Is the iPhone 5 non-contract price too low?

tbaptista

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Everyone I think would agree that you pay a premium for Apple computers when compared to PC's. It's the old argument that you are buying a BMW instead of a Toyota for a computer.

Why isn't that the case for the phones? It seems all of the high-end phones are the same price off contract. Are we still not getting a BMW of a phone or are the other brands just really overpriced?

Us Apple fans accept that we pay a premium for their computers but why not their phones?
 
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anon(4698833)

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Honestly, the "premium" isn't really there (not as much anyways) for the computers anymore. You can get an entry Macbook Pro for $999 new, that was unheard of even 2-3 years ago. At $649 starting, I'd say it's priced pretty much where it needs to be just comparing it to the other products in the lineup (iPod Touch and iPad).
 

tbaptista

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Honestly, the "premium" isn't really there (not as much anyways) for the computers anymore. You can get an entry Macbook Pro for $999 new, that was unheard of even 2-3 years ago. At $649 starting, I'd say it's priced pretty much where it needs to be just comparing it to the other products in the lineup (iPod Touch and iPad).

Wow! I can't find a current MBP 15" for under $1,500 non retina.

Do tell where interested in shopping.

Thanks
 

GPAbsinthe

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Honestly, the "premium" isn't really there (not as much anyways) for the computers anymore. You can get an entry Macbook Pro for $999 new, that was unheard of even 2-3 years ago. At $649 starting, I'd say it's priced pretty much where it needs to be just comparing it to the other products in the lineup (iPod Touch and iPad).

Thanks. Moreover, to get the same specs than what Mac or Macbook offers, you still have to pay a fair amount of money PC wise. And to get the same processing speed, you have to get better specs... Any leftover money on the Mac prices could be imparted to quality materials used more than any premium... I mean, no wonder an Asus laptop with similar specs than a macbook air costs like 300$ less and is always on bargain, when you look at the built!
 

anon(4698833)

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Wow! I can't find a current MBP 15" for under $1,500 non retina.

Do tell where interested in shopping.

Thanks

You're not going to find the retina display model for that price (yet), but i bet the 13" is close to it upon release, and after a year or two of updates, you'll be in that ballpark.
 

Just_Me_D

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Everyone I think would agree that you pay a premium for Apple computers when compared to PC's. It's the old argument that you are buying a BMW instead of a Toyota for a computer.

Why isn't that the case for the phones? It seems all of the high-end phones are the same price off contract. Are we still not getting a BMW of a phone or are the other brands just really overpriced?



Us Apple fans accept that we pay a premium for their computers but why not their phones?


People get into business to offer a product and/or service at a profit. The bonus is to maximize those profits without hurting sales. Apple is the most successful company in the world. That tells me that whatever it is doing in regard to marketing & promotions, customer service and sales is working. Too many people are still stuck on the "I have an Apple product so I'm better than you" image thing, in my opinion, but it is what is is i guess. Anyway, to answer your question...No, I do not think the price is too low.
 

tbaptista

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People get into business to offer a product and/or service at a profit. The bonus is to maximize those profits without hurting sales. Apple is the most successful company in the world. That tells me that whatever it is doing in regard to marketing & promotions, customer service and sales is working. Too many people are still stuck on the "I have an Apple product so I'm better than you" image thing, in my opinion, but it is what is is i guess. Anyway, to answer your question...No, I do not think the price is too low.

I think "I have an Apple product so I'm better than you" image is long gone. I mean every where I look there is an iPhone is someones hand. Even the school kids are rocking iPhones. It has become a common staple among smart phones..
 

Just_Me_D

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I think "I have an Apple product so I'm better than you" image is long gone. I mean every where I look there is an iPhone is someones hand. Even the school kids are rocking iPhones. It has become a common staple among smart phones..

I see iPhones everywhere too, and you're right, it has become a common staple among smartphones, so why the question in regard to not paying a premium for the iPhone?
 

tbaptista

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Just curious as to why a premium on one product line but not the other? Just think if the premium did not exist and the computers where also common staples among computers.

