Believe me, he's not irrelevant. Watch his recent interview with execs. He also had a workshop at WWDC.
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John Gruber wants the iPhone X to start at $1500
- Thread starter blairh
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I'm not so sure about "very few" part.
That tells more about you than him if you think the guy who interviewed Craig Federighi the next day after Keynote is irrelevant.
You seriously don't comprehend that consumers want this redesigned iPhone badly and that most of them would laugh at the mere idea of paying $1500 or more for it? I mean, really, you don't see that?
Are you under the impression that everyone buys every single product that Apple creates?
That's not reality.
I've always gone for the latest technology with all the "bells and whistles" but I couldn't justify $1500 for an iPhone. I have the money to pay for one as both my wife and I work in a very highly paid field but why would I pay a 60% premium/schmuck tax? I'll switch to Samsung products before I pay that kind of a "premium", a term I use both loosely and tongue-in-cheek. I used Samsung before I switched to Apple years ago and would have no problem going back as I made sure not to get locked into iTunes with all my digital media. I pay for premium products because I like what they can do, not vanity. $1,500? Well, here's at least one person Apple will likely lose out on future device and App Store purchases.
Record sales numbers probably won't happen anyway do to limited oled availability this year.
Again, consumers want the iPhone X. Badly. And they will laugh at a $1500 price tag.
It's extremely clear that Gruber meant he wanted a more expensive phone because it would be able to do more than any previous phone from anyone, Apple or Samsung.
That's what he is potentially excited by, not the price.
Bingo. They CAN'T sell record numbers of OLED phones this year. What's the best way to do that? Put some other cool expensive tech in the thing to lessen demand to levels they can satisfy. Far better than making an affordable phone with 8 month waiting lists. That would be far more damaging to Apple's reputation than having an expensive phone option.
Except no he is not. The iPhone Pro, 8, X, Edition or whatever it will be called is not for the "average consumer" - that's the 7s, not the obviously premium iPhone that's been leaking.
No but Apple's greatest success has come from mass market products, the high end serves a branding purpose sure, but the iPhone, which is Apple's biggest contributor in revenue and profitability, has succeeded primarily because it is within reach of the masses.
And just like the Windows PC in the 90's and the Apple iPod of the 00's, the iPhone will eventually fall from grace and be replaced.
And just like with those products it won't be because a better competitor's phone replaced it, but rather because some other device will make smart phones obsolete.
But the road between here and there is long and winding. It won't happen overnight. And that means that the iPhone markets of 2017 and 2027 will each be as different from each other as they are they are from 2007.
We're just starting to see the next bend in the road. Saying that the highway used to be straight is true. And interesting. But ultimately irrelevant.
Bogus
People will want another design instead of a 4th run of the same physical body.
And an OLED screen after a decade.
Those are hardly niche desires
I couldn't care less that he wants, sorry. He has no impact on my life, or my purchase desires.
If he wants to widen the gap between affordable and for elitist only, he's on the right track.
If he wants to widen the gap between affordable and for elitist only, he's on the right track.
Honestly, the average consumer just wants a phone that works well for them, bezels or not. The Galaxy S8 is probably the most beautifuly designed smartphone to date, but it's not sold out everywhere for months because it's flying off the shelves, like every iPhone. It's a readily available product that generated some buzz, but people aren't flocking to buy it. Why? Because iPhone, stale design or not, just works better for lots and lots of average consumers.
Also, users on this board know what an OLED display is, but I promise you, ~75% of smartphone users could not really tell you what the advantages of an OLED display are. If you explain it to them, sure they'd be on board, but your average run-of-the-mill consumer is not currently pining for an OLED display.
Now, I'll tell you I'm pining for an OLED iPhone, and I'm ready to move on to the bezel-less design. I'll pay whatever price they charge for it (within some reason of course lol) because I want those things, but in the big picture I'm in the minority on that, and Apple knows their customer base better than any of us.
i don't like 1500 much. but if it doesn't start at 1200 for the minimum configuration then it is likely that hardware supported feature set is not worth it.
i am all for apple reaching into the stratosphere of smart phone device prices for hardware/software features that are advanced and leading.
these kinds of features cost money. lots of money.
why do you think that apple is going to sell a 7s and 7s plus device?
its because that most people won't feel that the advanced feature set of the 8 is affordable by them.
iPhone 8 must be an aspirational device.
that will be best for the brand, for the AAPL share price, and for smartphone fans that want to see apple get to a leadership position.
