iPhone XS Max Since iPhone loyalty is dropping. Do you think they will raise the price of this years phone?

[Shirasaki]

Why would anyone go to physical store anymore unless you are physically out in the street. You can get same stuff for lot cheaper and often you are not paying for shipping.

One day or same day shipping is common. I don’t see the point for going to physical store.

Even when I am in Canada, which I primary reside, I go Amazon frequently. There is a reason why retail stores are struggling.

I go to physical store because I can try out the item when possible, or at least see what the package looks like. No such luck when buying stuff online. And believe it or not, I bought watch bands online and receive less ideal quality bands, all of which could’ve been avoided if I got the watch band in a physical store. Believe it or not, to exchange, I have to pay 1/3 of the band price to ship the band back, and there is not guarantee the exchanged product is better than previous one, which is just ridiculous.

And, free delivery is a thing pretty much only in China. In Australia, there are free shippings in Australia but only when your purchase value reaches a certain amount. Sometimes that amount can be excessive for otherwise a small purchase (want to buy $15 item but store provides free shipping for purchases over $50).

 

[LovingTeddy]

Stop making stuff up.
iMessage users in China flooded with spam
http://www.ecns.cn/m/news/society/2019-05-15/detail-ifzicwaz7652692.shtml

That’s a recent article from this year as well.
It really looks like you don’t know what your taking about.

What the ****?

iMessage is almost non-existence in China compare with WeChat and QQ.

If you want take things literally, then I was wrong. Yes, there are some dude out there probably has iMessage turned on. But come on, are you seriously think iMessage has upper hand on WeChat and QQ?

 

[FFR]

I go to physical store because I can try out the item when possible, or at least see what the package looks like. No such luck when buying stuff online. And believe it or not, I bought watch bands online and receive less ideal quality bands, all of which could’ve been avoided if I got the watch band in a physical store. Believe it or not, to exchange, I have to pay 1/3 of the band price to ship the band back, and there is not guarantee the exchanged product is better than previous one, which is just ridiculous.

And, free delivery is a thing pretty much only in China. In Australia, there are free shippings in Australia but only when your purchase value reaches a certain amount. Sometimes that amount can be excessive for otherwise a small purchase (want to buy $15 item but store provides free shipping for purchases over $50).

And perhaps because there is a zero percent chance of buying a fake product from the actual store

Using tabao over the apple store, “Chances of getting counterfeit very low”

that’s a great slogan.

 

[I7guy]

That is difference between US and China. Here is why: most Apple services can be replaced by other services.

Everybody in China using WeChat, not iMessage. Everybody in China is using QQ music, Baidu Music, not Apple Music. Everyone is using WeChat Pay and Alipay etc.

Apple Services are most irrelevant in China. Chinese people are free to jump ship anytime they wish.

I am jumping between iPhone and Android phone all the time. I don’t tie myself into one particular platform and not subject myself into hostage of one.

That may be in China, but in the US at least imessage and FaceTime rules. Yet you hold yourself hostage to google. One always hold yourself hostage to some tech thing or another. One just picks their poison.

 

[Shirasaki]

And perhaps because there is a zero percent chance of buying a fake product from the actual store

Using tabao over the apple store, “Chances of getting counterfeit very low”

that’s a great slogan.

I am not gonna say “zero chance”, especially when talking about selling products in China. But online shopping definitely has a much higher chance of receiving counterfeit goods. So yeah, “great slogan”.

 

[LovingTeddy]

And perhaps because there is a zero percent chance of buying a fake product from the actual store

Using tabao over the apple store, “Chances of getting counterfeit very low”

that’s a great slogan.

Remember Costco was sued for selling counterfeit Tiffany?

You really think there is zero chance of buying fake product from actual store? Think twice.

 

[FFR]

What the ****?

iMessage is almost non-existence in China compare with WeChat and QQ.

If you want take things literally, then I was wrong. Yes, there are some dude out there probably has iMessage turned on.

Ok so it’s almost non-existant now. That’s not true either. We get you hate iMessage no need to keep making things up

Are you being literal when you claim that only one person in China is using iMessage because he “left it turned on”?

You keep making things up to suit your opinions.

But come on, are you seriously think iMessage has upper hand on WeChat and QQ?

So you went from nobody uses iMessage to iMessage has “upper hand”, no idea what that means.

“As noted by Abacus News, iPhone users in China are taking to Weibo to complain about the onslaught of gambling-related spam messages. The messages generally appear to be coming from casinos and either link to WeChat accounts or suspicious gambling websites.

Many iPhone users in China seem to be calling on mobile carriers to fix the problem, though carriers do not have the ability to control and filter iMessages like they do SMS messages.”
https://9to5mac.com/2018/07/24/iphone-china-imessage-spam/


You do understand we chat,qq, and iMessage don’t have to be used exclusively, as long as you have an iPhone, you can use all three simultaneously.

 

[FFR]

Remember Costco was sued for selling counterfeit Tiffany?