That would be awesome!!!

The cost of Apple computers has always been the biggest hurdle for most consumers I think..
 

asuprice

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If they start asking for more money then you would find more people leaving to go to alternative devices which would in turn lead to developers creating less for the app store. I don't know why you feel that the iPhone needs to only be for the wealthy, if you really want to be different then get a blackberry :)
 

Fausty82

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I think "I have an Apple product so I'm better than you" image is long gone. I mean every where I look there is an iPhone is someones hand. Even the school kids are rocking iPhones. It has become a common staple among smart phones..

Hmm... I've been using Macs for about 4 years now... and I've owned several different models... I NEVER thought "I'm better than you because I use a Mac". Not sure it ever existed in the context you are trying to imply. They are better machines, IMHO, because they truly do "just work"... but just because they are arguably the best machine doesn't mean the owner/user is any better than any one else. Sounds more like "sour grapes" than anything. Just because Apple stuff is cool, well designed and it "just works" doesn't mean they should come with an overly inflated price tag. That goes for phones as well as computers.

---------- Post Merged at 09:39 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:36 AM ----------

Just curious as to why a premium on one product line but not the other? Just think if the premium did not exist and the computers where also common staples among computers.

That would be awesome!!!

The cost of Apple computers has always been the biggest hurdle for most consumers I think..

I really don't see a "premium" on their computers. They use better components than the $499 HP, Compaq, Gateway or Dell computers. If you find any of those brands using higher quality components, you are going to see a comparable price bump.
 

anon(4698833)

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Just curious as to why a premium on one product line but not the other? Just think if the premium did not exist and the computers where also common staples among computers.

That would be awesome!!!

The cost of Apple computers has always been the biggest hurdle for most consumers I think..

Take notice as to when Apple computers started to decrease in price and lose this "premium" you keep referring to...it was around the time that they released the iPhone. Now why do you think that was the case? Pretty simple economics really, Apple became much more popular following the iPhone release, not just in the cellular phone world, but across the entire spectrum...so with popularity comes demand, and with demand comes higher profit, which means the company can start charging less for their products because they are moving more. There's no secret to why the pricing dropped across the board, just simple economics. This happened with all of the products too, not just the computers.

And then you're assuming that the computers they sell are some how similar to computers on the market that are cheaper. The Macbook's may share some pieces with cheaper PC's, but there are a lot of things included in them that call for that "premium" pricing (though to me, premium pricing is hardly what is asked for their computer line).
 

tbaptista

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Hmm... I've been using Macs for about 4 years now... and I've owned several different models... I NEVER thought "I'm better than you because I use a Mac". Not sure it ever existed in the context you are trying to imply. They are better machines, IMHO, because they truly do "just work"... but just because they are arguably the best machine doesn't mean the owner/user is any better than any one else. Sounds more like "sour grapes" than anything. Just because Apple stuff is cool, well designed and it "just works" doesn't mean they should come with an overly inflated price tag. That goes for phones as well as computers.

---------- Post Merged at 09:39 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:36 AM ----------



I really don't see a "premium" on their computers. They use better components than the $499 HP, Compaq, Gateway or Dell computers. If you find any of those brands using higher quality components, you are going to see a comparable price bump.

Now I'm confused. Doesn't the iPhone 5 have better components than the competing brands?
 

GPAbsinthe

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What???

Why buy a product if it doesn't make me better than everyone else. I mean, I'm certainly not getting it because I use it daily at work and at leisure, and because I decided that product was the most fit to meet my needs! In what world are we living, I'm asking you... :D

---------- Post Merged at 04:51 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 04:47 PM ----------

Now I'm confused. Doesn't the iPhone 5 have better components than the competing brands?

Well most of the components used on a Note or a GSIII or an Atrix are not cheap neither! And he was referring to brands like Compaq, HP, Dell...
 

tbaptista

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My question is simple..

Is the iPhone priced right and other competing products are using crappy components and ripping off the masses?

or

are competing products using similar components that are not inferior to the iPhone?
 

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