This week I'm writing something special, about the kind of business I *don't want* to be in, and this time I want to write about Apple. First, I must say that I really admire how well Apple does many things, including their attention to detail, ensuring that things are perfectly refined before release, and their excellent QC (even a company as big as Samsung can't match Apple's QC, and Samsung has had some "mishaps," one major being the Note 7 fire incident; Apple is definitely better at product testing and control). And although many people say that Jony Ive and Scott Fostall are gone, and that Apple is no longer Apple, I still believe that there are many talented designers and product engineers within Apple, and I think their daily efforts should not be ignored.
But today I want to say that I don't want to become a business like Apple because of one thing: in recent years they have done too many things "just enough", but the prices have obviously increased, instead of providing consumers with major new features or innovations. From the 2017 iPhone X, which explored acceptable smartphone prices for consumers, to the recent iPhone 16e, even the lowest-end iPhone is 40% more expensive than the previous low-end iPhone SE. Apple knows its customers have the bargaining power to charge higher prices, so they know how to fully utilize their ability to sell at higher prices, gradually pushing the price up step by step. This current pricing strategy also aligns with their noticeable decrease in innovation in recent years. Since Steve Jobs left, Apple products haven't seen much progress in hardware or functionality. For example, with the iPhone, progress might have been from one camera lens to two, then three, but now the overall design remains largely unchanged. The MacBook's aluminum body is now a 20th-anniversary edition, celebrating nearly 20 years of using the same design. Of course, if it doesn't break down, don't fix it. But think about it again—this company is supposedly a design LED company, the kind that produces colorful translucent iMacs, colorful metal iPods, and iPod click wheels. Could there be anything that could be improved? That's worth considering. Could they stop releasing new features in such a piecemeal fashion? Of course, you know, I know, and everyone knows that Apple currently understands it has the power to play the eco system game, using its convenience to lock in a group of users and then profit from different parts of the eco system. But personally, while it's undeniably a clever method, I don't really agree with it, and there's a chance it might backfire. Of course, I might be wrong; maybe Apple has been seemingly innovating slowly lately, making a lot of money, and secretly saving up for a big project.
If I ever have the opportunity to scale up, I will constantly remind myself not to become like Apple is now, because although that seems smart, it's not a business method that truly contributes to the world. Here, I'll write down my future self.
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