Other Apple's logic behind discontinuing the Xs but continuing to sell the XR?

[The-Real-Deal82]

The reason is nobody in their right mind would buy a XS for $900 when they can get an 11 Pro for $1000. So you’re wasting time and money in inventory management, backend, systems, logistics, and of course worse margins. And even more importantly, you’re confusing the customer.

It is in the customer’s best interest to have one option of each type. And as few options as possible.

Otherwise you’ve seen the mess companies like Samsung have put themselves in.

The fewer the options, the less confused the customer.

More options make sense when they add value. A $100 buck saving is a special date’s worth of money for the audience that the Pro iPhone caters to, they will only get confused and blame Apple for so many options. Ultimately not buying any iPhone at all.

XR is offered because it is for the common masses. Those whose entire week’s ration might be USD 100. They might not buy an 11 because they can’t afford it. USD 600 might be a big deal there. When you’re anyway spending so much more frivolous money around the USD 1000 mark, USD 100 makes no difference one way or the other.

If Mercedes was to sell a 4 year old brand new model for 45k compared to 50k for the latest model, would you buy it?

But if you could get a second hand budget car for 8k instead of 10k for brand new, you might consider it if you are short on cash.

That’s how the low end market works.

I think you generalise people’s choice of iPhone with how much they can afford. I know very few people who could not afford the best iPhone on offer, but are happy with older models, an XR or the iPhone 11. I include myself in that and I use an 8+. Sometimes the budget is set on what people deem is acceptable and stretching that extra £100 can be based on preference rather than affordability.

 

[aakshey]

I think you generalise people’s choice of iPhone with how much they can afford. I know very few people who could not afford the best iPhone on offer, but are happy with older models, an XR or the iPhone 11. I include myself in that and I use an 8+. Sometimes the budget is set on what people deem is acceptable and stretching that extra £100 can be based on preference rather than affordability.

I’m not generalising anything.

Everything works around averages.

Most Americans want an iPhone, not a smartphone.

But they want the cheapest iPhone. 8 doesn’t count as it’s too dated. XR is the cheapest.

Anything more is luxury. That’s discretionary spending. Everybody will spend enough to try to buy a XR. Any more they may not spend unless they’re truly well off or iPhone is their only major expense.

Anybody who buys a USD 1000 iPhone won’t settle for a 900 XS. As simple as that.

But many people who were to buy a 700 11 might be way happier with Apple with a 600 XR or might even move up from 8/8+ to XR because it’s so affordable. That’s not the case with XS/11 Pro. XS is redundant.

 

[FlippyGonnaSnap]

The customer who is willing to spend around $1000 on a device is also not likely the customer will get last year’s model to save $100.

The customer willing to spend $700 on a device is considerably more likely to be a customer who’ll take that $100 saving.

In short, nobody is going to spend $900 for last year’s model. Apple also probably want to keep the line-up as simple as possible.

I don’t even see why this is a big issue. You can still easily find the 6S new. Just but it from elsewhere.

 

[aakshey]

The customer who is willing to spend around $1000 on a device is also not likely the customer will get last year’s model to save $100.

The customer willing to spend $700 on a device is considerably more likely to be a customer who’ll take that $100 saving.

In short, nobody is going to spend $900 for last year’s model. Apple also probably want to keep the line-up as simple as possible.

I don’t even see why this is a big issue. You can still easily find the 6S new. Just but it from elsewhere.

This. It’s common sense. I don’t understand why is this even a question. It is so obvious.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I’m not generalising anything.

Everything works around averages.

Most Americans want an iPhone, not a smartphone.

But they want the cheapest iPhone. 8 doesn’t count as it’s too dated. XR is the cheapest.

Anything more is luxury. That’s discretionary spending. Everybody will spend enough to try to buy a XR. Any more they may not spend unless they’re truly well off or iPhone is their only major expense.

Anybody who buys a USD 1000 iPhone won’t settle for a 900 XS. As simple as that.

But many people who were to buy a 700 11 might be way happier with Apple with a 600 XR or might even move up from 8/8+ to XR because it’s so affordable. That’s not the case with XS/11 Pro. XS is redundant.

So people who spend £700 might be tempted by a £600 device but people spending £1000 won’t settle for a £900 iPhone? lol Right ok, how do you work that out?

 

[aakshey]

So people who spend £700 might be tempted by a £600 device but people spending £1000 won’t settle for a £900 iPhone? lol Right ok, how do you work that out?

It is common sense. Apple agrees too.

I have tried to explain it. If you still don’t get it, I can’t help you further. It is obvious.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It is common sense. Apple agrees too.

I have tried to explain it. If you still don’t get it, I can’t help you further. It is obvious.

It’s not obvious at all and being condescending doesn’t help to make the point.

I understand Apple makes more money from what is now the mid tier market as it appeals to the majority. I’ve made that point myself. It’s still not safe to generalise everybody who spends a grand on a phone won’t pay any less. This isn’t some upper class logic here.

