The unspoken truth about Apple

Apple has created a brand identity that, seemingly, no other company in the technology industry can match. And although the company's reputation is partly derived from its former charismatic leader, Steve Jobs, and a loyal fan base has always propped the iPhone maker up, Apple's products have become synonymous with high-quality, high-end devices that ooze high-tech "cool." But is that really warranted?

Is Apple really the company that delivers the highest of the high-end? Not a chance. Informed consumers know that they can buy cheaper products from Apple's competitors and get more powerful components, but the intangibles keep them coming back for iPhones and Macs. Apple's products look nicer, the company's store experience is more streamlined, and it's just "cooler" to be an Apple customer. One of the reasons many in the tech and design industries revere Jobs, of course, was his ability to know what to leave out of a product -- as much as what to put in, be it the most high-end or not. So, maybe Apple doesn't need to be "high-end." Clearly, just being Apple is working out.