A lack of innovation (certainly looking at you Apple Watch which has barely changed since the Series 6 for the regular edition) and a hike in prices is the reason why.
The high dollar means Euro pricing is borderline ridiculous for many apple products .. yet I don’t see such price rises from the PC makers like Dell or the phones from Samsung/Google.
Biggest disappointment for me was the Air M2. Value proposition plus the redesign killed that product for me. For the 16GB/ 512GB version , it’s practically the same price as the MBP 14” which also has those specs and a lot better screen/ports.
If you look back at AI stories about this from a year ago (or every past January), I think you'll find that this happens every year after the holiday rush (with minor variations on what's getting "cut").
And the publisher is always Nikkei.
Or “Financial Times” and always picked up right away by CNBC, the station of short sellers but they present them as investors
The m1 is stale. People are waiting for the new chips before they buy. Nobody wants to pay new apple type money for a year old machine. M2 hasn’t really rocked the boat either.
In this era of YouTubers and easy info, buyers are very educated and inflation means everyone is more careful with spending.
People with decent computers can afford to wait until apple releases the new stuff.
I doubt anything will change, but Apple’s pricing policy is not in keeping for folks faced with increased heating bills, increased prices and wages not keeping pace with any of it. All of my previously comfortable Apple subs are under review. I’m making do with my older phone for another year. Much coveted AirPods Max are a no-go for the foreseeable*. Etc.
*First world problems, I know
Totally understand and I’m feeling the pain too. Apple’s pricing is due to a messed up world, something that isn’t going to change quickly.
I can't speak for global pricing, but Apple's street prices in the US offer far better products for much less money than I've ever seen... and I've been an Apple guy since the early '90s. The 9th gen iPad for $299. The Apple Watch SE for $249. Brand new Airpods Pro for $199. M1 Macbook Air for $799. iPhone SE 3 for $429. Don't believe me? The first iPhone in 2007 was priced at $852 in 2022 dollars. And, of course, the SE 3 is a VASTLY better phone in every way for half the price. I could go on with examples like this in every product category. In terms of just the price tag, Apple is never going to compete in the race to the bottom--but it currently offers better value in terms of product performance and support than it ever has before.
As happens from time to time, gloom and doom seem to have settled over the Apple story lately, and it may help to remember that just two months ago, Apple reported its best fourth quarter in history, along with the highest installed base in every major product category in its history. That was for the July-Sept quarter, when the world was already well into the grips of high inflation and an economic slowdown. I would not be betting heavily against Apple for the just completed holiday quarter.
What you said. Technology is inherently deflationary. Imagine being able to buy a home that's bigger, has the best luxury appointments and built with far better quality materials and construction methods than a standard house of ten years ago, at 1/3rd the price. That's how it is with technology products, and yet people complain about prices.
The m1 is stale. People are waiting for the new chips before they buy. Nobody wants to pay new apple type money for a year old machine. M2 hasn’t really rocked the boat either.
In this era of YouTubers and easy info, buyers are very educated and inflation means everyone is more careful with spending.
People with decent computers can afford to wait until apple releases the new stuff.
M1 is stale? Name another laptop processor that is faster
The story could be the other way around. According to this news Taiwanese suppliers saying they have enormous problems with workers getting sick. So some one twisted this to Nikkei saying Apple cut orders. The truth is the suppliers cannot deliver the products to Apple.
Apple's products are not selling as well for many reasons but part of it is they are often not class leading.
Just bought a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 2 earbuds and the sound quality is so far beyond anything Apple offers and it is not in that hideous white plastic. Still have a pair of Beats Pro Fits that I use out on the bike and such, but the noise cancellation and sound quality of the Bose is far beyond anything Apple offers.
The new Apple Watch Ultra is less than impressive. While the battery life was impressive, recent SW updates have made the watch very quick to deplete the battery. The watch also has the occasional nasty habit of giving me the spinning wheel at random and the Apple Store was less than helpful.
Apple Music is a train wreck and the promised Classical Music app has failed to appear by the promised EOY 2022. iTunes was a far better app and experience. I have the full bundle of apps (just to get the good News app) but have to pay for stuff I do not want like the fitness, gaming and TV+. Looking at dropping the services bundle for better from 3rd parties.
Apple 14 Pro so far is meh. Not significantly better than the 13 Pro in any way. Apple needs better 5G antennas and radios - especially at the prices they charge.
Messages is at this late date, still far less than it should be. It still does not play well with non Apple devices and is also inconsistent in how it handles messages. Some messages that come through on the Phone do not on iOS or Watch OS devices. We cannot control what phones the people we need to message have and Apple needs to make a better and more consistent experience.
Sync of messages, mail and such across devices did not used to be a problem but has become one over the last year or so. Read messages on one device do not properly show that way on other devices. Same with CarPlay - messages seen or heard on CarPlay still show up as new or unread on other devices.
Some of this relates to services, but that is what ties this ecosystem together and Apple is falling behind and many do not have the high quality of year gone by. The SW and services are what differentiate Apple and they are dropping the ball and raising prices.
Comments
pretty dirty
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/27/charlie-munger-stop-complaining-about-wealth-inequality-life-quality.html
thank you
Just bought a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 2 earbuds and the sound quality is so far beyond anything Apple offers and it is not in that hideous white plastic. Still have a pair of Beats Pro Fits that I use out on the bike and such, but the noise cancellation and sound quality of the Bose is far beyond anything Apple offers.
The new Apple Watch Ultra is less than impressive. While the battery life was impressive, recent SW updates have made the watch very quick to deplete the battery. The watch also has the occasional nasty habit of giving me the spinning wheel at random and the Apple Store was less than helpful.
Apple Music is a train wreck and the promised Classical Music app has failed to appear by the promised EOY 2022. iTunes was a far better app and experience. I have the full bundle of apps (just to get the good News app) but have to pay for stuff I do not want like the fitness, gaming and TV+. Looking at dropping the services bundle for better from 3rd parties.
Apple 14 Pro so far is meh. Not significantly better than the 13 Pro in any way. Apple needs better 5G antennas and radios - especially at the prices they charge.
Messages is at this late date, still far less than it should be. It still does not play well with non Apple devices and is also inconsistent in how it handles messages. Some messages that come through on the Phone do not on iOS or Watch OS devices. We cannot control what phones the people we need to message have and Apple needs to make a better and more consistent experience.
Sync of messages, mail and such across devices did not used to be a problem but has become one over the last year or so. Read messages on one device do not properly show that way on other devices. Same with CarPlay - messages seen or heard on CarPlay still show up as new or unread on other devices.
Some of this relates to services, but that is what ties this ecosystem together and Apple is falling behind and many do not have the high quality of year gone by. The SW and services are what differentiate Apple and they are dropping the ball and raising prices.