is weak and a strawman itself. The 6 and the 6+ were the highest priced phones around. How does that support your argument that it was somehow affordable at the time? I didn't see the whole world walking around with 6's at the time. The reason, price. Androids serve the same function at a much lower price. I'm sorry, but you're a luxury phone buyer too.

Apple did NOT change their philosophy with the X. The first Macbook Air cost almost $2k from my recollection. First edition Apple products and many follow ups usually are the highest prices in the industry. You are glossing over or completely ignoring my primary argument that Apple has always had elitist pricing.

I'm sorry you don't find value in the X. But I'm not going to lose sleep that not everyone is going to buy one. Again, it's not my mission to put an X in everyone's hands. Now I am tired of repeating my arguments and being told I am avoiding some point when I am addressing everything you say. You continually just call my arguments names without elaborating. In case you didn't hear me the first few times, Apple has always been premium priced and has always squeezed money for profit. Get over it, it's not changing. They give something in return that some of us feel is valued. Feel free to stop calling my arguments names and actually refute one of my many, many points.

You did it again. More strawmans, didn't address my point that in the past they were a better value. okay m8. I'm not going to waste my time writing a long response to this.

 

[macher]

I have only seen three people who was holding an iPhone X. When 5/5s and 6 was released, I saw more of them after only a few weeks. Phone lust is waning like anything in life. Better for the planet too.

If Apple is deliberately slowing down phones which has been the hot topic for the last week and a half and Apple actually admitted it, I guess more consumers don't want to me suckers and hoodwinked anymore to this greedy practice called planned obsolescence.

We're better off just holding on to a phone for as long as we can. My Mom upgraded from a 6 Plus to 8 Plus from an AT&T BOGO deal because her 6 Plus' battery went to the crapper after iOS11. The 8 Plus is practically the same thing to her she told me. Slightly faster and better, different year.

Yea I went from a 7 to an 8 same phone. Only reason is because my wife wanted to go from a 6S Plus to a 7/8. The Plus was too big for her. Otherwise I would have been happy to keep my 7.

 

[boltjames]

If the X was aimed at the average iPhone user then it would be more popular than it is. It’s an expensive version of an iPhone 8 and the 8 is far from an ‘economy’ product. It still carries the premium we are used to with iPhones and delivers an identical experience without the slightly less shiny and over marketed hardware. I would say the 8 Plus is the device aimed at business customers but also other demographics.

The iPhone is no longer an elite brand and hasn’t been really for nearly a decade. After it’s first year of release it was becoming available to a wider audience. You now see people from all walks of life using iPhones including mothers at my daughters school who don’t even work. The X is a niche product aimed at people who are willing to pay a few hundred quid more for the same iOS experience in a slightly more premium shell.

The average iPhone user is no longer the young professional with high disposable income who is willing to pay a lot more just for the brand. Far too many demographics are iPhone users now.

Who says the iPhone X is unpopular? I don't recall seeing Apple's sales figures, and remember that success is not determined by units sold it's determined by revenue generated. Since the X costs roughly 2x the value of an 8, it could sell 50% less than the 7 and still be an unparalleled success from a business standpoint.

I work in Big Business and I have never seen anyone with an iPhone Plus, ever. It's not for "business customers". It's for younger people streaming videos and older people with bad eyesight from what I see around me.

As for the "wider audience", there are 100's of millions of iPhone's out there, of course stay home mom's and garbage men can afford a used iPhone 5, it doesn't diminish the brand or the value of their brand new hardware.

The iPhone, and Apple as a company, have always been about premium products at a premium price. Apple isn't losing it's "mainstream non-fan core". It's shedding people who can't afford the best smartphone experience money can buy, no different than how it doesn't make $499 budget laptops to compete at a discount store. When carrier subsidies went away and the hardware manufacturers started charging real money for their smartphones, when the $199 two year contract iPhone became the $1250 unsubsidized iPhone, the iPhone buyer suddenly resembled the MacBook buyer.

Unfortunately that means that we still have the residue of past gen iPhone users who are used to getting cheap subsidized phones, many of them (ahem) spending a lot of time whining about today's prices. The iPhone is a premium product. Pay the premium or don't.

 

[thesaint024]

You did it again. More strawmans, didn't address my point that in the past they were a better value. okay m8. I'm not going to waste my time writing a long response to this.

Like I've said many times. Please state your exact statement that I am somehow avoiding. I will address it directly. It will work better than continually accusing me of avoiding something when I'm not clear what it is I'm avoiding, M8.

