Are Apple Products really Worth It?
Or just have a premium price tag
The iPhone, MacBook, iPad… each evokes an image of sleek and compact design. And their parent company Apple has managed to integrate itself and its products into consumer consciousness. Apple products are worth the cost for those who value the user experience and ecosystem. The ease of use and tight integration between devices and services is valued over the ability to customize for many of Apple’s loyal customers.
Talking about smartphones, then there are two main software competitors in the smartphone market: iOS and Android. iOS is Apple’s unique operating system designed to work on the iPhone and iPad. Android, on the other hand, is based on the open source Linux operating system.
Android is used by many smartphone manufacturers including Samsung, Huawei, Sony, and others. iOS fans can expect a consistent user experience from device to device, whereas Android users will see a greater diversity and flexibility in their choice of phones.
Though Apple may not sell the most phones, but still they net a much larger profit, allowing them to invest more heavily in image and marketing, further entrenching them as a large player in the smartphone market.
A high profit margin on a product means manufacturing costs are low and prices are high. So, when it comes to Apple, be aware that you may be paying extra for the experience rather than raw processing power of a better display.
And obviously, each of us has owned an Apple product or envied our friend’s latest iPhone. However, it is commonly agreed that Apple products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, or iPod are usually the most expensive toys around compared to Windows or Android devices with similar functionality.
With the brand loyalty that Apple receives, they figured out how to turn existing customers into another market base for extra products. And owning an Apple product such as an iPhone doesn’t stop there. Paying more is a custom of those within the Apple ecosystem. Sometimes the prices are just bizarre. This is what we are calling the Apple tax. For example, a 256GB Mac will be sold for around $1,299. Whereas, a Windows laptop with the same price tag will have better specs. During an announcement in 2019, Apple revealed a $5000 Mac Pro and its stand which would be sold for $1000. Paying these premium amount is part of the Apple tax agenda.
Another form of Apple tax is observed with how they handle storage. When you wish to upgrade your storage, you will have to purchase more storage from Apple. It also goes without saying that some devices are sold with their storage capabilities being one of the major differentiating factors. The bigger the storage space available, the more expensive the gadget. But compared to other companies’ devices with similar functionalities, Apple’s prices seem to go way overboard.
An additional way in which Apple is expensive is seen in their accessories. Apple sells premium keyboards for approximately $129 and a premium mouse for $79. Even with such an awesome design, it seems illogical as there are many items with the same functionality from different companies. Even accessories such as cables are also expensive.
And the removal of headphone jacks and wired earphones is slowly turning Apple users to the exclusive use of pure Apple accessories due to compatibility issues.
When Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was asked why Apple products are so expensive, he reiterated that the company always chooses quality over price. Apple does not want to favor price at the expense of quality. This translates to one of the many reasons their customers value Apple so much. Apple values its “magical” products over everything else, which means whichever product you purchase from Apple will definitely be worth the price due to its quality.
Cook also claimed that the innovation at Apple and new product releases are actually motivated by the consistent desire to make new gadgets at affordable prices. He said that Apple doesn’t just constantly question themselves to check how they can cheapen products such as iPods, MacBook, and iPhones.
They also ask how they can achieve a great product that will reach the consumer at an affordable tag. Many tech experts have also questioned Apple’s decision to sell Mac under $1000. However, the CEO explains that they found out that to get the Mac at a lower price, they would have to create a substandard product, which is not what Apple’s brand stands for. Apple claims to be endlessly committed to delivering great quality products above pricing and functionality. Those who have an iPhone can probably explain how different it feels when using a different phone like the Android types.
Apple also has iconic stores where they exclusively sell their devices. These stores are available not just in the US but worldwide. Talk about owning more than average of five stores in every country of the world. By every country, think of Australia, think of South Africa, think of Egypt, think of India. Apple spends heavily on these stores to maintain the brand perception.
Some stores are also found in some premium cities. A good example is the floating Apple store in Singapore, which was termed one of Apple’s most ambitious retail projects to date. The list of the stores is endless since Apple has more than 500 iconic stores distributed all over the world. And You, as the user, pay for these magnificent buildings.
We’ve all met a group of people who buy Apple items just because it makes them feel special, important, and premium. These are some of the physiological satisfactions sought by most Apple users. You will find them hungry to buy a new Apple product even if the one they have is not a year older and still performs its functions adequately.
