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Angela Ahrendts Says Apple Won't Try to Upsell Customers to iPhone X

Friday October 20, 2017 9:39 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple Store employees won't try to upsell customers to the iPhone X, according to Apple's retail chief Angela Ahrendts.


Ahrendts, who is in Chicago today for the grand opening of Apple's new Michigan Avenue store, told CNBC that Apple recognizes each customer has different needs that may not require purchasing the most expensive iPhone model.
"Internally we said the tagline was 'an iPhone for everyone,'" she said. "I prefer that we ask you who you're buying it for. If they're 6 or 7 years old, what do they need? If it's someone who's leaning into something else, what do they need? We do that with Mac, we do that with iPad, why wouldn't we do that with [the] phone?"
iPhone X starts at $999 in the United States with 64GB of storage, while a 256GB model is available for $1,149. By comparison, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus start at $699 and $799 respectively.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a reputable Apple analyst at KGI Securities, recently said only 2-3 million iPhone X units will be available to purchase when the device launches. Pre-orders begin October 27 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time.

Related: iPhone X vs. iPhone 8 vs. iPhone 8 Plus

Related Roundup: iPhone X
Tags: Angela Ahrendts, Apple retail
Buyer's Guide: iPhone X (Neutral)
[ 220 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

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tkermit
9 months ago

If they're 6 or 7 years old, what do they need?

Probably not an iPhone.
Rating: 86 Votes
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filmantopia
9 months ago
As a former Apple Store employee, this is how things always worked. The idea is to match the customer with the product which is truly right for them.
Rating: 54 Votes
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TurboPGT!
9 months ago
And the tongue-in-cheek response: Yeah, you'd need to have them in stock in order to upsell.
Rating: 48 Votes
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Wags
9 months ago
6 or 7 years old. Really?
Rating: 30 Votes
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dumastudetto
9 months ago
It's also a myth for people to suggest Apple is elitist and out-of-reach of the lower earners. The truth is Apple now has an incredible iPhone within reach of literally every budget. They have a fantastic range of awesome products.

You won't be disappointed whatever iPhone you buy. There is nothing better than iPhone.
Rating: 29 Votes
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Tom2893
9 months ago
I need the iPhone X. One week till the pre order.
Rating: 21 Votes
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akac
9 months ago

Why not? Everyone can use an iPhone. That is the point. They are simple to use, while also holding incredibly powerful capabilities.


At that age - an iPod Touch or iPad is a much better bet than an iPhone. Do they need LTE/cellular capabilities at that age? No. My daughter is 6. She has an iPad. We can iMessage us or family members. An iPhone would be a huge waste of monthly cost and expense.

All of my other kids had a phone at age 13 - a flip phone. Once they showed us they could take care of it for a year and they saved up some, they could get an iPhone - but they had to pay for part of it.
Rating: 17 Votes
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meaning-matters
9 months ago
What about 64 - gap - 256 GB, Angela?
Rating: 13 Votes
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Wackery
9 months ago
“oh for your budget we can give you a iphone 7, but I thought you loved your wife? Yes, this is how you order an iPhone X”
Rating: 13 Votes
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snebes
9 months ago

Why not? Everyone can use an iPhone. That is the point. They are simple to use, while also holding incredibly powerful capabilities.

Said by the person who probably doesn't have a 6 or 7 year old.
Rating: 11 Votes

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