---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad…"
description: "\"“Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Apple’s products had been primarily purchased by Apple fans, designers, and other discerning users willing to pay a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/yukari-iwatani-kane-25097_apple_before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s_112235.jpg"
---

#  Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Apple’s products had…

![“Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Apple’s products had been primarily purchased by Apple fans, designers, and other discerning users willing to pay a big premium. Now Apple’s products had become mainstream.” quote by Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/yukari-iwatani-kane-25097_apple_before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s_112235.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/yukari-iwatani-kane-25097_apple_before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s_112235.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/yukari-iwatani-kane-25097_apple_before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s_112235.jpg)

> ““Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Apple’s products had been primarily purchased by Apple fans, designers, and other discerning users willing to pay a big premium. Now Apple’s products had become mainstream.””

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Apple transitioned from niche, premium‑focused products for enthusiasts to mainstream devices embraced by a broad consumer base.

**In simple terms:** Apple moved from niche to mainstream.

Key Takeaway

Brand evolution expands market reach.

Themes

brand strategy market expansion technology adoption consumer behavior

Mood

analytical objective

Type

business historical

When to use this quote

- product launch planning
- marketing positioning
- pricing strategy

Key Concepts

diffusion of innovation price elasticity

Practical Applications

- Leverage early adopters to build credibility
- Scale design to appeal to mass market

Questions to Reflect On

- How does a brand balance exclusivity with mass appeal?
- What risks arise when a niche product becomes mainstream?

A Different Perspective

Mainstream appeal can dilute perceived exclusivity and premium image.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/)

## Related quotes

> [“In a strange way, Samsung was legitimized by Apple’s attacks. The iPhone maker deemed the competition from the Galaxy to be serious enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/in-a-strange-way-samsung-was-legitimized-by-apple-s-attacks-the/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/)

[Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/)

> [To the extent that anyone anywhere does anything interesting, the question is: 'Why isn't Apple doing that; why is Apple behind in that?' We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-federighi/to-the-extent-that-anyone-anywhere-does-anything-interesting-the/)

[Craig Federighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-federighi/)

> [I read the Steve Jobs book, and that kind of changed everything. I've been, like, an Apple geek my whole life and have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/i-read-the-steve-jobs-book-and-that-kind-of-changed-everything-i-ve/)

[G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/)

> [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/)

[Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/)

> [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/)

[Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/)

> [Apple is this great American company that could have only happened here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/apple-is-this-great-american-company-that-could-have-only-happened/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [Apple is going on the path to control computer use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sunde/apple-is-going-on-the-path-to-control-computer-use/)

[Peter Sunde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sunde/)

> [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. It just happens to miss Earth every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-dediu/like-a-satellite-in-orbit-apple-is-perpetually-falling-it-just/)

Horace Dediu

> [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/)

[Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/)

> [I like to make pies. That's kind of my new obsession - peach, blueberry, apple, strawberry. I make a really good pumpkin pie with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/i-like-to-make-pies-that-s-kind-of-my-new-obsession-peach-blueberry/)

[Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/)

> [“An apple with a rotten core can only last so long,” he”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-rice/an-apple-with-a-rotten-core-can-only-last-so-long-he/)

[Morgan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-rice/)

> [“Most people believe the apple merely represented Knowledge. But we know better. It was the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-beverly-whittemore/most-people-believe-the-apple-merely-represented-knowledge-but-we/)

[Miranda Beverly-Whittemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-beverly-whittemore/)

