Would you buy an Apple-branded cloth for almost R300? If you would, I want to introduce you to Makro, and its R40 multipack of microfibre lappies. Following its latest product launch, the company revealed the overpriced cloth, designed to clean “…any Apple display, including nano-texture glass, safely and effectively.”
Apple’s surely taking the piss.
Since it realised that it can sell accessories, covers, dongles, fittings, attachments, add-ons, apps, subscriptions and audio kit, the company’s been capitalising on that segment of its business extensively. And for good reason.
An Apple a day, ey?
When Apple launched its AirPod in-ear buds in 2016, it never expected the audio segment of its business to take off quite as well it did. According to an industry analyst Kevin Rooke’s report, the brand’s “…AirPods business is worth $60 billion.” This is significant because Apple doesn’t actually release sales numbers.
“In 2018, AirPods revenue grew 133% over 2017, and in 2019 AirPods revenue was up another 128% over 2018… AirPods make as much money as Spotify, Twitter, Snap, and Shopify *combined*,” Rooke reports.
That’s… a lot. And AirPods aren’t the company’s main product. It’s an add-on for an existing ‘main’ product. One can assume that each pair of AirPods sold went to someone who is already an iPhone owner.
And that sentiment begins to touch on the Apple problem. Its users. And I’m not saying there’s something inherently wrong with iPhone users — they make up around 23% of global smartphone users as of early 2021 (Statista). The problem is that this company manages to sell proprietary products (sometimes tech, sometimes not), to that 23% on a continuous basis.
While you may only upgrade your iPhone (or iPad, and sometimes your Mac) every two years for argument’s sake, Apple’s managed to continuously siphon your money during those two years for products that you shouldn’t necessarily need.
It’s important to remember that this is the most profitable company in the largest capitalist society in the world (Fortune 500). It’s not making accessories to make your life more comfortable. Promise.
Will you still buy that lappie?