Well the Macbook Air pricing in USD was always around $1000 right?
2013 MBA pricing in USD was $1100
2013 MBA pricing in JPY was 110k JPY
2026 Macbook Neo pricing in JPY is ~100k JPY
2026 Macbook Neo pricing in USD is $600
2026 Macbook Air pricing in JPY is ~140k JPY
2026 Macbook Air pricing in USD is ..~$1100
So depending on the currency either the Neo is a massively cheaper thing or filling a gap in a product line that inflation created.
I wonder how much of Apple's costs are USD-denominated. The fact that the MBA hasn't changed pricing at all makes me guess that not that much, but I don't know how manufacturing contracts work
I dunno, I find it interesting, but JPY inflation is a recent phenomenon
Apple has a different relationship with the Paradox of Choice than most companies. The price stability makes it a bad idea generally to buy the old model right when the new one comes out. And not chasing inflation numbers I think is also part of that.
They also have some of the highest margins on consumer electronics in the business. Higher IIRC than Nokia had, before smartphones killed them. So absorbing a 3% bump in the dollar isn't that big a deal for them.