Edit: I admit you're confusing the hell out of me, but it looks like you are trying to say my elaborations of Apple NEVER being a good value is a strawman? I think you have worse reading skills than my already poor skills. My entire posts are about that. The 6 was a good value? I wrote an entire paragraph on that. What am I avoiding again? You are defining value and accusing me of avoiding your definition. Your definition is not factual, it's your perception of value. Android examples, Apple product line examples, I have many more that you don't accept as support. By the same weak definition, I can say the X is objectively a good value. But that's only to me. I don't think everyone would agree with me, as cheap Android users don't agree with you. You're right about one thing, this discussion is tired, because I keep repeating myself to your lazy responses.

 

[boltjames]

My word your post comes across here as incredibly snobbish. I’m an iPhone user who doesn’t really consider Android but I am well aware there are Android users out there where an iPhone isn’t a consideration either. It works both ways and people have their own preferences. High end Android handsets cost almost the same as high end iPhones yet there is still a high market for those who prefer the Android platform.

At the end of the day all it comes down to is which OS the person prefers using. We all generally do the same thing in our phones and the standard smartphone tasks can be achieved on pretty much every smartphone these days. If everybody had the same preferences then there wouldn’t be a competitive market in the first place.

The comparison that an iPhone 8 is the equivalent to a 3 series BMW whereas the X is a 5 Series is quite a stretch too.

It's not snobbery to say "millions of people have never looked at or considered an Android phone". It's just fact. And it has nothing to do with social status or salary either.

In simplest terms, when you're in the Apple ecosystem for 5+ or 10+ years there needs to be a damned good reason to jump ship. For many, years ago it was dirt cheap Android hardware that did the trick. For some, today it's a $1250 bill for an iPhone X that's the tipping point. For the vast, vast majority, Apple has enough smartphone hardware at a variety of prices to keep their core customer base happy. So why would we ever care to look at an Android phone? I've been using Bounty paper towels for 40 years, they pick up spills very effectively, so why would I consider another brand? Why would I even look at another brand? To save $0.50 cents? Okay, if that matters to some people, great, go buy an Android and be done with it.

Apple isn't losing it's way. Some customers who are used to $99 iPhone's on a two year contract are now facing the harsh reality that the carriers gave them entry into the world of luxury smartphones they actually could never afford and that game is over. So just like the $3,500 MacBook Pro is not for the $499 Best Buy notebook customer, so too is the $1250 iPhone X not for the $99 Android customer.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Who says the iPhone X is unpopular? I don't recall seeing Apple's sales figures, and remember that success is not determined by units sold it's determined by revenue generated. Since the X costs roughly 2x the value of an 8, it could sell 50% less than the 7 and still be an unparalleled success from a business standpoint.

I work in Big Business and I have never seen anyone with an iPhone Plus, ever. It's not for "business customers". It's for younger people streaming videos and older people with bad eyesight from what I see around me.

As for the "wider audience", there are 100's of millions of iPhone's out there, of course stay home mom's and garbage men can afford a used iPhone 5, it doesn't diminish the brand or the value of their brand new hardware.

The iPhone, and Apple as a company, have always been about premium products at a premium price. Apple isn't losing it's "mainstream non-fan core". It's shedding people who can't afford the best smartphone experience money can buy, no different than how it doesn't make $499 budget laptops to compete at a discount store. When carrier subsidies went away and the hardware manufacturers started charging real money for their smartphones, when the $199 two year contract iPhone became the $1250 unsubsidized iPhone, the iPhone buyer suddenly resembled the MacBook buyer.

Unfortunately that means that we still have the residue of past gen iPhone users who are used to getting cheap subsidized phones, many of them (ahem) spending a lot of time whining about today's prices. The iPhone is a premium product. Pay the premium or don't.

When I said popular I meant on a similar scale to previous releases. I haven’t seen one yet so no doubt it’s popular within its own market, but generally it’s the rarest iPhone currently on sale. I don’t need sales figures to prove nobody I know or have seen, has one.

You also live on a totally different continent to me where the iPhone X is around £747 for you. I have no doubt it’s more popular in its home country. The Plus devices here are popular with sales teams and not just teenagers and the elderly. The jobless mums where I live use iPhone 6’s and 7’s and even 8’s not necessarily 5’s, again it might be the difference between our cultures. I wasn’t suggesting many demographics using the iPhone would diminish the brand either? That would be a dreadfully arrogant thing to say. Why shouldn’t the iPhone appeal to all? This has been Apples philosophy since the 80’s when producing computers for the masses.

I don’t agree with your insinuation Apple is trying to shed people who can’t afford their brand. The premium market isn’t big enough to look down on people some of their fans think are beneath them.

This discussion has been an eye opener for me. It’s not often I come across such elitism, especially when discussing an everyday object like a mobile phone. Thank goodness I live where class isn’t judged on whether you can afford an iPhone X.

