Apple CEO Tim Cook Continues European Tour, Talks iPhone Pricing, App Store, Apple TV+ and More in Interview

The App Store revision process is NOT rigorous, they are mostly concerned with stupid features like "embracing the notch" or "shake to undo", and in-app purchases or subscription models.

Most Apps are loaded with trackers, privacy violations and have a huge size and they let all that slip until a site reports something and they take it down because "they are committed to privacy".

And yes, it is a monopoly because: 1) there are billions of devices and you can ONLY buy/get apps from their store, 2) You have to pay to develop and sell through it, 3) Apple offers no alternative option.

Wow, almost everything you said was nonsense.

Name 10 Apps loaded with trackers.

There are plenty of phones you can buy that don’t use the App Store.

You want to go to Disney World and ride Harry Potter too? It’s called vertical integration. Don’t want to use the App Store? Buy a Samsung, Pixel, LG, or Sony.

I don't believe Tim at all when he says Apple tries to keep prices as low as possible. I firmly believe they are set at the level that he thinks maximizes profit, not a dollar more or less.

If TC really believes that Apple keeps its prices as low as possible, then might be care to explain why the Sport Band for AW (two slices of silicone) retails for £49?

It comes precisely made for the Apple Watch, comes with Apple packaging and an assurance of an Apple backed warranty, available through Apple’s website, Apple Store, and affiliated retail partners. Have a problem with it and you have some actual recourse.

Now buy that cheap(er) silicone band from some no name, off shore “brand” from Amazon, eBay, kiosk, guy down the street and what do you get? A cheap band that may or may not fit or hold well, probably cheaper materials, thinner, and what if it breaks? Any returns, warranty, physical store, etc.? Oh, it’s so cheap, it’s disposable, oh well, I’ll just get another...and another. So if it was half price, you get two in one year and it’s the same as one Apple band that lasts more than a year.

Sometimes you do get what you (don’t) pay for.

tim apple must really love the taste of crap, because he does nothing but spews it from him mouth everytime he talks. As in the past, the actual cost of an iPhone is probably around the $190 price point to build it. Throw in a little overhead for "R&D". Although, using the same design 3 years in a row seems to say otherwise in terms of those R&D dollars.
Honestly, they could sell the Phone for $300 easy and still churn a profit with this gen.

Ah, Samsung can probably make the same phone (or even cheaper) and they sell a ton of those $150-300 phones, about 85-90% of their total shipments - guess what, there’s very little margin in those phones despite the potential low costs, and they don’t even pay for the Android OS development while Apple does with iOS.

Just ask Sony, Motorola, Lenovo, Nokia, LG, HTC, even Essential how much profit they make on all their lines of Android phones. Oh yeah, NONE of them make any profits, they all lose money!

Apple works on a profitable and sustainable business model. They offer a high quality product, goods and services, software, hardware, user experience, and gee, they charge for that. People seem to like it, value it, and are willing to pay for it, and in return, they get it for the most part.

It is not Apple’s responsibility to make a “cheap” phone to match your needs, it’s to run a good business that endures and creates and sells products and services that people want AND will pay for. They are successful at that. If you want a cheap phone, you can get it anywhere through a cheap Android maker and model with free Android OS. Lots and lots to choose from too so no excuse on your part. Oh, but you want iOS? You want iMessage or FaceTime? You want a local company store for help? You want the longevity, superior used demand and resale value, and 4-5+ years of actual OS updates that are timely (within 2 days of release)?

Gee, you can’t get all of that with that cheap Android. Say you wouldn’t need it? Heh, just google all the different problems people run into with their Android phones and lame support. Sure, doesn’t mean Apple doesn’t drop the ball too, but at least in many areas of the world, you have a solid chance with Apple.

Noooo, you're wrong. The OP is right.
It would be like you buying a Honda, and then every tire store, auto part store, and mechanic telling you, you have to buy your parts from Honda. All tires are made of the same stupid rubber, but your Honda tires are gonna cost you $400 each rather then buying them at a Walmart auto care for $80 each, for no reason other then Honda wants to be greedy ******s and line their pockets.
Now clearly, this is all made up, and in the real world, no one would EVER stand for such ludicrous non-sense.
SO WHY, do people put up with that BS with apple?

You bought the phone, you should be able to do whatever the heck you want with it. Use whatever software, buy parts from where ever, etc.

Sorry, you used the wrong analogy. Try buying a Porsche. If you want Porsche performance, you buy Porsche parts and Porsche specified suppliers. Sure, you CAN put other makers parts on it, but you may not get the same performance, and if it breaks, Porsche isn’t going to back you up.

Just because you own it (your iPhone) doesn’t mean you aren’t going to screw it up with generic cheaper parts/software, etc. Your jailbreak, off site apps, generic off brand battery (from who knows where), your DIY repairs, etc. may, may, lead to damage, bricking, etc. and you’ve voided your warranty but you want Apple to somehow back you up and fix it. And if they don’t, you badmouth Apple to everyone even though they don’t sanction or support anything you did or want to do.

Do what you want, it’s a free country. But take responsibility for what you do and if you do brick your $700-1000 iPhone, man up, admit it and don’t cry to Apple. Or us. Can’t accept Apple’s corporate desire to avoid those situations by heavily regulating its products and trying to protect its reputation, however carefully cultivated? Then go elsewhere, plenty of “superior” hardware and open source software to play with to your heart’s content.

I don't believe Tim at all when he says Apple tries to keep prices as low as possible. I firmly believe they are set at the level that he thinks maximizes profit, not a dollar more or less.

These two statements do not contradict each other.

The App Store revision process is NOT rigorous, they are mostly concerned with stupid features like "embracing the notch" or "shake to undo", and in-app purchases or subscription models.

Most Apps are loaded with trackers, privacy violations and have a huge size and they let all that slip until a site reports something and they take it down because "they are committed to privacy".

And yes, it is a monopoly because: 1) there are billions of devices and you can ONLY buy/get apps from their store, 2) You have to pay to develop and sell through it, 3) Apple offers no alternative option.

the alternative you seek is android

I jumped off the iPhone train 5 years ago and Android is years ahead in development/customization/features. The fact that you still can't even sideload apps from anything but the appstore is a joke! Even apples very own precious Mac allows you to pull applications from anywhere in the interwebs.

If Apple came out with a new Mac and said, from now on, you can ONLY buy applications from the Mac App Store, you along with the rest of the world would throw up torches and pitch-forks. The same exact reason the Microsoft Windows App Store failed.

Glad you're happy with no updates and spyware with Android, but I've been there and done that. I used plenty of Android phones (Atrix, Note 4, Note 5, Galaxy S6, S7, etc) before I got the X and couldn't be happier I left.

LOL, none of us care about sideloading apps or customizing our phones. Adults grow up and just want the phone to work smoothly for a long period of time.

I think Apple has their App Store strategy down to a science.