Apple has learned to capitalize on such customers and uses formulas like preordering and creating wild buzz for its products to trap such segments of clients. This category will buy anything from Apple, provided it has that iconic logo. The price tag is normally not a concern for them. Apple exploits this by attaching high prices to some of its premium devices.
A story is told of how Steve Jobs threw his first iPod into an aquarium to prove that the size could be reduced. A team of engineers working on the first iPod came to present a prototype to Steve Jobs, who rejected it at first sight, stating that it was too big. The engineers said that it was impossible to create smaller device, at which point, Steve dropped it into an aquarium. Reaching such a level of quality demands a lot of time, research, and innovation.
We all love the amazing and relentless finishing on Apple products. Even without the logo, it’s easy to recognize Apple’s signature bezel finishes on some of its products, such as the Mac, iWatch, and iPhone. Furthermore, the components used on Apple devices are some of the most reliable and premium in the market. Apple rarely has issues with bugs. It is also rare to need to repair an Apple product. The product also do last longer than most. We probably know of Macs that have lasted for more than 10 years.
But besides everything, Overhead costs are also the costs associated with the daily running of the business. Whenever you purchase an Apple product, you don’t just pay for the components and packaging of the product.
There are other even greater costs hidden within the gadget. For eg: Marketing, which is an important aspect of all businesses. Even though Apple has established itself in the market and has a reputable brand, they still have to market new products and software updates. They heavily market new products. Apple places ads everywhere, even on roadside billboards. Influencer marketing also plays an important role in keeping the flow of customers towards the Apple ecosystem. Apple also pays a lot of staff and workers from executive teams to development teams. Apple component manufacturers are found in Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and the U.S.A.
There are many competitors of Apple such as Huawei, Samsung, Microsoft, and Xiaomi. However, Apple still maintains a grip on top selling products, such as the iWatch and MacBook, which are considered the best in their respective categories.
However, if we look at the pricing, then you can buy an Android phone for as little as $100 or for over $1000. That’s a huge range of customer choice and quality and performance. iPhones usually start around $700 and easily break $1000 for higher end models. Therefore, iPhones are more consistent, more polished and pricier whereas Android allows greater freedom of choice.
User Experience is what Apple focuses the most on. They insist on human review for things like apps, push notifications and timelines. In contrast, Android apps can be updated without review.
Important settings like security, memory partitions, and the theme of your phone can be changed on Android. Apple doesn’t give you this level of freedom. Also, there are Android phones that not only allow software customization but also allow and even encourage the addition of new batteries and memory expanding SD cards.
Whereas, Apple is ardently against this, going so far as to develop their own screws so tat it is incredibly difficult to get into the guts of the phone. This causes an issue with repairability. Apple wants customers to use only its stores for maintenance, whereas Android’s multipurpose mentality allows for many high quality third party repair options.
Mac computers have a reputation for being sleek, design oriented, and easy to use and also do have a large array of gestures and keyboard shortcuts. Mac’s reputation relies on tradition and legacy, and they produce some great machines. But in the computer market, it s clear the world has chosen Windows. Macs are at times almost laughably expensive. And it was illustrated perfectly, when someone built a powerful gaming PC for $999, which was of the same price as of a Mac Pro monitor stand. Yes, just the piece of metal and plastic that holds up a monitor.
For such a hefty price tag you would expect quality and performance to be the best of the best. Though Apple’s quality is arguably the best in the industry, its price per performance can usually be beaten by PCs for half the price. But every bevel and edge on a Mac has been carefully designed and reviewed for customer satisfaction. Their operating system integrates extremely well with the hardware because they assemble both. PCs are extremely varied. You can get everything from an inexpensive Chromebook to a desktop computer as of the price of a used compact car.
But quality and performance vary as much as price when it comes to PCs. What we can say is that PCs usually offer the same specs as a Mac at a fraction of the cost. For example, the $1,099 MacBook Air is easily outperformed in almost all categories by the $500 HP Laptop.
Apple manufactures high quality products with mostly strict quality assurance and a user experience worthy of the premium pricing. Aside from a few calculated errors, they have provided the majority of their customers with a simple and reliable product line that is deserving of its reputation. But, your products need to reflect your needs, so focus on the features you value most. If you want the best built device on the market, Apple is a great choice. If you want seamless transitioning between similar devices, Apple wins out.
However, if you want jack of all trades devices, the most bang for your buck, easy and cheap repairs, and don’t mind being more careful about cybersecurity, then try an Android or PC. Ultimately, it’s you who decides what’s best for you.
