Apple Executives' Bonuses to Be Tied to Their Performance With Respect to Accessibility and the Company's Other Core Values

Curious to see if the blind are included in the development of criteria and in the performance evaluation process. If we aren't, then this change might only be lip service.

This doesn't mean anything to me, they're a billionair business, whether people do thing x or not isn't going to really effect that person, at the end of the day they'll still probably be earning way above minimum wage and will be able to put food in their bellies.

OH and Apple being affordable? Yeah, no. I have this Iphone SE2020 which is around £400 to pay off but i'm lucky, I live in the UK, if I were in New Zealand for example, the Iphone Se2020 would go for 749.90 New Zealand Dollars and that's just for the cheepest phone.

what? did Apple just say "affordable?"
really sorry but that isn't the case. specially in countries like India.
I think they have a misunderstanding or it just proves a point which is being made all the time that accessibility comes with a very, very high cost. be it digital or infrastructural.
android in India goes from a very low to a very high cost. but the phones which are a bit more pricey are the most accessible ones. since apple is accessible from the start and there is no such variations, they're costly.

Let's be honest here. Though their prices are getting more outrageous by the second, we are a subset of the mainstream clients. Were we to have paying work that would make it possible, we wouldn't be bitching about the cost. I'm not saying it's right, just saying for the most part, it is affordable to those who can. If they do not want to spend so much, then they can go with android or another cell operating system. Still being blunt think about their M.O. now. every year they release new phones. some with outstanding features like better cameras and better storage options. why do this? Because people usually want or need a phone every year so it works for the company. I did not however say these practices are right or fair to everyone. accessibility is at the core of the operating system because they don't know if Joe Public is a blind person, deaf, or other issues so they cover the bases with voice over, voice control assistive touch and things. Please don't start a flame war about who is working or not, I did not intend for this comment to be interpreted like that.

While there is no question Apple's products are high priced compared to its competition, let's not forget:
1. The blind aren't "entitled" to anything more or other than what all other human beings are entitled to.
2. You get what you pay for.
3. Price is a function of supply and demand, not ethics.
4. Apple is unquestionably a leader in the field of accessibility.
5. No matter what else you might say, we ALL agree the new development concerning accessibility and executive compensation is a step, however large or small, in the right direction.

I don't want to name handsets, but true flagship Android phones are almost as expensive as Apple flagships. Of course, Android provides choices. But the more the price is reduced, the more we'll face update issues, hardware quality glitches, and so forth. And, last but not least, the likes of iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 (non-Pro variant), and iPhone SE provide choices for those who want cheaper iDevices.

quote: environmental, social, and governance modifier” will be used to increase or decrease bonus payouts to its executives by up to 10% based on an evaluation of their’ performance with respect to the company's six core values, unquote

does it ring a bell? if it doesn’t, it is called “esg investing”. blackrock, goldman, jp morgan, numerous pension funds are all very keen on esg investing. saying we tie exec pays to social, environmental and corporate governance, apple is saying we are genuinely a esg company, in addition to a software, service and subscription company, check all the main themes. now, sell side analysts can raise our stock price multiple, blackrock of the world, pension funds and passive etfs who want esg companies in their portfolios should buy apple or add more shares.

i’m not trying to be cynical, and apple is not a bad company at all. i’m saying people shouldn’t get too excited about it one way or the other, just recognize it is what a company like apple has to do and say. at least apple says we are committed to be an esg organization, that’s a good thing.

I admittedly don't understand all this. That said, I highly commend Apple for doing this and for their tireless work on accessibility over the years. I admit there are still things which I need to learn regarding privacy/confidentiality, but thank you Apple for being there for us and making great products.

@ekaj, The executives can have their pay, that is what they earn, decreased by ten percent if the core values of accessibility and other factors aren't met. we don't know a lot about this and for the most part, I think it's just tossing fish to a seal. In other words, it's saying what the tree hugging people want to hear, but in the back end, they are still doing as they please. Apple was once at the core of accessibility, yes. when they were the other side of the computer wars when if you didn't use windows, and couldn't afford the screen reader, you were out of luck, until apple said, hey we can figure out something. Now however as i've said previously, accessibility is taking a serious downturn as apple comes up with the latest and greatest new products. The watch, tv, the car play thing, which to be honest if it didn't have voice over support it wouldn't bug me at all. I mean because i'm a passenger in a car didn't mean I'd need to control the radio and gps, but that's besides the point. Apple's accessibility is now if it works, great, ship it out.

I used a 1000 dollar android phone for a few years, and it was quite useful. the 600 dollar phones were ok, but I went back to apple and I will pay 1200 if i have to for a good phone. you really do get what you pay for.

