iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite Feature Saves California Hiker

[webkit]

Is apple serving up ads with your satellite data? Is apples basic revenue model based on selling ads with your PII. Or is apples revenue based on selling hardware and aervices? With apple my iPhone, or iPad or AirPods is the product not me.

No but there are other ways a company can try to profit from or monetize (now or for the future) a supposedly "free" product or service besides ad revenue. Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite usage data, publicity, etc. can be quite valuable to them now and/or in the future.

 

[webkit]

Nope. Not even close.

Google, MS, etc offer free services because they're able to sell information about the users of that service to other companies for marketing purposes. Thus, you are the product that has value to those purchasing that information from Google and others.

Yes, Apple does offer free services. But they don't sell your information to other companies - thus you are not a product.

As an example... if you are wounded and lost in the woods, and use Apple's free Emergency SOS system to summon help, Apple does not sell information about you being wounded and lost in the woods to companies that might want to purchase that information for marketing, say, to sell outdoor fist aid kits via ads. Thus you are not a product.

Think it through.

There are a variety of ways a company can try to profit from or monetize (now or for the future) a supposedly "free" product or service. For example, usage data can be quite valuable to a company's current or future operations as much or more than potential ad dollars.

 

[The Game 161]

least it's free for now and that she is ok

 

[citysnaps]

There are a variety of ways a company can try to profit from or monetize (now or for the future) a supposedly "free" product or service. For example, usage data can be quite valuable to a company's current or future operations as much or more than potential ad dollars.

Are you claiming Apple does that? If so, please elaborate in verifiable detail.

 

[_Spinn_]

I’m glad she is ok.

 

[I7guy]

No but there are other ways a company can try to profit from or monetize (now or for the future) a supposedly "free" product or service besides ad revenue. Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite usage data, publicity, etc. can be quite valuable to them now and/or in the future.

So your point well taken is that at some point in time, some company, somewhere may attempt to profit from your information, maybe. Okay I’ll accept that as a firm possibility of a definite maybe

 

[webkit]

Are you claiming Apple does that? If so, please elaborate in verifiable detail.

You don't think Apple is using usage data from the SOS via Satellite service to try assess cost/overhead factors, pricing, etc. in order to gauge future direction and maximize potential profits? That sort of stuff can be quite valuable to a company. Not to mention them wanting to play up the publicity aspect to try to generate more overall sales of Apple products.

 

[citysnaps]

You don't think Apple is using usage data from the SOS via Satellite service to try assess cost/overhead factors, pricing, etc. in order to gauge future direction and maximize potential profits? That sort of stuff can be quite valuable to a company. Not to mention them wanting to play up the publicity aspect to try to generate more overall sales of Apple products.

Sure. With a user's permission. And then that data is anonymized so that it can't ever be used for targeting ads to specific people who might be interested in products that Apple, or other companies that Apple would SELL that information to who would then target Apple customers with ads for Pampers, or restaurants that you happen to be close to when out driving.

That's a huge difference. And separates Apple from google and similar companies whose revenue model depends on selling customer information to other companies who then markets products to those customers without their permission.

All companies use internal sales data to better understand how to develop and market products. If Ford offers F-150 trucks in five different interior colors, and after a year discovered they sold very few trucks where people chose Baby Blue as an interior color, they would likely discontinue making that interior color choice available.

Similarly, if Apple introduced a square iPhone, and through sales data only sold a couple hundred of them per year, Apple would be smart not offering square iPhones and taking a revenue hit as a result.

 

[I7guy]

You don't think Apple is using usage data from the SOS via Satellite service to try assess cost/overhead factors, pricing, etc. in order to gauge future direction and maximize potential profits? That sort of stuff can be quite valuable to a company. Not to mention them wanting to play up the publicity aspect to try to generate more overall sales of Apple products.

I am totally for companies harvesting anonymized usage and sales data. There’s a difference to doing that and using the data I generate to serve me up advertising.

 

[NetMage]

That's a huge difference. And separates Apple from google and similar companies whose revenue model depends on selling customer information to other companies who then markets products to those customers without their permission.

That's not how Google works at all. At least know enough to argue without making up stuff.
Google keeps your personal information to itself, it doesn't sell it to others. That would limit monetization too much. Instead they offer a service where you pick keywords (representing interests) and they show your ad to people who match those interests. The products aren't marketed to you without permission, your use of Google's services is permission for them to show you ads.

 

[webkit]

Sure. With a user's permission. And then that data is anonymized so that it can't ever be used for targeting ads to specific people who might be interested in products that Apple, or other companies that Apple would SELL that information to who would then target Apple customers with ads for Pampers, or restaurants that you happen to be close to when out driving.

That's a huge difference. And separates Apple from google and similar companies whose revenue model depends on selling customer information to other companies who then markets products to those customers without their permission.

All companies use internal sales data to better understand how to develop and market products. If Ford offers F-150 trucks in five different interior colors, and after a year discovered they sold very few trucks where people chose Baby Blue as an interior color, they would likely discontinue making that interior color choice available.

Similarly, if Apple introduced a square iPhone, and through sales data only sold a couple hundred of them per year, Apple would be smart not offering square iPhones and taking a revenue hit as a result.

Companies "monetize" user data and usage in varying ways. Apple is certainly included in that, and significantly benefits financially from Google's revenue model. People may prefer or be ok with some things more than others but in each of these cases, if the product/service is "free" then the argument (some like to use) is that you are the product.