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Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

bloomberg.com

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Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#2
Not reading the article yet since Bloomberg is blocked by the GFW and my VPN is down again, but isn't this what we should expect anyways? As smartphones become more mature and slow down in innovation, everyone else who are value players can more easily catch up, destroying apple's previous leading edge advantage. Basically, when/if smartphones become a commodity, Apple has to move into something else that isn't or join a race to the bottom.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#3
It is just Apple's general problem isn't it?

The cheaper phones are really good now. And if you are asking a premium you need to be significant better.

As I see it iPhone 4 was a lot better than the competition where as the current lineup is not.

Simply relying on expanding the market (selling more in China + other emerging markets) won't do the trick as they are not going to sell with their old big margins unless they are a lot better than the competition.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#4

Not reading the article yet since Bloomberg is blocked by the GFW and my VPN is down again, but isn't this what we should expect anyways? As smartphones become more mature and slow down in innovation, everyone else who are value players can more easily catch up, destroying apple's previous leading edge advantage. Basically, when/if smartphones become a commodity, Apple has to move into something else that isn't or jo…

Hence why they started pushing the Apple Watch, but I don't see that really taking off.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#6
post #3

It is just Apple's general problem isn't it? The cheaper phones are really good now. And if you are asking a premium you need to be significant better. As I see it iPhone 4 was a lot better than the competition where as the current lineup is not. Simply relying on expanding the market (selling more in China + other emerging markets) won't do the trick as they are not going to sell with their old big margins unless th…

Yep, it's a similar problem in a lot of fronts- most of the time $200+ isn't worth a 5% increase in quality.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#7

Not reading the article yet since Bloomberg is blocked by the GFW and my VPN is down again, but isn't this what we should expect anyways? As smartphones become more mature and slow down in innovation, everyone else who are value players can more easily catch up, destroying apple's previous leading edge advantage. Basically, when/if smartphones become a commodity, Apple has to move into something else that isn't or jo…

Smartphones have already become a commodity. I wonder what else?

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#9
I had motorolla, asus, and more high end phones but i'm a happy $120 xiaomi redmi owner here.

the problem with iphone (&ipad) is that apple forces some limitations, like say... no sd card. my sister -- who has ipad -- always have trouble moving files to non-apple devices

i used to say "i don't own iphone, i can't help you", just like when someone asks for general computer problem, equivalently as saying "i don't use windows, sorry"

now i don't get apple related questions because everyone i know uses android, either as primary or secondary phone.

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