You really think there is zero chance of buying fake product from actual store? Think twice.

What does Costco have to do with apple or taboa.

Yes there is zero chance of buying a fake iPhone, if you buy it directly from apples store.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Ok so it’s almost non-existant now. That’s not true either. We get you hate iMessage no need to keep making things up

Are you being literal when you claim that only one person in China is using iMessage because he “left it turned on”?

You keep making things up to suit your opinions.



So you went from nobody uses iMessage to iMessage has “upper hand”, no idea what that means.

“As noted by Abacus News, iPhone users in China are taking to Weibo to complain about the onslaught of gambling-related spam messages. The messages generally appear to be coming from casinos and either link to WeChat accounts or suspicious gambling websites.

Many iPhone users in China seem to be calling on mobile carriers to fix the problem, though carriers do not have the ability to control and filter iMessages like they do SMS messages.”
https://9to5mac.com/2018/07/24/iphone-china-imessage-spam/


You do understand we chat,qq, and iMessage don’t have to be used exclusively, as long as you have an iPhone, you can use all three simultaneously.

I am Chinese. I have yet walk with a single Chinese people inside of China saying send me message through iMessage.

You do realize that there are large number of Chinese outside of China who could use iMessage and at same time they use Weibo?

Even with my wife, which has had iPhone before, doesn’t realizes she has her iMessage turned on and she exclusive using QQ and WeChat.

iMessage could simply been turned on and people can simply not knowing it was turned on. Since everyone is using WeChat, QQ, people aren’t simply using iMessage. I could not iMessage to my mother in law even if I wanted to. My wife can’t iMessage to her boss even if she wanted to.

There is distinctive advantage with WeChat and or QQ. People use it for paying for stuff, ordering dishes, paying their utilities bills, paying their credit card back, buying plane ticket, buying train ticket.

Simply, people aren’t actively using iMessages. People could passively have iMessage turned on, does not means they are actively using iMessage.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

People who believe Apples' products are over-priced or expensive or the functionality does not justify the price, etc. Are free to buy elsewhere. Nobody is forcing anybody to buy anything. Vote with your wallets. I do think, however, apple doesn't price to gouge, it prices to what it thinks the value is to their customers.

Or do what a lot of people seem to be doing who like iOS but don’t want to pay XS/XS Max prices and buy the XR or older model iPhones. I can understand the frustration with how smartphones have suddenly gotten expensive (£1k+) to compensate for a declining market. I don’t believe Apples top phones are worth what is charged for them despite accepting they are very good phones. The mass market has reacted to that though and is preferring the more affordable alternatives Apple offer.

I just hope Apple continue offering incentives to go for their mid tier devices rather than putting all the best tech in the flagships. The XR offered much of what the XS offers and I hope that trend continues as there’s less reason to opt for the higher tier.

 

[Falhófnir]

I don't think they will drop prices on their new flagship phones, but it will be interesting to see if they start keeping the XS/Max around at $100 cheaper this year. Presumably they'd prefer the XS to cannibalise the XI than lose customers to Android? Maybe this would be easier next year though, keeping the XI in the lineup while the new 2020 iPhones with all the goodies will be better able to hold their own and differentiate themselves. It seems like there would be a gap between the $749 64GB XIR and $999 64GB XI, right around the $849-$899 price. Even more so if they do start the XI at 128GB so that's another reason to go for the $999 XI over the XS for ~$100 cheaper.

 

[Bryanmsi]

This is 99% price-related and 1% boredom. Apple jumped the shark on pricing with the iPhone X and hasn't looked back.

People are not buying the expensive Samsung's either (although those Samsungs rarely sell for full retail and are frequently discounted). Even people who can easily pay $1200 for an XS Max question the value of doing so.

Apple should be worried because an android phone a vicious cycle. No iMessage lock in. No Apple Watch sale. Then no MacBook. Then no AirPods. Then no services like News or Music. If the goals is to increase revenue from services, the pricing of the hardware should be lower, not higher. The hardware is the entry point into the services.

 

[Falhófnir]

This is 99% price-related and 1% boredom. Apple jumped the shark on pricing with the iPhone X and hasn't looked back.

People are not buying the expensive Samsung's either (although those Samsungs rarely sell for full retail and are frequently discounted). Even people who can easily pay $1200 for an XS Max question the value of doing so.

Apple should be worried because an android phone a vicious cycle. No iMessage lock in. No Apple Watch sale. Then no MacBook. Then no AirPods. Then no services like News or Music. If the goals is to increase revenue from services, the pricing of the hardware should be lower, not higher. The hardware is the entry point into the services.

Therein lies the real risk for Apple, it looks like their revenue chart is going in the right direction, with other parts of the business slowly making the iPhone less dominant. In reality though, service revenue is heavily tied into the iPhone user base, due to the far lower numbers of Mac/ iPad users; the watch is basically an iPhone accessory; and macOS doesn't play all that nicely with android if you're using one of them instead of an iPhone. Taking this into account, the iPhone still probably underpins 75%+ of Apple's revenue, thus milking it for profit at the expense of units sold, rather than nurturing it to keep it growing isn't a sustainable business model.

