How Apple Keeps Taking Us for a Ride

How Apple Keeps Taking Us for a Ride “How Apple Keeps Taking Us for a Ride” is a sentiment that some critics have expressed regarding Apple’s business practices. Several factors contribute to this perspective:

Premium Pricing:

Apple products are consistently priced higher than many competitors, despite often offering similar functionality. Critics argue that Apple capitalizes on its brand loyalty to charge a premium.

Incremental Upgrades:

Apple’s yearly release cycle for devices like the iPhone often introduces only small improvements over the previous model, leading to accusations that the company is encouraging customers to buy new products unnecessarily.

Proprietary Ecosystem:

Apple has developed a highly integrated ecosystem, where hardware, software, and services work best together. However, this also means that consumers are often locked into buying more Apple products (e.g., needing AirPods for the best iPhone experience) and services, limiting cross-compatibility with other brands.

Repair Policies and Right to Repair:

Apple has been criticized for making its devices difficult and expensive to repair. Third-party repairs are discouraged, and replacing parts like batteries or screens often requires going through Apple, which can be costly.

Planned Obsolescence Allegations:

Apple has faced legal challenges for allegedly slowing down older iPhones with software updates, fueling claims that the company intentionally degrades performance to push users toward buying newer models.

Accessories and Add-ons:

Apple’s decision to sell essential accessories separately (e.g., chargers, adapters, headphones) is often seen as a way to extract more money from consumers. For example, when the iPhone stopped including a charger in the box, many saw it as a cost-saving measure for Apple, even though it was marketed as an environmentally friendly decision.