WHY APPLE DISCONTINUES ITS LAST YEAR’S PRO LINEUP

If you are one of the 3 million people who eagerly watch every Apple iPhone launch event, you would be precise to discover that Apple always discontinues last year’s Pro iPhones and only sells last year’s non-pro phones for 100$ cheaper.

The intention is completely business-centric. By ceasing the sale of the Pro models on official Apple stores, they can draw more attention to the latest, greatest and shiniest new Pro phone which they want to sell in cosmic numbers. Even in their keynote, they always make comparisons to last year’s non-pro iPhone or to the 2-year-old Pro phone.

Evident from the pictures of iPhones they show. Like last year, only iPhone 11 Pro was shown, not the iPhone 12 Pro. iPhone XS Max’s screen size comparison was made to the iPhone 8 plus not the X.

This is an extremely precocious business strategy that always draws attention to the most expensive one. Another reason why Apple does this is that iPhones don’t change much year-to-year. So a comparison between last year’s Pro model would put people off and make them feel that nothing has changed and that they would be better off holding onto their device a bit longer.

So what does Apple do with the surplus of last year's Pro models? It sells them to third-party sellers like Best Buy and Reliance Digital ensuring their circulation in the market while at the same time giving the new one time in the sun to shine bright like a diamond.

But why does it keep selling the non-pro versions then? It solely has to do with enticing more people into the Apple ecosystem at a lower price point so that they feel a part of a luxury community and slowly get confined in the so-called “Apple walled garden” Once you buy an iPhone, you may soon buy AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad and so on.

And they can bet that every time you are out for an upgrade, you will only be able to buy an Apple product and your new product will be a step up in terms of price.

FUN FACT: Product Red is not a part of Apple. It is a separate entity with which Apple partners as a charity to eradicate HIV/AIDS and now COVID