because phones are small and expensive to design it’s just not worth it
This would imply that luxury watches and luxury fashion don’t exist, which they do. (I see you mention the watches later in the comment, but not the fashion, although your explanation for luxury watches roughly applies to fashion as well).
I don’t really think progress being fast is quite sufficient to explain things
I’ll agree here. I don’t think my theory fully explains certain things. Books, movies, and other creative works are things that don’t quite fit into this framework nicely. I suspect that these things are limited by creative innovation, but I’m not very certain about that belief.
I think it’s because a phone, or gmail, starlink, etc. has super high fixed costs, and the smaller market for luxury goods generally means the design will be worse
The super-high-fixed-costs hypothesis would imply that we don’t have luxury watches, cars, jets. I suspect it is a factor in what causes a luxury good to come onto market, but I don’t think it can be the only factor.
So my prediction would be that the luxury smartphone business only starts up when lots of rich people have different problems from the average consumer that need a custom device (security maybe?) or subscribe to a status game that results in the phone equivalent of luxury watches
I appreciate the concrete prediction, although I wouldn’t be surprised if these conditions are already met in some way. The ultra-wealthy definitely already need more security, privacy, etc than your average joe. And I believe that many of the ultra-wealthy already subscribe to status games.
This would imply that luxury watches and luxury fashion don’t exist, which they do. (I see you mention the watches later in the comment, but not the fashion, although your explanation for luxury watches roughly applies to fashion as well).
I’ll agree here. I don’t think my theory fully explains certain things. Books, movies, and other creative works are things that don’t quite fit into this framework nicely. I suspect that these things are limited by creative innovation, but I’m not very certain about that belief.
The super-high-fixed-costs hypothesis would imply that we don’t have luxury watches, cars, jets. I suspect it is a factor in what causes a luxury good to come onto market, but I don’t think it can be the only factor.
I appreciate the concrete prediction, although I wouldn’t be surprised if these conditions are already met in some way. The ultra-wealthy definitely already need more security, privacy, etc than your average joe. And I believe that many of the ultra-wealthy already subscribe to status games.