'iPhone 6s' Logic Board Suggests 16GB Base Model and Updated NFC Hardware

[doelcm82]

For most people, 16 GB is too little and 64 GB is overkill (especially now that music storage has become a thing of the past with MUSIC, Spotify and Tidal). You don't find it the least bit conspicuous that there's a gap in the middle? It's blatantly obvious that they want to force customers to go for an overkill model that wouldn't be nearly as popular if there was a 32 GB version available. The ones who would afford a 32 GB but feel that the 64 is simply too much will go for 16 and argue 'well, better this than no iPhone at all, guess I'll just have to sacrifice apps'. The fact that the 16 GB model lingers hurts both app sales and app evolution. Nobody wins, not even Apple - increased app sales would compensate for the nickels it costs them to stick 32 GB in the entry level model instead of 16.

It sounds as though you've done a ton of research on this, and how it will affect the marketplace, and Apple has done zero. Apple is just greedy and you're completely dispassionate and quoting the results of the extensive study that you have done.

But I still think it's the reverse. Apple has probably done the research and decided that the 16GB entry point, with a jump to 64GB is the one that is the winner for them.

If you actually do have research that says people who buy the entry level phone will buy enough apps to make up for the additional cost of putting 32GB in every entry level phone they make, then you should share it with Apple so they can fire the people who told them that entry-level phone buyers don't buy enough paid apps to make the upgrade worth the expense.

 

[HenryDJP]

That's not a solution. The hardware is generally not the issue for people with Android phones ... it's the Android OS.

Well then he can't be throwing shade on Apple's iPhone by touting how much better specs you get on Android if the OS itself is the problem. At that point then the Android phones are not better phones if the OS that they run on sucks. Specs can't fix a bad OS, so that's an unfair argument. Honestly, if I am going to spend the majority of my time on a forum consistently touting how much better the specs are of Apple's competing products then I will buy Apple's competing products. By holding onto Apple's products and constantly advertising how much better other brands are is hypocritical.

 

[HenryDJP]

For most people, 16 GB is too little and 64 GB is overkill (especially now that music storage has become a thing of the past with MUSIC, Spotify and Tidal). You don't find it the least bit conspicuous that there's a gap in the middle? It's blatantly obvious that they want to force customers to go for an overkill model that wouldn't be nearly as popular if there was a 32 GB version available. The ones who would afford a 32 GB but feel that the 64 is simply too much will go for 16 and argue 'well, better this than no iPhone at all, guess I'll just have to sacrifice apps'. The fact that the 16 GB model lingers hurts both app sales and app evolution. Nobody wins, not even Apple - increased app sales would compensate for the nickels it costs them to stick 32 GB in the entry level model instead of 16.

I have barely seen anyone on MR say that 64GB is overkill. If anything I see more people here buying the 128GB iPhone. I bought the 64GB because to me that was the sweet spot for my needs. You do realize that the amount of storage that comes on the phone is in fact quite a bit less in reality right? I have a 32GB iPad Air. I can't remember exactly how much storage was available out of the box but I believe it was +/-27GB. To many people that's not enough.

Seems to me some people here are arguing that the 32GB is considered the sweet spot just because Apple isn't offering it. I'll bet if 32GB for the iPhone was the base and Apple skipped the 64GB and the next available model was 128GB then the 64GB will suddenly be argued as the "sweet spot".

 

[JohnApples]

Part of the problem may be that some people are "okay" with 16GB is that they limit themselves and have grown accustom to it.

A person with a 16GB iPhone typically knows they don't have a ton of storage so they operate their phone accordingly. They limit the pictures they take, apps they download, and delete ones they feel aren't necessary to free up space. It's a bunch of managing that has just become standard routine. This was my family and I when we had 16GB iPhones.

Once I upgraded to 64GB, I realized how much more convienient it was to have an abundance of storage. I was no longer constantly monitoring my storage usage, and I could go crazy with my camera without being paranoid. I think if a lot of people got a taste of more storage, they would demand more from the base model once they see that they can use their smartphones to their full potential.

Yes, I know there will always be people who are happy with 16GB because they download only a handful of apps and are set for 2 years. But I also think it won't be long before even light users start getting frustrated by the limitations of such low storage.

