Tim Cook: $999 is a ‘value price’ for iPhone X

The iPhone X has been getting a lot attention since it was announced last week with its eye-watering starting price. However, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook during a segment on Good Morning America, the iPhone X’s $999 cost is a “value price” for the technology it offers (via 9to5Mac.)

The comment came in response to a viewer-submitted question (around the 6:11 mark in the video) asking if Cook thought the price tag of the iPhone X was out of reach for the average American.

Cook’s answer mostly dodges that issue, and instead focuses on the fact that few people actually buy their phones outright, thanks to the plethora of installment, trade-in, and carrier-offered deals that might make the iPhone X more affordable.

“Well, it’s a value price, actually, for the technology you’re getting. As it turns out most people are now paying for phones over long periods of time. And so very few people will pay the price tag of the phone initially. Also most people actually trade in their current phone, and so that reduces the price further, and some carriers even throw in subsidies and discounts.

And so when we look at it, the phone — the iPhone in particular — has become to 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.”

Still, even considering all that, a $999 phone is still a $999 phone. And while there are many phrases that you can use to describe the iPhone X, “a value price,” probably isn’t one of them.

 

 

"글쎄요. 저는 아이폰 X를 $999에 파는 것은 아이폰 X에 들어간 기술들에 비하면 혜자급(value price)이라 생각합니다. 대부분의 사람들은 휴대전화의 구매 금액을 긴 기간동안 할부로 납부하고,  소수의 사람만 휴대전화을 전액을 한꺼번에 주고 구매할 겁니다. 거기에다가 대부분의 사람들은 현재 사용하고 있는 휴대전화를 보상판매하고 새 휴대폰을 구매하죠. 그게 구매가를 조금 더 낮출 것이구요. 몇몇 통신사는 지원금이나 사은품을 제공하기도 하죠.

그리고 저희가 보기에는 휴대전화는, 아이폰의 경우에는, 사람들의 일상에 빠질수 없는 존재가 되었다고 봅니다. 사람들은 휴대전화를 가지고 더 많은 것을 하길 원하죠. 그렇기 때문에 우리는 더 많은 기술들을 휴대전화에 집어넣죠."