Price, iOS, App Store Make a Difference

 

5. The price is right

The iPhone and iPad continue to sell well because they are priced well. The iPhone 4 can be purchased for $199 with a two-year contract. The cheapest iPad is on store shelves for $499. At those prices, consumers and enterprise customers are willing to open their wallets for a device that they feel justifies such a price tag. If the iPhone or iPad were more expensive, they wouldn't be so popular today. And Apple knows it.

6. The competition can't keep up

Android-based devices are flying off store shelves. Most analysts believe that Google's mobile operating system will own a dominant share of the mobile market as early as next year. But on a device-by-device basis, no other smartphone or tablet can compete with the iPhone and iPad, respectively. Some devices come close, and Android lovers would undoubtedly point to the Motorola Droid X or Motorola Xoom as fine alternatives to Apple's options. But for the most part, consumers see that Apple is delivering superior products. Apple's options feature better designs and more-polished software. That's precisely why individual devices can't keep up.

7. Apple's App Store

In 2008, when Apple launched the App Store, many were unsure about how well it would fare. Some said it would be a failure, while others saw it reaching great heights. Now that it's running on the iPhone, iPad and even Mac OS X Snow Leopard it's clear that the App Store has been an unbridled success. More than 10 billion apps have been downloaded from the marketplace since its launch. The App Store keeps consumers engaged with Apple's mobile products. It also helps extend the value of the iPhone and iPad beyond what folks get out of the box. Without the App Store, Apple's mobile devices wouldn't be nearly as popular today.

8. Design matters

If Apple has proved anything over the years, it's that the design of technology products matters. The company's computers are always among the better-looking options in the market. And the same can be said for the iPhone and iPad. Apple's latest iPhone, for example, comes with a glass finish and prominent Retina Display, making it an option that few other devices can match with their own styling. Until other companies can find a way to deliver good-looking products, it's hard to see any vendor significantly hurting iPhone or iPad sales.

9. iOS has been integral

Apple's iPhone and iPad both run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. More importantly, no other smartphone or tablet on the market is running Apple's platform. That means that if a consumer or enterprise customer wants to run iOS, they will need to buy Apple's smartphone or tablet. That's an extremely important component in the iPhone's and iPad's success. Unlike Android, which can be used on a growing number of devices, iOS is unique to Apple's products. That uniqueness has helped Apple sell more hardware as consumers realize that iOS is arguably the most polished mobile operating system in the business.

10. Outstanding marketing

Apple is one of the best companies in the world at marketing its products. Its commercials are simple, they spark a sense of desire in viewers, and along the way, Apple sees improved sales because of it. In the technology space, it's easy to get caught up in the specifications of a respective device, but how that product-good or bad-is being promoted can mean the difference between success and failure. As one of the most proficient marketers in the industry, Apple has helped its cause in numerous cases. Its impressive iPhone and iPad sales figures are only further proof of that.