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In itself, I have no problem with asking a lot of money for a good/unique product.
Look at Ferrari, they make enough profit, so their products are sold “too expensive”. But you can also drive a Lamborghini, a Pagani, McLaren or Koenigsegg, just to name a few alternatives.
I work at ASML myself, where a lot of profit is made. You may not think that is right, but there is no competition for EUV, which is partly a consequence of years of investment.
What I do have a problem with is that Apple not only charges a lot for good products, but also charges a lot of money for unnecessary items.
Some examples:
Apple has not supported SD cards in iPhones as internal storage for years, something that many Android phones do. Understandable in itself, because internal memory can be faster.
But to then charge a factor of 5~10 more compared to an SD card or even an SSD, then it becomes a rip-off. Because it’s simply not worth that much. It is not correspondingly faster, more reliable or more durable than an SSD. But it is a factor x more expensive.
Omitting the 3.5mm connection forces you to buy wireless buds. Which are easier to lose, which entails extra costs and Bluetooth caps are often more expensive (and less user-friendly due to charging).
Then Apple tries to gain a monopoly on repairs with the help of registration of hardware IDs. A technical trick to sideline third parties and always be involved in repairs yourself.
And none of that is necessary. I’ve been complaining about these developments for years, they’ve been around for 15~20 years (or more), so it’s not temporary anymore. And no matter how many times the “yes, but…” arguments come back, the stated facts have never been refuted: Apple has been ripping off their customers for years in ways that are not necessary.
I think of it as peeing in your pants in the winter. In the end you stay warm, but after 20 years I no longer find it pleasant to smell…
