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How is it Apple can make a whole laptop cheaper than the phones they sell? Phones are costing more while laptops are going down in price.
by scrivna 7mo ago
How is it Apple can make a whole laptop cheaper than the phones they sell? Phones are costing more while laptops are going down in price.
- jitl 7mo agoBesides the phone CPU, they’re using less apple custom silicon: MediaTek wifi/bluetooth, no cellular modem, generic 1080p camera.
- elicash 7mo agoThe MacBook Neo starts at the same price as the new iPhone 17e! I think they should have branded the 17e the iPhone Neo.
- nicoburns 7mo agoThere are bunch of expensive components in a phone that aren't in this. The modem and camera system come to mind.
- onlyrealcuzzo 7mo agoBecause this is probably using a bunch of old parts that didn't get sold and are very cheap now (the a18 from last year's iPhones, etc). It also probably doesn't have a ~60% margin.
- geon 7mo agoIf they plan to sell any volume, they can't rely on leftovers.
- oarsinsync 7mo agoUnless the "leftovers" in question are "leverover capacity on the previous process node that doesn't have pricing competition, so Apple's able to continue to demand all of the supply at their desired price point"
- tshaddox 7mo agoWhat counts as "meaningful volume" is probably very different for laptops than for smartphones.
- stackedinserter 7mo agoMaybe it's cheaper to make something that doesn't have be small as an iphone.
- flkiwi 7mo agoFirst guess: making things small (and durable) is more expensive than making things big.
- lotsofpulp 7mo agoFor starters, no royalties to pay Qualcomm.
- askonomm 7mo agoDon't the new iPhones have Apple's own modem in them?
- lotsofpulp 7mo agoI recalled reading that Apple still has to pay Qualcomm some amount for 5G related stuff, but I can’t find an authoritative source to link.
- 1970-01-01 7mo agoYou're confusing the sales price with the manufacturing cost. They will continue to set whatever prices people will pay because it's a walled garden and there's no other company building Apple (MacOS) compatible laptops.
- paxys 7mo agoIt's possible that they are selling it close to cost to get more young people into the macOS/iOS/iPadOS ecosystem. If you can translate each one of these into a "Pro" device sale down the line then it's a win for Apple.
- leecarraher 7mo agoprobably a lot of economics going on, such as early age vendor lock-in, and new market acquisition loss-leaders, but ultimately it's not cutting edge hardware. So the same reason the laptop you bought 2 years ago is half the cost it is today. Granted, even that is not purely a cost only decision. Stratify any market and see how much you can get each segment to pay, and convince them they are getting the best deal for their money.
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- dhuk_2018 7mo agoGood question... I wonder if the 5G chipset adds significantly to the price? IP licensing?
- Amorymeltzer 7mo agoTo name a few components: - Older chip (and with fewer thermal constraints) - Only one camera (and much cheaper) - Less RAM than 17pro and Air - No cell modem, FaceID, ProMotion, MagSafe, etc.
- cromka 7mo agoMuch bigger screen, keyboard, big battery, lots of copper and aluminum, extra USB port, touchpad, a charger.
- green-salt 7mo agoThose are really basic parts that are really cheap to make with current tech at least.
- cromka 7mo agoWhich of the parts you mentioned are by definition more expensive? A modem? FaceID is 10 y/o now btw. You're just speculating and selling this as facts. Meanwhile actual material like aluminum, copper, lithium and others are genuinely expensive and the difference in weight of the precious metals and alloys used is obvious.
- stetrain 7mo agoPhones contain 3+ cameras, OLED displays, FaceID, wireless charging, and cellular modems. Plus there is a price to be paid for the latest and greatest in miniaturization, machining, and packaging. Plus this is exactly the same price as the base iPhone 17e.
- sevenseacat 7mo ago$100 AUD less than the base iPhone 17e here
- dainiusse 7mo agoThis has nothing to do with part price. They sell for what people pay. And this new neo is for putting scale, but 8gb means you get hooked and then "climb the ladder"
- soapdog 7mo agobecause all those prices are artificial, Apple is charging what they think they can get away with and also betting on making more money in the long run with subscriptions to iCloud and their other services.
- raw_anon_1111 7mo agoThe same way that Apple can sell a low end iPad with cellular for $479 that has a larger screen and larger battery. If the iPhone wasn’t heavily subsidized and/or available on installment plans, Apple would have to lower prices. On the other hand, the iPhone is water proof, made of sturdier materials to survive falls, has cellular, and the high end ones have more memory