I know it's about business, saving money, and upselling to the 64GB model. And it's a good strategy for them. But $650 for a base model is not cheap, and if they tout the iPhone as being the best, most powerful smartphone on the market, they shouldn't skimp out on something relatively minor to them, but major to the end user.

 

[sunking101]

Surely you took it back straight away? Else your stupider than the people you're critisising

Took it down to the Apple store and the 'genius' said his was the same. I was told to wait for an imminent update that would fix it. As I had already given my iPhone 5 to my father I was kinda stuck wasn't I? Either I swapped it for an Android phone or I waited for an update. Surely Apple wouldn't release a poorly designed phone I thought to myself...

 

[SgtPepper12]

I have a 16 GB iPhone 5 and never really understood the demands for a spacier base model. I bought the 16 GB model because I'm not exactly a hardcore user. I don't really use it for anything that requires a lot of space. I don't use a lot of large apps or even games (I kind of grew out of it) and I only have a few albums on it. That actually leaves me with like 3 GB of free space. I think there are many users like me around, obviously not on these forums however.

That's not supposed to be an excuse for Apple — Apple could easily bump the base model to 32 GB without losing too much margin. But I think that's the reason why the 16 GB model still sells.

 

[sunking101]

I don't see the problem. If 16GB isn't enough then pay extra for extra storage. 16GB models are needed to make the phone available at very cheap prices for people taking out a contract and for the operator to subsidise. 16GB is more than enough for most people. And as I said, if it isn't, then buy the 64GB version!

All of which completely misses the point.
Apple have a ridiculous mark-up on iPhones and do not put 16GB inside the base model in order to make it cheaper to buy. It is already an expensive phone and storage costs Apple peanuts.

 

[Dmunjal]

If you keep your eye on the profit, you’re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow - Steve Jobs

I design a product for maximum profit even if I have to skimp on RAM and storage. Because I know people will buy it and even defend me when I do! - Tim Cook

 

[Dmunjal]

They want to do both: Create great products that people love to buy, generating huge profits.

It is the same thing I want personally in my life: Great performance in my work and generating a huge salary.

Question. When you do have a choice in your job to cut a corner, do you? Just to make a few extra bucks knowing that someone else will be negatively affected.

 

[Michael Goff]

If you keep your eye on the profit, you’re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow - Steve Jobs

That's a great line, but that's all it is.

 

[Dmunjal]

That's a great line, but that's all it is.

Not true. I see a lot of similarities between entrepreneurs like Jobs, Elon Musk and others. They design a product first and then price it accordingly. What Tim Cook seems to do is design a product for maximum profit margins first and cut corners as needed to achieve that goal.

This is what the US auto companies do and got them into trouble.

Tim Cook is not a product guy. He's a business manager. And it's starting to show.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

I design a product for maximum profit even if I have to skimp on RAM and storage. Because I know people will buy it and even defend me when I do! - Tim Cook
View attachment 566333

#dividends
#shareholders
#corporateamerica

 

[cmaier]

Not true. I see a lot of similarities between entrepreneurs like Jobs, Elon Musk and others. They design a product first and then price it accordingly. What Tim Cook seems to do is design a product for maximum profit margins first and cut corners as needed to achieve that goal.

This is what the US auto companies do and got them into trouble.

Tim Cook is not a product guy. He's a business manager. And it's starting to show.

Right, because under Steve jobs apple's products were never under-spec'd...
Oh, wait....

 

[kingofwale]

let's not fool ourselves.. the ONLY reason Apple continues to offer 16gb option with no expandability is.... Greed.

pure and simple

 

[CmdrLaForge]

16GB was the maximum storage you could get in 2008. Base model was 8GB. This has a bigger screen, faster processor, FaceTime camera, compass, touchID and many features that weren't on the 2008 iPhone. The 2008 iPhone had a 2MP camera that wasn't very good.

So if Apple could improve all those features - why not the ram?

 

[CmdrLaForge]

let's not fool ourselves.. the ONLY reason Apple continues to offer 16gb option with no expandability is.... Greed.

pure and simple

I am sorry to say this but from what it looks from the outside this is just right.

