How Apple ‘pockets’ consumers

Capacity options

iPad Air is by far Apple’s most popular tablet with its many outstanding features and affordable price, including two storage options of 64 GB and 256 GB.

The 64GB iPad Air costs $600, but if you’re a content creator or want to download a lot of music, movies, and games on your tablet, this space may not be enough.

So you decide to consider the 256GB iPad Air, but it costs more – $750. But then you realize that the price is only $50 less than the iPad Pro. “So why don’t I buy an iPad Pro”?

That’s how Apple tricked the consumer’s brain. At first you were just looking for an affordable iPad, but you ended up buying an iPad Pro.

Like the iPad, the storage options on the iPhone 13 will likely redirect users’ attention to buying the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. The maximum storage iPhone 13 costs the same as the 256GB iPhone 13 Pro, so you’ll want to consider spending a little more on the iPhone 13 Pro.

That’s why we never see expandable memory on “apple defect” products. Apple wants full control over storage options, and the SD card slot ruins that. This may be inconvenient for consumers, but from a business perspective it makes perfect sense.

Outdated design

In addition to the capacity option, the design is also a way Apple uses to “pickpocket” consumers.

The base iPad is basically awesome and powerful, but it has outdated design and accessories, only supports the old first-generation Apple Pencil, and the screen isn’t even beveled. For all that reason you’d say, “Okay, I’m willing to spend a little more for something more modern.”

Similarly, iPhone SE 2022 has the same classic design as iPhone 8. Many users may be disappointed by this but this is a calculated tactic by Apple.

iPhone SE 3 is truly a “monster” on the inside, it outperforms Android flagships, despite being the cheapest iPhone. Apple beat the competition in terms of performance, but it intentionally made the iPhone SE 3 look “worse” than the iPhone 13, because otherwise most consumers would just buy the iPhone SE 3.

This visual trick is mainly based on the user’s perception of social status. If you’re a tech geek, you probably don’t want a phone with the same design as it came out in 2017. Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, you’re bound to want to own one. a phone with a “stylish” design rather than outdated.

So iPhone SE 3 with a classic design to make a clear difference from the top iPhones. That way, even users who don’t care about high-end features will skip the iPhone SE 3 for the design, and will instead consider premium smartphones with a more modern look.

Overall, Apple has very cleverly captured social psychology to be able to sell its expensive high-end products. But it’s not just Apple, Samsung and other major phone makers that all have tactics to get users to spend more money. So when buying technology, it is recommended that you clearly define the product you are looking for and be consistent with your choice.

Huong Dung(According to Phone Arena)