OPINION: Apple’s exorbitant prices cheat the consumer

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but an Apple product a year is just a waste of money. 

Apple is by far one of the largest and most successful technology companies on Earth. Over the years, however, their priorities have shifted from making innovative tech to draining consumers’ bank accounts.

iPhones, nowadays, can cost from $499 to over $1000 despite the remarkable similarity between most models. A couple of models even scrap useful features that were in previous models. For instance, the iPhone 7 and its successive models lack a headphone jack, meaning only Apple headphones, Apple AirPods, or external BlueTooth headphones are compatible. The iPhone X took away the home button, which was not a necessary design change, and it is hard to use the face ID to unlock the phone outside because everyone needs to wear masks.

Additionally, the iPhone 12 does not come with a charger cord. Apple claims this decision was made for environmental purposes. However, it is more likely that their real motivation was to gain a greater profit by having people buy chargers separately. This does nothing more than cheat the consumer.

Some of the products that Apple provides are not useful or necessary, such as the Apple Watch. Without an iPhone, the watch does not work, and yet its function is incredibly similar to an iPhone. Despite all of that it still costs between $199 and $399.

Some may say that each model becomes more technologically advanced, justifying the increased prices. This does not, however, justify overpricing them. The technology may be advancing with each generation, but they also retreat by taking away good features like the home button and headphone jack.   

While it is necessary for companies to make a profit, they should not resort to cheap tactics in order to make a sale. They should make money by producing products that people need and want, not by cheating loyal customers.