Tangentially related: If only there were shirts and pants without stitching or seams of any kind. I murder clothing tags with obsessive vengeance. Microfiber, wool, and corduroy can burn in the ninth ring of the fiery underworld.
Let's consider strategy. There are two variables: P, the price, and Q, the quantity. Of course by reducing P you increase Q, and vice versa, so besides being dependent on each other, they have an inverse relationship. At some pair, PQ is maximized.
Apple knows this. So of course they did not set the price P to maximize Q. They set the price P to maximize PQ.
The question should be why P maximizes PQ. I submit that it is because of dopey articles that create a luxury effect around the product. I believe that if necessary, Apple would (and may even already) write and publish these articles themselves.
People make irrational purchases all the time and I don't really see a problem with that. What makes me wince is when people are trying to rationalize their irrational purchases, especially with strangers. Or when strangers seek to make them feel silly or bad about it.
When the iPad came out in 2010, online commenters also ridiculed it. The jokes were so repetitive that people complained about them[0]
/r/technology is sadly not available from that day but the Internet was full of the same few jokes:
iPad?! More like maxipad amirite?
iPad? So they glued 4 iPod Touches together?
Lol, Apple making the same thing others already made but worse?!
Sadly, /r/technology on the day of the Airpods release is also missing. But I was able to find some threads on it soon after[1]
The thing of greatest value to most "netizens" (haha) is ridicule. They love dunking on stuff. In fact, even today if you go to reddit's front page you will almost certainly see a post from /r/clevercomebacks or /r/murderedbywords or so on and so forth.
I don't blame them. When I was young, I too found this enjoyable for reasons that seem so alien to me today I cannot even comprehend why I did it. I, a Linux using child, called the IE and Windows users "Microserfs" in moments of great wit. Perhaps pg was right in that dunking is adaptive for those primarily seeking engagement[2]
That's not to say that anyone is wrong or right about whether some product is good. I thought the iPhone sock was some kind of joke release, but I've definitely passed the point where I know what appeals to the kids (six-seven skibidi). It's just that a gauge that always reads 1.0 on a scale from 0.0 to 1.0 is not a gauge that you can use diagnostically.
BBC trying to make a couple extra bucks with this ad after that oopsy with Trump. Coverage is coverage, veiled by mockery or not.
To people with bad taste who buy stupid garbage for thousands, such as any of the hideous big shoes of the last decade adorned with a fancy label, this is already on order.
Can't wait to hear the ATP hosts spend 45 min "not" glazing this thing like they do with every iPhone case
Ultimately, it's a fashion thing, it'll sell, I can't blame them for putting it out there, but I'd definitely wonder about any friends buying it
I don’t think people here understand the pricing for this market category. This is not a phone case or a container, it is a handbag/shoulder bag, which can go for $100-500+ (do not underestimate the long tail for this market). The prominent display of Issey Miyake branding is indicative that this is a foray into fashion. Whether it looks good, or whether the Apple Pocket will be fashionable, is an open question, but it would be stupid and brand damaging for Apple to price this item lower.
Apple seems to be running out of steam. Xiaomi, "the Apple clone," is now releasing cars and XR devices. Meanwhile, it has been a while since Apple released a new product line. The last one was the Apple Vision Pro. With Apple Intelligence, they have shown that they can't "think different" anymore.
Sure, Apple will remain a trillion-dollar company for a long time, partly because its competition keeps shooting itself in the foot. Windows and Android are hostile towards power users and bloat the system with pre-installed apps, and they are both stepping on the gas.
But the real question is: how long can brand loyalty alone sustain the hype of new Apple products? And when will Apple stop being considered a "growth" company?
Yep, Apple has lost its way. Looking at the release of the latest OnePlus 15, the only reason to keep going with an iPhone is basically ecosystem lockin.
In my opinion they are losing on all front but the chips, and those have become of secondary importance in smartphone and about to get heated competition in laptops.
In the short term, Apple can work on their pricing, considering their large margins they have a lot of runway, but they need to find something to keep being the top dog.
> Apple will remain a trillion-dollar company for a long time, partly because its competition keeps shooting itself in the foot
You must mean the competition was driven away. Apple and Google play a a dance that protects their profits, but Chinese companies didn't play by the same rules and were becoming too disruptive.
The general public always mock companies who market to luxury markets, but that doesn't mean it's a bad business to be in or customers won't flock to it. This is nothing new.
