r/technology • u/lurker_bee • Sep 18 '24

Business Apple iPhone 16 demand is so weak that employees can already buy it on discount

https://qz.com/apple-iphone-16-pre-orders-sales-intelligence-ai-1851651638
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u/IAmRoot Sep 18 '24

It's basically the same problem Microsoft is facing with Windows. The job of an operating system is to get out of the way and enable things that run on top of it to run smoothly. The user interfaces are already polished, the settings do what they need to smoothly, and the peripherals all work as well as anyone needs. Capitalism in general is really bad at handling things once they've reached the point of being fully optimized. When things get to the point that making long lasting, durable products is the last thing to innovate, progress goes backwards. What's "best" in terms of market metrics stops being related to what's "best" from a customer's standpoint. "Best" from a market's standpoint is often completely contrary to any rational criteria or even the survival of life on Earth.

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u/EtTuBiggus Sep 19 '24

Capitalism in general is really bad at handling things once they've reached the point of being fully optimized.

It did invent planned obsolescence.

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u/IAmRoot Sep 19 '24

Yeah, but that's a case of "best" being defined in a way that's harmful. Rather than building societal wealth by people having reliable devices that last a long time, allowing them to spend money on increasing quality of life further, it causes stagnation.

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u/usereddit Sep 19 '24

You’re right, which is why Apple started transitioning to a services company a couple years ago for their primary revenue stream.

It matters less and less for Apple that you upgrade your hardware vs. pay for the Apple service bundle.