Apple Prepping to Launch New iPhone Incentive Programs, Has an 'Army' of Products in the Works

Apple executives Tim Cook, Eddy Cue, and Craig Federighi spoke to Apple Retail Store leaders about upcoming changes to Apple's iPhone marketing tactics during a summit at San Francisco's Fort Mason on June 27, reports 9to5Mac.

fortmasonapplesummit

A photo taken of the Fort Mason meeting, via Noble Brown.

During the meeting, CEO Tim Cook noted 80% of iPhones are sold at third party locations, a figure that he would like to improve in the future with new iPhone promotional tactics.

The iPhone is Apple's central "gateway product" to other devices like iPads and Macs, so it is critical that the Apple smartphone is sold via an Apple Store so new customers are immediately exposed to iPads, Macs and other devices on the showroom floor. Even though 80% of iPhones are not sold at Apple Stores, 50% of all serviced iPhones are troubleshooted, repaired, or replaced at Apple Store Genius Bars. Cook reportedly hinted that he would like those numbers to be more in line.

Apple is planning to boost iPhone sales with various incentive programs, including the recently launched Back to School promotion that includes the iPhone for the first time and an upcoming in-store trade-in program. The company may also extend its price matching policies, which debuted in the U.S. last summer, internationally.

Along with new iPhone discount and sales strategies, Apple also plans to heavily market iOS 7 when it is released in the fall and introduce new retail locations in Europe.

According to store leaders who were at the summit, Apple has an "army of new products" in the works, which may include the upcoming iPhone 5S, a redesigned fifth generation iPad, a low cost iPhone, and a refreshed line of MacBook Pros, among other products.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

fivedots Avatar
165 months ago
As a former Apple employee, I'll say this:

While Cook's vision is of making Apple Retail a destination for consumers, the numbers they show here indicates that it serves only as a destination for service and support. Until Apple can find a way to raise the standard of Retail and make it a uniformly pleasant experience for customers (by increasing hiring standards for the employees and raising compensation to draw desirable candidates), the stores will continue to be only visited out of necessity. Apple Retail has come a long way since it started, but has in the past five years since iOS was released, they have shown that they still have plenty to learn.
My experience has been entirely the opposite. At least when it comes to iPhones, I much rather deal with somebody at an Apple Store versus a carrier or big box retailer.

That said, I imagined this dissonance was mostly a matter of convenience: my carrier has locations everywhere but there's only one Apple store. Doesn't really matter where I get the phone, so why not choose the easiest solution possible. For repairs, I know I'm going to have a much quicker and smoother experience going directly to Apple, so I'm willing to go out of my way.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hexonxonx Avatar
165 months ago
My join date on this site was purely due to having bought the original iPhone. Five days later, I was the owner of a 15"MBP all because of that iPhone.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
165 months ago
As a former Apple employee, I'll say this:

While Cook's vision is of making Apple Retail a destination for consumers, the numbers they show here indicates that it serves only as a destination for service and support. Until Apple can find a way to raise the standard of Retail and make it a uniformly pleasant experience for customers (by increasing hiring standards for the employees and raising compensation to draw desirable candidates), the stores will continue to be only visited out of necessity. Apple Retail has come a long way since it started, but has in the past five years since iOS was released, they have shown that they still have plenty to learn.

Perhaps I'm alone in this sentiment but I've always found Apple Stores to be welcoming, friendly, and helpful. Plus it gives me a chance to try out products I could never hope to afford; so it's definitely not out of necessity!

However as you're a former Apple employee I have no doubt you know a lot more about what goes on behind the scenes. It would be extremely rude and unprofessional for me to ask you about 'horror' stories you had when working for Apple …

… but I'll ask you anyway :D Any chance of giving these humble MR members an insight about some of the goings-on? :o
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Four oF NINE Avatar
165 months ago
Apple needs to accelerate store openings in small cities that are outside a two hour drive of other Apple retail stores.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
InTheMist Avatar
165 months ago
I started out by telling a friend's kid to shut up about it or show me that silly Apple toy (iPod Touch).

Three days later I had an iPhone. Three months later, my first Mac. First customer in Europe to have an iPad, then iPad 2, later 4, three years later another Mac and iPhone 5, just to round out the circle of addition.

It's true about the "gateway".
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lolkthxbai Avatar
165 months ago
80%? That's not surprising considering most people buy their phone from their carrier, not the manufacturer.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)