Notsofast

kkqd1337 said:

With Apple's poor track record with their Apple TV i doubt this will be successful. 

But I do think it is unfair for Netflix/Spotify/Deezer to have to compete with Apple and Amazon with these services. 

Ironic that you picked two giant corporations that have dominated and are number one in the world in their respective arenas- Netflix in streaming video and Spotify in streaming music, as victims of "unfair" competition.  Video streaming is one of the healthiest competitive sectors in the world right now, with an ever growing number of giant corporations- Sony, Hulu, Amazon, Google, Netflix, Comcast, Apple and many others, all competing in what has essentially become a "commoditized" product where there is little or no consumer loyalty which means pressure to keep prices low.  That's why they are all racing to produce original content, the problem being there is already more content than consumers can consume, so it becomes more an more an issue of price as we see in music streaming, where Spotify has been unable to raise its prices and whose best hope is to be bought out by someone to add to a video streaming package.  

It's not "unfair" that Netflix chose a similar approach of being a one trick pony of "just" video streaming,  but in contrast to popular opinion I predict they will eventually have to sell out and be part of a package to survive.  Again, it's not unfair that companies like Amazon, Apple and Google, and Disney and others, are better positioned to offer a package to consumers that includes video and music with other benefits.  Consumers will leap for packages that offer greater value and convenience than maintaining multiple  subscriptions and duplicate offerings.  Apple is well positioned to offer such a package.

darkpaw said:

Then the company wants users to have a choice of being able to pay subscriptions directly to Spotify through the App Store, yet without Apple's cut.

Yeah, Apple should absorb all the costs for handling subscription payments every month and pass all the money onto Spotify, while Spotify has to pay payment processing itself for their customers who choose to pay outside of the App Store.

I guess I should be able to use that lovely gym equipment in the gym, and not pay for it?

/s

Yes, first off,  for most Spotify subscriptions Apple only gets 15%, but regardless, people who criticize Apple getting a cut forget, or don't understand, that Apple had to spend many billions of dollars to develop that platform, and billions to maintain it, so it goes well beyond the processing fees. Also, people fail to understand that Apple is subsidizing the millions of free and low cost apps.

heli0s said:

In 2019 America only 2-3 major companies dominate every major economic sector, from ecommerce to air travel, to the TV shows you watch - if think that's good for consumers, you're massively ignorant of both economics and history. Tech monopolies are no different than monopolies in any other sphere - there is a point when too big is bad for consumers and the company itself. Monopolies have no interest in innovation, they have an interest in rent-seeking.

As an Apple-focused site, look no further than the keyboard issues of recent Macs. If you want macOS, there is ONE company that makes it. So take that shitty keyboard or go use Windows. Real choice!

That's wrong in so many aspects, but let's just look at the App store. Software used to cost so much because developers, especially smaller companies, had no effective way to market their products other than a few stores, who take at least half of the revenue, and then on line where they had no effective way or the necessary money to market their products.  But Apple came along with the App store, at a cost of billions of dollars, but it created a worldwide market place where every single person in their home could reach a billion customers and Apple would take care of all the marketing, billing, security, etc. Voila,  about a $100 billion dollars has now made its way into the pockets of developers around the world and prices for consumers have dropped dramatically.

It's long past time for Apple to offer home security cameras for Doorbells, etc.  I know Apple doesn't want to scare aware companies by introducing competing products, but home security is just too important to leave it in the hands of Amazon, Google and the rest of the field, especially as their offerings are not only excluding HomeKit, but they are buggy, poor overall quality, and about as ugly as you can get in terms of design.  

MplsP said:

And this is another example of why Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack and force Bluetooth on people is so misguided. We’re essentially seeing that a $170 pair of BT headphones is meant to be disposable after 2-3 years.

The one advantage of Bluetooth is that it is wireless (and, indirectly, no wires to break). Don’t get me wrong, for some purposes and some people this is a huge advantage, but there are many people who just don’t care of where this is a drawback.

Disadvantageds of Bluetooth:

• You can only pair one device at a time. I can get a $4 splitter so both my son and I can watch a movie together on the plane.
• Batteries - they need to be recharged (of course.) The last trip I took, I decided to bring a pair of my Bluetooth headphones. They were charged before I left and died halfway through the trip. Batteries also wear out. For a company that prides itself on being green, throwing away your airpods every 2-3 years is remarkably un-greeen. There’s also the environmental cost of lithium, something no one ever seems to discuss. One of the easiest ways of being green is using items that don’t need to be recharged and have a long lifespan. 
• Connection troubles. Switching and managing connections is a PITA. Better iOS design could help this, but I’m still waiting. There’s also the question of who’s device is connected to what. We have a. BT speaker in the kitchen that we share - my wife’s phone routinely takes it over when I’m listening to music. Or my phone connects to the bedroom radio without my knowledge. Wired connections are always clear. Yes, the W1 chip also makes it easier, but you’re also limited to select Apple/beats headphones and pay extra for this and Apple doesn’t seem to be eager to license the technology to anyone else.
  
• Connection lag - I’ve routinely had issues with audio and video not being in sync using BT. Maybe it was a poor quality device, but it never happens with wired devices.
• Less portability. Again 3.5mm jacks are universal. I take a plane trip and the entertainment system has a 3.5mm jack, not a lightning jack. Yes, I can pay Apple an extra $10 for an adapter which I now have to keep track of, but frankly it’s a pain to do so. Use the adapter for my iphone, then take it off so I can use the headphones with my laptop. Also, our 2011 minivan doesn’t have Bluetooth. Because GPS sucks so much power I was forced to buy a $40 adapter so we could listen to podcasts and keep the phone charged at the same time.

Not all of these issues applies to everyone in every circumstance, but they’re all problems I’ve encounter with some regularity. Like I said, the convenience of wireless is worth it in many cases for many people, and in come cases critical, but Apple seems to have made the decision that everyone should have to pay extra for a feature that they may not need and also has routine drawbacks.

"Not all of these issues applies to everyone in every circumstance"  LOL.  They don't apply to most people in most circumstances.    As others have pointed out, so much what I will generously call "misunderstanding" in your post, starting with "Apple seems to have the decision that everyone should have to pay extra for a feature that they may not need." Again, LOL. Apple gives away wired headphones with every purchase, so no one needs to buy AirPods,  and no you never have to throw away any product as Apple takes every product back for free and recycles the materials, and AirPods work with all the smart phones, and not just Apple/Beats, and Apple gave out about half a billion adaptors.   

It sounds like you don't want to join Apple's wireless world right now, which is fine and Apple is still taking care of you with wired Airbuds, etc., , but the vast majority of headphone sales are wireless, ditto home speakers, and pretty much every car manufactured has Bluetooth and has had for several years,  so no Apple isn't going to design its products around your 2011 minivan and deny the rest of its customers the benefits of its industry leading AirPods, HomePods, etc. There's a reason Apple is now the leading seller of wireless headphones in the world and tens of millions of people are voluntarily buying the AirPods.