Hi. A lot of this you the general consumer can not control the costs of importing tariffs and other costs associated with products like the Mac or iPhone. The bottom harsh reality is that Brazil and India are poorer countries then say some in Europe or Canada. I mean absolutely no disrespect. It's simply down to socioeconomics. So yes it make take five months salary for an iPhone six. However I would see it as another access point however far lagging behind. One of the things that doesn't make sense is why Apple and companies upgrade tech every year. It comes back to the chain of supply and demand. People need that new phone, they can get it. They want that new computer, they can get it. It doesn't mean there's not a harsh divide between those who are richer and those who are poorer. And no, disability has absolutely nothing to do with it. If it were me, I could be fine not on social media or using Uber, or sending insta photos. However i am grateful for what I do have. When it comes time to upgrade, i'll probably go with what works for me. i don't need the newest every year so I'll hope that countries can get better access. They may, they may be waiting but it's the companies we need to go after.

The Orbit reader displays are good options if you want the cheepest braille display with 20 cells or more once the orbit reader 40 comes out.

It's still expencive, £699 here, I don't know how much that is in other countries, but it's a lot lower than other displays.

This is a good thing. I have both iPhone and android. Apple is better at accessibility. I used the screen recognition feature to help with a porly designed website today. As for the cost. I agree with Amir. I will however name a phone brand *smile* Lets take Samsung They are about the same price as your apple flag ship phones. by that I mean the 12 12 pro and 12 pro max. Android has nothing close to iOS screen recognition feature. Does apple get everything right? No iPhones are terrible on battery life androids aren't. This is good and I hope apple continues to improve it will be better for all. I also hope the day comes where android catches up and truly is an option.

I'm going to return my orbit reader 20 plus braille display some time next week as the dots are way to sharp for me.

Don't get me wrong, Apple devices aren't cheap, and they're getting more expensive by the upgrade. But, Take any of the devices specifically made for the blind. Book players, notetakers, wearable glasses, Magnifiers, products like Orcam and the Envision Glasses, ... all of those are thousands of dollars. Thousands. Imagine if you had to pick and choose which peripheral to buy based on accessibility needs. Now realize that with an iPhone/iPad, you get access to nearly all of those same accessibility benefits, which in many cases work on par with if not better than those peripherals. Apple devices may be expensive, but look how much they can do for accessibility, even with the free apps we have access to. I'm not keen whenever I have to upgrade. And admittedly I am fortunate enough to be in the lower percentage who has a job and is able to afford the odd purchase. So maybe I'm not one to talk. But considering the alternative of buying a bunch of devices, Apple's not so bad.

I understand. I live in Canada, where 1400 NZ dollars Equates to roughly about $1277. So yes, it absolutely is expensive still. Though if you have contracts through your local mobile provider, that can really help. Even if not, considering the device will probably last you a good three or four years, and considering the alternative of having to buy peripherals actually made for the blind, I still think it's your best option. But yes, not everyone has $1500 just lying around. Heck I have a full time job and even I don't have that kind of money.

I just got an iPhone 12 Pro a month ago, but have a seat while you find out what I had before; iphone6S!
I held onto the older phone not because I couldn’t afford it, but more because it was simply running just fine all these years. My nephew wants that device…
Another fine example of how long Apple products can last, I still have a MacBook Pro from 2011 running rather well. Even though it doesn’t run the very latest operating system, it’s still quite a capable machine.

Following the comments here regarding Apple executive compensation being tied to accessibility performance, I've noticed a lot of complaints about the price of an iPhone. Is it expensive, though?

Before you answer, stop to think about what you are actually getting.

Maybe it's just that I was born in 1954, long before anyone had their own, well, pretty much anything when it came to electronic devices. Normal back then was a radio and a telephone. Yes. That was it. The typical household in the mid 1950's didn't even have a TV.

So, as for the price of one iPhone, what are we actually getting? Stop and think about it. Make a list. Tell me what I forgot to include?

Bruce's list:
For the price of one iPhone, we get a very small, very portable battery operated:
TV
radio
stereo
24//7 news and weather
OCR scanner
OCR reader
professional quality camera
calculator
scores of games
GPS navigation
email
internet
word processing
spread sheets
dictionary
movie theatre
remote control
hearing assistance
magnifier
assistive touch device
timer
stopwatch
alarm clock
compass
calendar
banking
wallet
reminders
language translation
note taking
voice memos
video conferencing
measuring device
carpenter's level
locating device for misplaced or lost items
musician's tuner
metronome
computer
package tracker
library
book reader
text messaging
SIRI
musical instruments, such as a drum kit, guitar, piano etc.
decibel meter
file transfer device
currency converter
free education, such as free online courses
recipes
social media
to do lists
phone

So, when I am buying an iPhone, I'd say I am getting an extraordinary deal. I say it's worth every penny. I say if I tried to buy everything on my list, I might spend a lot more than the price of an iPhone, and it wouldn't be battery powered. No way would I be able to carry all that stuff around in my pocket, leaving me stuck at home, wishing I could take with me into the world all that power and freedom this one little device gives me.

So, my friends, we come to the truth of a very old saying:

Price, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.