 

[Closingracer]

Let me ask you this, do you think the majority of consumers have any idea what 3D Touch is or even was? I can tell you right now, they don’t . 3D Touch was a simple deletion for Apple as a cost saving measure, plus allowing for a larger battery.

There’s a select few techie individuals on sites like this who knew how to manipulate 3D touch for what it had to offer, but I question how many consumers actually knew what 3D Touch even was or how to utilize it.

That’s the one thing I love about my X over my 11 pro ... 3D Touch was great and now I have to get used to it not there

 

[Closingracer]

Good for grandma! Now rocking modern all-screen iPhone for the first time. And its blue! Could have gotten an 8. Saved $150. But 8 had only boring old colors. And outdated 4.7” screen, and big bezels and home button. Grandma is smart.

Smart ? If my only two options in phones was the 8 4.7 inch and the 6.1 inch XR I would choose the 8 tbh. I prefer the smaller phone and with the 11 pro basically the same size as the 8 is great for me. The 6.1 and 6.4 inch iPhones are too big for me

 

[rui no onna]

Good for grandma! Now rocking modern all-screen iPhone for the first time. And its blue! Could have gotten an 8. Saved $150. But 8 had only boring old colors. And outdated 4.7” screen, and big bezels and home button. Grandma is smart.

If grandma has arthritis, FaceID instead of TouchID could've been a very welcome upgrade.

 

[compwiz1202]

This EXACTLY!!! They realize they need to capture more of the low end market that Android caters to. Hence the Xr continuing to be offered and not the Xs (Max).

Was in the Apple Store the other day and sure enough some grandma was giddy as could be updating to a blue Xr.

I'd be as excited as Grandma or moreso if they would have given us the rumored Cosmic Blue instead of crappy Green that looks like Gray unless it is very dark on flagships.

 

[Aydy]

The same could be applied to the Apple Watch. When series 5 was announced series 4 was subsequently discontinued. The older series 3 now takes pride of place beside series 5 on apple’s current product lineup.

There is practically no difference between series 4/series 5watch (other than AOD) and similarly with the Xs series, Apple are aware that consumers are not stupid enough to fork out for series 5 when the cheaper series 4 is for all intents the same watch. So the watch they are pushing will sit alongside the significantly lesser specification model (S3) where the differences are much more apparent. Series 3 becomes the cheaper budget model..Series 4 is removed so as to not distract nor influence sales of the flagship series 5 which it mirrors in performance/spec. The flagship must ‘clearly’ stand out as a flagship..with NO distracting yesterday's, lower cost flagship getting in the way.

I don’t need to go explaining how we can see the same tactics taking place with the 11 pro/Xs/max. An iPhone that practically mirrors the performance of the current/new iPhone, sold significantly cheaper and ‘crucially’ sold at Apple stores/website is always going to be of interest & affect people’s purchase decisions..so the Xs is ousted tactically & as a matter of practicality. The flagship must have no distracting yesterday’s flagship to distract buyers with a lower price point..there is just not enough spec bump between annual flagships, Apple know this.

 

[EssModelsRule]

Lot of good factors identified already, perhaps another is available supply of OLED screens. More so with the X being dropped when XS/Max came out, they only had one supplier I think and very optimistic “iPhone supercycle” sales forecasts so every OLED panel was reserved for the new phones. OLED supply constraints have eased I assume but perhaps not to the point that Apple wants a lesser phone in the lineup consuming any of it. Plus there’s the refurbished X available through Apple and XS line should join it there soon enough.

XR/11 LCD screens are still easier to source I would guess, so bringing the new form factor price down even $100 by keeping XR is an easier move to make from a supply perspective.

 

[FlyingDutch]

Anyone know what Apple's logic is behind discontinuing the Xs, while continuing to sell the XR? I can understand them discontinuing the Xs to push 11 Pro sales, as a lot of people would have just opted for the Xs as the upgrade is minimal. The exact same thing can be said for the XR and 11, if not more so.

So why continue to sell one and not the other? Would I be right in saying that 3D Touch has a big part to play in it.

Actually differences between XR and 11 are bigger than from XS to 11 Pro. That’s the reason.
A dual system camera. Same SoC and RAM of the high end version. Great battery life. iPhone 11 is almost the “perfect iPhone “.
iPhone XR is a perfect “entry level” (I would have discontinued the iPhone 8 entirely this year).

An iPhone XS at around $800 would have hit iPhone 11 sales and even 11 Pro sales.

 

[Aydy]

iPhone 11 is almost the “perfect iPhone “.

iPhone 12 will almost be the perfect iphone as will iP13-14 and so on..
Every incarnation will ‘almost’ be. Including older generations which were also considered ‘almost perfect’ for their time..Only a year ago the iPhone XS/XS Max was hailed by tech media as the greatest smartphone ever made (for perspective)

Since time is linear, technology progresses with time, making chasing perfection elusive as every iPhone released is/was almost perfect for its time and will carry on being almost perfect with every future incarnation. The 11 pro is better described as good as it gets..for NOW and you, I and everyone around us will be dead and forgotten long before anyone captures perfection. The paradoxical nature of time and progress is persistently setting the illusion of ‘perfect’ that bit higher. Like time, perfection is infinite.