 

[HenryDJP]

Not true. I see a lot of similarities between entrepreneurs like Jobs, Elon Musk and others. They design a product first and then price it accordingly. What Tim Cook seems to do is design a product for maximum profit margins first and cut corners as needed to achieve that goal.

This is what the US auto companies do and got them into trouble.

Tim Cook is not a product guy. He's a business manager. And it's starting to show.

Steve Jobs was not a product guy either, he was a salesman!

 

[ToroidalZeus]

Steve Jobs was not a product guy either, he was a salesman!

he was both.

he made the executive decisions regarding "good taste" as well as marketed the product to us during his famous keynotes.

 

[Anuba]

It sounds as though you've done a ton of research on this, and how it will affect the marketplace, and Apple has done zero. Apple is just greedy and you're completely dispassionate and quoting the results of the extensive study that you have done.

But I still think it's the reverse. Apple has probably done the research and decided that the 16GB entry point, with a jump to 64GB is the one that is the winner for them.

If you actually do have research that says people who buy the entry level phone will buy enough apps to make up for the additional cost of putting 32GB in every entry level phone they make, then you should share it with Apple so they can fire the people who told them that entry-level phone buyers don't buy enough paid apps to make the upgrade worth the expense.

No, unsurprisingly I haven't researched the matter, which goes without saying. Which is why I gave the thread the benefit of the doubt and skipped the "in my opinion..." and "personally, I think" disclaimers in every other sentence. In hindsight I should've known that there's always that one guy who can't resist seizing the opportunity for sarcasm.

Apple evidently thinks really hard about everything they do, like the time they released an iOS update so gargantuan that 16 GB model owners had to wipe all apps and user files in order to install it, only to suddenly discover with 8.1.3 how to do it with way less free space. (Sarcasm)

 

[Michael Scrip]

If constantly managing your storage is what what you enjoy, then a 32GB 6S+ would probably be a dream for you. The picture and video files will be larger, and you'll get to the limit more often, so you'll spend a lot more time collecting garbage than you do now.

For myself, I don't really want to deal with that.

The only people who should get the base model are those who rarely intend to use the camera. That would still be true if the base model came with 32GB.

Exactly... more storage isn't the total answer.

I deal with lots of "normal" consumers... and every photo they've ever taken on their iPhone is ON THEIR IPHONE.

The iPhone Camera Roll was never intended to be a permanent storage facility... yet people use it for that all the time. Their phones are literally crammed full of photos.

Apparently no one knows how to offload photos to their computers. Some people rarely use a computer anymore... so that's not really a solution. And 3rd-party services can sometimes be complicated. (Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive)

Isn't iCloud Photo Library supposed to help with this? Well... Apple needs to get the word out. They need to tell their story. Has there been a TV commercial talking about iCloud Photos? There needs to be.

Photos are important... yet no one knows what to DO with their photos. And I think that's the bigger issue.

More storage would be a temporary fix... there would still be people filling up 32GB and 64GB iPhones with no alternative plan.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Of course people that are set on buying the 128gb (or 64gb for that matter) won't complain because you already know that even 16/32gb won't suit your needs. It's the low ball move of squeezing people for another $100 for 64gb vs the extra $1 to $5 just to increase the base storage from 16 to 32gb.

Of course people buying 128GB still complain, because it is not okay for Apple to even offer 16GB. They took forever to get to 128GB. So, if they are taking their sweet tim with 16GB , it will even be longer to 256 GB.
There is a lot that needs to stay on the phone, rather than cloud etc. Data usage, download speeds, not always near wifi, going over depending on data plan etc.

Same GB shortage for the basic MBP configurations and that can't user upgraded. They always were stingyy with HD space, memory as standard, cloud space etc.etc.

 

[subjonas]

For someone tech savvy, yeah it's thier own fault, for many customers who for many years bought Apple products cause they just worked they have no idea what 16Gb means, no, not thier fault.

It's not entitlement, its profit, how much is the jump from 16 to 64? How much do you think the actual ram module costs? If the base model was 32, people would not be upgrading to the next tier. What do you mean upgraded tiers, the iPhone 6 was the most expansive iPhone to date...(128)

It's like all of us buying a 1GB ram iPhone in 2014, our fault?

