I don’t worry about stocks of a company on a day to day basis. Ultimately a company like apple cant plan their product cycle based on the stock market. These are 2 completely different sides of a business.
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Other Did Apple kill the goose that laid the golden eggs?
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I don’t worry about stocks of a company on a day to day basis. Ultimately a company like apple cant plan their product cycle based on the stock market. These are 2 completely different sides of a business.
My experience is purely anecdotal, but it might be true in other places as well. I work at a non-tech company with about 500 employees that i see/pass by each day. I’ve worked here for almost 15 years.
When Iphones used to come out people were constantly talking about them, some were even obsessed. There were a ton of us that HAD to upgrade asap each year and it was like a little game to see who could get one first. I could name probably 40 or more people that would have the new phone by christmas. I remember when the 4 came out, i got it delivered a few hours early and walked in at like 7 am with it in my hand and was mobbed by people wanting to see/touch it. These were everyday consumers and how they viewed/purchased Apple products, not tech enthusiasts. Men/women everyone from the janitors to the upper management were enthralled by Apple and everything that they did.
Fast forward to last year there were only 2 of us that got the X. Nobody ever asked me about a single thing about the X since launch. When i brought it in the first day, no one gave a crap.
Xs came out, 0 that i know of got it or the max, including myself. First time since the 3g i not only didnt upgrade, but didnt care at all. The prices just dont make sense.
1 guy has gotten the Xr at work, but the Whole “gotta have it” Apple culture has significantly died down.
I was/am a huge fanboy. I wouldnt even look at cars that didnt offer carplay, i upgraded the macbook each year because i even saw value in those, and was willing to pay a premium. I also upgraded each year for the ipad pros and rebought all the overpriced accessories, first time i didnt even care again was this year. Not at $1900 + accessories. I guess they finally reached “enough is enough” with me.
Apple today reminds me of Sony and their greedy “you’re going to have to save for it” ridiculous PS3 price launch which almost cost them dearly with their fanbase until they owned up to their mistakes and reversed course before it was too late. I hope Apple hasn’t lost their way as well, but they have stopped getting my money for now.
When Iphones used to come out people were constantly talking about them, some were even obsessed. There were a ton of us that HAD to upgrade asap each year and it was like a little game to see who could get one first. I could name probably 40 or more people that would have the new phone by christmas. I remember when the 4 came out, i got it delivered a few hours early and walked in at like 7 am with it in my hand and was mobbed by people wanting to see/touch it. These were everyday consumers and how they viewed/purchased Apple products, not tech enthusiasts. Men/women everyone from the janitors to the upper management were enthralled by Apple and everything that they did.
Fast forward to last year there were only 2 of us that got the X. Nobody ever asked me about a single thing about the X since launch. When i brought it in the first day, no one gave a crap.
Xs came out, 0 that i know of got it or the max, including myself. First time since the 3g i not only didnt upgrade, but didnt care at all. The prices just dont make sense.
1 guy has gotten the Xr at work, but the Whole “gotta have it” Apple culture has significantly died down.
I was/am a huge fanboy. I wouldnt even look at cars that didnt offer carplay, i upgraded the macbook each year because i even saw value in those, and was willing to pay a premium. I also upgraded each year for the ipad pros and rebought all the overpriced accessories, first time i didnt even care again was this year. Not at $1900 + accessories. I guess they finally reached “enough is enough” with me.
Apple today reminds me of Sony and their greedy “you’re going to have to save for it” ridiculous PS3 price launch which almost cost them dearly with their fanbase until they owned up to their mistakes and reversed course before it was too late. I hope Apple hasn’t lost their way as well, but they have stopped getting my money for now.
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You Make some valid points in your post about how Apple really does make great products, but their prices make it difficult to want to purchase year after year. I don’t think the iPhone is one of those commodities that consumers generally upgrade to on an annual basis, unless you’re really keen on Apple specifically. More or less, the iPad Pros are another example of how expensive Apple is with the influx.
The way I see it, is your not just purchasing a product, you’re purchasing the [customer service and company standard]. But I agree that pricing for tech products is exponentially growing where it’s not feasible for some, fortunately for me, I still like to have some of the latest products, but it’s becoming less where I don’t purchase them yearly. Partially because The previous Apple products I own do everything I need them too and they last so long.
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Let’s not totally blame Apple. After a while there are fewer and fewer bells and whistles that can be added to an iPhone. Let’s face it probably 30% of the features on the iPhone are used.by just a few
Perhaps a foldable iPhone would breathe life back into Apple
Perhaps a foldable iPhone would breathe life back into Apple
I hope not, while folding screens might be great for an iPad, but I would hate to see it on a phone,
it is just as silly as see through screens, everybody thinks users want it, but it makes it less usable.
Umm, no. The amount of people who want/care about just calling is becoming tiny and people who could probably do without the phone function altogether as they make/receive maybe a couple of calls a year total keeps on growing.
I think the idea is that it would act as a tablet and a mobile phone. It could be a tablet when unfolded and when folded it would be a phone of about 6 inches.
The prices climbed too high. Apple sold much of the X because it had some improvements over iPhones from the last generation.
But the current lineup doesn’t offer anything new, besides display size and design. So people stay with older generations.
The Xr is overpriced for the middle class customers, and they can’t afford the other models, so Apple is losing a lot in his biggest market. Xr production already went down.
This year they only sell to rich people, like in their beginning. But that’s a risk, because smartphones have become ordinary and you just stay in the market if you bind customers to your brand.
