How do people afford the iPhone???

jb66

gjchester wrote: »

Not really. It's a premium brand like Bose, Lexus, BMW, Audi, Tiffany, Sony, Starbucks or even Waitrose (and I could go on)

You have a choice if you don't want to spend the money then don't, there are alternatives. You could get a Starbucks coffee or cup of instant from a simple cafe, there is a difference in taste and price. You could buy a Kia over a Ford or a BMW, all do the same thing, and again a big difference in price. Do you buy a Sony TV or a Tesco Own brand, both do the same basics do you want extra features? In the iPhone do you want to pay extra for Apples style and cachet?

Do we feel the extra cost is justified by extra features, maybe, but all too often its about how we want to be seen by others. If you don't want to pay for a premium brand or if you can't afford to, (and thats generalising not aimed at you) then it's down to if you want the item at the exclusion of something else, or you don't buy the item.




Daylight robbery, far from it, no-one is forced to buy any premium brand, it's personal choice to do so, and a high end smartphone is a luxury not a need.

But technika TVS are crap, Sony isn't, Starbucks taste nicer than instant, kias are less luxurious than a BMW.

We're talking about an iPhone which is no better than a top android phone like a galaxy s2. It's like getting a BMW for £20000 in white or £10000 in black

System

And it is daylight robbery, "Net profit for the year ending 24 September was $25.9bn (£16.5bn)." but this is like most companies which ruin the world with this kind of greed

gjchester

jb66 wrote: »

But technika TVS are crap, Sony isn't, Starbucks taste nicer than instant, kias are less luxurious than a BMW.

But thats subjective... Technika may have a lower brand respect, but there have been good Technika's and crap Sony sets. I agree Starbucks is better tasting, but thats only if you want that, if you just want a hot drink on a cold day would you make the same distinction?

Many brands are made on the same line these days with a different badge the only differentiation. Technika have been made by UMC and Phillips in the past, and its down to making a product for a low cost. I'll also bet that low end models of any brand are farmed out to the same contract makers than being built in house by any brand.

jb66 wrote: »

We're talking about an iPhone which is no better than a top android phone like a galaxy s2. It's like getting a BMW for £20000 in white or £10000 in black

Look at this another way. A few years ago Jaguar was owned by Ford and the X type based on the Mondeo Chassis, although thats more or less where the similarities ended. A Jaguar started around £20k and a Mondeo around £15K, but by the time you specced up a Mondeo to a similar spec level to the base Jag spec they were around about the same cost.

Many people bought the Jag as it has more brand cachet, which sounds more impressive, "I drive a X-type Jag" or "I drive a top of the line Mondeo" in fact the Mondeo probably was a better spec for the same cash as it was a top of the line with all extra's than a base Jag, but thats irrelevent. It's not the Jag spec specifically and it's all about peoples mindset and asparations.

And thats the point. It's not simply do you want to pay for the difference in features, its how do you want to be seen.

Some people will be cost driven but many more are style led and how they asparate to an item. Some people would aspire to driving a Kia, but a lot more would aspire to driving a Jaguar.

Is it demand let, certainly to some extent, the Apple brand is aspirational and they know they can sell it for a premium. What you need to consider is if Android is so good, then why is the iPhone brand considered the gold standard?

This isn't meant to be about is Apple better than Android, its simply that the Apple brand is what people want. If you don't want to pay the Apple premium buy something else, but you always have the choice. How you make it is down to your personal feelings..

System

But do you not feel ripped off paying for the iphone when you can get an S2 for £20 a month?

I also think the sound and picture would be better on a Sony than Technika.

And the iphone brand is not considered the gold standard imo. Samsung, HTC and SEricsson all great and same quality of product with perhaps better specs for cheaper.

The demand is so big that Apple can charge what they want and people will still buy it. I just don't understand why the iphone is in such high demand.

gjchester

berbastrike wrote: »

And it is daylight robbery, "Net profit for the year ending 24 September was $25.9bn (£16.5bn)." but this is like most companies which ruin the world with this kind of greed

What has that got to do with anything?

People CHOOSE to buy Apple.

Yes it's a premium product and Yes it's a premium price, but last time I checked no-one was dragged to a phone shop and forced to take out an iPhone contract.

