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DBZmusicboy01

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 30, 2011
1,165
1,402
Does anyone see something ridiculous here? Okay...So something that has better specs cost less than something with less specs?
I mean even the LTE iPad Mini Retina 2 only cost $729 for the 128GB Version
Has a better processor. 2GB of RAM and a bigger screen.
Even if you buy a iPod Touch 5G you will still have money left over.
Just wondering what people think.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,843
13,117
Does anyone see something ridiculous here? Okay...So something that has better specs cost less than something with less specs?
I mean even the LTE iPad Mini Retina 2 only cost $729 for the 128GB Version
Has a better processor. 2GB of RAM and a bigger screen.
Even if you buy a iPod Touch 5G you will still have money left over.
Just wondering what people think.
The mini 3 only has A7 CPU same as the old model. Really, only difference is TouchID and Gold model.
 

cchunk

macrumors 6502
Jul 31, 2012
254
32
Well one is an actual phone that can make calls and has a phone number... so there's that.
 

geoff5093

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2014
2,251
2,564
Dover, NH
Because people in the U.S. are used to buying phones on contract, so they only see (and Apple only advertises) the on-contract pricing, but with tablets people almost always buy them at full retail.

With more and more carriers getting away from subsidizing phones, hopefully off-contract prices will come down.
 

areyes163

macrumors 6502a
Jun 15, 2012
571
356
So both the mini and the iPad 128gb cellular models are cheaper than then plus 128 iPhone. Makes no sense to me.
 

deeddawg

macrumors G5
Jun 14, 2010
12,414
6,526
US
You seem to think components drive market price. That's only true with undifferentiated commodity type products. iDevice pricing instead is driven simply by what people will pay.
 

CEmajr

macrumors 601
Dec 18, 2012
4,471
1,277
Charlotte, NC
Smaller chips and components are actually more expensive to produce than larger ones.

Plus Apple knows that people are willing to pay more for iPhones and thus will charge more.
 

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
Why does Apple charge more money for the iPhone? Why does Apple charge more money than their competitors for similar products? Same answer. Because they can. So they do. And you will buy it. Now go get to your local Apple Store and spend.
 

myscrnnm

macrumors 68000
Sep 16, 2014
1,941
1,660
Seattle, WA
Well one is an actual phone that can make calls and has a phone number... so there's that.
Exactly. Ultimately, it comes down to how much utility you will get out of each device. Which one are you more likely to carry around with you and use all day? People are willing to pay what they believe a product is worth beyond its material cost. And I think both are appropriately priced (disregarding the markup for increased storage capacity).
 

tjl3

macrumors 6502a
Mar 8, 2012
595
4
Not sure if you've browsed the market, but with the exception of the Surface Pro, what tablet is more expensive than its smartphone counterpart?
 

HelloMikee

macrumors 6502a
Jun 16, 2009
987
478
San Diego
Similar with android phones and tablets. Just how the market is. Phones are in a much much higher demand than tablets and demand is a big factor in price.
 

Dmunjal

macrumors 68000
Jun 20, 2010
1,533
1,543
This was debated in another thread.

It's not because it has cellular because the Qualcomm chips are the same. Maybe there's an extra license for voice but that doesn't make up the difference.

It's not because the chips are smaller. They use the same chips.

The battery and the screen on the iPad are bigger which are both more expensive than their iPhone counterparts.

Every time isuppli does an analysis, the iPad has more expensive parts.

The only reason is the $450 subsidy that most iPhone buyers get that hides the true cost. This gives Apple and all other smartphone vendors the freedom to charge more.
 

samiznaetekto

macrumors 65816
Dec 26, 2009
1,016
24
The cellular antenna and chip only cost a couple of bucks, for those saying that iPhone has a phone. Any $5 flip phone has pretty much the same thing. And for those saying that miniaturization costs money - wrong, the logic board and chips in iPhone and iPads are exactly same. The rest - case, battery, and screen - are the more expensive the bigger they are.

"Smartphone" is the biggest scam ever existed on planet Earth. And possibly in the whole universe.
 

myscrnnm

macrumors 68000
Sep 16, 2014
1,941
1,660
Seattle, WA
The cellular antenna and chip only cost a couple of bucks, for those saying that iPhone has a phone. Any $5 flip phone has pretty much the same thing. And for those saying that miniaturization costs money - wrong, the logic board and chips in iPhone and iPads are exactly same. The rest - case, battery, and screen - are the more expensive the bigger they are.

"Smartphone" is the biggest scam ever existed on planet Earth. And possibly in the whole universe.
Like I said, it's not about the material cost. You also have to factor in the utility. These are the prices that the market will bear for smartphones and tablets.
 

Radiating

macrumors 65816
Dec 29, 2011
1,018
7
Well one is an actual phone that can make calls and has a phone number... so there's that.

Yep you're comparing an old low gamute average quality screen and camera with no LTE or super thin design, and many missing features. The iPad mini 3 and iPhone 6 aren't exactly the same feature wise.

So $599 vs $949 is really $729 for the iPad mini 3 LTE version plus a better camera, screen, processor, hardware to take voice calls, smaller form factor which costs money to redesign and retool for, and a rear camera flash, for $220 more. That's 6 extra features which require their own expensive upgrades or hardware for $220. Each extra feature costs less than $35, which is a bargain when Touch ID is $100 alone.

It actually makes sense if you think about it.
 
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Appl3FTW

macrumors 603
Nov 15, 2012
5,577
1,255
First of all, iphone has a better spec than the ipad mini 3. Processor, screen, and camera to name just a few.
 

zbarvian

macrumors 68010
Jul 23, 2011
2,004
2
iPhone buyers subsidise iPad buyers.

Fact for life.

Very true. The iPhone line commands most of Apple's revenue, and thanks to the subsidy or even installation plans, Apple can continue to keep huge margins on the iPhone line and less on the iPad line.
 
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