• MOST READ

• LATEST NEWS

Continued ...

Aesthetics, combined with the strength of the Apple brand, are two reasons the company is able to sell wireless equipment to non-Mac owners. A third and equally important factor is the retail experience. Anyone who's ever walked into an Apple store knows that it triggers several emotions, but technology overload is not one of them. For the majority of consumers who know what they want to do, but have a limited understanding of the device or technology that will help them do it, the Apple store is a friendly oasis which does not intimidate. According to NPD Group's analyst, Stephen Baker, Apple's retail and online stores are driving the sales of the AirPorts products. "This stuff is just flying off the shelf in the Apple stores. They don't get nearly enough credit for the value proposition that the stores bring," Baker told Macworld.

There are routers and access points available with equivalent specifications to the AirPort range but at substantially lower price points. By delivering on the brand, styling and retail experience Apple is able to command a significant premium. More importantly, however, once a consumer has been 'touched' by the Apple experience, regardless of the product, there is a likelihood that they will look to Apple when purchasing their next technology item. The sale of a $200 wireless router may at some point convert into the purchase of a $2000 Macbook.

This is the cornerstone of Apple's ambitions in the handset market. Owing to its ubiquity, the mobile phone represents a volume of touch points that no other device category can match. Even if only a fraction of iPhone owners convert to Apple in other product areas, the reward is considerable.

Pages: 1 | 2

COMMENTS

No comments yet. Be the first to add a comment!

Carrier Broadband Performance: Africa & Middle East
Carriers are using mobile broadband as their weapon of choice in the fight against the commoditization of voice and falling ARPU. This...

Voice over LTE: Market Analysis and Forecasts
VoLTE offer unique advantages in lowering a carrier's voice infrastructure economics and promises to improve voice quality, device...