iPhone X expensive? No, $999 is a 'value price', says Apple CEO Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook: "Our objectives aren't big revenues. Our objective is to make products that enrich people's lives."
The iPhone X starts at $999 but Apple CEO Tim Cook would like everyone to know that it's actually not expensive, but a "value price" product that embodies exactly what consumers have been asking for.
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Asked by ABC's Good Morning America presenter Robin Roberts whether the iPhone X's price tag was "out of reach for the average American", Cook replied that it was "a value price actually for the technology you're getting".
After explaining that most people pay don't pay the full sum upfront and often receive carrier subsidies and trade-in discounts, Cook also suggests that whether the iPhone X is out of reach for most people is beside the point.
That's because Apple's goal has never been to sell the most phones. The technology it packs into its phone, which explains the price, merely reflects what phone addicts want.
"The iPhone in particular has become so essential in our daily lives, people want it to do more and more, and so we built more and more technology in to be able to do that," said Cook.
"Apple has never been about selling the most of anything. Our objectives aren't big revenues. Our objective is to make products that enrich people's lives. We want to help people."
The interview also covered iOS 11, Apple's augmented reality (AR) developer kit ARKit, and biometrics.
"It's a fantastic way to shop and a fantastic way to learn," said Cook.
"We want everybody to be able to use AR, and so we've taken the complexity that developers would normally have to do in their apps, and made it simple for them to convert all their apps to an AR experience. In one day we can make AR available for hundreds of millions of people."
Tuesday, the day iOS 11 rolled out with AR, would go down in history as a "profound day", according to Cook.
He also addressed privacy and security concerns about Face ID, the iPhone X's facial unlock system, which stores a detailed profile of the user's face in a secure enclave on the device.
Asked whether people should be worried about hackers and other threats, Cook said "not with us, because we're about your privacy".
"We want to protect your data because we know it's yours, not ours. Once you place your face in the phone, it's in the phone. Apple doesn't have it. We've encrypted it on your device; you make the decision about who has it."
Apple CEO Cook talked about the iPhone 8 and iPhone X on Good Morning America. Source: ABC/Facebook
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