alt Hacker NewsAm I supposed to be impressed by this? This is part of the Apple experience: long-term updates in exchange for absurdly high markups up-front. I'd be impressed if the markup got lowered and iDevices still got such updates, but that's not happening.
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Yes because if it helps keep devices in use longer it helps reduce waste and the planetary impacts of a culture of disposable products.
Well. You can buy iPhone 6S for $50. How much cheaper did you want it?
iPhone 17 Pro is $1099, Google Pixel Pro is $999, Galaxy S26 Ultra is $1,299.
Flagship phones are expensive. Apple mostly just does not make low-spec phones, and cheap phones are generally low-spec (or their makers would charge more).
The bar has become incredibly low, it’s true. I could argue that’s all the more reason for recognizing when these monoliths do the right thing, but I would probably struggle to claim they deserve any of it at this point.
I mean there’s loads of Android stuff in Apple-adjacent price brackets that haven’t seen the tiniest hint of an update in many years…
Absurdly high markups? They just released a very good laptop for $599. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is $1299. The OnePlus 15 is $999. A Dell XPS 16 with 32gb ram is over $2000.
I won’t argue that they charge a premium for memory and nvme, but I have never felt like I overpaid for my MacBooks or iPhones, in part because they last so long.