A Satirical Critique of Apple’s Subscription-Based Business Model

This video presents a satirical take on Apple’s perceived shift from product innovation to a subscription-based revenue model. The central theme is a critique of how the company is allegedly finding new ways to generate profit from its existing customer base without creating new hardware. The video humorously introduces a fictional service called “Apple Care 1” or “eye insurance” to make its point.

Key Arguments and Satirical Points

• The Premise: The video suggests that due to slowing sales of new products, Apple has tasked its innovators with finding ways to make customers pay more for devices they already own.
• The “New Service”: “Apple Care 1” is a parody of a premium insurance plan. For a monthly fee (e.g., $20), customers get coverage for their devices. However, the video highlights that this fee only gives them the right to pay another fee (a deductible or repair cost) if their device breaks, is lost, or is stolen.
• Deceptive Benefits: The narrator sarcastically points out the misleading nature of the plan’s benefits, such as offering “unlimited repairs” which are not free and are therefore limited by the customer’s own funds.
• Critique of Leadership: The video humorously portrays CEO Tim Cook as a “bank teller” rather than a “storyteller,” contrasting his focus on financial services (like Apple Card and Apple Cash) with the product-focused vision of his predecessor.

Conclusion: Profit Without Product

The video concludes that this strategy represents “Apple minus effort still equals profit.” The fictional plan is ultimately branded the “Apple doesn’t care plan,” suggesting the company has found a way to sell a concept—or “just sell air”—instead of innovating with new tangible products. It’s a sharp, comedic commentary on a perceived trend in big tech toward prioritizing recurring revenue over groundbreaking invention.

Mentoring question

Considering the trend towards subscription models across many industries, how do you differentiate between a service that adds genuine value and one that primarily serves to extract recurring revenue from an existing product?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ytkk5NFZGjs&si=Kd80-bOBvVjKCmSH