Is anyone else alarmed at the constant increasing prices?

[darkgremio]

As Apple continues spending more on R&D costs will slowly rise to subset cost differences. I believe cost hikes are justifiable , it’s not bleeding edge technologies, but refined and streamlined. Apple has accomplished a lot in terms of computing technology with its proprietary chip technology.

I am sure R&D is not the only factor as well.

Here’s a glimpse on Apple R&D year over year.


https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-rd-spend-charts-2017-2

 

[allonym]

You can buy an iPad today for $329 that's better than the version you could get 5 years ago for more money.

Yep. Cheapest first generation iPad was $499, now the cheapest is $329 (even less with education discount). iPads got more expensive, but they also got cheaper.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

I think one of the big reasons Apple went $800/$1,000 with their iPad Pro's (in addition to any increased technology costs and inelastic customer demand) is the preparation for ARM Macs. These will start happening very soon (if not 2019, then almost certainly 2020). Imagine Apple throws their A12X chip into the MacBook line in 2019. Presumably apple isn't going to want to lower the price very much (if at all). BEST case scenario the price gets lowered to $1,000 (but lets be honest it'll almost certainly be more). If these iPad Pro prices were still $650/$800. Then you'd have a 12.9" iPad Pro with potentially better specs (cameras, pencil support, FaceID, TruTone, etc) at a much lower price. It might stand out a bit. Also it's kinda of a classic marketing technique, if it costs more, it must be better and more like a full computer since it's on par with pricing.

 

[EEzycade]

I am alarmed. I want to purchase a powerful mac for school but cannot as i am a poor student, sad day

 

[concept32]

No, Apple will sell as a premium product. I'd buy Android if iMessages was cross platform. It's cheaper to buy a new android device every 12-18 months than buy a new iPhone every 2 years. They will definitely lose customers, but make up for it in higher margins.

edit: I also believe the time customers upgrade their phones will increase. I traditionally upgrade every year or so, I am going on 3 years now because of their high prices.

 

[Racineur]

I posted in another thread on the same subject. There's nothing one can do against prices hikes but these hikes have a good "downside" if I can say so: after each increase users understand it's better to keep their iDevice for another year and maybe another one. At which point a high tech product like my 6s is completely totally absolutely obsolete and is of no use at all? At one time there will be no point in buying a 2500$ iPhone and this time is near. Would your actually pay 20$ for liter of milk? I would not. I'd stop drinking milk. If the world around you is getting mad, does it mean you have to be too? More and more the second and coming third decade of the XXI century makes me think of the greedy '80s. I was there. I lived the greed and I so much remember the catch phrase of that period "Greed is good". So for 2019-2020 "Greeder is better".

 

[JSRinUK]

I wanted to move more into the Apple side of things. I now have my iPhone, my Apple Watch, and my iPad is in need of replacing, so I've been leaning towards transitioning from Windows to Mac.

I waited for the latest announcements, and then saw the prices. They're not even remotely near the orbit of what I could even hope to afford.

I guess I just don't get this desire to keep things priced at unaffordable levels. I'd like to see if the grass is greener on the other side, but Apple's built the wall too high.

I find it strange to visit Apple's website and I see the "Compare Mac models - Find the best Mac for you" that links to https://www.apple.com/uk/mac/compare/ I look at that page and see that not only is there not a "best Mac" for me but, due solely to cost, there isn't a Mac for me at all.

I don't actually blame Apple themselves. So long as there are enough people willing to buy at the prices set, there's no incentive for Apple to lower those prices - quite the opposite, in fact.

 

[Fozziebear71]

I am on an Apple Watch Series II, iPhoneX, 6 year old MacBook Pro, and an Original 12.9 iPad Pro.

I was originally going to upgrade all of those this year. I am now going to sit out at least another year on any of those and I am seriously considering not even replacing the Apple Watch when it eventually becomes too slow and outdated. I can afford to buy new ones, it's just that now Apple has reached a point with their pricing that it's just becoming not worth it to me to upgrade as often.

 

[sparksd]

If you're not happy with the price then don't buy the product.. problem solved. Stressing/worrying about it isn't going to change anything.. life's too short.

No stressing here but the new Pro's are at a price point now where I won't upgrade. I'm retired so I really don't need the capabilities of the new iPads but as a retired S/W engineer, I'm in that demographic that likes to use and push the limits of these devices as something of a hobby - that's where a lot of my free time interests are - so I like to upgrade. But these prices are now at a point where I'll step back (I estimate that the cost to replace my 256GB 10.5 LTE and peripherals I own/use to be about $1700 for a similar 11" iPP).

 

[digitalcuriosity]

I wanted to move more into the Apple side of things. I now have my iPhone, my Apple Watch, and my iPad is in need of replacing, so I've been leaning towards transitioning from Windows to Mac.

I waited for the latest announcements, and then saw the prices. They're not even remotely near the orbit of what I could even hope to afford.

I guess I just don't get this desire to keep things priced at unaffordable levels. I'd like to see if the grass is greener on the other side, but Apple's built the wall too high.

I find it strange to visit Apple's website and I see the "Compare Mac models - Find the best Mac for you" that links to https://www.apple.com/uk/mac/compare/ I look at that page and see that not only is there not a "best Mac" for me but, due solely to cost, there isn't a Mac for me at all.

I don't actually blame Apple themselves. So long as there are enough people willing to buy at the prices set, there's no incentive for Apple to lower those prices - quite the opposite, in fact.

Before I would buy a MAC I would try using one first,they are really different in operation from a Window machine.

 

[JSRinUK]

Before I would buy a MAC I would try using one first,they are really different in operation from a Window machine.

I also use Linux, so I’m not entirely entrenched in Windows. I’m open to new experiences and new ways of doing things.

But it’s all become rather moot due to the price issue anyway, so it’s not something that’s going to be happening any time soon now.