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Tim Cook Says Apple Products 'Change the World' and Aren't Priced Just 'For the Rich'
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I guess it depends on your perspective. Apple products certainly aren't priced for the poor, but they do certainly have products that are affordable if you wait for sales or buy used. Best Buy currently has an iPhone 7 for $349 with 24 month carrier financing or $14.54 a month installments. I think most middle-class people can afford that.
Now not everyone will be able to afford the $1000 iPhone, but they still make the SE for the more budget conscious and the SE is still a great phone. They don't make anything like the sub-$100 Android phones, but Apple phones last a long time if you take care of it properly. You can get 3-4 years out on an Apple phone easy while in my opinion you kind of max out at 2 years for most Androids. My sister seems to have to buy a new Galaxy every year since they always seem to die on her. Although, in fairness to Samsung, she does drop her phone an awful lot.
I also think it's a little unfair that people are using the projected MSRP of the future flagship iPhone as the benchmark price for all iPhones. The 64 GB Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is $930 and it could easily go over $1000 if you want more than 64GBs. Not everyone buys the flagship and not everyone pays MSRP for the privilege of having it on day 1.
The iPad line is in the affordable range if you wait for sales, but they're still not near the price of the Androids or Windows tablets. I picked up a 2017 iPad for $300 when it was on sale. While not cheap, I don't think it's completely out of reach. Especially when you consider how much longer it's going to last compared to one of those cheap Androids. Sure, you can pick up a tablet for $100 all day, but they're not very good.
Yes, Apple makes tablets that are well above the $1000 mark, but I don't think most people need that kind of power in a tablet. To me tablets are just consumption devices and the $300 one is plenty fast for Facebook, e-mail, Netflix, etc. I see it more as a giant iPhone more so than anything.
The Watch is more of a fashion accessory since you don't really need a watch to tell time anymore now that everyone has a phone.
I think Apple's weakest point where affordablity is concerned are the Macs. $1000 is a lot for a laptop, but I don't see them ever going lower because they don't make low end laptops. The $500 Mac mini is really a perfect entry point if they'd keep it updated. I know some teachers who swear by them and have had their minis for 5+ years. The iMac is pretty pricey, but you really are getting what you pay for. The price of a 4K or 5K monitor on its own is pretty significant, although they have gone down quite a bit. Apple also offers up to 24 month financing on their Macs.
The Mac Pro and iMac Pro are not really a consumer grade PCs, but they're not too off in price for being workstations. The Mac Pro is horribly outdated, but the components are still expensive. Xenons don't really go down in price that much over time.
Apple doesn't sell low end products. They sell mid-range and high-end products and there's nothing wrong with that. You can buy a sub-$200 HP laptop, a $5,000 Alienware gaming PC or a $25,000 HP Workstation. You can also buy a $300 iPad, a $500 Mac mini or well over $5000 on an iMac Pro or $1229 for a 512 GB 12.9in iPad Pro with LTE.
Also since Apple products do last for a very long time there's a strong secondary market. Some people buy used and there's nothing wrong with that.
Apple may not have the same kind of range as their competitors, but they do sell quality mid-range products along with their high-end devices. The Apple-tax is a thing, but it's up to each individual consumer if it's worth the cost.
Now not everyone will be able to afford the $1000 iPhone, but they still make the SE for the more budget conscious and the SE is still a great phone. They don't make anything like the sub-$100 Android phones, but Apple phones last a long time if you take care of it properly. You can get 3-4 years out on an Apple phone easy while in my opinion you kind of max out at 2 years for most Androids. My sister seems to have to buy a new Galaxy every year since they always seem to die on her. Although, in fairness to Samsung, she does drop her phone an awful lot.
I also think it's a little unfair that people are using the projected MSRP of the future flagship iPhone as the benchmark price for all iPhones. The 64 GB Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is $930 and it could easily go over $1000 if you want more than 64GBs. Not everyone buys the flagship and not everyone pays MSRP for the privilege of having it on day 1.
The iPad line is in the affordable range if you wait for sales, but they're still not near the price of the Androids or Windows tablets. I picked up a 2017 iPad for $300 when it was on sale. While not cheap, I don't think it's completely out of reach. Especially when you consider how much longer it's going to last compared to one of those cheap Androids. Sure, you can pick up a tablet for $100 all day, but they're not very good.
