“Rumors that the new high-end 2017 iPhone would cost upwards of $1,000 have persisted for so long that I can’t even remember where or when they first started,” John Falcone writes for CNET. “But with the recent New York Times report from Brian X. Chen that the Apple lineup will include ‘a premium model priced at around $999,’ that price tag has been elevated from ‘rumor’ to ‘as reported by the paper of record.'”
“While an Apple spokesperson declined to comment to CNET on the Times story, everything about it makes sense,” Falcone writes. “In fact, the only real question is whether $999 is the starting price, or maybe the middle model. (I hope Apple will at least have mercy and start the storage capacity on the baseline model at 64GB instead of just 32GB.)”
“So: The $1,000 iPhone price point, give or take a dollar, appears to finally be here,” Falcone writes. ” I think the iPhone 8 — or whatever it’s called — priced at $1,000 will sell briskly, and probably be hard to find for months. Far from hurting Apple and the iPhone brand, I think a new “luxury” iPhone will only enhance it. Here’s why.”
1. Monthly payment plans make price hikes easier to swallow
2. The best iPhone you can buy already costs almost $1,000
3. Competing superphones are already hitting $1,000 and beyond, too
4. Plenty of more affordable iPhone options will be available
5. A high iPhone 8 price could help limit demand — and frustration
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote at the start of this month: Most people do not buy their iPhones outright. So, $1,200 spread out over 24 months is $50/month. So, yeah, a lot of people will be able to afford it.
Apple won’t be able to make enough. Expect protracted shortages for “iPhone 8,” “iPhone Pro,” “iPhone X,” or whatever they call it. This will be Apple’s flagship, premium, cutting-edge iPhone and it should be priced as such (not to mention that the law of supply and demand dictates higher pricing).
Customers who are looking for lower sticker prices can simply opt for iPhone 7s or iPhone 7s Plus or even the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, which are likely to stick around as the entry-level models through late 2018, just as the 6s and 6s Plus are today, or get the iPhone SE, of course.
As we wrote back in February: Our Jet Black 256GB iPhone 7 Plus units with 3 GB RAM each cost $969 plus tax, so $1,000+ for a loaded “iPhone X” with 4+ GB of RAM would certainly not be surprising.
SEE ALSO:
A super-expensive Apple iPhone is good news, even if you can’t afford it – August 2, 2017
Get ready for Apple’s $1,400 iPhone – July 18, 2017
Apple took 83% of smartphone market profits in calendar first quarter – May 16, 2017
Apple’s Tenth Anniversary iPhone will likely cost more than $1,000, source says – February 8, 2017
Goldman: Apple’s next iPhone will break the $1,000 barrier and send the stock soaring – May 12, 2017