iPhones have come a long way in terms of durability.
However, it’s still easy to crack your screen or break your phone by dropping it.
An Apple case is a great way to protect your iPhone.
That said, when shopping for an Apple case, you’ll quickly discover that it has an expensive price tag attached to it.
Considering that the case just keeps your iPhone safe, you may wonder why it’s so expensive.
Why Are Apple Cases So Expensive? (10 Reasons)
Apple phone cases range from $30 to $60.
Factors like materials, durability, and Apple’s reputation are some of the reasons why Apple cases tend to be on the expensive side.
Let’s look at these factors in more detail.
1. Brand Name
One of the main reasons Apple cases are expensive is that you’re paying the Apple price.
Apple has a reputation for providing high-quality products.
However, they also have a reputation for selling those high-quality products at expensive prices.
Because Apple has built up its reputation over time, its customers have come to expect high prices.
This allows them to put an expensive price tag on their phone cases because people tend to already expect them to be on the expensive side.
A brand name is more expensive than a generic brand because of the trust it has built with its customers.
It markets itself in such a way as to make it look as though it sells superior products.
When people buy those products and find satisfaction with them, it reinforces the marketing and reputation.
Then when people see the same product but under a generic brand, they question the generic brand’s reputation.
Generic brands don’t market themselves as much as brand names do.
As such, the customer finds buying from a generic brand to be a bit riskier since they don’t know if it produces high-quality products or not.
The customer is more willing to pay higher prices on brand names because of marketing.
2. Microfiber
Apple always pays attention to the details.
One of the ways it does this is by lining each of its phone cases with a layer of microfiber.
The microfiber material not only further helps protect the phone, but also reduces the amount of dirt or grime that your iPhone screen sees.
It wipes it away and keeps the dirt from getting on the screen in the first place.
In regards to protection, the microfiber material is soft.
If you drop your phone, then it might come into contact with the hard material of the case.
As a result, it might still take damage because it hits that hard material.
The microfiber material softens the blow should it happen.
This further reduces any chance of your iPhone getting damaged.
The inclusion of microfiber makes iPhone cases more expensive because it adds more material costs to their production.
Apple could probably get away without including the microfiber cloth and still have an effective product.
However, because they focus on the details, they included that cloth liner.
Microfiber makes Apple cases a bit more expensive.
3. High-Quality Silicone
One of the primary reasons that Apple cases are expensive is that it uses high-quality silicone.
Not every case uses silicone, but those that do come with an expensive price tag.
That’s because silicone can become expensive.
Apple doesn’t use just any silicone either.
They use a high-quality version that resists stains and marks.
When you drop your iPhone, the case may keep it safe, but the case itself now has blemishes.
This can completely ruin your aesthetic.
Apple fixed that by using a high-quality silicone that reduces the chances of scuff marks being left behind.
Even when you drop your iPhone, the case remains unscuffed and looks brand new.
This level of detail is important for iPhone users since they tend to want their electronics to look their very best.
Silicone is also expensive because Apple has to use a certain level of thickness.
It needs to be thick enough to remove the vibration from a collision.
However, it still needs to be light and thin enough to easily carry around in your pocket.
That requires a special grade of silicone.
Since the cost of using this type of silicone can be quite expensive, Apple sells its cases at higher prices to cover those costs.
4. Research And Development Costs
Apple doesn’t push out new phone cases out of thin air.
A lot of thought goes into the design of each new case.
Apple spends a lot of money on its research and development team.
Those who are part of the team are responsible for introducing new and innovative ways of keeping phone cases durable.
This usually means they need a certain amount of money to start researching and making prototypes.
They then thoroughly test the prototype to see if it gives the kind of results that they want.
If it doesn’t, then that entire project gets scrapped.
That means monetary resources have gone to waste.
Once the team has a prototype that they think will work, they do more testing.
That requires more money because they need to buy things to test the iPhone case on.
The engineers themselves also need to get paid.
Throughout this testing, Apple isn’t earning any money from the sale of that specific product.
They’re in the hole with that item.
Once the engineers approve the prototype, it gets put through manufacturing.
Then they’re back to the drawing board for the next big thing.
Apple is able to stay as competitive as it does because it focuses on innovation.
Innovation is expensive.
Apple cases, thus, are expensive because Apple spends a lot of money on its research and development teams.
5. Sophisticated Appearance
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When looking at an iPhone case, you can usually tell it came from Apple by its design alone.
Besides the tell-tale Apple logo, the brand has a specific look that it tends to lean towards.
They focus on making their products look sophisticated and minimalist.
That sort of design makes products look expensive.
When something looks sophisticated, people often think that it’s probably valuable or was expensive to make.
They’re able to forgive an expensive price tag because the design of the product looks like it matches the price tag.
