3 ms·

I'd guess that they are having product differentiation issues between the iphone and the iphone Pro. Most people just don't see the value in faster screen, stai

by hajile 5y ago

I'd guess that they are having product differentiation issues between the iphone and the iphone Pro. Most people just don't see the value in faster screen, stainless band, and a not-so-great telephoto camera (I own a pro, but I'm hardly their primary market). An entire processor generation difference would give a big selling point to average consumers for paying the extra few hundred dollars. There's been rumors that they'll be skipping A15 cores for the upcoming M2 processors. If they skipped over the best-selling iphone, that would give them a TON of extra space for M2 chips. This would allow them to put a little more ground between the new Air with the M1 and the pro iPads. It would also allow them to drop a new version of the macbook air and drive a lot of sales there. I know I'd gladly upgrade to a M2 model -- especially with a decent CPU bump and a 24/32GB RAM option. Then again, they could just stick with what people expect. I wouldn't be surprised either way.

dangus 5y ago
I feel like I can see increased efforts at differentiation on the 13 Pro compared to the 12 Pro. The iPhone 12 Pro was perhaps the least differentiated high-end model Apple has ever put out. I think the 13 Pro has a few features that make it a bit more of a compelling buy: - The new telephoto lens is a massive improvement (I wonder if your last experience was with the 12 or older? The new camera is actually worth something while the old one had mediocre quality compared to the main lens). - ProMotion has no tangible benefit, but it makes every interaction with the screen look smoother. When you go back to old phones that don't have it, it's jarring. I can see why some of the Android-using tech enthusiasts have criticized Apple for not delivering high refresh rate for so long. - The previous iPhone 12 had identical main/wide cameras with the Pro model unless you got the Max variant, which is no longer the case. The iPhone 13 Pro has different/better cameras all around over the 13. - The GPU of the 13 Pro has an extra core over the 13, which was not the case for the iPhone 12 lineup. Anyone who does mobile gaming on graphically intense games should probably choose the Pro model over the regular one. - Significantly better battery life over the non-Pro version, which was not the case for the 12 models, which had identical ratings.
- hajile 5y ago
  For an average consumer, are those things worth hundreds of dollars? I know the value, but I work in tech and spend tons of time digging into hardware as a hobby. Camera matters to some, but most of the rest are pretty bare features compared to the $200 (20%) increase in price. When I list all the things I can buy with $200, where do these features rank in comparison to those other things? I'm blessed with a good job, so I can afford the luxury. I was poor when I was younger and I definitely wouldn't be spending that for those features. $220 out the door would be almost 20 hours of work at $15/hr (after taxes).
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - dangus 5y ago
    I think that's a valid question. Objectively, no, those features are not necessarily worth the literal dollar value the price segmentation is commanding. But, there are some other points to consider: - It seems like most people in the USA who buy mid to high-end phones finance their phones from carriers, and pay 0% interest for it. So, what the consumer is really considering is "is the Pro model worth $5-8/month more to me?" or "Would I pay $200 extra over 2-3 years?" and I think that's an easier justification for many people. - Carriers offer a number of financial incentives and discounts in exchange for loyalty (there aren't any contracts anymore, but there are "bill credits" that function the same way). - You did use $15/hour as an example, which around the median US salary, but Pro models are not intended to be the top selling model for the median earner in the US. They're marketed at, I would guess, the top 20% of earners, which lines up with the Pro/Pro Max models only making up 20% of iPhone sales in 2020 [1]. That would mean that Apple would expect individuals buying the iPhone Pro models to make about $75,000/year or greater. About 10% of the population makes a 6-figure salary. [2] - Smartphones are the primary communication and computing device for many if not most people. I think that there are many people who see the smartphone as the most valuable possession they own. [1] https://www.knowyourmobile.com/phones/most-popular-iphone-model/ https://www.knowyourmobile.com/phones/most-popular-iphone-mo... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_...

by hajile 5y ago

dangus 5y ago

I feel like I can see increased efforts at differentiation on the 13 Pro compared to the 12 Pro. The iPhone 12 Pro was perhaps the least differentiated high-end model Apple has ever put out. I think the 13 Pro has a few features that make it a bit more of a compelling buy: - The new telephoto lens is a massive improvement (I wonder if your last experience was with the 12 or older? The new camera is actually worth something while the old one had mediocre quality compared to the main lens). - ProMotion has no tangible benefit, but it makes every interaction with the screen look smoother. When you go back to old phones that don't have it, it's jarring. I can see why some of the Android-using tech enthusiasts have criticized Apple for not delivering high refresh rate for so long. - The previous iPhone 12 had identical main/wide cameras with the Pro model unless you got the Max variant, which is no longer the case. The iPhone 13 Pro has different/better cameras all around over the 13. - The GPU of the 13 Pro has an extra core over the 13, which was not the case for the iPhone 12 lineup. Anyone who does mobile gaming on graphically intense games should probably choose the Pro model over the regular one. - Significantly better battery life over the non-Pro version, which was not the case for the 12 models, which had identical ratings.

hajile 5y ago
For an average consumer, are those things worth hundreds of dollars? I know the value, but I work in tech and spend tons of time digging into hardware as a hobby. Camera matters to some, but most of the rest are pretty bare features compared to the $200 (20%) increase in price. When I list all the things I can buy with $200, where do these features rank in comparison to those other things? I'm blessed with a good job, so I can afford the luxury. I was poor when I was younger and I definitely wouldn't be spending that for those features. $220 out the door would be almost 20 hours of work at $15/hr (after taxes).
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- dangus 5y ago
  I think that's a valid question. Objectively, no, those features are not necessarily worth the literal dollar value the price segmentation is commanding. But, there are some other points to consider: - It seems like most people in the USA who buy mid to high-end phones finance their phones from carriers, and pay 0% interest for it. So, what the consumer is really considering is "is the Pro model worth $5-8/month more to me?" or "Would I pay $200 extra over 2-3 years?" and I think that's an easier justification for many people. - Carriers offer a number of financial incentives and discounts in exchange for loyalty (there aren't any contracts anymore, but there are "bill credits" that function the same way). - You did use $15/hour as an example, which around the median US salary, but Pro models are not intended to be the top selling model for the median earner in the US. They're marketed at, I would guess, the top 20% of earners, which lines up with the Pro/Pro Max models only making up 20% of iPhone sales in 2020 [1]. That would mean that Apple would expect individuals buying the iPhone Pro models to make about $75,000/year or greater. About 10% of the population makes a 6-figure salary. [2] - Smartphones are the primary communication and computing device for many if not most people. I think that there are many people who see the smartphone as the most valuable possession they own. [1] https://www.knowyourmobile.com/phones/most-popular-iphone-model/ https://www.knowyourmobile.com/phones/most-popular-iphone-mo... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_...