[Swordmaker]

“Status Symbol” markets ,,, China also buys huge numbers of Land Rovers and Rolls Royces ... image is EVERYTHING there... and the huge price premiums are a part of the marketing ,,, you make something that’s 10% better than brand X but you charge 2X for it so the weakminded will self reinforce the idea that it IS worth it because it is so much better (although they cannot say how it is better) ... supporting that is the fact that AAPL refuses to ever make a product for the masses ,,, all their products are priced on the high end.

Your logic fails on a false equivalence. You claim that Apple is charging 2x the competition for something that is only 10% better than the competition. . . but the competition is often equally priced or even more expensive. For example, Samsung's top of the line unlocked, non-contract smartphones are priced about $50 MSRP more than Apple's Top Tier iPhone MSRP. On contract, they are initially $249 to Apple's $199. Sorry, those are facts. Apple's desktop and notebook computers compare competitively with other top tier Windows PC desktop and notebook computers with similar lightness, features, and screen resolutions. Often the Macs are the lesser expensive offering.

No, Apple does not ever make a computer for the bottom of the barrel competition. But I disagree with you about not making a product for the masses. The masses can get brand new iPhones for $1 or even free on contract. It just will not be the latest model.

[Neidermeyer]

You are inferring something that isn’t there ..

I never said that AAPL didn’t have competition as a “status symbol” with HTC and Samsung , Why are you implying that there is no competition for your beloved AAPL? The other companies have a full line of products with one or two “halo” offerings ,, and yes from what I understand phones there are now sold discounted as part of a contract , that wasn’t always the case.