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With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

nytimes.com

31–40 of 730 posts

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#31

Not excusing the price, but people these days spend multiple hours a day on their phones. Phones are as important as cars for example. How high prices can go ? Even higher imo People are ready to pay for expensive cars for a better experience and higher "social standing". Phones are not that different in this regard

Yeah but there was a big jump in performance / new features between early iphone generations.

Nowadays the difference is really marginal for every day use. You are only going to take better photos in marginal low light conditions, if you even take lots of photos, everything else will be pretty much the same experience. I'd argue that we are even in removal of features mode (audio jack, touch id) which is putting off people like me who normally wouldn't mind a high price tag for a smartphone.

There are enough apple fans out there to buy any piece of plastic that apple will sell at the price of gold. But for a wider wealthy and techie audience, I think the value added of spending more on an iphone is becoming hard to justify.

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#32
post #18

Nobody looks at a top of the line PC with the best graphics card(s) and say it's crossing a threshold. Everybody understands it's for a certain demographic. According to rumors, they're still going to have various models and price points. Also, iPhones are extremely economical because no other phones receive OS updates for as long. My iPhone 6, which cost $749 at the time, is coming up to 3 years old. It's still flaw…

> It's still flawless, no speed issues or any issues. The only thing bad is that the battery isn't as good as before.

so, not flawless? i can replace the battery on my phone, which is very reassuring and also practical for times away from a charger.

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#33
post #29
post #6

For $1,000 can it be durable as well as good looking? How about a serious IP (Ingress Protection - dust and water) rating?

Good looking? iPhones stopped being good looking since they added the camera that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Even the slimmest of cases makes that invisible.

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#34
post #18

Nobody looks at a top of the line PC with the best graphics card(s) and say it's crossing a threshold. Everybody understands it's for a certain demographic. According to rumors, they're still going to have various models and price points. Also, iPhones are extremely economical because no other phones receive OS updates for as long. My iPhone 6, which cost $749 at the time, is coming up to 3 years old. It's still flaw…

I see your 3 year young iPhone and raise my 6 year old Motorola Defy. I bought it new in 2011 for about 1/4 of what the then-current iPhone would have cost. It still works flawlessly, the battery is fine as well (~5 days of normal use on a single charge or ~7 hours of screen time). If the battery were to fail I could just replace it, no tools required. Oh, the thing is waterproof and 'shock-proof' (although the latte…

I'd be with you, except for Android's planned obsolescence. The reliance on third-parties to provide at most ~2/3 year security update paired with a dated and forked version of the Linux kernel gives me pause.

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#35
post #4

Previously, if you bought a Plus, upgraded the storage you also hit the $1000 mark quite easily. Apple can't do much wrong: removed the audio jack did not hurt iPhone sales. The new mac book pro, ridiculously priced, a very 'particular' keyboard, was the fastest selling laptop ever. If you see the reactions on let's say, The Verge, on any post regarding new Apple products - it's insane. So I think Apple is still in a…

Yep, still doesn't get better than OSX.

as a user of both windows and mac os x, what do you truly like about mac os x that you prefer it so heavily over windows?

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#36
post #21

Aren't phones supposed to get cheaper every year?

An iPhone is a Veblen good [1]. The purpose of buying an iPhone is to advertise your economic resources. Like a Gucci handbag or a Rolex watch. With a smaller markup. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good

That the purpose of it is to advertise economic resources is not true. My wife has an iPhone because it's the most competent tool she can use to get the job done. Having used several Android phones prior to this, I don't blame her. Relatively speaking there are fewer security issues, compatibility quirks, and reliability issues with iPhones which makes them worth the price to her.

After the 2 year mark our Android phones are literally in the junk drawer, and her iPhone 6s is still functioning as fast as the day it was purchased.

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#37
post #3

If those new Nokias start being sold in my neck of the woods (Western Canada) I think I will pretty much just stop bothering with smartphones and just go with that compromise. If I'm being honest with myself, I just need a damn phone and an ok camera. The rest are frivolities. I can just continue using my table for the rest.

Did you mean tablet or desktop when you wrote `table`. The way i'm understanding it, it could go either way.

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#38
post #26

From the so far leaked rumors I don’t see anything to justify the price. If anything there is a regression with the absence of TouchID. But I guess we will have to wait and see in two days.

>If anything there is a regression with the absence of TouchID.

FaceID fulfills that role.

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#39
post #26

From the so far leaked rumors I don’t see anything to justify the price. If anything there is a regression with the absence of TouchID. But I guess we will have to wait and see in two days.

I think the screen will be the thing everyone talks about it. I think it's also the reason for the price.

Re: With a $1k Price, Apple’s iPhone Crosses a Threshold

#40
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> competition is such that you can get an excellent product [..] for $1,000 The really interesting part is that for ~$1000 you get the best product available at any price . That's the magic of economies of scale in consumer markets, especially technology. It's so incredibly expensive and largely fruitless to step out of the economy of scale, that practically speaking no-one does it. I don't have a yacht like Paul All…

Great thing about America is that no matter how rich or poor you are, you drink the same coke - Andy Warhol.

This is a better quote about America's consumer culture - What was the nature of MTV? For me it was insatiable desire. Thats the very nature of Americans. We want what we don't have. One of the characteristics of American consumers in the early 80's was Shop till you drop. "I want it. I don't know what it is but I want it." - Dale Pon, Advertising exec part of the MTV launch campaign in Aug 1981
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