> [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

## More by Yukari Iwatani Kane

> [“Apple also stopped depending on market research and surveys. “If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted,” Jobs quoted Henry Ford, “they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/apple-also-stopped-depending-on-market-research-and-surveys-if-i-d/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“Cook was a methodical and efficient CEO. Unlike Jobs, who seemed to operate on gut, Cook demanded hard numbers on projected cost and profits.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/cook-was-a-methodical-and-efficient-ceo-unlike-jobs-who-seemed-to/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“We don’t spend a lot of energy on old technologies. We spend a lot of energy where the vectors are going.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/we-don-t-spend-a-lot-of-energy-on-old-technologies-we-spend-a-lot-of/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“In a strange way, Samsung was legitimized by Apple’s attacks. The iPhone maker deemed the competition from the Galaxy to be serious enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/in-a-strange-way-samsung-was-legitimized-by-apple-s-attacks-the/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“The company traditionally shied away from celebrities because it considered its products to be the star, or in Apple’s inside lingo, the “hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/the-company-traditionally-shied-away-from-celebrities-because-it/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“guys were the rebels, man, the underdogs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/guys-were-the-rebels-man-the-underdogs/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“If you don’t cannibalize yourself,” he used to say, “someone else will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/if-you-don-t-cannibalize-yourself-he-used-to-say-someone-else-will/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“Watching Cook and his team that day, it was impossible not to recall the absolute mastery that Jobs had displayed so many times on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/watching-cook-and-his-team-that-day-it-was-impossible-not-to-recall/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“Tim Cook was a master of spreadsheets, not innovation. Since Cook had taken charge, legions of young MBAs had been hired to help feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/tim-cook-was-a-master-of-spreadsheets-not-innovation-since-cook-had/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“Cook was a seasoned businessman and arguably a better manager than Jobs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/cook-was-a-seasoned-businessman-and-arguably-a-better-manager-than/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“His stamina was so inhuman that some wondered if he was actually human. Cook worked twelve to fourteen hours a day but insisted he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/his-stamina-was-so-inhuman-that-some-wondered-if-he-was-actually/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“Apple’s products were conceived around a kitchen table that Ive had set up in the industrial design studio.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/apple-s-products-were-conceived-around-a-kitchen-table-that-ive-had/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“his sexual orientation was irrelevant. Cook had little personal time. He might as well have been married to Apple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/his-sexual-orientation-was-irrelevant-cook-had-little-personal-time/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“After years of incremental improvements by Microsoft, the release of Windows 95 brought Apple’s software superiority to a nearly complete end as it matched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/after-years-of-incremental-improvements-by-microsoft-the-release-of/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“Cook could do more with a pause than Jobs ever could with a swear word.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/cook-could-do-more-with-a-pause-than-jobs-ever-could-with-a-swear-word/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

[Explore all 23 Yukari Iwatani Kane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

## More Apple quotes

> [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“Most people believe the apple merely represented Knowledge. But we know better. It was the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-beverly-whittemore/most-people-believe-the-apple-merely-represented-knowledge-but-we/)

[Miranda Beverly-Whittemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-beverly-whittemore/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“An apple with a rotten core can only last so long,” he”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-rice/an-apple-with-a-rotten-core-can-only-last-so-long-he/)

[Morgan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-rice/)

> [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/)

[Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/)

> [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/)

[Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/)

> [I like to make pies. That's kind of my new obsession - peach, blueberry, apple, strawberry. I make a really good pumpkin pie with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/i-like-to-make-pies-that-s-kind-of-my-new-obsession-peach-blueberry/)

[Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/)

> [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/)

[Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/)

> [Back in my school days, when I would scuttle off with a cheese roll, an apple, a box of Sun-Maid raisins and a Penguin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-khoo/back-in-my-school-days-when-i-would-scuttle-off-with-a-cheese-roll-an/)

[Rachel Khoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-khoo/)

> [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/)

[Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/)

> [“You are the apple of Love’s eye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-paul-kirkpatrick/you-are-the-apple-of-love-s-eye/)

[David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/)

> [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. It just happens to miss Earth every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-dediu/like-a-satellite-in-orbit-apple-is-perpetually-falling-it-just/)

Horace Dediu

> [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/)

[Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/)

> [To the extent that anyone anywhere does anything interesting, the question is: 'Why isn't Apple doing that; why is Apple behind in that?' We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-federighi/to-the-extent-that-anyone-anywhere-does-anything-interesting-the/)

[Craig Federighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-federighi/)

> [I read the Steve Jobs book, and that kind of changed everything. I've been, like, an Apple geek my whole life and have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/i-read-the-steve-jobs-book-and-that-kind-of-changed-everything-i-ve/)

[G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/)

Browse all 889 Apple quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Apple’s products had been primarily purchased by Apple fans, designers, and other discerning users willing to pay a big premium. Now Apple’s products had become mainstream.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Yukari Iwatani Kane"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s-products-had-been-primarily/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Apple"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s-products-had-been-primarily/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/yukari-iwatani-kane-25097_apple_before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s_112235.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/yukari-iwatani-kane-25097_apple_before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s_112235.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/yukari-iwatani-kane-25097_apple_before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s_112235.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Apple’s products had been primarily purchased by Apple fans, designers…” — Yukari Iwatani Kane",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Yukari Iwatani Kane",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s-products-had-been-primarily/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/before-the-ipod-iphone-and-ipad-apple-s-products-had-been-primarily/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