 

[boltjames]

I don’t agree with your insinuation Apple is trying to shed people who can’t afford their brand. The premium market isn’t big enough to look down on people some of their fans think are beneath them.

This discussion has been an eye opener for me. It’s not often I come across such elitism, especially when discussing an everyday object like a mobile phone. Thank goodness I live where class isn’t judged on whether you can afford an iPhone X.

I didn't say Apple was deliberately shedding consumers. I am saying that the carriers stopped the subsidy game and that's what made the iPhone very expensive compared to Android's. Your beef is actually with AT&T, Verizon, Orange, whoever your carriers are. They're the ones who decided to stop spending big money to acquire customers.

And if you think the people around you aren't judging you on your wife, your house, your car, your watch, and your personal electronics, think again. My lord, the world of Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, all that bragging, all that self-promotion, and you think your smartphone is not part of that? Speechless. More than ever, material possessions are paramount to people. Look around you.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It's not snobbery to say "millions of people have never looked at or considered an Android phone". It's just fact. And it has nothing to do with social status or salary either.

In simplest terms, when you're in the Apple ecosystem for 5+ or 10+ years there needs to be a damned good reason to jump ship. For many, years ago it was dirt cheap Android hardware that did the trick. For some, today it's a $1250 bill for an iPhone X that's the tipping point. For the vast, vast majority, Apple has enough smartphone hardware at a variety of prices to keep their core customer base happy. So why would we ever care to look at an Android phone? I've been using Bounty paper towels for 40 years, they pick up spills very effectively, so why would I consider another brand? Why would I even look at another brand? To save $0.50 cents? Okay, if that matters to some people, great, go buy an Android and be done with it.

Apple isn't losing it's way. Some customers who are used to $99 iPhone's on a two year contract are now facing the harsh reality that the carriers gave them entry into the world of luxury smartphones they actually could never afford and that game is over. So just like the $3,500 MacBook Pro is not for the $499 Best Buy notebook customer, so too is the $1250 iPhone X not for the $99 Android customer.

I’ve never suggested you should consider an Android device, not sure where that is coming from? I’m not an Android user either and have no interest moving to it.

Your post does contradict itself in two parts though. You admit early on the iPhone X is the ‘tipping point’ for some which is why there are other choices in the iPhone range. Then you suggest the days of these cheaper iPhones are over and people who can’t afford the premiums the facing a harsh reality? Are you suggesting Apple is trying to lose around 100m users just so they can only supply one high end premium device?

You work in business as you claim yet seem to deny the future of the most successful smartphone in history is destined only for higher earners due to it being ‘luxury’. I don’t agree and think that would be very dumb from a business point of view. Companies don’t just kill their popularity at the height of their success just to claim some form of short lived prestige.

 

[Breezygirl]

When I said popular I meant on a similar scale to previous releases. I haven’t seen one yet so no doubt it’s popular within its own market, but generally it’s the rarest iPhone currently on sale. I don’t need sales figures to prove nobody I know or have seen, has one.

You also live on a totally different continent to me where the iPhone X is around £747 for you. I have no doubt it’s more popular in its home country. The Plus devices here are popular with sales teams and not just teenagers and the elderly. The jobless mums where I live use iPhone 6’s and 7’s and even 8’s not necessarily 5’s, again it might be the difference between our cultures. I wasn’t suggesting many demographics using the iPhone would diminish the brand either? That would be a dreadfully arrogant thing to say. Why shouldn’t the iPhone appeal to all? This has been Apples philosophy since the 80’s when producing computers for the masses.

I don’t agree with your insinuation Apple is trying to shed people who can’t afford their brand. The premium market isn’t big enough to look down on people some of their fans think are beneath them.

This discussion has been an eye opener for me. It’s not often I come across such elitism, especially when discussing an everyday object like a mobile phone. Thank goodness I live where class isn’t judged on whether you can afford an iPhone X.

You seem to have a issue with “jobless moms”, FYI they are stay at home mothers and do the most important job.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

You seem to have a issue with “jobless moms”, FYI they are stay at home mothers and do the most important job.

I was referring to the particular ones in the welsh valleys who scam the benefits system and make a career out of avoiding work.

Stay at home mums and dads that work hard bringing their children up are people I admire.

 

[Breezygirl]

I was referring to the particular ones in the welsh valleys who scam the benefits system and make a career out of avoiding work.

Stay at home mums and dads that work hard bringing their children up are people I admire.

Oh, thanks for the explanation I understand now.

 

[Shanghaichica]

How are you finding the screen size Coming from a Note 8?

