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Other Did Apple kill the goose that laid the golden eggs?

S

stafil

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 15, 2017
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This is the first year ever that iPhones haven't gone out stock within hours after the pre-orders started. But maybe it wasn’t that iPhones didn’t sell well, maybe it was that Apple was not selling iPhones anymore.

The new models may share the same name, and OS, but are in so many ways different. Different displays, different focus(maybe the first time phones are not thinner and lighter), different authentication l(FaceID vs TouchID), different UX(swipe up vs button), stagnant design, no longer selling last uear’s model, different marketing(for the first time we have excsessive high-end and low-end), different release dates, and most of all different price points.

In many ways 8+ was the last of the iPhones.

Apple seems to be in confusion, making consumers confused and sales numbers show that. They are still doing well in profit, but stock market noticed that something is not going well with the Goose.
 
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Personally I feel like the golden goose has been multiplying to other manufacturers. We have a lot of fanboys here on this forum, people who are very dug in the Apple systems and how apps work with iOS etc. I am one of those fanboys, I love apple, I pay a premium for Apple.

I also use the high end android phones for my second line (throughout the year), and 2 very important variables are potentially causing a change (at least in my subjective observations of friends, family, and the general public I see everyday).

1- other manufacturers make phones that are just as capable, at the very least in the same quality range, or even better in some aspects compared to the apple flagships - for hundreds less.

2- Apple is pricing people like me out of the purchasing segment. I have a higher gb model max, I love my new Apple Watch, I’m loving both my old iPads etc. It’s becoming very clear that it’s Not worth the cost, as an Apple fanboy that I am - it’s just not worth a $1200 phone ever year , a $500 watch every year, and a $1200-1500 iPad every few years. I am that “blind” customer that spends thousands every year on Apple products and competitors are looking more attractive every year. If someone like myself is feeling that way, the average customer that thinks $750 is too expensive for a phone is ABSOLUTELY thinking that.




Of course we don’t know how many iPhones were produced this year, perhaps they produced 3xs as many needed to fill the demand and will announce record sales.


Either way, it’s been a difficult year for every flagship manufacturer, I’m fairly certain Samsung, LG, and Apple are all falling behind sales projections in 2018.

Apparently they think a phone is worth $900 and this year has proved that they aren’t.
 
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stafil said:
This is a weak argument and easy excuse. iPgones used to sell out in minutes every year. Year after year.



Can’t argue with that.
Click to expand...
You never needed a new phone every year since contracts were 2 years. People bought them every year because they were relatively cheap. Now that the price is going up and the technology is not changing much who needs a new phone every year?
 
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MacNut said:
People don't need a new phone every year. People can't afford a $1200 phone every year.
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Agree. Unfortunately for Apple and other technology companies, the personal tech reached maturity and only incremental updates can be offered. Apple's golden goose is Iphone but broad public is satisfied with several generations old phones that can be picked up at a fraction of the cost. My last must have update was Iphone X, now I can wait till 2020 when redesign should be offered. My 3 Macbooks will be good enough for several more years, along with multiple other Apple toys we have. Apple is trying to compensate for decreasing volume sales by raising unit prices but for incremental updates people are willing to wait longer before upgrading.
 
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Phones used to be sold out because tons of people were coming into smartphones for the first time. Now, everyone and anyone who wants a smartphone has one, at least in Western nations, and things are bound to slow down.
 
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radiologyman said:
Agree. Unfortunately for Apple and other technology companies, the personal tech reached maturity and only incremental updates can be offered. Apple's golden goose is Iphone but broad public is satisfied with several generations old phones that can be picked up at a fraction of the cost. My last must have update was Iphone X, now I can wait till 2020 when redesign should be offered. My 3 Macbooks will be good enough for several more years, along with multiple other Apple toys we have. Apple is trying to compensate for decreasing volume sales by raising unit prices but for incremental updates people are willing to wait longer before upgrading.
Click to expand...
The other problem for Apple is cheap phones work just as well. And there are a lot of cheaper phones. Most people still just want a phone that makes calls. They don't care about texts or apps or how many pictures it can hold.
 
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mtneer said:
Phones used to be sold out because tons of people were coming into smartphones for the first time. Now, everyone and anyone who wants a smartphone has one, at least in Western nations, and things are bound to slow down.
Click to expand...

Guaranteed if prices weren’t $1000/$1099 for the regular model then there would be lineups.

Shoulda been 699/799/899 for the Xr Xs and Max
 
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mtneer said:
Phones used to be sold out because tons of people were coming into smartphones for the first time. Now, everyone and anyone who wants a smartphone has one, at least in Western nations, and things are bound to slow down.
Click to expand...

It's also that people could justify $699/799 (small/Plus) for a phone. You could go sell the old for $450-500 and upgrade for roughly $300. Not a huge hit.

$999/1099 (XS/Max) at $300 more each is a HUGE pill to swallow. You could get a loaded 8 Plus with 256gb max storage for $949, still $50 less than a 64gb X/Xs and $150 less than a 64gb Max.