A lot of people who love the design and look of Apple products are more willing to spend money on a case that follows that design and look.
While there are other Apple cases out there, since they’re not produced by Apple, they don’t always have that signature look of sophistication.
As such, they may not want to buy it because it doesn’t match the rest of their aesthetic.
They’d rather pay more money to get the right look for their phone.
Apple cases are expensive because they look expensive.
6. Keeps Phone Safe
The most important task that an Apple case has is to protect the iPhone inside it.
The case’s very function is another reason Apple cases are expensive.
Part of the reason has to do with manufacturing costs.
To ensure Apple is making effective phone cases, it needs to use high-quality materials.
If it sells a phone case that doesn’t do a good job of protecting the iPhone inside it, then Apple’s reputation gets hurt.
As such, the company wastes little money on ensuring it gets the best materials.
Secondly, people are willing to buy a more expensive phone case if they believe it protects their iPhones better.
iPhones are not cheap.
In following Apple’s brand, they are expensive phones.
As such, people want to make sure they’re as safe as possible.
The last thing anyone wants to do is find themselves in need of buying an entirely new phone because their current one just got destroyed.
To avoid that expensive price tag, they’re willing to pay more for a phone case that does a good job of keeping their iPhones safe.
It’s better to pay for an expensive phone case than it is to buy a brand-new iPhone.
7. Associated Costs
There’s a lot that goes into the manufacture and sale of Apple phone cases than people might first think.
All those associated costs are also why Apple’s phone cases are expensive.
One of the biggest costs is shipping and transporting.
While phone cases aren’t that heavy or large, Apple still needs to ship them in bulk.
Even if the shipping costs are low, those are still costs that Apple needs to cover to earn a profit.
Shipping costs can also vary due to factors outside of Apple’s control.
High gas prices, driver shortages, and even distances to the buyer’s location can all impact the price.
Then there are also markup prices from whatever store is selling the phone case.
If people aren’t buying directly from the Apple store, then they might be buying a phone case from another electronics store or general store.
Those stores need to earn a profit, too, so they mark up the prices of the product.
That adds a few dollars to the price tag as well.
There’s also the cost of marketing the product.
No one is going to buy the phone case if no one knows about it.
Apple has to spend a lot of money to market the phone case.
The company is aware that people have a lot of choices when it comes to getting a phone case.
As such, it needs to prove through its marketing why its latest phone cases are worth it.
That costs money as well.
All these costs add up for Apple which means it needs to sell its phone cases at higher prices.
8. Focus On Environmentally-Friendly Production
Electronics companies are often under fire for their carbon emissions.
They don’t always use environmentally-friendly practices because they’re trying to earn money.
Electronics manufacturers use metals and other materials that come from the earth.
They’re often involved in mining businesses or have mining partners.
They also use a lot of energy to produce their products.
Apple is no stranger to feeling the heat from its customers about its carbon emissions.
As such, Apple has tried to clean up its manufacturing process to make it greener.
The problem with using more sustainable methods is that it often makes manufacturing more expensive.
Apple has to be more transparent, it has to use sustainable sources which are often more expensive, and it also usually has to invest in technology that cuts down on emissions.
All those aspects cost the company more money to make each product.
While Apple does its part in protecting the environment, it’s the consumer who gets hit with higher price tags.
9. European Leather
While some of Apple’s phone cases contain silicone, others contain real leather.
Real leather is an expensive material.
It’s often seen as a material used in luxury products.
Part of the reason leather is expensive is that it’s a carefully processed material.
The leather comes from an animal that gets harvested.
It then goes through a tanning process before it’s ready for further manufacturing.
Apple uses leather from Europe.
European leather is often the best type of leather since leatherworkers have a lot of experience.
They also have access to great cows and other livestock that they use for leather.
Apple phone cases that use leather carry expensive prices because they’re seen as a luxury.
Leather is also quite durable and soft which protects the iPhone inside the case while also being pleasant to touch and handle.
Apple phone cases are expensive because some use real leather.
10. MagSafe Charging
A final reason Apple cases are expensive is that they allow MagSafe Charging to occur.
MagSafe charging uses a special charger that gets magnetized to the phone.
It charges the phone without having to plug it into the phone.
Not every phone case allows this type of charging.
The material may be too thick, for example, to allow a charger to access the phone.
In this case, the owner of the iPhone would have to remove it from its case to use MagSafe charging.
That’s inconvenient, and Apple users tend to dislike inconvenience.
Apple phone cases that do allow MagSafe charging are specifically designed for it.
That means they undergo a bit more manufacturing to make them compatible.
Since they take on more costs, they come with a higher price tag.
Conclusion
Apple phone cases are effective at keeping iPhones safe.
However, they also come with expensive price tags.
The factors listed above explain why Apple phone cases are as expensive as they are.
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