lewchenko

I thought I could justify an upgrade from my Air2 (quite old now) which performs well enough but lacks features the new pro iPads have. 

but its it’s the new familiar story with Apple.. so ridiculously expensive. Astronomically so in the case of the iPad Pros. 

Eapecially when you you factor in a pencil and keyboard to make the most of your new pro device plus any extra storage , case , or LTE. 

They may be powerful but the iOS approach doesn’t suit all use cases which makes it an additional purchase to a say a laptop and phone (eg. Creatives who also code) 

iPads worked and sold well because they were a value device (consumption device or companion device). These new pro’s are arguably more than that (strong creative) but I don’t think there are millions of people willing to pay as much as a Mac book pro to have one (with the accessories). The low end iPad isn’t even an upgrade from my Air2 either so at present unless I want to cough up a grand , I’ll be sticking with the air 2. 

Apple is becoming the Prada of the tech world. Quality.. sure, but priced for the rich! 

In the uk it’s 1199 to start with only 8Gb and 128Gb. 
And a ridiculous £200 to upgrade to the next model which has a 256Gb drive (nothing else different).  Go to 16Gb and it’s £1579. Wow. 
All dual core processors too. 
Silly money.

My 2013 dual core Mac book pro with retina , 16Gb, 512Gb SSD cost less than these. 

Well I guess at the end of the day the XR is a reasonable way to save money if you want an X like experience but are not willing to pay the 999+ fee.  The tech you get is a compromise , reflected in the price (still expensive in my opinion). 
Interesting that they chose the screen and size  as the main differentiator to the XS and not the CPU. I guess they want the most visible aspects to be ever present as the main differentiator to push people to the XS / XS Max if they can. Or maybe they make more margins on the XR. Who knows. 
Sounds like there is a boat load of people out there though that either can’t tell the difference in screen quality/resolution or just don’t care. 
I went for the XS mostly due to size (perfect one handed operation) and the display was as good as my S9 Plus I came from so the difference in cost between the XR and XS was worth it for me.  Apples approach to data and privacy was also a key reason I switched from Android back to Apple. 

The wife wants a new phone (she has a 7) but the XR is too big. The XS , too expensive, the 8, not enough of an upgrade. She is waiting it out this year. A discounted original X might fit the bill though. 

canukstorm said:

midwestapplefan said:

airnerd said:

Inflation is a thing.  You know gas, bread, milk, etc all cost more each year as well.

If gas was $6 a gallon, bread was $4 a loaf, and milk cost $6 a gallon right now, you would have a valid comparison.  Unlike those commodity goods, consumer electronics typically go down in price over time.  Cameras, televisions, hard disks, even drones just get getting cheaper and cheaper.  Only Apple seems to be able to buck this trend.  It will probably work for a few more years.  But with higher prices you get more intense competition.  It will be interesting to see where Apple is in 4-8 years when iPhone are more like the commodity goods you listed.

I think Gruber sums it up pretty well:

https://daringfireball.net/2018/10/iphone_xr_review_roundup

"A cell phone used to be just a wireless telephone. No longer. They are our ever-present personal computers. They are also our most important cameras (and often our only cameras). A decade ago, point-and-shoot cameras ran $200-400, easily. It’s your watch, it’s your alarm clock, it’s your Walkman, it’s your map and GPS. It’s your wallet full of photos of your family and friends. It’s also, increasing, your actual wallet.

If you took an iPhone XR back to 2006 people would be amazed. If you told them they could buy one for $750 they’d think you were lying.

On a related note, I would argue that iPhone prices aren’t really going up. Last year’s X and this year’s XS models are a new premium tier. The iPhone XR is the phone at the previous “regular” top-of-the-line tier. New top-tier iPhones used to cost $600-650, yes, and the iPhone XR starts at $750. But when you account for inflation that starting price is about the same. The iPhone 4 was introduced in June 2010 starting at $600. $600 in June 2010 dollars is about $700 today. That $600 got you a 16 GB iPhone in 2010. The 32 GB model cost $700. That’s about $810 in today’s dollars — $10 more than the price of a 128 GB iPhone XR, which I think is the sweet spot in the lineup for most people. Inflation adjusted, the iPhone XR is right in line with the iPhone 4 prices from 2010.

Considering how much more capable an iPhone XR is compared to an iPhone 4, I’d say $750 is an amazing bargain."

You have been drinking too much of the apple kool aid. 
The X range is not a super class tier at all. I have the Xs. It’s a great device but no better in real terms than my old 7 Plus was when that was released either in its flagship clothes. Its what I expect from apple’s best iPhone , as always. It’s not like it’s made of a special rare alloy or something.  Hardwire wise , there is nothing that unique about it. Spec wise, many android phones come with as good sceeens and not memory for much less cost.  It’s a solid device that Apple could have sold for a lot cheaper and still made a ton of money. But can’t really fault apple here if mugs like me are willing to spend a grand on it lol. 
Technology tends to get cheaper as the years go by not more expensive. (Think how DVD players got better and cheaper over the years). The iPhone is doing the opposite. That’s not good for us consumers. And whilst we could keep the device for 4 years , we probably won’t when we see what Apple releases in in the next two years (starting at just  $1200 for the top tier!) 

It’s hilarious that the word value was used in the headline. 
$750 (flagship prices not very long ago) ... now mid range phone prices this year is NOT value. 

Apple has just reset expectations with its ultra expensive X, XS and XS Max.

Its a decent enough phone In many ways with a mid tier screen option (resolution wise). But value for money .. only if you are rich!