Welcome to our weekend Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed this week in a handy bite-sized summary. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but it’s cool if you want to read it during lunch or dinner hours as well.
The false economy of cheap products
I’ve written before about the Vimes theory of socio-economic injustice, which uses the example of the upkeep of leather boots to demonstrate the surprisingly high costs of being poor. But you probably haven’t heard of Cook’s anti-value theory, which argues that consumers prefer to buy expensive products over cheap ones and explains much of Apple’s behavior during this decade.
Apple products are proverbially expensive: ask someone outside the industry to describe an iPhone in 10 words or less and ‘cheap’ is unlikely to come up. But for most of its history, the company has consistently managed to deliver decent value, living up to the old adage that you get what you pay for. Those who can afford an Apple product can expect a beautiful design, top-notch build quality and reliability, a user-friendly interface, and solid specs. You pay a premium price, you get a premium product.
From time to time, Apple has lingered at the other end of the market, hinting that it wants to offer something altogether more affordable. But it never quite seems to work. 2013’s iPhone 5c, touted before launch as the budget iPhone, look at cheap, and completely fails to deliver the aspirational lifestyle aspect that is so much a part of the iPhone experience. (Our reviewer reported that its design was praised by a toddler, which isn’t quite the testimonial Apple was looking for.) And the latest iPhone SE line, which started out more promisingly, s is out of breath because Apple has absolutely no idea what it is. the device people loved.
According to reports, Apple has now notified vendors that there will be no iPhone SE 4 as expected, suggesting that the company has decided to abandon the budget smartphone market rather than tackle the limitations. that plagued the most recent model. It also reportedly ditched the idea of a budget Apple Pencil last year, which would have offered almost none of the high-end features that made the original model (and especially its stellar successor) so successful. Even the popular $329 9th Gen iPad was replaced by a $449 10th Gen iPad in 2022, giving the impression that Apple would rather cannibalize its own iPad Air sales than focus properly on the market economical tablets.
It makes sense that Apple would prioritize the high-end segment of the market, because that’s where it’s had the most success. High-margin high-end products can be hugely profitable if your image is right, and image is Apple’s greatest asset. Conversely, a premium brand that enters the budget market is likely to damage its image and therefore reduce the appeal of its flagship devices. In tough times, companies fall back on their core business, and Apple’s core business is expensive, high-quality technology.
Which makes it all the more disconcerting when we hear persistent rumors about other cheap products. Like the so-called AirPods Lite, which a trusted source says we can expect to pay $99 for in late 2024 or early 2025. Experts believe Apple is frustrated at missing out on potential revenue from the budget headphones and intends to enter that market with a less ambitious device that still bears the desirable AirPods branding. (Apple already sells the Beats Flex for $70, but it’s not quite the same.) Whether the AirPods brand will continue to be desirable after consumers try a discounted model that lacks the top features of range, of lower sound quality, and probably afflicted with a garish design to distinguish the cheapskates who wouldn’t pay the jackpot, remains to be seen.
Any student of Apple history can see that the AirPods Lite are unlikely to be a hit. In fact, it seems likely that development will stop before we even get to that point and we’ll instead get a price cut for the AirPods 3 when the fourth generation comes out. The real mystery is why the most successful high-end tech maker and seller in history still expects different results.
IDG
Trending: Top stories of the week
If Apple wants its reality headset to succeed, maybe he shouldn’t sell it.
Did Samsung really go for the full iPhone with the Galaxy S23?
The Mac is not suitable for a touch screen. For a touchscreen MacBook to work, the Mac must change.
As Biden targets Big Tech, Apple has good reason to be nervous– and happy too.
The Mac Pro is supposed to be the ultimate Mac. If not, why does it exist?
Apple’s AR headset had better be good, because everything else is doomed.
Little things can make a big difference. We’re rounding up three little ways Apple can make a big impact in 2023.
The rumor mill
Your next MacBook Pro could have a touch screen.
New AirPods Max and $99 AirPods are in the works, according to a new report.
The Apple Silicone Mac Prowhen it finally lands, could be the biggest disappointment in years.
A 15-inch MacBook Air is coming save the mac 2023 lineup.
January 2023 will likely be a quiet month for Apple, but great outings are looming.
Apple is about to finally take it to the next level microLED screens in 2024.
The iPhone 16 Pro can have a dynamic circle instead of an island.
Apples AR headset could have its own event this spring.
just apple canceled iPhone SEthe sources say.
Podcast of the week
What should we expect from Apple in 2023? Well, based on recent reports, it’s going to be Apple’s venture into AR, VR, a headset, and an operating system to make it all work. The future is near, and we talk about it in this episode of the igamesnews podcast!
You can watch every igamesnews podcast episode on Spotify, Soundcloud, Podcasts app or our own site.
Software updates, bugs and issues
The best iOS 16 feature that you don’t use will make your iPhone 14 Pro look so much better.
iOS 17 and macOS 14 may have “fewer major changes” this year. Which could be good news for reliability before.
And with that, we’re done for this week. If you want to receive regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter for the latest news. See you next Saturday, enjoy the rest of your weekend and stay Appley.
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