Has Apple finally lost touch with reality?

Published in El Pais, June 11th 2019.

Apple has always been known for turning heads, which have often been labeled as cutting edge or pioneering. Lately they have been called expensive; however, and their latest product announcement is no exception. Recently they revealed their Pro Display XDR monitor. It has a wide array of specifications that I will not go until here. The only thing I will mention is that the monitor comes with a $5,000 price tag. If that sticker price does not shock you though surely this will: the monitor does not come included with a stand, that must be purchased separately for another $999.

No that is not a typo, a piece of metal holding up a fancy monitor costs as much money as an iPhone Xs. Following the announcement, you could hear the astonishment in the crowd, a. How can a monitor so expensive not already come with the stand and b. How can the stand be expensive on its own? Many experts are arguing that this monitor is not for the average household and more directed towards professional use, where monitors can cost upwards of $30,000 but they, like Apple, seem to be missing the point, this is the exact type of marketing that has led the general public to believe that the company have lost touch with reality and that they think they can get away with charging what ever they want for their products.

So, what can Apple have done differently? Well the smart thing would have been to bundle the stand and make the monitor more expensive. Since the target audience for this monitor is for professionals, most will not be scared by the large price tag as the average consumer would. This would also avoid unwanted attention towards what many would consider the least exciting part of the monitor. Secondly, it would have been wise to not have such a wide press release so only the target audience would pay attention instead of the entire world.  

So, has Apple lost touch with reality? Yes and no. As ridiculous as it may seem what they are charging for a professional monitor does seem comparable, if not a bargain, compared to other pro monitors. Nonetheless, Apple really should have expected the negative backlash from the rest of the market for charging such a large amount for a stand. Still no word from the company itself about the negative backlash, it will be interesting to see how things work out.