Apples Price Politics...

[seme332]

I just recently got a new iPhone 6s and now wanted to get my thoughts out on something I think is showing how Apple changed in the past few years. This is not about "Buy an Android/Windows/Blabla thing! They are cheaper!"... I know Apple has premium prices and I was always ready to pay them because I knew I was getting a quality product. This is rather about their recent changes in prices world wide and their general price politics, which make me want to flip my table.

Last week Apple gave us 3 new accessories: Magic Keyboard (99$), Magic Mouse 2 (79$) and Magic Trackpad 2 (129$). Compare this to the new Apple TV = 149$. So, a Trackpad is almost as much as a new Apple TV? Where did they come up with this? (iPhone 6s STILL with 16GB? Seriously? I know Apple wants to keep their margins very high but oh boy, this is getting ridiculous.)

The most important thing to me though is this: Apple has raised prices for their products in many different countries, including Germany which is where I live. When you buy a new iPhone 6s 16GB in the US in NYC, the price is 706$ with Tax included. Buy the same iPhone in Germany, and you pay 817$!

It get's even worse with their new iMacs: iMac 27" 5K Retina (Base model) in the US = 1.917$ (Tax included). The same iMac in Germany = 2.319$. This just blows my mind. Does it cost them 400$ per iMac to ship'em to Germany?

Can somebody explain to me how this is fair in any kind of way? I don't get it!

Thanks everybody.

 

[keysofanxiety]

It's not really fair OP. Apple will raise their prices if exchange rates change, so that they're still making the same amount of profit. However it's not as though other people's wages are getting raised depending on whether the US dollar is strong/weak, so people end up having to pay more. And they'll spend quite some time dropping the prices if the exchange rate works in their favour.

Apple's profit margins are ludicrous, and the base products are ridiculously priced for hardware that has no consideration of longevity (16GB iPhones, 5400RPM drives, 32GB fusion drives). Not much we can do other than try and kick up a fuss to hope they'll listen a little more. In my opinion it just hurts them in the longer run because consumers end up disappointed, but hey ... I'm just an armchair CEO, so nothing I can do.

 

[JXShine]

I agree, I've had no problem paying apple's premium prices for the past decade but their recent prices have been insane.

Not to mention all the corner cutting they are doing with their products to further widen their profit margin.
- 5400 rpm HDD on flagship AIO desktops
- cutting fusion drive SSD size on the new iMacs
- 16 GB iPhone (sorry Phil Schiller, no one is going to buy that stupid iCloud argument you gave)
- worse speakers in the 6S
- worse customer service (if my Apple Watch breaks, I have to send it in and wait for a week to get it repaired!)
- price increase in many countries due to currency fluctuations (understandable, but will Apple drop prices when the currencies stabilize again? Doubt it.)

These sentiments have also been echoed by an editor on 9to5 recently. If Apple is going to treat its customers like fools, then I will certainly think twice before I purchase anything from them again.

 

[e93to]

Now an iPhone can easily cost more than $1000. Think about other things $1000 can get you. It's mind-boggling.

That being said, I've always wonder whether other products/electronics raised prices in other countries due to exchange rates. Did MS raise prices on XBOX in the recent months?

 

[JXShine]

Now an iPhone can easily cost more than $1000. Think about what $1000 can get you. It's mind-boggling.

That being said, I've always wonder whether other products/electronics raised prices in other countries due to exchange rates. Did MS raise prices on XBOX in the recent months?

Nope as far as I know, Apple has been the only US tech company raising prices due to exchange rates in Canada.

 

[ilian92]

Fully agree, the prices are getting more and more ridiculous. The €50 increase for the iPhones with the 6s was quite weird too (64GB model).

Staying with the Xbox/PS4 example - they seem to keep lowering their prices, even if it's a completely different story. Mac prices and accessories especially have been rather weird recently. €59 for a tiny lightning dock?

 

[e93to]

Nope as far as I know, Apple has been the only US tech company raising prices due to exchange rates in Canada.

Well. Even if we complain about prices, Apple executives know we will keep buying iPhones, Macs, etc. Isn't that every company's dream...? Haha.

 

[lugworm]

Crazy prices indeed.
In the UK, I can either buy an iphone 6 plus with 64gb storage, or a 42" Samsung or Panasonic smart tv with 4k display, and a half decent sound bar !

Wonder which one I'll choose for Christmas ?