When buying an iPhone, there are literally only two choices people have to make: color and storage capacity (and now screen size with iPhone 6). Any iPhone customers for whom storage capacity is an issue will have figured out by now what the storage capacity options mean for them. The only reason they wouldn't know by now is because storage has never been an issue.

People buy the 16 GB because it's the cheapest option, plain and simple. Many are happy with it because they are not the type to take pictures or fill their phone with music or movies or apps. They text, make phone calls, use a few apps, and that's it. The reason we know there are many of them is because the 16 GB iPhone is still here. If there weren't many, then Apple would have already changed their 16 GB option because people would have stopped buying it. Either that or there are massive amounts of dissatisfied people that continue to buy the 16 GB iPhone. If there are many of those people then to them I say, you're the reason the 16 GB is still around. This is the free market. Apple listens most to your dollar votes. But I tend to think they are the vocal minority. It seems like from this forum, the masses are clamoring for >16 GB. But if you think about it the type of people for whom 16 GB is adequate are not the type to be on MacRumors forum. So who really knows how many of them are out there.

I'm not following the RAM comparison. There are no RAM choices, but there are storage choices.

 

[Michael Goff]

Not true. I see a lot of similarities between entrepreneurs like Jobs, Elon Musk and others. They design a product first and then price it accordingly. What Tim Cook seems to do is design a product for maximum profit margins first and cut corners as needed to achieve that goal.

This is what the US auto companies do and got them into trouble.

Tim Cook is not a product guy. He's a business manager. And it's starting to show.

That makes sense. I mean, Steve Jobs priced the original iPhone at 600$. That's not trying to make a huge profit or anything, just the "right price". Oh, I forgot... you could get it for 400$ (still needing that wonderful 2 year contract) on AT&T soon after. So, essentially, you were locked into a two year contract while today you'd be spending 450$ on a phone. By the way, that means if we look at the original price of the iPhone (what Steve Jobs wanted to charge), we'd see a 50$ increase in the cost for the base model with twice the storage and a plethora of other obvious upgrades over the years.

Good old Steve Jobs, not focused on profits.

Or we could look at the MacBook Air. It started off at 1800$ for a 13" model. Now you can get that same size for 1,000$. That's also with changing out the spinning hard drive for a more expensive SSD. Or are we forgetting that the original MacBook Air had a normal Hard Drive?

Steve Jobs was such a great salesman that we seem to forget he was a salesman. He said some wonderful words, but didn't always live up to them. Let's not pretend he wasn't the king of margins, though.

 

[cfedu]

let's not fool ourselves.. the ONLY reason Apple continues to offer 16gb option with no expandability is.... Greed.

pure and simple

Not greed, just maximum profit. If Apple could sell the base iPhone for 1000$ with only 8 gb of storage, they would and I would not care. As long as people keep buying iphones, why should they change. I stopped buying iphones as I could not justify the value for myself but the majority of Apple customers don't see it the same way. I don't see it as greed, I see it as brilliance. IMO anyone who thinks apple is greedy and still buys their products are idiots.

 

[Anuba]

Not true. I see a lot of similarities between entrepreneurs like Jobs, Elon Musk and others. They design a product first and then price it accordingly. What Tim Cook seems to do is design a product for maximum profit margins first and cut corners as needed to achieve that goal.

This is what the US auto companies do and got them into trouble.

Tim Cook is not a product guy. He's a business manager. And it's starting to show.

I've resisted the "Steve would never have..." thing for a long time. A lot of the things that Steve supposedly never would have done, are in fact things he probably would've done and in some conveniently forgotten cases actually did do in his day.

Having said that, I agree that the difference is slowly starting to show. For instance, I doubt he would've felt comfortable trying to peddle the $17,000 Watch, as if a glorified iPod Nano that's mass produced in China is the equivalent of a Rolex. He was no stranger to premium pricing and elegant design, but that sort of shamelessly extravagant bling... again, I don't know, but I think he would've been too proud to go all-in with catering to the dumbest of the filthy rich by going "what can we make that Kanye and Paris Hilton will buy ten of each at any price?"