Yes, Apple makes tablets that are well above the $1000 mark, but I don't think most people need that kind of power in a tablet. To me tablets are just consumption devices and the $300 one is plenty fast for Facebook, e-mail, Netflix, etc. I see it more as a giant iPhone more so than anything.
The Watch is more of a fashion accessory since you don't really need a watch to tell time anymore now that everyone has a phone.
I think Apple's weakest point where affordablity is concerned are the Macs. $1000 is a lot for a laptop, but I don't see them ever going lower because they don't make low end laptops. The $500 Mac mini is really a perfect entry point if they'd keep it updated. I know some teachers who swear by them and have had their minis for 5+ years. The iMac is pretty pricey, but you really are getting what you pay for. The price of a 4K or 5K monitor on its own is pretty significant, although they have gone down quite a bit. Apple also offers up to 24 month financing on their Macs.
The Mac Pro and iMac Pro are not really a consumer grade PCs, but they're not too off in price for being workstations. The Mac Pro is horribly outdated, but the components are still expensive. Xenons don't really go down in price that much over time.
Apple doesn't sell low end products. They sell mid-range and high-end products and there's nothing wrong with that. You can buy a sub-$200 HP laptop, a $5,000 Alienware gaming PC or a $25,000 HP Workstation. You can also buy a $300 iPad, a $500 Mac mini or well over $5000 on an iMac Pro or $1229 for a 512 GB 12.9in iPad Pro with LTE.
Also since Apple products do last for a very long time there's a strong secondary market. Some people buy used and there's nothing wrong with that.
Apple may not have the same kind of range as their competitors, but they do sell quality mid-range products along with their high-end devices. The Apple-tax is a thing, but it's up to each individual consumer if it's worth the cost.
The MacBook Pro is another story. I think compromises were made for the sake of aesthetics only. The build quality is still superb when you think about the aluminum chassis, OLED (useless touchbar) and Touch ID which is useful. I do think they are going to back track on the design (ala Mac Pro) or fix the tactile feedback on the keyboard, because its obviously a issue.
The iPhone annual revision is a no choice situation. It's their biggest money printer. It's either reiterate or be eaten alive by the rest of the industry. What I think needs to happen though is some self restraint on the part of the consumer. The precious metals that go into making an iPhone is not infinite. There is absolutely nothing wrong or strange with hanging onto your iPhone for 5 years if you care it well. I see it every day.
If your phone lets you get the job done, there isn't necessity in having the latest just to say you are ahead of the crowd. To be honest, its hard for me to say that, but I will say this, I was in the Apple Store last year and I was on the brink of buying the iPhone 7 Plus Jet Black. When I thought it through, I said, is this really going to make my life any better? Sure, the bigger screen is nice, but my 6s is doing just fine accessing Facebook, Twitter, Outlook and taking great pics. I put it down and walked out.
I think I will do the same this year and maybe settle for a 12.9 iPad Pro (which would be my first) and wait maybe until 2019 for a second generation OLED iPhone X Plus.
Tim is entitled to his own opinion, but.. Why do I have to pay the same price for a product that doesn't have the same features. In fact, I have to pay much more money for Apple products without the same functionality in my country due to taxes, etc. We still can't use Apple Pay, News, we have like Spotlight lite version, and we have crippled version of Siri that's not even in our language, etc. It's not really fair that I pay much more for much much less than you folks in the US.
Everybody freaks out about a 1,000$ iPhone in the US, but I already paid well over that price 17 months ago when I bought my iPhone 6s with 64GB memory. I'm not sure if Apple products are priced for the rich, but they definitely aren't highly affordable.
Everybody freaks out about a 1,000$ iPhone in the US, but I already paid well over that price 17 months ago when I bought my iPhone 6s with 64GB memory. I'm not sure if Apple products are priced for the rich, but they definitely aren't highly affordable.
True... but the 2017 iPhone lineup will actually start at $649... just like it has for years.
And you can still get older (but still great) iPhone models at a lower price.
Apple products have never been "cheap"... let's be honest here.
But we also can't forget that this new $1000 iPhone is actually an additional model above the standard lineup.