If Apple moves into the luxury class, they might sell a few phones, but their business gets smaller and they might disappear sooner or later.
They need an entry phone around 400-500 dollars, that has much lower repair costs. Otherwise average customers just shift to Android because they get an up to date model for the price of a display repair at Apple.
The repair costs make iPhones disposable phones for one time use. People don’t buy that.
But the current lineup doesn’t offer anything new, besides display size and design. So people stay with older generations.
The Xr is overpriced for the middle class customers, and they can’t afford the other models, so Apple is losing a lot in his biggest market. Xr production already went down.
This year they only sell to rich people, like in their beginning. But that’s a risk, because smartphones have become ordinary and you just stay in the market if you bind customers to your brand.
If Apple moves into the luxury class, they might sell a few phones, but their business gets smaller and they might disappear sooner or later.
They need an entry phone around 400-500 dollars, that has much lower repair costs. Otherwise average customers just shift to Android because they get an up to date model for the price of a display repair at Apple.
The repair costs make iPhones disposable phones for one time use. People don’t buy that.
I think we’re forgetting something fundamental. Apple is NOT a smartphone company. Apple is a technology company. They invent new product categories and make money based on new / customer focussed ideas. If smartphone market dies, they’ll hopefully come up with something else.
I’ve found a really good video that explains Apple’s approach towards the market in general.
I’ve found a really good video that explains Apple’s approach towards the market in general.
Interesting strategy from Apple and suggests hiding sales data most probably means the growth isn’t quite as great as it perhaps has been in the past. Not surprising though as we all pretty much know people who don’t upgrade as often and the hype around new phones has felt flat for a few years now.
Well, we reached a point that Apple stops selling last year's model in order to not cannibalize sales of the newer models. That is *not* a healthy sign.
As soon as the new iPhones were unveiled this year I bought an 8+ as the deals were just too good to turn down. I know an awful lot of people who now buy older models on contract or simply keep their existing iPhones for an extra year out of contract. I think it’s a combination of higher prices turning people off and the fact iPhones just aren’t changing enough to spike interest as much as they used to.
Seems to me like they're making a smart move going into the "luxury" market of phones. They started out in that arena and although the original iPhone didn't sell a ton, it was a status symbol. Now that the smartphone market has nearly reached saturation, it makes sense for them to shift their main revenue focus away from the iPhone and into a different emerging market (services).
Since there's so many smartphone manufacturers and the competition is tight, Apple can distinguish themselves no other way than jacking prices and once again being seen as the luxury brand.
Since there's so many smartphone manufacturers and the competition is tight, Apple can distinguish themselves no other way than jacking prices and once again being seen as the luxury brand.
You mean exactly like they did in 2013 when the 5c launched alongside the 5s? And last year’s model is still on sale in the form of the iPhone 8.
Seriously. The words ‘clutching’ and ‘straws’ are really applicable here. Countless other people have explained throughout this thread - the entire phone market is slowing because consumers have recognised that there’s no need for an annual - or even biannual - outlay to keep pace with technology advancements. Apple - and all the other manufacturers - are pushing their prices higher to compensate. They’re businesses. They have an obligation to their shareholders.
The Watch is the next iPhone. The phone ‘wars’ are pretty much over.
Is the XS a status symbol in western countries or just on certain continents though? It’s seen as expensive certainly but it’s not completely out of most people’s reach if they really wanted it and especially as £1k is offered widely these days. I just don’t think the vast majority of iPhone users desire it and to me Apple is offering it for the niche end of the market that do.
A status symbol is a statement of wealth and something that is out of a lot of people reach or an extravagant purchase. I think if the XS is a status symbol then it’s a cheap one lol.
Add to that, the UK carriers are catching on that people aren’t fussed about keeping devices for longer and are moving to 30 and 36 month contracts to bring the monthly cost down. My friend has just got an iPhone XS for £42 a month with 10GB of data and no upfront cost. That’s in line with contract prices for the iPhone 4 in 2010/11 when I worked in mobile sales. Yeah, total cost is higher but the vast majority of people are only interested in the amount of their monthly direct debit.
As you say, the iPhone XS definitely isn’t out of reach for the vast majority.
There lots of different android phones to choose from with different spins on the OS and different features.
Indeed, my carrier O2 offered me a 36 month contract for the XS for £38 p/m I think it was but £100 upfront for the phone. I’d never commit to that long especially when the warranty is only 12 months lol. I would imagine a lot of people see the lower cost and just go for it though. I did read an article the other day about the iPhone 8 and 8+ suddenly becoming popular now the price is down too. I’m not seeing an awful lot of people with X and XS series phones to be honest.
Indeed. I do you envision a day where the watch will eventually replace the iPhone, but that’s quite some time off yet. Although, if there was one product that really has taken off, it would be the Apple Watch, the iPhone is still a very powerful entity within Apple, but the key for the iPhone is to be diverse with [Pricing strategy and selection] with a device that meat everybody’s financial situation.
It’s actually Apple and Samsung. Google is not one of the major competing smartphone manufacturer. I think third is Huawei these days. All the other manufacturers do not have the scale to come even close to Apple and Samsung.
It's Samsung, Huawei and Apple in that order when it comes to smartphones.
https://www.theguardian.com/technol...-apple-smartphone-manufacturer-samsung-iphone
I think what Akash.nu was referring to is that Apple’s _direct_ competition is Samsung, Huawei smart phones are not even available in North America, but largely popular in the Chinese market.