5 ms·

But that's mainly a niche market - a market of people who wouldn't care even if the iPhone is $2,000. Apple may very well continue to sell iPhones only to that

by devx 13y ago

But that's mainly a niche market - a market of people who wouldn't care even if the iPhone is $2,000. Apple may very well continue to sell iPhones only to that market, but they will definitely lose market share. And I think Apple, at the very least, wants some compromise between high-end/quality and market share, and aren't purely focused on high-end, no matter what they say in public. They know that if their market is 5 percent of smartphones (which is starting to look that way in a few years, if they change nothing about their strategy) they will start losing the developers. iOS won't be the platform to get apps first, or the most (already isn't here). And I think Apple will try to avoid that as much as possible (as futile as I think that will be).

obiterdictum 13y ago
I think what GP is saying is that in emerging markets, or at least in Thailand, there is no "compromise" market segment (and it's not going to appear regardless how much Apple "want" it). Normal people get ultra cheap phones, rich people get high-end iPhones, which is why 5c is a miss.
ma2rten 13y ago
I am afraid I didn't make the difference between the Thai and Western markets clear enough. Thailand is a strictly hierarchical culture. In the old days it was similar to the Indian caste system. One was born into a caste. Nowadays, how much money you have determines for a large part your position in the hierarchy, but that requires you to show it. Another example: many people don't put their savings in the bank, but wear it in the form of gold. When I said "People who have money and want to show it" what I really meant was "People who have enough money to buy an iPhone and want to show it". I don't think there is a market here for the 5c. It does not fulfill the purpose of an iPhone: showing that you have money and by extent status. However, we will see the 5c/s are not released here yet.

by devx 13y ago

obiterdictum 13y ago

I think what GP is saying is that in emerging markets, or at least in Thailand, there is no "compromise" market segment (and it's not going to appear regardless how much Apple "want" it). Normal people get ultra cheap phones, rich people get high-end iPhones, which is why 5c is a miss.

ma2rten 13y ago

I am afraid I didn't make the difference between the Thai and Western markets clear enough. Thailand is a strictly hierarchical culture. In the old days it was similar to the Indian caste system. One was born into a caste. Nowadays, how much money you have determines for a large part your position in the hierarchy, but that requires you to show it. Another example: many people don't put their savings in the bank, but wear it in the form of gold. When I said "People who have money and want to show it" what I really meant was "People who have enough money to buy an iPhone and want to show it". I don't think there is a market here for the 5c. It does not fulfill the purpose of an iPhone: showing that you have money and by extent status. However, we will see the 5c/s are not released here yet.