> You don't think it's because they essentially invented the market, starting out at 90% market share? Apple essentially invented the harddrive digital music p

> You don't think it's because they essentially invented the market, starting out at 90% market share? Apple essentially invented the harddrive digital music player with iPod+iTunes and maintained a +80% marketshare for the lifespan of that product > I disagree. I think people shop for a phone the way many people (unfortunately) shop for a new car: On the monthly payment, not the sticker price. All that matters is that the carriers finance the phone, subsidies are dying. Every major US carrier now has installment options. The monthly payments for cars vary widely with the differences measuring in hundreds of dollars per month. The monthly payments for contract cellphones in USA are mostly the same for a $0 low end phone or a $0 iPhone. Indeed for many years AT&T/Verizon/Sprint wouldn't give a discount on the monthly plan even if the consumer brought their own phone which made it slightly irrational to not sign a contract. It's impossible for the low end to disrupt when the high end is the practically the same price.