All Apple fans know that its products are not the cheapest out there. The argument always was that they were the best though, so that’s why they were the most expensive. Ultimately, you get what you pay for, and people accepted that. Recently, though, the cost of top-end Apple products rose faster than inflation. Some went up 20% or more this fall. The Washington Post took a look at how prices have changed, and why customers keep coming back.
Many Apple product prices are rising faster than inflation — faster, even, than the price of prescription drugs or going to college. Yet when Apple offers cheaper options for its most important product, the iPhone, Americans tend to take the more expensive choice. So while Apple isn’t charging all customers more, it’s definitely extracting more money from frequent upgraders.
Check It Out: Why Apple Products Keep Getting More Expensive
I hadn’t really thought about it, but my family hasn’t bought a brand new Apple device since 2010. I did happen to win a then-new 2011 MacBook Air, which I used until earlier this year, when I upgraded to a 2013 i7 MBA. I couldn’t justify paying over twice as much for a new, but slower, low-end $1000 MBA. We’ve gone through six iPhones, all second hand. My newest desktop is an HP Hackintosh. It helps that my wife gets her laptop and iPads through her job. We can afford to buy new Apple stuff, but — for our needs — the value just doesn’t seem to be there.
I think the increasing prices will bite Apple in the end when people move from 2-3 year replacement cycles to 5-7.