Apple CEO Tim Cook has now responded to people who claim the company's new iPhone X is too expensive. Well, sort of.
Even before its official unveiling on Sept. 12, the iPhone X was already getting a lot of attention, mainly for its rumored design but also for its rumored launch price. Back then, reports suggested the 10th-anniversary iPhone was going to cost at least $1,000 or more. The tech community was aflame. Isn't that a bit too high?
Fast forward to today, with the new iPhone models officially revealed. Rumors were right, the iPhone X does start at $999. It's an unprecedented starting price for a smartphone. Before the iPhone X, the closest to a $1,000 was Samsung's Galaxy Note 8, priced $930.
What Tim Cook Thinks Of The iPhone X's Price
So is it too expensive? During a segment on Good Morning America on Sept. 19, Cook weighed in on criticisms of the iPhone X's price. He said the iPhone X is at a "value price," arguing that what users pay for is just appropriate for what kind of technology the phone has to offer.
Phones Have Become Increasingly Desirable Over Time, Says Cook
Cook doesn't address the issue outright, however. Instead, he pivots and suggests that there are only a few people who buy iPhones at full retail price — a huge majority of consumers get their phones from trade-in plans, installments, and other deals, which alleviates the thought of having to spend $999 all at once.
Cook also said that over the years, people have desired the iPhone more and more. It has become a necessity over time, with people wanting to do more things with it.
"[The iPhone] has become too essential in our daily lives, people want it to do more and more and more, and so we built more and more technology in to be able to do that," Cook said.
There's a kernel of truth in there. True, people have become extremely reliant on smartphones. Ten years ago, the phone was a mere accessory — a luxury only afforded by rich, hyper-functioning business people. Now it's in the hands of every person, and when it's not, it's baffling. Still, it remains a question if technology has progressed at a point where a $999 phone is easy to swallow.
What does the iPhone X offer, anyway? Face ID? A nearly bezel-less OLED display? Slightly upgraded cameras from the last-gen iPhone? An entirely new design? Those offer very little for someone who already has, say, an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, but it does sound like a worthy upgrade for those who own older models.
Whether the iPhone X is indeed at a "value price" remains debatable. Do you agree with Cook? Sound off in the comments section below!