The question is more of is the tech warrant $1.5k compared to the competition, and the answer is no, for now in term of both display and camera Apple has not been the best. They barely catch up on water resistant and only starting to implement wireless charging.
I agree with the author 100%. Go back to the original redesigns - iPhone 4, iPhone 6. Those were sold for $650 and up and were sold out for months. So why not make something slightly better quality (e.g. OLED), charge slightly more for the early adopters and be sold out for 1-2 months rather than 6+?
People who don't want to pay will buy the "new" old model (e.g. 7s) and have the new design year later, at the old price point.
So yes, bring on the $1500 iPhone with the quality to match. And sign me up for the preorder.
People who don't want to pay will buy the "new" old model (e.g. 7s) and have the new design year later, at the old price point.
So yes, bring on the $1500 iPhone with the quality to match. And sign me up for the preorder.
I am an Android user. I buy iPhones for my elitist family members. But yeah, a big part of the appeal of an iPhone is snobbery. It certainly isn't bleeding edge hardware because the iPhones have never had that.
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Many want them, few can afford them. They will be status symbols.
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People pay lots of money for jaguars too, bet you don't have one of those either.
Obviously you don't read the android forums. The Note 8 is going to be a $1k+ device. Also, since you don't read the android forums you don't realize that Samsung follows Apple on pricing sooooooo . . . . . Where you gonna go? To Motorola? 'Cuz LG and HTC follow Samsung on pricing as does Google.
Clearly you haven't been paying attention then. Samsung pricing follows Apple's pricing so "going back" to Samsung ain't gonna save you no cash boy. But you will get some freebies from Samsung, like free Gear VR or Gear 360, which you don't get from Apple.
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It's not going to be slightly more though, it is going to be a lot more.
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So sayeth the upper middle class to separate ourselves from the great unwashed masses.
Wrong. This will royally anger consumers who want the iPhone X but can't afford it. They will seriously consider Android versus gettting a phone that they don't want as much. (7S/7S Plus)
It's not happening so it's a moot point. But this idea that Apple even do such and there wouldn't be a huge backlash is hilarious.
It's not just that it wouldn't sell that many, its the psychology of what it would do to iPhone users.
Right now you have 100's of millions of users who find a way to buy a brand new, top of the line iPhone, every 1-2 years but suddenly if only 20-50% of users can/will buy the "iPhone Pro" it leaves the rest of users disappointed in their "brand new" iPhone 7S which they always know isn't the best even the day they buy it.
Part of the satisfaction of owning a product like the iPhone is that first experience when you know you are getting the "best cellphone" (I know you can argue about Android etc.) in the world and now you tell your giant user base that well, that feeling is only for the highest disposable income folks. It will create a bunch of disappointed folks even when they buy their new iPhone.
Right now you have 100's of millions of users who find a way to buy a brand new, top of the line iPhone, every 1-2 years but suddenly if only 20-50% of users can/will buy the "iPhone Pro" it leaves the rest of users disappointed in their "brand new" iPhone 7S which they always know isn't the best even the day they buy it.
Part of the satisfaction of owning a product like the iPhone is that first experience when you know you are getting the "best cellphone" (I know you can argue about Android etc.) in the world and now you tell your giant user base that well, that feeling is only for the highest disposable income folks. It will create a bunch of disappointed folks even when they buy their new iPhone.
This is the only argument in the entire thread that holds water. The iPhone has always been egalitarian in its way.
However, as we have seen with Apple Watch Tim Cook's apple has been willing to explore the premium side of things. (Edition series 0 and series 2) Fortunately for users they seem committed to keeping feature parity across models. This greatly reduces the effect you described in your post. I.E.: Who cares if there is a $15K edition watch when your $350 sport watch does the same exact things?
I expect the iPhone 8/Edition/Pro to be differentiated solely on materials and design and to maintain almost perfect feature pairing with the 7S+ and 7S. At least as close as from a 7 to a 7+.
I suspect the iPhone 8 or whatever will offer technology/features, that normally would be only ready for the 2018 model, because only then it would be feasible to produce it in the amount required (close to 100 million or so). By offering this one year early as an anniversary model they have to deal with lower yield numbers and higher component prices. A significantly higher selling price would solve both problems from a marketing standpoint. Of course some people would be upset, but they would just have to wait 1 year. I am not saying, they should do this, but I would understand why, if they do it.