Well I wasn’t using the note 8 all that much and carried on using my 7 plus. It’s not that much smaller than my 7 plus and is easier to hold. To be honest the note 8 was a bit too big anyway.

 

[boltjames]

I’ve never suggested you should consider an Android device, not sure where that is coming from? I’m not an Android user either and have no interest moving to it.

Your post does contradict itself in two parts though. You admit early on the iPhone X is the ‘tipping point’ for some which is why there are other choices in the iPhone range. Then you suggest the days of these cheaper iPhones are over and people who can’t afford the premiums the facing a harsh reality? Are you suggesting Apple is trying to lose around 100m users just so they can only supply one high end premium device?

You work in business as you claim yet seem to deny the future of the most successful smartphone in history is destined only for higher earners due to it being ‘luxury’. I don’t agree and think that would be very dumb from a business point of view. Companies don’t just kill their popularity at the height of their success just to claim some form of short lived prestige.

Apple has no control over the subsidies that their carriers offer as deep discounts to acquire consumers. Apple benefited from the fat and happy days of immense competition to obtain customers, those days are now over. Nothing Apple can do about that.

I work in business which means I know there is a difference between popularity and profitability. If a company can make three times the profit by selling two times less the units that's a major win, not a loss. Unit sales for the iPhone might be down significantly this year but if Apple has managed to negotiate better contracts, get better pricing on components, grow their media segment, and license more technology then they might come out ahead financially on a P&L.

Popularity isn't what is important to Wall Street at this point in iPhone's lifetime; profitability is.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

I’ve never suggested you should consider an Android device, not sure where that is coming from? I’m not an Android user either and have no interest moving to it.

Your post does contradict itself in two parts though. You admit early on the iPhone X is the ‘tipping point’ for some which is why there are other choices in the iPhone range. Then you suggest the days of these cheaper iPhones are over and people who can’t afford the premiums the facing a harsh reality? Are you suggesting Apple is trying to lose around 100m users just so they can only supply one high end premium device?

You work in business as you claim yet seem to deny the future of the most successful smartphone in history is destined only for higher earners due to it being ‘luxury’. I don’t agree and think that would be very dumb from a business point of view. Companies don’t just kill their popularity at the height of their success just to claim some form of short lived prestige.

No offense but it's obvious that guy is trolling you. He's just going to contradict anything you say to always be right.

 

[boltjames]

No offense but it's obvious that guy is trolling you. He's just going to contradict anything you say to always be right.

No offense but you don't know me or my motives.

Just because he and I are on opposite ends of the argument doesn't mean one is trolling the other. It's called a 'good argument'. It's what we're here for.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

No offense but you don't know me or my motives.

Just because he and I are on opposite ends of the argument doesn't mean one is trolling the other. It's called a 'good argument'. It's what we're here for.

Your motivation is to argue.

Some of us are here to learn. Others to express our opinions. Different people have different motivations and not everyone here is to argue (troll) with random strangers online.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Apple has no control over the subsidies that their carriers offer as deep discounts to acquire consumers. Apple benefited from the fat and happy days of immense competition to obtain customers, those days are now over. Nothing Apple can do about that.

Carriers in my country have never offered subsidies on iPhones to draw customers in. We’ve always had to pay a few hundred quid upfront as well as the monthly contract. The drop off in popularity has nothing to do with the carriers no longer offering huge deals and everything to do with iPhones only receiving incremental upgrades and Apple putting hardware prices up.

It’s only in the US where carriers have given huge discounts and even ‘buy one get one free’ deals on loyalty programs. We’ve been jealous of that in other countries for years.

I work in business which means I know there is a difference between popularity and profitability. If a company can make three times the profit by selling two times less the units that's a major win, not a loss. Unit sales for the iPhone might be down significantly this year but if Apple has managed to negotiate better contracts, get better pricing on components, grow their media segment, and license more technology then they might come out ahead financially on a P&L.

Popularity isn't what is important to Wall Street at this point in iPhone's lifetime; profitability is.

I don’t believe Apple are content with sacrificing popularity just yet. They haven’t built their huge market share just to slash their user base in exchange for selling products at double the price. Popularity is the most important element in this sector because it’s the foundation to expand profitability. If they put all their eggs in one basket and purely rely on their premium X, it puts massive pressure on themselves to deliver year after year on one product. I’m a product designer so understand the importance of having a diverse range to satisfy a healthy market.

Profit is the product of popularity in the long term. Short term profit strategies are what companies engage in when they know the market is about to crash.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

No offense but it's obvious that guy is trolling you. He's just going to contradict anything you say to always be right.

I don’t think that’s the case, we just have very different viewpoints. We are both keen iPhone users but where he is pleased with Apples direction, I have become disenchanted by it and know many others that are.