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Comment by _bxg1 | Hacker News Reader

The difference is where the exchange of money happens. Because Google's, and Facebook's, Amazon's, and most SV startups' services are free, you get the privacy problems and the ulterior motives and the trust issues. With Apple, you paid for the product up-front. The transaction is done and in the open. They don't have to do anything skeevy to make money off their product.

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Apple has plenty of non-aligned incentives, they control the store (+30% subscription tax on Spotify, taking down apps that compete with "core functionality"), they don't want you to repair your phone (and planned obsolescence) where ewaste and their profit is connected.

And Google technically sells hardware. I'm not talking absolutes, I'm talking about where the primary cash source is. Facebook, for example, couldn't be consumer-friendly if it wanted to, because psychological manipulation is core to its business model.

Apple does not seem to want you to open the phone, but they are easily the most repairable phones available. Most repair shops will repair any iPhone, and you can stumble through it yourself using YouTube or iFixit.

According to this 2/3 Apple devices sold are still active today: http://www.asymco.com/2018/02/27/the-number/

I believe Apple gains directly from the longevity. People know that Apple products last long and hold resale value; where I am the iPhone 5s from Sept 2013 is sold second-hand for ~$150CAD

Devices with high resale value mean customers can upgrade frequently.

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