Apple jacks prices to juice profits because $19.3B a quarter isn't enough | Hacker News Reader

Apple jacks prices to juice profits because $19.3B a quarter isn't enough

theregister.com

47 pointsmdhb35 comments

Not sure if it was intentional, but the choice of words made the headline immensely confusing to me, reading it as 'apple jacks' the cereal.

That out of the way, based on what I read on fora and such, it seems people are growing tired of the wheel of constant streaming price increases and claiming to be canceling. The next couple quarters should show how true that actually is.

The Register is a tabloid

I clicked into the article because I was dumbfounded that the cereal was making that much a year before my brain kicked in.

Have to imagine that Apple will lose a lot of Apple TV+ subscribers. I personally can’t justify paying 40% increase taking into account the lack of good content.

> I personally can’t justify paying 40% increase taking into account the lack of good content.

Out of all of the streaming services, I have found Apple’s originals to be the ones I like the most. They may have the least shows available, but I’ve liked everything I’ve watched from them and I only have limited time to watch anyways.

That said, all streaming services are getting to the top of their price/value for me, Apple included.

Yep. And most US-based actors are still on strike. There's no new content except what's already in the can. Paying more for less.. hell no. Cancel button.

We’re in a phase where every streaming service will raise prices until the growth stops… I’m curious to see how high it can go.

Until it's more expensive than premium satellite was, or $200/mo all-in. (Or $300/mo in today's USD.)

Comcast cable is like $60-90/mo, including Internet+TV service.

$300USD/mo ($10/day) is ludicrously expensive for the average north American for disposable entertainment.

> Comcast cable is like $60-90/mo, including Internet+TV service.

I don't think that is anywhere close to the average cable + internet bill, which is north of $100, but I would be happy for some hard figures on it. The problem with cable, and Comcast in general, is that they offer that introductory only $60/month! And then after a year, its around $150 or something. Anyways, I'm not even sure who gets cable anymore, people who like to watch sports I guess.

I have a lot of elderly relatives and their Xfinity bills for tv and internet are around $250/mo

If they would call and cancel, a routine we used to do, it can drop as low as like $99 for a year or so

This is their bread and butter. It's pretty disgusting

Agreed. We were surprised at my mom's cable bill when she died, no one should pay that much for cable. I don't like trying to cancel every year either.

I'm happy with T-mobile and Century link, both offer for life monthly plan pricing. I don't have to worry about yearly shenanigans with either. Now I just have to worry about Netflix and Disney jacking up their rates.

> Comcast cable is like $60-90/mo, including Internet+TV service.

That must be an introductory rate or in an area with a lot of competition.

I’m paying $100/month for internet alone.

Everyone I know the price they pay for internet and came (a handful of households, mostly family) are well over $100.

Hi LeafItAlone, yeah I was a little naive in thinking it's standard for people to be as fiscally sensitive as myself about cable+internet bills. Anytime my rate goes up (after intro offer ends or whatever), I always either call them and patiently navigate the system to get it reduced, or switch back to another provider (e.g. back and forth between AT&T / Crapcast). Even $30/mo is $360 annually, which I'd rather spend on something else.

$250/mo is definitely at the high-end, though. I am distressed imagining spending $3,000/yr for crappy cable Internet with it's pathetic upload speed and ad-infested television programming.

Thanks for your reply, cheers matey!

> Anytime my rate goes up (after intro offer ends or whatever), I always either call them and patiently navigate the system to get it reduced, or switch back to another provider (e.g. back and forth between AT&T / Crapcast).

Just FYI, this isn’t always possible. I have just one (1) available high speed internet and cable provider available to me. My only other internet options are 700kbps DSL or traditional satellite. Starlink may be available, but last I checked it required permanent installation of a receiver, which isn’t an option where I rent.

So when I call and ask nicely for a lower rate, I get told no, because I have no other options to go to and they know that. They know that if I cancel, I will just have to come back. My provider even extended their installation area slightly to ensure that it wouldn’t be profitable for a local ISP to build out here.

This situation is unfortunately widespread. Look at a map of ISPs for your state; I bet you find little overlap outside of bigger cities.

> Even $30/mo is $360 annually, which I'd rather spend on something else.

Me too! It’s not about being fiscally sensitive. It’s about availability and options.

That sucks, it's the worst case scenario for Internet service - you're captured. This surely applies to a noteworthy portion of the population in the US.

Where I’m at, $100-150 is more likely (introductory rates) for cable TV + internet.

What about the rest of the world? The USD has been so over valued for so long your price rises have a much larger impact globally. $60USD is a whopping $95AUD and has been for some time.

That's my point. The trend of the sum of streaming prices + internet all-in with inflation is absurd.

Plus $30 in broadcast fees. It’s nuts.

It certainly caused me to rethink my spending. I signed up for Apple One Premium as soon as it was available. With the latest hikes, I’ve ditched the bundle and now I just have Music and iCloud storage.

So in their quest for increased revenue, I’m now spending less than I was before.

Also dropped Prime and Netflix (though basic is included for no additional cost with T-Mo).

I signed up for Apple One Premium primarily to be able to get 4TB of iCloud storage (since you got 2TB and could also sign up for separate 2TB).

Now that you can get more tiers of storage directly, I may just do that.

Am I the only one who still does not pay for these streaming services? What is it so special about it? On demand? Is entertainment that addictive? Like what do people gain from this? I been using my local library for content and I just recently was told by Xfinity that I can get free peacock since I am bundling internet and cellphone. They will increase prices as long as suckers pay for it.

For basically anyone that has a job having a subscription service is better value than regularly going to the library. If your library has a digital option then I guess it would depend on the UX if that makes sense or not. Keep in mind that many (most?) of these subscriptions are used by multiple people in a household.

For me, it doesn't make more sense.

The overhead of needing to be deliberate means I have less screentime. Less screentime means better mental health, more time for other things, etc.

I guess it makes sense.

> Is entertainment that addictive

Yes absolutely it is. I’m guessing you underestimate how much media content a lot of people consume.

Yes, you probably are the only one.

Well, the only thing I still subscribe is Prime, and that's just because where I live, Amazon deliveries aren't free (even the standard ones).

I run Radarr, Sonarr and the likes in my homelab and have a somewhat old Nvidia Shield acting as my Plex server. It does what Netflix/Apple+/HBO+ and company do, and sometimes better.

Apple TV original content just sucks.

It’s neutered and toothless in the worst ways possible.

The only somewhat decent thing there was Severance but you can tell by the last episode that they already know how they will ruin it

I hope apple uses that money to fix the windows client. It is the only program that managed to hard-crash my computer(multiple times) in as long as I can remember. Must be some very...talented programmers there.

Remember iTunes?

See a pattern? :)

Do new Apple devices still include 3 free months of Apple TV?

Yes, an urban legend exists that once someone activated it and watched something with it.

Tim Apple can’t afford to be handing these things out with the purchase of every high-profit-margin device, so you get one free trial per lifetime (read the fine print). It’s your own damn fault you used yours back when there was no content. /s

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