Tim Cook Claims Apple’s $1,000 iPhone X Is ‘Value Priced’

During an exclusive, in-studio interview which aired on ABC’s Good Morning America Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook defended his company’s decision to price its new iPhone X flagship at $1,000, going so far as to suggest that the amount is in fact “a value price” to pay for such a powerful, premium and feature-packed gadget.

Cook was prompted to address the question about iPhone X pricing when host Robin Roberts began fielding queries sent in by the show’s viewers. In response, Cook merely noted that while the price may seem steep, customers who adopt iPhone X are actually getting a good value considering how Apple has packed “more and more technologies” into the handset than any other gadget of its kind.

He also noted that thanks to a variety of iPhone payment and trade-in programs offered through Apple or one of its carrier partners, customers who choose iPhone X likely won’t be paying $1,000 for one.

$1,000 Value?

Apple’s iPhone X pricing has been a hot-button issue ever since it was revealed by notable Apple analysts that the company could charge as much as $1,099 for a top-tier iPhone X. Of course, the Super Retina OLED-equipped iPhone model was ultimately offered in just two storage options — 64 GB for $999, and a 256 GB variant for $1,149, which is obviously a bit higher than even the analysts predicted.

While we know many are disappointed with Apple’s decision to price the iPhone X so high, two points are definitely worth noting. For starters, Cook is absolutely right: the majority of people who purchase an iPhone X will either be upgrading from another iPhone, or recent smartphone model, and will therefore be given generous discounts on said trade-in towards their new iPhone X. (You can check out the best carrier deals going on right now, if in doubt.)

The second point worth noting is that Apple actually raised the price on all its iPhone models this year, essentially to reflect the extent to which smartphone component prices have sky-rocketed in recent years. Indeed, smartphones aren’t getting any cheaper from here on out, and not to kiss up to Tim Cook or anything, but the iPhone X does pack a lot of power, features, and promise into an impossibly small yet aesthetically beautiful package.

As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” right? And the bottom-line is that for just $200 more than a base-model iPhone 8 Plus, pixel for pixel, the iPhone X is well worth the premium.