 

[iphonedude2008]

I agree. It's always been this was though. The original iPad keyboard accessory was $80. For a simple keyboard. They have been doing lots of corner cutting lately. 16gb, 5400... The only way we can stop it is to not buy the new products, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. With a brand as strong as apples, they can, have, and will charge insane prices.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

Apple pricing has always been high don't know anything about the new iPhones,as i went with last years iPhone6. I just rent mine pay $25US a Month along with my carries cost.
I agree with the poster in regards to Mac's quality of build, but their slow and not in the same class with my Windows computers as for usefullness.
I guess as long as people buy the new iPhnes at their todays pricing, Apple won't be lowering their prices.

 

[sunking101]

Crazy prices indeed.
In the UK, I can either buy an iphone 6 plus with 64gb storage, or a 42" Samsung or Panasonic smart tv with 4k display, and a half decent sound bar !

Wonder which one I'll choose for Christmas ?

Yeah, you could have a 64GB iPhone for £699...or a runabout car, a very good Windows laptop, a decent Android phone + a decent Android tablet, a wicked tv, a holiday...
They're massively overpriced in my book, especially considering all the hardware faults and constant barrage of software bugs.

 

[Abazigal]

And that's why the Apple Car, if it ever materialises, can be insanely profitable even in an industry infamous for its razor-thin margins.

Because Apple is not afraid to sacrifice market share in order to preserve margins.

 

[Blujelly]

Crazy prices indeed.
In the UK, I can either buy an iphone 6 plus with 64gb storage, or a 42" Samsung or Panasonic smart tv with 4k display, and a half decent sound bar !

Wonder which one I'll choose for Christmas ?

haha never thought of it like that until now!

Got my mate to get my AW from America when he was out there cost £60 less out there then to buy over in the UK.

 

[seme332]

I agree, I've had no problem paying apple's premium prices for the past decade but their recent prices have been insane.

Not to mention all the corner cutting they are doing with their products to further widen their profit margin.
- 5400 rpm HDD on flagship AIO desktops
- cutting fusion drive SSD size on the new iMacs
- 16 GB iPhone (sorry Phil Schiller, no one is going to buy that stupid iCloud argument you gave)
- worse speakers in the 6S
- worse customer service (if my Apple Watch breaks, I have to send it in and wait for a week to get it repaired!)
- price increase in many countries due to currency fluctuations (understandable, but will Apple drop prices when the currencies stabilize again? Doubt it.)

These sentiments have also been echoed by an editor on 9to5 recently. If Apple is going to treat its customers like fools, then I will certainly think twice before I purchase anything from them again.

Completely forgot to mention most of this. If these things wouldn't be and if they would not cut corners like they do now (because a couple of years ago cutting corners was not something Apple did to this extend) I would be getting along much better with their prices, but things are just getting out of hand right now.

 

[Shirasaki]

Before raising the price, in Australia, an iPhone 6 Plus 128GB costs $1249 AUD, which is equivalent to 5760 CNY, according to current currency rate. While in China, same iPhone will cost over 7000 CNY in Apple Store.
After that? Let me do a comparison.
Australia price of an iPhone 6s Plus 128GB: $1529 AUD, which is equivalent to 7050 CNY
China price of an iPhone 6s Plus 128GB: 7788 CNY
Not much difference at all.
Not the same model but result should be the same.

 

[Newtons Apple]

As the value of your currency goes into the toilet, Apple will continue to raise the cost of it's products to it's consumers

 

[andreyirra]

In Mexico they kept the full price of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and added a 200 dollars cost to the lowest costing iPhone6s.

 

[ultravisitor]

Can somebody explain to me how this is fair in any kind of way?

Who said anything about it being fair? Who said anything about it having to be fair?

Life's not fair.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

Think it was old Steve Jobs, that said Apple really does not have to be fair.

 

[Zirel]

This just blows my mind. Does it cost them 400$ per iMac to ship'em to Germany?

What is this?

Don't you know that since we are European, unlike the US, our prices already have the sales tax included? And that is about 24% in the EU?

 

[digitalcuriosity]

What is this?

Don't you know that since we are European, unlike the US, our prices already have the sales tax included? And that is about 24% in the EU?

WoW!! 24% in EU tax's. What does the tax get people living in your country?

 

[Zirel]

WoW!! 24% in EU tax's. What does the tax get people living in your country?

Less income tax.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

Less income tax.

That's good for the working people,but what about the people on fixed incomes that are retired?

 

[Zirel]

That's good for the working people,but what about the people on fixed incomes that are retired?

Pensions normally go up.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

Pensions normally go up.

Well maybe where you are living,but this year in the USA we retired people drawing our social security will get no increase this next year nothing. And everything except gasoline has gone up in the USA.