Yes I and I’m sure everybody here hasn’t forgotten about the standard model iPhones, but there’s something about writing ‘Next day: announces a $1000+ with cheaper models ranging from $649 to $969’ that just doesn’t have the same effect.
But you do bring up a good point, the media and YouTubers have been knowingly and sometimes unknowingly wrongly referring to it as the ‘iPhone 8’ over the past year, which has actually confused a lot of people into thinking there won’t be any other models, and the iPhone X (or ‘iPhone 8’ in their mind) is the successor to the iPhone 7.
And mainstream news articles about ‘why the iPhone 8 will have a higher price’ or ‘the next iPhone will cost you $1000’, along with referring to the price as a ‘price increase’ hasn’t helped in the slightest.
Another way the naming has had an impact is by referring to the iPhone X design and feature under the iPhone 8 name. After the iPhone 8 turns out to be a 7S, people may be confused.
Apple products have a very good resale value. Since I switched to Apple 4 years ago, for tablet, phone, and desktop purposes, my overall cost of ownership has been much lower than when I was a PC and Android user. As well, I have to spend much less time on routine tasks, such as backing up. I remember not being able to give away a used PC, but I recently sold my 4 year old Mac Mini for over half of what I paid for it. Similarly, I sold an iPad 4 for well above the market value of similar Android tablets. This is part of what the experience, for me, of using Apple products has been, since you said you didn't know what that meant.
The tongue-in-cheek figure of speech is used to imply that a statement or other production is humorously or otherwise not seriously intended, and it should not be taken at face value.
Eh, that's a bit disingenuous, isn't it? He clearly was saying he wouldn't disparage the business model.
But if you look across our product lines, you can buy an iPad today for under $300.
More than half of the world has an income per month below that amount.
http://www.globalrichlist.com/
More than half of the world has an income per month below that amount.
http://www.globalrichlist.com/
If Tim says that's the case then that's good enough for me.
Now. Where's my wallet .... and that remortgage plan ....
Now. Where's my wallet .... and that remortgage plan ....
So buy a new 8 instead of a new X and your back at one month of savings. Unless, that is, you don’t feel fulfilled with anything other than the ‘top of the line’ product.
He is disparaging the business model and so is Joswiak with his comments here.
Android is an operating system thats base is open source that is available to OEMs for both high and low cost devices this has allowed low cost smartphones to be put into the hands of people for whom they would other wise be unobtainable many of them in the developing world. They certainly can't afford iPhones. The by product of this is the fragmentation of the Android ecosystem, something Cook likes to lampoon at every opportunity.
The world doesn't start and end with Palo Alto or even the US/UK/China, Cook and the rest of the millionaire executive team at Apple would do well to remember this. For a lot of people in the world the average American is rich
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sure, but then is the 8 going to be bringing flagship quality compared to the competition? this will be interesting as ther ehave been almost zero leaks regarding what the new 8 will be
if the iPhone 8 launches at the same price as the 7 is today, but not offering anything new over the 7, than it's hard to continue to justify the existing prices on a design that 4 years old, with only a couple internals tweaked. if the iPhone 8 is the existing 650/750 price points, I would expect that they will receive some reasonable improvements as well.
Quite a few people on this forum don't really see beyond their wallets. This quote is fact. Apple has changed the world. Apple has pushed innovation and development of so many fields, while pushing others to join (sometimes through copying!).
Apple also has pushed our wallets to become lighter.
Apple also has pushed our wallets to become lighter.
TIM: But if you look across our product lines, you can buy an iPad today for under $300. You can buy an iPhone,
And for half that you can get a Leather Case to put your iPad Pro in and if you add the Keyboard and back (yes they fit) then you actually can get to that grand total (not /s, iWish it was)
And for half that you can get a Leather Case to put your iPad Pro in and if you add the Keyboard and back (yes they fit) then you actually can get to that grand total (not /s, iWish it was)
he is right:
buying an overpriced, outdated, slow, un-upgradable Mac Mini in 2017 for SUCKERS !
buying an overpriced un-upgradable MacBook with a wooden keyboard and without ports in 2017 is for SUCKERS !
buying an overpriced, outdated 2017 Mac Pro is for SUCKERS !
buying an overpriced un-upgradable 2017 iMac with soldered ram and 5,200rpm is for SUCKERS !
