The image on the left was shot in a press/VIP lounge at a major event I happened to pass by about one and a half years ago – the owner of the device was incredibly proud about the box and was always surrounded by a crowd of people wanting to look at the little box. Back then, many bought the iPhone for exactly that reason…it was expensive and rare.
Stefan Winterbauer, a German (tech) journalist, was among the first who figured out that the iPhone is not protected from the so-called Veblen effect:
It is claimed that some types of high-status goods, such as diamonds or luxury cars, are Veblen goods, in that decreasing their prices decreases people’s preference for buying them because they are no longer perceived as exclusive or high status products.
According to him, Apple should fix the issue by releasing a new device which:
- is expensive
- yet lacks some crucial feature (he suggested Exchange)
Even though I would not dare to call Mr. Winterbauer a typical Apple head (or a moron, as the latter would be illegal), the attitude shown by him nevertheless is somewhat common in the Apple world.
Obviously, these folks are extremely loyal customers…which is a fact we should all keep in mind when analyzing the behavior of the A-boys…
Feedback, anyone?
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