No, it’s not just to use the “decoy effect.” They do this to share development costs across a whole product line. Low volume, expensive products are subsidized by high volume, mass market devices. Without these tiers, they’d be unable to differentiate the products and so lose the margins of the high end products (and their entire reason for existing).
Unless you expect Apple to just sell the high end devices at a loss? Or do you want the high end chips to be sold in the mass market devices and for Apple to just eat the R&D costs?
> They do this to share development costs across a whole product line. Low volume, expensive products are subsidized by high volume, mass market devices
Usually it’s the other way around. Mass market products have thin margins and are subsidized by high end / B2B products because the customers for those products have infinitely deep pockets.
> Or do you want the high end chips to be sold in the mass market devices and for Apple to just eat the R&D costs?
Literally what Steve Jobs was steadfast in :). One iPhone for everyone. He even insisted on the Plus models carrying no extra features.
Usually it’s the other way around. Mass market products have thin margins and are subsidized by high end / B2B products because the customers for those products have infinitely deep pockets.
That's usually what I've seen, but the M1 MacBook Air came out first and the M1 Pro and Max came out much later.
That's commonly caused by things like low yields for the highest end devices/binning not allowing them to make the numbers of the high end products they need.
Unless you expect Apple to just sell the high end devices at a loss? Or do you want the high end chips to be sold in the mass market devices and for Apple to just eat the R&D costs?