Re:Apple's iMessage Avoids EU's Digital Markets Act Regulation
by troupo on Tuesday February 13, 2024 @03:06PM
(#39362174)
The original claim was about "the EU" as a whole. Now it's "less developed countries with lowest wages".
Even in Eastern Europe it's much less of a status symbol than let's say 10 years ago: installment plans are much more affordable to a larger part of the population. Source: am from Eastern Europe (though I live in Sweden now).
> Lower and middle class people there will save for over a year just to get the latest iPhone
Yup, because the poor unwashed masses don't have discounts, instalment plans or phones included with subscriptions. Oh wait, they do.
Re:Apple's iMessage Avoids EU's Digital Markets Act Regulation
by FirmwareBurner on Tuesday February 13, 2024 @03:19PM
(#39362324)
Affordable doesn't mean financially sound. Going in debt to buy a phone you can't afford outright in cash, means you're too poor to afford it, that's why is a status symbol.
But they very much are a status symbol in less developed countries with lower wages: Eastern Europe, Latin America, etc. Lower and middle class people there will save for over a year just to get the latest iPhone, which is why there's a huge market there for clones.