6 ms·
I see apple as like LVMH, but for phones. It has a minority of overall sales, but a majority of the “luxury” part of the market. This gives them influence ove
by lokar 2y ago
I see apple as like LVMH, but for phones. It has a minority of overall sales, but a majority of the “luxury” part of the market. This gives them influence over the whole market, but not a real monopoly.
- sneed_chucker 2y agoiPhones are priced in line with other flagship phones.
- echelon 2y agoYou have two choices for phone ecosystem, and they're both bastards about what you can put on your device. Google uses the tyranny of defaults, deeply buried settings, and scare walls to accomplish much the same thing that Apple does by strictly being draconian. It's mafia behavior over the most important device category in the world. Both of these companies need to have their asses handed to them. Not just by the US DOJ, but by every country. What we do with our phones is bigger and more important than two companies that got there first. They'll still have their trillions dollar market caps after the DOJ tells them they must allow web installs. Apple and Google's only role should be to provide a hermetic sandbox with permissions layer and do occasional malware scans. That's it. Once we buy the devices, they're ours, and these companies should have no say as to what innovation takes place and what customer relationships are built after the initial sales are made.
- dismalaf 2y ago[flagged]
- nar001 2y agoWe're not talking about what manufacturers can do, but about what users can do, they're not the same
- dismalaf 2y agoWell only 1 platform lets users do pretty much whatever they want... That's not even up for debate.
- bmicraft 2y agoWell, except for the Play Integrity API (formerly SafetyNet). As soon as you do anything remotely interesting you can't use NFC payments, your bank or even the McDonalds app anymore. This notably doesn't even achieve it's supposed goal of keep anything secure from anyone - bypasses are found usually days after it's "fixed". That only leaves the conclusion that Google wants to make it painful so as to discourage anyone from stepping out of line. Because that's the only thing it actually achieves, and it does so remarkably well.
- sofixa 2y agoRemotely interesting you mean root your phone, I presume? I haven't found the need to root mine, there's plenty of flexibility in unrooted Android. I use the browser (actual browser, with its own engine), password manager, search engine, PWAs, email app, launcher of my choice. I use F-Droid for generic apps (like QR code reader).
- bmicraft 2y agoYou can't even backup apps without root.
- fsflover 2y agoYou mean GNU/Linux? (Yes, some smartphones run it.)
- arminiusreturns 2y agoI'd be willing to be money that if we knew the truth, it would be that three letter agencies have infilled/influenced the big two and made sure phones will remain controlled, leaky ecosystems of surveillance... ..."for the greater good"/"national security" That's why DOJ (same DOJ that let Epstein walk because he "belonged to intelligence") won't do any such thing.
- dismalaf 2y agoIt's strange how they've convinced people that, considering there's nothing at all luxurious about their products, not even the price...
- bobbylarrybobby 2y agoWhat's luxurious about Apple products is that they tend to respect your time
- dismalaf 2y agoThose are words without much meaning. So, how do you think they "respect" your time more than other smartphones?
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago> how do you think they "respect" your time more than other smartphones? I have an iPhone. It just does its job. Updates in the background. Repairs are a peach, especially by mail. They don’t spam me.
- dismalaf 2y agoUpdates in the background? It's not 2005 anymore... All phones do that. Androids have done that since version 1.0. Just works? Ditto. So the answer is just... vibes?
- JumpCrisscross 2y agoPartially yes, Android vs iPhone is largely vibes. The point is it’s a product that works for years without the user having to fuck with it too much for most use cases. If the hardware fits your needs, it’s the best in the world. If you like a 3.5mm jack, there are other options—hence why it’s tough to argue they have a smartphone monopoly. If you’re asking why it’s luxury, it’s a combination of the materials, machining and service experience. Luxury products aren’t necessarily better, certainly not for someone who can’t afford them. They’re simply more luxurious. Easier, more comfortable, et cetera.
- mattmaroon 2y agoThe trial is in the US where Apple does actually have a majority of overall sales.
- _mlbt 2y ago[flagged]
- hulitu 2y ago> A majority is not a monopoly. I can't think of any market segment where there isn't an acceptable alternative product to purchase if I chose to. Nadela, is that you ? /s
- _mlbt 2y agoAlternatives to Apple are as follows: Computers (Macs) - Lenovo, HP, Dell, Microsoft, etc. Tablets (iPads) - Samsung, Microsoft, etc. Phones (iPhones) - Samsung, Google, etc. Smart Watches (Apple Watch) - Samsung, Garmin, etc. Cloud Storage Services (iCloud) - Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc. Bluetooth Audio Devices (AirPods) - Samsung, Sony, Bose, etc. Bluetooth tracking tags (AirTags) - Tile TV Streaming Boxes (AppleTV) - Roku, Amazon, Google, etc. VR Headsets (Apple Vision Pro) - Meta/Oculus Am I missing any major product categories for Apple here? They aren't even close to holding majority market share in most of those categories I listed.
- WeylandYutani 2y agoDue to my mental illness am not a very social person. But normal people mirror what everyone else is doing. We developed in tribes. So when your peers have an iPhone you yourself need to have an iPhone or end up as the outcast. Apple knows that they are a premium fashion brand. It was what Jobs was aiming for from day one.
- isthatafact 2y agoSimilar to the top comment, I think of Apple as primarily a fashion company, and they have no real competitors in that area. Can tech fashion be its own market segment?
- gyomu 2y agoThat analogy would only make sense if a Louis Vuitton bag was the same price as a North Face one yet outperformed all the competition when you take it on a 3 month backpacking trip Except it doesn’t
- makeitdouble 2y agoThis was the old Apple under Jobs. Tim Cook made it a juggernaut that holds more than half the market in many areas, can buyout whole supplies of a specific technology (e.g. TSMC and their 3nm process?), influences the relationships with a whole country (China) and has the size to weather most battles (e.g. the fight with the EU).
- Cumpiler69 2y agoThe magic of vertical integration.
- account42 2y agoMore like the magic of decades without sufficient antitrust enforcement.
- rogerrogerr 2y agoPeople here are always telling me that modern MacBooks are nothing special and I can get a better deal on a Windows laptop. Which is it? Seems like it can’t be a monopoly _and_ face stiff competition from Windows. (I’m not interested in the green-bubble stuff; that argument holds no weight with me - especially since iOS supports RCS now)
- Cumpiler69 2y agoThe anti-trust issues are related to the iOS marketspace. MacBooks has nothing to do with this. Please stop injecting your conjecture to move the goalposts of the discussion.
- rogerrogerr 2y agoOkay, Cumpiler69. Thanks for keeping the discussion professional.
- 2y ago
- Glyptodon 2y agoThey have like 57% of all smartphones (and 100% of the app store) in the USA last I saw. 57% of the market doesn't seem at all limited to just luxury end. Frankly, I can fathom how so many kids even seem to have iPhones given the money involved.