 

[jackietreeh0rn]

with the success of the XR after dropping the price, i think they will drop prices next time around. back down to the $500-$900 range.

you are too optimistic

 

[macfacts]

There's always last years model for people that want a cheaper device, there's no reason for apple not to raise prices.

 

[Wide opeN]

The ball is in Apple court. Doing the same thing as in the past, IS NOT going to work.

I expect to see a shift in strategy come September.

 

[iScone]

People who believe Apples' products are over-priced or expensive or the functionality does not justify the price, etc. Are free to buy elsewhere. Nobody is forcing anybody to buy anything. Vote with your wallets. I do think, however, apple doesn't price to gouge, it prices to what it thinks the value is to their customers.

I’ll buy an iPhone in the future (definitely not this year) unless anyone starts making better phones, because I happen to think that on consideration, they’re the best. But I reserve the right to simultaneously think they’re a rip off. I don’t have to stop buying them to hold that view.

Apple didn’t become the richest company in the world by pricing products according to their perceived value to customer. That’s just not how business works - the production process is an incredibly finely tuned instrument as precise as their products themselves. Every single cent is considered to maximise profit whilst making quality goods. But Apple is primarily about making money. To believe anything else is naivety.

 

[McScooby]

Of course TC will, $50-$100 on flagship & $100-$150 on entry!

 

[naturalstar]

There's always last years model for people that want a cheaper device, there's no reason for apple not to raise prices.

At the end of the day, it’s this simple.

I read some posts and it’s as if Apple doesn’t offer any iPhone other than the XS, XS Max, and the XR.

Apple continues to sell the models from previous years and offer support for them with iOS updates for an extended number of years. As new models are introduced, the price of the previous phones go down. There’s a point of entry below the $749 XR to remain on Apple’s ecosystem, it’s just a matter of adjusting expectations on what you’re going to get.

I’ve some other thoughts around this, but I really don’t feel like getting into an e-debate on the forum about pricing, entitlement, and reality checks.

 

[superleakTx]

they should not raise anymore.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

At the end of the day, it’s this simple.

I read some posts and it’s as if Apple doesn’t offer any iPhone other than the XS, XS Max, and the XR.

Apple continues to sell the models from previous years and offer support for them with iOS updates for an extended number of years. As new models are introduced, the price of the previous phones go down. There’s a point of entry below the $749 XR to remain on Apple’s ecosystem, it’s just a matter of adjusting expectations on what you’re going to get.

I’ve some other thoughts around this, but I really don’t feel like getting into an e-debate on the forum about pricing, entitlement, and reality checks.

My last 2 iPhones have been the previous years models and it’s suiting me to be honest because I’m getting the same experience but paying up to £400 less for the device. Come to think of it most of the people I know are either getting iPhone 8’s or XR’s. As prices go higher I think the expectation as you say shifts. Gone are the days of everybody lusting after Apples best iPhone and I think most people have become a bit disillusioned with paying over a grand for a phone. You don’t need to when Apple offer perhaps better alternatives in the range.

 

[borntrouble]

They are losing customers to Android and by the sound of it, quite a lot. There can’t be anyway they raise the already high priced phones that lack the technology of their competitors. I mean how could they recover to make it to 2020 with a non exciting launch this year while already losing business!?
#LowerThePrice

https://www.google.com/amp/s/wccftech.com/iphone-brand-loyalty-drops-bankmycell-study/amp/

I cant speak for the United States, but I'm pretty sure that Apple wont raise prices in Europe. I even think we will get
a fast charger out of the box and/or finally 128 GB base storage models.

 

[pika2000]

In the past, iPhones used to have a very tight lineup, making choices quite easy with obvious tradeoffs when going up/down in price of ~$100 (choice between newer/older model, or larger/smaller storage).

Today, we have this
Xs Max: starts at $1099
Xs: starts at $999
XR: starts at $749
8 Plus: starts at $699
8: starts at $599
7 Plus: starts at $569
7: starts at $449

The obvious huge gap is between XR and Xs. The price point jumps form $749 to $999. I wish Apple would tighten the lineup a bit.

 

[44267547]

Apple didn’t become the richest company in the world by pricing products according to their perceived value to customer..

What Apple did, was that the standard for hardware standards being at the top, therefore if you want the best hardware possible, you choose to pay _their_ prices. Keep in mind, Apple is all about appeasing to the investors, they need to keep them in line and content with what they’re doing, and if the prices don’t reflect the end sales, that ultimately is the deciding factor of how they need to adjust accordingly.

 

[radiologyman]

Smartphone market is saturated now and will not bear increased price, especially with incremental upgrades. Apple will have to again resort to incentives and buyback program to even maintain current pricing and sales numbers for 2019 iPhones. They may have better upgrade in 2020 but raising prices may shrink sales even further.