And for sure people will buy it. I don't think there is a price point where some people would not buy it. Fashion doesn't make sense, it never has.
There is a great joke about this:
A woman rushes into Yves St. Laurent's studio.
"Oh Yves!" she cries, "you've got to help me, I'm in a panic, I have this gala coming up and I have no hat to wear"
Calmly, Yves walks to the nearest table, picks up some rolls of ribbon and starts draping them around the woman's head, and in 10 minutes flat he has made this fantastic creation.
She looks in the mirrow "Oh, Yves, you've saved me, how much do I owe you?"
He says "make it 2500 euros"
She starts yelling "2500 euros??? are you mad? for a bunch of ribbon?"
Calmly, Yves starts to unwind the ribbons spooling them up as he goes and when he's done he hands the woman the ribbons. "The ribbons, you can have for free."
People are so dumb! But, Apple has to make up for producing trash products and having to pay Google a cool billion a year cause their "Intelligence" is as dumb as their customers.
26 comments
[ 5.7 ms ] story [ 51.7 ms ] threadApple knows this. So of course they did not set the price P to maximize Q. They set the price P to maximize PQ.
The question should be why P maximizes PQ. I submit that it is because of dopey articles that create a luxury effect around the product. I believe that if necessary, Apple would (and may even already) write and publish these articles themselves.
/r/technology is sadly not available from that day but the Internet was full of the same few jokes:
Sadly, /r/technology on the day of the Airpods release is also missing. But I was able to find some threads on it soon after[1]The thing of greatest value to most "netizens" (haha) is ridicule. They love dunking on stuff. In fact, even today if you go to reddit's front page you will almost certainly see a post from /r/clevercomebacks or /r/murderedbywords or so on and so forth.
I don't blame them. When I was young, I too found this enjoyable for reasons that seem so alien to me today I cannot even comprehend why I did it. I, a Linux using child, called the IE and Windows users "Microserfs" in moments of great wit. Perhaps pg was right in that dunking is adaptive for those primarily seeking engagement[2]
That's not to say that anyone is wrong or right about whether some product is good. I thought the iPhone sock was some kind of joke release, but I've definitely passed the point where I know what appeals to the kids (six-seven skibidi). It's just that a gauge that always reads 1.0 on a scale from 0.0 to 1.0 is not a gauge that you can use diagnostically.
0: https://www.reddit.com/r/self/comments/auwq1/im_already_tire...
1: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/51r158/no_apple...
2: https://x.com/paulg/status/1659156372427087874?s=20
Of course it is: https://web.archive.org/web/20100505194005/https://reddit.co...
There is even an iPad ad. But no submissions about the iPad though.
To people with bad taste who buy stupid garbage for thousands, such as any of the hideous big shoes of the last decade adorned with a fancy label, this is already on order.
Can't wait to hear the ATP hosts spend 45 min "not" glazing this thing like they do with every iPhone case
Ultimately, it's a fashion thing, it'll sell, I can't blame them for putting it out there, but I'd definitely wonder about any friends buying it
Sure, Apple will remain a trillion-dollar company for a long time, partly because its competition keeps shooting itself in the foot. Windows and Android are hostile towards power users and bloat the system with pre-installed apps, and they are both stepping on the gas.
But the real question is: how long can brand loyalty alone sustain the hype of new Apple products? And when will Apple stop being considered a "growth" company?
In my opinion they are losing on all front but the chips, and those have become of secondary importance in smartphone and about to get heated competition in laptops.
In the short term, Apple can work on their pricing, considering their large margins they have a lot of runway, but they need to find something to keep being the top dog.
You must mean the competition was driven away. Apple and Google play a a dance that protects their profits, but Chinese companies didn't play by the same rules and were becoming too disruptive.
There is a great joke about this:
A woman rushes into Yves St. Laurent's studio.
"Oh Yves!" she cries, "you've got to help me, I'm in a panic, I have this gala coming up and I have no hat to wear"
Calmly, Yves walks to the nearest table, picks up some rolls of ribbon and starts draping them around the woman's head, and in 10 minutes flat he has made this fantastic creation.
She looks in the mirrow "Oh, Yves, you've saved me, how much do I owe you?"
He says "make it 2500 euros"
She starts yelling "2500 euros??? are you mad? for a bunch of ribbon?"
Calmly, Yves starts to unwind the ribbons spooling them up as he goes and when he's done he hands the woman the ribbons. "The ribbons, you can have for free."