I think that it is not the market but the erosion of purchasing power that push further the need for lower and lower prices. But if you look at the electronic

I think that it is not the market but the erosion of purchasing power that push further the need for lower and lower prices. But if you look at the electronic device we're talking about here, namely iphones, it is an overpriced piece of hardware used as a display of social status which is unrelated to a market call for cheap electronics. Apple has more than enough margin and power to be able to secure conflict-free minerals for their devices and lead by example, but they don't because there's no regulations asking for it and they'd rather get a tad more profits for a bunch of shareholders instead of caring for other humans (who happen to be in distant countries and black or brown or yellow and poor). The more unrest there is in those mineral rich countries, the cheaper the minerals will be and the juicier the profit for shareholders.