A 33% price increase happened very quickly in under 14 months too; 14 months ago the most expensive iphone in starting storage capacity for big screen was $799. Now its 999/1099 (depending if you consider the XS a bigger screen than the Plus or not, but still at least $200)
 
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mib1800 said:
Very soon, the planned throttling will be activated again...so all current iPhones will be next to unusable...beginning of the super cycle again...gravy train keeps moving
Click to expand...
Except that's not how it works. Aside from throttling only getting enabled for just some phones and only at times when the battery isn't holding up that will anymore, it can also be disabled in settings too if it does get enabled.
 
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I upgrade almost every year, but that’s because I’m ‘tech oriented’. For those around me, they’re not nearly as prone to caring about having the latest tech as much as I am. The reality is, I think you have those who simply just don’t pay enough attention to these new iPhones, unless, A.) They are ready/due for an upgrade or B.) Forced to upgrade because of a broken device/the battery is degrading, ect.

The biggest proponent Apple has is there partnership with carriers and Upgrade program, and carriers are making it easier for monthly installed payments for these expensive phones, even when the consumer _can’t_ necessarily afford it.
 
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In the mid to late 90s I would buy a new mobile phone every year or two. It was a new thing, I was younger and wanted to make sure that a) I had cool technology, b) I had sure ways to stay in contact with women, c) new impressive phone means women will definitely want to be with me, right?
Add a few years and by the early 2000s I just stopped caring that much for any of the three as reasons to upgrade. From 2005 or so I buy mobile phones only when I need to. That is when my phone gets broken or something. Back in 2015 was the last time I bought a phone (Sony Xperia M4 Aqua) and while it has some issues now (mostly to do with battery charging), it still works and takes OK photos and videos.
I considered buying something better strictly to get 4K video recording. I checked the prices for smartphones capable of doing so which did not have TERRIBLE reviews. I laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed with the prices.
1200+ euros is much. 700+ euros is also much.
And since I have long stopped getting contracts, telecommunication companies are the biggest thieves in history of companies, there goes the last chance of me getting one of these better(?) phones.
 
People used to upgrade more because phones whereat as good as they have been the last few years.
going from a 3g to a 4 was a huge upgrade. same with the 4-5. 5-6+ wasnt that big because the 6+ wasnt really faster then the 5's it was the last dog apple released.
From the 6s and up phones dont feel like huge upgrades anymore and the price these are going to makes us think more then the old subsidy plans.
400$ down felt better then payment plans of 50$ a month and upgrading yearly turned into 500$+. Upgrading before you could get a new iPhone for less then 150 usually year after year. Every two years you could make enough money on your subsidy paid off phone to cover the cost of a new phone.
Selling last years X is the biggest drop I have seen in a iphone at over 400$ loss.
The last 3 years phones are fast enough that upgrading and feeling that speed increase and new features is so small people are losing interest besides tech enthusiast.
I think its a good time for consumers actually even with the super high prices. slow sales will push manufacturers to put out some real new technologies and actually innovating again. Im sure big companies have some tricks up their sleeves in their pipeline that they are waiting to release when sales start slowing.
 
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Trusteft said:
In the mid to late 90s I would buy a new mobile phone every year or two. It was a new thing, I was younger and wanted to make sure that a) I had cool technology, b) I had sure ways to stay in contact with women, c) new impressive phone means women will definitely want to be with me, right?
Add a few years and by the early 2000s I just stopped caring that much for any of the three as reasons to upgrade. From 2005 or so I buy mobile phones only when I need to. That is when my phone gets broken or something. Back in 2015 was the last time I bought a phone (Sony Xperia M4 Aqua) and while it has some issues now (mostly to do with battery charging), it still works and takes OK photos and videos.
I considered buying something better strictly to get 4K video recording. I checked the prices for smartphones capable of doing so which did not have TERRIBLE reviews. I laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed with the prices.
1200+ euros is much. 700+ euros is also much.
And since I have long stopped getting contracts, telecommunication companies are the biggest thieves in history of companies, there goes the last chance of me getting one of these better(?) phones.
Click to expand...
As u keep phones longer anyway why not buy a used last gen for 50% off? About a month after the new phones hit the store u can find some good deals.

But I’m also still rocking a 6s cos it works and the new ones don’t even wanna make me upgrade
 
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MacNut said:
The other problem for Apple is cheap phones work just as well. And there are a lot of cheaper phones. Most people still just want a phone that makes calls. They don't care about texts or apps or how many pictures it can hold.
Click to expand...

I would disagree with this and say photos and texting/email/social media is for many people the main use of their phone.

Otherwise that "back to basics" Nokia would have been a huge seller. Plenty of people applauded the principle when it was announced - a lot fewer seem to have actually bought one...
 
We see these kind of threads a lot, and I feel they are a bit nonsensical,

It's like a damned if you do or damned of you don't threads,
if Apple has enough stock to sell, and they don't sell out first minute, then everybody interpreted as there is no interest.
If they do sell out, they say Apple is purposefully making less stock available to hype the new iPhone.

They're all based on personal feelings :confused:
So, what do you want Apple to do ?
 
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