“The strategy is, dare I say, bordering on over-confidence,” Ben Thompson writes for Stratechery. “Apple is raising prices on its best product even as that product’s relative differentiation from the company’s next best model is the smallest it has ever been.”
“Here, though, I thought the keynote’s Mission: Impossible-themed opening really hit the mark: the reason why franchises rule Hollywood is their dependability,” Thompson writes. “Sure, they cost a fortune to make and to market, but they are known quantities that sell all over the world — $735 million-to-date for the latest Tom Cruise thriller, to take a pertinent example.”
“That is the iPhone: it is a franchise, the closest thing to a hardware annuity stream tech has ever seen,” Thompson writes. “Some people buy an iPhone every year; some are on a two-year cycle; others wait for screens to crack, batteries to die, or apps to slow. Nearly all, though, buy another iPhone, making the purpose of yesterday’s keynote less an exercise in selling a device and more a matter of informing self-selected segments which device they will ultimately buy, and for what price.”
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: This franchise has legs the likes of which we haven’t seen since Brigitte Bardot.
SEE ALSO:
Ars Technica reviews iPhone Xs and Xs Max: ‘Among the best phones Apple has made’ – October 1, 2018
Engadget reviews Apple’s iPhone Xs and Xs Max: These are fantastic smartphones – September 21, 2018
Austin Mann reviews iPhone Xs camera: ‘I’ve never worked with a camera that can balance light like this – not even close’ – September 20, 2018
Apple’s iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max earn rave reviews – September 19, 2018
CNBC reviews Apple’s iPhone Xs and Xs Max: ‘The best phones you can buy’ – September 18, 2018
iPhone Xs/Max LTE speeds up to 266 percent faster than iPhone X – September 18, 2018
John Gruber reviews iPhone Xs/Max: Upgrade for the photo and video quality, even from iPhone X – September 18, 2018
Tom’s Guide reviews Apple’s iPhone Xs Max: You won’t want to put down; it’s like a pocketable mini movie theater
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
NYT reviews Apple’s iPhone Xs and Xs Max: Bigger is now definitely better – September 18, 2018
[Attribution: Daring Fireball. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
“MacDailyNews Take: This franchise has legs the likes of which we haven’t seen since Brigitte Bardot.”
I seriously doubt most MDN visitors under the age of 50 will know who Brigitte Bardot is without some googling. She was the definition of sexy back in her prime.
I’m 74 and I can confirm that Brigitte Bardot is worth a Google.
As for pricing, I consider my iPhone to be an investment, along with the apps I have actually paid for. Same with the 2009 MacBook that I still have, tied to the Apple display. Both still work.
I might get a new iPhone, or I might prefer a trip to Europe with the wife.
Now I am going to invest in the new Watch because of the two feature I want. Fall notification and ECG. The one fall product on the market I’ve seen is the “Help., I’ve fallen and can’t get up.” The version that works when you are out of your home base is about $40 a month – making the watch a quick pay out.