‘That said, I get your point ?

 

[Falhófnir]

Looks like Apple are indeed continuing to make and sell the XS through third party channels, or at least it seems every carrier and retailer has a suspicious amount of stock left considering they shouldn't otherwise have been replenished in over 3 months. They've done this with the 6, 6s and 7 previously, but as far as I know they didn't do it with the X, so maybe they are more confident the 11 pro has more differentiating features over the XS than the XS did over the X so they're less worried about cannibalisation? As for why they removed it from their own lineup, I guess to keep it at least reasonably pruned of excessive options.

 

[FlyingDutch]

iPhone 12 will almost be the perfect iphone as will iP13-14 and so on..
Every incarnation will ‘almost’ be. Including older generations which were also considered ‘almost perfect’ for their time..Only a year ago the iPhone XS/XS Max was hailed by tech media as the greatest smartphone ever made (for perspective)

Since time is linear, technology progresses with time, making chasing perfection elusive as every iPhone released is/was almost perfect for its time and will carry on being almost perfect with every future incarnation. The 11 pro is better described as good as it gets..for NOW and you, I and everyone around us will be dead and forgotten long before anyone captures perfection. The paradoxical nature of time and progress is persistently setting the illusion of ‘perfect’ that bit higher. Like time, perfection is infinite.

‘That said, I get your point ?

I put “perfect” in brackets for a reason.

iphone XR and iPhone 8, being very good smartphones, weren’t as “perfect” as the iPhone 11, if you understand what I’m saying.
Less balanced products.

I’m not defending my baby, to be clear: my daily driver is an iPhone 11 Pro ?

 

[AppleHaterLover]

Looks like Apple are indeed continuing to make and sell the XS through third party channels, or at least it seems every carrier and retailer has a suspicious amount of stock left considering they shouldn't otherwise have been replenished in over 3 months. They've done this with the 6, 6s and 7 previously, but as far as I know they didn't do it with the X, so maybe they are more confident the 11 pro has more differentiating features over the XS than the XS did over the X so they're less worried about cannibalisation? As for why they removed it from their own lineup, I guess to keep it at least reasonably pruned of excessive options.

I think that's leftover stock.

I mean, when the 11 launched, it's not like all the XS stock sitting at Apple's distribution centers magically disappeared. They're just shuffled around.

For a good while I saw the SE for sale at carrier stores.

 

[Falhófnir]

I think that's leftover stock.

I mean, when the 11 launched, it's not like all the XS stock sitting at Apple's distribution centers magically disappeared. They're just shuffled around.

For a good while I saw the SE for sale at carrier stores.

Hm, maybe, just seems there's a lot of stock about including the popular configurations I'd have expected to sell out quickly once they're no longer being replenished. I think most places have surprisingly few units kept in stock, according to news stories that pop up on the front page now and again it even seems Apple ramp production up and down according to demand so there's never masses of phones lying around waiting to be sold.

 

[FlippyGonnaSnap]

So people who spend £700 might be tempted by a £600 device but people spending £1000 won’t settle for a £900 iPhone? lol Right ok, how do you work that out?

People who are willing to spend more are less likely to compromise.

It’s not rocket science, it’s common sense.

[automerge]1576276865[/automerge]

It’s not obvious at all and being condescending doesn’t help to make the point.

lol Right ok, how do you work that out?

Literally on the same page...

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

People who are willing to spend more are less likely to compromise.

It’s not rocket science, it’s common sense.

Literally on the same page...

You shouldn’t really assume. A lot of people who buy £1k phones aren’t necessarily doing so because they can afford it. It’s a buyers market and if you’re spending 900 quid on a phone, you’re not exactly compromising in the first place.

 

[FlippyGonnaSnap]

You shouldn’t really assume. A lot of people who buy £1k phones aren’t necessarily doing so because they can afford it. It’s a buyers market and if you’re spending 900 quid on a phone, you’re not exactly compromising in the first place.

“If you’re spending 900 quid on a phone, you’re not exactly compromising in the first place”

You just said it, people spending that are not willing to compromise.

They won’t spend that amount of money on a device to compromise, people willing to spend that level of money are not going to settle for last year’s model to save a tenth of the price.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

“If you’re spending 900 quid on a phone, you’re not exactly compromising in the first place”

You just said it, people spending that are not willing to compromise.

They won’t spend that amount of money on a device to compromise, people willing to spend that level of money are not going to settle for last year’s model to save a tenth of the price.

The original point made was about people spending £1k on a phone would never pay £900 instead. That’s bollocks though which is why I pointed that out.

 

[jimmy_uk]

I find it odd that Apple sell refurbished X and 8 plus for high prices but not the XS series.

 

[The Game 161]

Price!