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The real reason Apple called it an "iPhone 4S" is that they want to start selling the 4 to the large segment of the market shy of the cutting edge. Plenty of p
by raldi 15y ago
The real reason Apple called it an "iPhone 4S" is that they want to start selling the 4 to the large segment of the market shy of the cutting edge.
Plenty of people will buy something called a "4" when the state of the art is a "4S" -- there's no embarrassment there: "Oh, my discount phone is almost as good; it's just missing an S. And it's not like my friends will be able to tell that I'm using last year's model. It looks the same."
But if the latest model is called the "5", then suddenly there's a stigma to having the 4. You're stuck one full number behind the Joneses. And everybody knows, because you're still using the phone with the unfashionable flat back while everyone else has the slick new teardrop design that's all the rage.
- krobertson 15y agoI don't know if I agree with the reasoning of the "4" being like the "4S" as the reason for buying. I'd look at it instead as on the surface, looking at someone using an iPhone, you wouldn't be able to tell if it was a 4 or a 4S. The 4S will sell to early adopters and power users, and the 4 will sell to more price conscious late adopters. Either way, Apple wins. They're already doing good with iPhone 4 production, probably have decent amount stocked, and production costs between the two don't change too much.
- jsz0 15y agoInteresting theory but personally I don't see that most normal people care about that type of stuff at all. The 2+ year old 3GS was the #2 best selling SmartPhone last month even though it's using a 3+ year old design. If anyone was really that insecure about themselves they would probably just spend the extra $100 to get the latest & greatest.