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by mikeash
3185 days ago
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And in some cases, the bewildering array of options makes the decision difficult. I don't even know if the X is actually better than the 8 for me, let alone whether it's worth the price premium. Things have really gone sideways with the X, because there's no longer an obvious best. The X is worse than the 8 in important ways, like no Touch ID and no home button. It's better in other ways. Which one wins? I don't know. Back to the topic of things that wouldn't have happened under Steve, pre-Steve Apple had a vast and baffling Mac lineup. Steve eventually simplified it down to four basic offerings, one for each combination of (cheap, pro) and (desktop, portable). iPhones were even simpler. You lose out on choice, but you win on simplicity. Steve much preferred the simplicity of fewer choices. I don't mind having choices now, but it may very well end up costing Apple a sale this time: the more I waffle between the 8 and the X, the more likely I'll just decide to keep my 6+ for another year. |
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I think you're over thinking this—the iPhone X is by far the best phone anyone has ever made. Think of it as the deluxe iPhone 8.
You're assuming Face-ID is a detriment; however, Apple wouldn't have shipped it unless it was as at least as good as Touch-ID. Perhaps you should read something from someone who's used one: https://daringfireball.net/2017/09/iphone_x_event_thoughts_a....
Being a long time Apple observer, both professionally and personally, I call bullshit on this "Steve wouldn't have done this or that" crap.
Things change; Steve was known to change his mind when that was the right thing to do. What Steve did back in 1997 with the 4-product matrix is what Apple needed then, a company that had lost its way. Apple's total revenue then was a little over $7 billion; now $50 billion quarters are routine.
Apple has sold over 1 billion iPhones since 2007; it generates around 66% of its revenue. It clearly makes sense to have different models available for different consumers, not just in the US but globally, where more than half of its revenue comes from.
It wouldn't be possible to keep up this momentum if they only sold the newest and most expensive phones without being accessible to those who who need a device 1/3 or 1/2 of the price of an iPhone X.