Tim is insane, he lives in his own bubble of denial and relentless virtue signaling
buying an overpriced, outdated, slow, un-upgradable Mac Mini in 2017 for SUCKERS !
buying an overpriced un-upgradable MacBook with a wooden keyboard and without ports in 2017 is for SUCKERS !
buying an overpriced, outdated 2017 Mac Pro is for SUCKERS !
buying an overpriced un-upgradable 2017 iMac with soldered ram and 5,200rpm is for SUCKERS !
Tim is insane, he lives in his own bubble of denial and relentless virtue signaling
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That's a ridiculous statement. What defines "real rich?"
I mean, you can buy a smart phone with a pretty good rating for less than you can spend on a flagship iPhone. This includes iPhones from previous model years as well as Android and other types of phones.
You can buy a very nice appliance for less than you can buy a top-of-the-line appliance. Same goes for cars.
You don't see these alleged "real rich" people not buying higher-end cars, appliances, or any other type of items, including smart phones. I have been buying iPhones since 2007, because I LIKE THEM.
I don't flash my phone around like it'll impress people, though there was a time in the early days of iPhones that I had to pretty much hide mine to keep people from wanting to hold it. That ended long before people on MR were squawking about what a "status symbol" an iPhone was and what version they were "rocking" at the mall. *eyeroll*
Seriously, it's stupid. People should buy whatever they like and we should all mind our own business about other people's spending habits. And there's no need to be weird about how much Apple chose to price their new phone for. If the market decides it's too much, Apple will adjust for the market.
They did it with their first phone. Thing is, this price isn't THAT much more money. People act like Apple were not already charging 969 dollars for a phone. What's another 31 dollars?
It isn't about utility or value for the money, it is about the feeling one gets from buying "the best" regardless of cost. Yes Tim, Apple does provide some cut-down three and four year old products (the iPhone SE is a rehashed 5S and the new iPad is a rerelease of the original iPad Air), but ultimately the new products are being deliberately pushed as far upmarket as possible.
The iPhone is losing its way. Steve Jobs always wanted to put out the best product and get it into as many consumers' hands as he could. Tim Cook is following the John Scully approach of milking every dollar out of the most loyal customers. We all know how that eventually worked out.
Using a car analogy, Steve made Apple like Toyota made Lexus. It was a premium brand that competed with the absolute best but at a price that more people could afford than a Mercedes. Tim Cook wants Apple to become like Ferrari where exclusivity is just as important as functionality.
I think this comment out of a CNN story pretty much sums up the $1,000+ iPhone X.
"Without an aspirational product, it assumes there's no value in a phone beyond its utility," Dediu said. "But some people want to buy expensive things to feel good about themselves, because they want to give expensive gifts or feel powerful or influential."
The iPhone is losing its way. Steve Jobs always wanted to put out the best product and get it into as many consumers' hands as he could. Tim Cook is following the John Scully approach of milking every dollar out of the most loyal customers. We all know how that eventually worked out.
Using a car analogy, Steve made Apple like Toyota made Lexus. It was a premium brand that competed with the absolute best but at a price that more people could afford than a Mercedes. Tim Cook wants Apple to become like Ferrari where exclusivity is just as important as functionality.
I think this comment out of a CNN story pretty much sums up the $1,000+ iPhone X.
"Without an aspirational product, it assumes there's no value in a phone beyond its utility," Dediu said. "But some people want to buy expensive things to feel good about themselves, because they want to give expensive gifts or feel powerful or influential."
Keep in mind that until a couple of years ago your wireless carrier subsidized the cost of new devices. So you could get that flagship top of the line model for $299 or $399 with contract. Now you can pay in full up front or subsidize your own phone by paying monthly. iPhones have always been accessible for the most part especially after the AT&T exclusivity ran out.
I think that Apple's move re: laptops and affordability is to work the iPads into something like we see with Microsoft and the Surface whereby they're running an OS that works for a good many people's laptop needs. That will be sub-1000 dollars and work quite well. You just need the new OS on a Pro with the Apple keyboard and you've got a laptop "light" device for email, web surfing, some games, some word processing, etc. Most people using laptops don't need major processing power for the majority of their tasks.
This is where I see them going to fill that gap.