A few years ago Nokia was the top dog in the phone business, now they are nowhere. At the moment Apple is the brand to beat, and people are buying it's product but lets not forget back in 1997 Apple almost went bankrupt and it was only Microsoft bailing them out that stopped Apple disappearing.

Again the question is why is Apple the gold standard, if they are no better value than Android why is the world buying them in such quantities. Why the Fanboi devotion such as queueing outside stores (I dont see why they do that either) at silly hours for the latest product.

The Apple brand is what people aspire to have, but you are by no menas forced to take it.

System

I think people like Apple because of itunes and their products are expensive so people assume they are better where in fact, they are a complete rip off for the hardware inside.

gjchester

berbastrike wrote: »

But do you not feel ripped off paying for the iphone when you can get an S2 for £20 a month?

Sorry you are entirely missing the point.

The Aspiration is the driver not the cost. If we were cost concious then Kia and Technicka would rule to roost, they may not be better quailty but often they are so cheap we can throw them away as we want more features.


You may not think it but Apple is the brand to beat at the moment. The iPhone, IPad, and iPod all are the top devices and frankly no-one is coming close yet. The fragmentation of competition, through the various Android, Webos, RIM offerings dilutes the effect. You don't buy an Android device you buy a HTC Desire,Samsung Galaxy and so on, where as Apple you buy an Iphone, not a 3, 3GS, 4, 4S the brand is the item not the individual model.


Your right Apple market the idevices as a premium product, but it's a premium people are willing to pay.

Another question would be why do Samsung allow there brand to be cheaped by discounts and reductions to sell them, thats something Apple fight against, which all helps the premium-ness of it, it's very rare you get them discounted anywhere.

jb66

gjchester wrote: »

Sorry you are entirely missing the point.

The Aspiration is the driver not the cost. If we were cost concious then Kia and Technicka would rule to roost, they may not be better quailty but often they are so cheap we can throw them away as we want more features.


You may not think it but Apple is the brand to beat at the moment. The iPhone, IPad, and iPod all are the top devices and frankly no-one is coming close yet. The fragmentation of competition, through the various Android, Webos, RIM offerings dilutes the effect. You don't buy an Android device you buy a HTC Desire,Samsung Galaxy and so on, where as Apple you buy an Iphone, not a 3, 3GS, 4, 4S the brand is the item not the individual model.


Your right Apple market the idevices as a premium product, but it's a premium people are willing to pay.

Another question would be why do Samsung allow there brand to be cheaped by discounts and reductions to sell them, thats something Apple fight against, which all helps the premium-ness of it, it's very rare you get them discounted anywhere.

I disagree, I was an Iphone fanatic but got an s2 through my work I was going to sell on to buy the Iphone4, after using it for a day I could not let go of it. I find the screen size and speed of the s2 and the ability to use wifi hotspot and other features apple like to lock down was a big selling point to me



Apart from Siri and possibly talktime the S2 wipes the floor with the 4s, I suppose you could call it a top of the range mondeo and the 4s a Jag, but I never bought an iphone because it was apple, I bought it because it WAS the best, now it isnt

System

gjchester wrote: »

Sorry you are entirely missing the point.

The Aspiration is the driver not the cost. If we were cost concious then Kia and Technicka would rule to roost, they may not be better quailty but often they are so cheap we can throw them away as we want more features.


You may not think it but Apple is the brand to beat at the moment. The iPhone, IPad, and iPod all are the top devices and frankly no-one is coming close yet. The fragmentation of competition, through the various Android, Webos, RIM offerings dilutes the effect. You don't buy an Android device you buy a HTC Desire,Samsung Galaxy and so on, where as Apple you buy an Iphone, not a 3, 3GS, 4, 4S the brand is the item not the individual model.


Your right Apple market the idevices as a premium product, but it's a premium people are willing to pay.

Another question would be why do Samsung allow there brand to be cheaped by discounts and reductions to sell them, thats something Apple fight against, which all helps the premium-ness of it, it's very rare you get them discounted anywhere.

Because Samsung aren't as much as a rip off as Apple. Their prices are fairer and better value. I suppose it is if you want to be seen with an iphone, then this is what you want and will buy. They probably are marketed as a premium product but shouldn't be because the hardware inside can be found in much cheaper phones.

robbies_gal

ive never had to add any software to my htc humphrey dont really know what you mean

on the other hand my sister who bought an iphone 4 couldnt sync with my computer because i was running an older os so that i would have to update