I feel like Apple's fallen of the wagon on this one, however. Look at the iPad line. From what I can tell there are at least 6 different models and all of those are available in different storage capacities and with different connectivity options. Additionally, there are 3 different iPhone models. If you're a consumer walking into Best Buy for an iPad, I can definitely see you getting a raw deal if you don't already know what you want.
I respectfully disagree, there's only two raw deals I see with your example: buying a 16GB model, and going to Best Buy.
There were always 6 SKUs for any given region (3 size options and 2 connectivity), and now there are 3 colors, and the iPad Mini form factor. That's a lot when you add it all up analytically, but that's not how consumers experience it -- they're not presented with 36 different iPads and asked to figure it out.
The consumer experience hasn't fundamentally changed since the original iPad, because each option is understandable by the user rather than buried under a confusing set of names [1]. iPads with cell radios are really only for people who already know what it is and want it, so that choice point is reduced. The form factor (iPad or iPad mini) is something the consumer can hold in their hands and figure out, as is color. Those are tangible, immediate, human choices.
RAW DEAL #1: Storage, and specifically the 16GB model, is the biggest issue with iOS products because later you'll find you can't download many apps or have too many photos before storage fills up. Bad user experience. See past iOS upgrades for outrage.
> if you don't already know what you want
Apple has invested huge amounts in iPad's branding and awareness, that translates to consumers understanding more and walking in having at least a vague understanding of which form factor and color they would like, with a visit being more of a confirmation of the choice. Note that Apple's other branding reinforces this, by sharing color across iPad, iPhone, and now MacBook, meaning more possibility for consumers to come in closer to having made a choice. Same with storage capacity if they evaluated iPhones. They also don't name it something different each time they launch a new one, they reuse the name [2]. The brand value/awareness of 'iPad' alone is probably 100x+ that of Asus or Surface. Brand awareness persists between products, so with 800m iOS devices out there, each SKU represents maybe 20m iOS devices worth of brand recognition that precedes it [3].
RAW DEAL #2: Walking into Best Buy -> raw deal. For. sure.
There's a reason Apple built stores - its to control the experience and reduce choice anxiety through consistent messaging, better presentation of products, positive sales experience, few choices, etc. Best Buy shits that away and you wind up in a chemical-smelling store filled with crappy products that subtly increases paradox of choice, talking to a spikey hair drone that doesn't understand the product, forcing comparison to unlike products, putting pressure on you to buy the replacement plan or accessories or shit you don't need, with flashing images from a wall of TVs nearby sucking your attention away from your purchase decision like the TV with a skateboarding video on at the bar you're at with friends that keeps pulling you away from the conversation you were just having. Ugh. Best Buy.
[1] Apple made this mistake in the 90s with the Performa brand, introducing too many models causing consumer confusion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Performa). Thus, iPad is iPad, and specs do not play into the name of the product the user buys. Most other competitors such as aforementioned Asus Zenbook UX305 just don't get it.
[2] Because people think in years, not obscure model numbers ('oh thats the iPad from two years ago' vs 'oh thats the Zenbook umm... UX31A? UX42VS?').
[3] Yeah this is a super janky way of representing brand awareness, its just to illustrate how much more carrying capacity the brand has for variations relative to others. Marketing budget might be another way, except that doesn't account for people's actual purchases and their sharing with friends, plus the ridiculously valuable free marketing you get from the media talking about the device. Hence, the big unveil strategy.
How do companies not get this? Don't call it the Zenbook [Impossible Number]. Call it the damn Zenbook and be done with it. No one cares that its part of the UX300 line, because UX300 means nothing, and you're only going to have three computers in the UX line anyway before you discontinue it.
But you know why they do that? Price matching. They can sell a SKU on Amazon for $700 and sell the exact same computer at Best Buy for $750. When you try to price match with Best Buy, oh whoops you're buying the Zenbook UX305-XYZ, that's the Zenbook UX305-ABC. Same hardware? Doesn't matter, different SKU, no price match.
What's particularly galling is when the UX305-XYZ has a different chipset or wireless controller or whatever than the UX305-ABC. You try the XYZ and think, "great! It's got Intel wireless, so I can run BSD without a problem", then you get the ABC and, no, it's on Broadcom for that sub-line.
You seem to be skipping over the part where the buyer chooses between the iPad Air and the iPad Air 2 (if they pick the big size) or between the iPad mini, iPad mini 2, or iPad mini 3 (if they pick the small size). That is the big problem in my eyes at the moment. Cellular radio, whatever, obvious choice for most. Colors, that's an easy customization, just pick what you like. But how do you pick between all those different models? The really puzzling one is the iPad mini 3 and iPad mini 2. Why do they both exist? Is the difference truly just $100 in price and a fingerprint sensor? That's madness!
I definitely get what you're saying, and agree the iPad line is at least one product (original mini) too heavy. I didn't realize they still sold that thing, that's crazy.
There's a ton of segmentation going on in the iPad line. I think you've gone through the decision tree pretty well. To answer your question I think the last bit mostly comes down to a combination of price and what the retailer even has stocked and displayed - they may only have the latest one.
I agree the mini 2 and 3 are a little too close spec-wise. I think Apple is trying to figure out supply chain choices there, and the A7 is just a good chip that still has legs. I'd guess the consumer decision on that one would be if the consumer likes the form factor and wants the latest, they choose the 3, and if they look a bit more into it and find the 2 is just lacking fingerprint and they don't care, they choose 2. Most people aren't pouring over specs, and may not even know the 3 has the same guts as the 2.
More generally though, having this year's and last year's model in both form factors makes sense for price segmentation. It's doubly good for business as it clears out the supply chain, and it even suggests to purchasers that older products will be supported so you can have confidence in your purchase.
>RAW DEAL #1: Storage, and specifically the 16GB model
I've got a 16GB iPhone and am happy enough. It runs out of memory when I get to about 1000 pictures on the camera roll. I can live with that. Sure if you want hours of video get a bigger one.
Yeah, fair enough. Thanks for adding your experience. I was riffing off the idea of getting a 'raw deal', which to me means a) customer is unaware of what having 16GB means, and b) customer winds up using product for certain space-heavy things (e.g. video or lots of games).
There's a ton of people like you who know what 16GB space means and are happy to save the $, and a ton of people who don't use their iOS devices a lot, so for them its not as much a raw deal.
