With the $699 iPhone 11, Apple has reset expectations around phones.
When it announced the X and Xs, Apple set the tone that going forward, $999 was the new default, and that the XR was a lesser phone at $749. Samsung and all the other manufacturers followed suit, raising their prices to $900+.
Going forward, by naming the $1000 phone Pro, and the $700 phone given the connotation of the default, other OEMs must reset their lineups to return to the previous pricing. Apple is betting that it can now make enough money off services to fight off Samsung, who has no notable subscription services to make money off after the sale, and Huawei, who is fighting off a crippling American embargo.
When it announced the X and Xs, Apple set the tone that going forward, $999 was the new default, and that the XR was a lesser phone at $749. Samsung and all the other manufacturers followed suit, raising their prices to $900+.
Going forward, by naming the $1000 phone Pro, and the $700 phone given the connotation of the default, other OEMs must reset their lineups to return to the previous pricing. Apple is betting that it can now make enough money off services to fight off Samsung, who has no notable subscription services to make money off after the sale, and Huawei, who is fighting off a crippling American embargo.