The problem with China is that there are many different iPhone clones out there in the wild already.

10+ iPhone Clones You Never See Before

You can't underestimate the status of a real iPhone. All the emerging markets are clamoring for them.

I thought we were talking about investing in cool tech, not status symbols. SmileWavy

Ah ****, we've lost fan boi #1! :)

If it gets back to $550, I'm going to sell.

(Of course, that will ensure that it will go to $650+ within 30 days, you guys can thank me then).

There is no difference to the 20s/30s mid/upscale Chinese consumer. Real brand name goods - as opposed to the fakes - are highly sought after. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Apple - they are all the same.

Ian

This "status" comes from the fact it works, has a warranty, has a support infrastructure; the chargers don't electrocute people, it integrates with the iTunes ecosystem, etc. The upwardly-mobile part of the Chinese population recognizes the value of a fully engineered product over a reverse-engineered product.

I remember when I could get a knockoff Rolex for $30 or so. And it was all the same to me, because I'm not a watch guy. But you know what, Rolex is doing just fine despite cheap copies.

Keynote coming up tomorrow... Anybody picking up some more AAPL?

Yes, and that's why I will happily pay double or triple for something that works well. Especially when I know it can be sold at a premium down the road to fund the next upgrade. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but what do I know.

No surprises yet.... stock price is flat...

Guess investors are not happy, LOL.

5C at $549 unlocked too expensive to boost demand in China. Estimates were $350-450.

ok, S or C??

Stock down $10 at 3 PM ET, guess not a lot of market excitement.

The stock prices today & probably tomorrow have nothing to do with stockholders. These are all the margin buyers fighting it out. It is yo-yoing.

Ian

Isn't the yo yo ing related to the announcement on new phones?

"Buy on the rumor, sell on the news". Any news . . .

Ian

I don't want a S-C I will wait for the Carrera version. :p

Investors are happy. for example I only have a 25% gain so far, and going to hold for a 2x or 3x gain in a few years.

Speculators & Traders are not happy - and if they bothered to calculate their gains/losses over the long term including all the costs and taxes, they would be a lot less happy - ignorance is bliss.