Iphone 8 new leaks about its pricing; launch date and much more
With the presumptive launch of the new iPhone just over a week away, almost everything is known about Tim Cook’s tenth-anniversary handset. It’s unlikely there’s going to be a genuine ‘one more thing’ to surprise the crowd, but Apple’s latest smartphone is still able to deliver a shock. All $1200 of a shock.
Oscar Luna Martinez
While there are a number of different options for device configuration and pricing, the consensus is forming around three storage options and an eye-watering price. The latest data point in the pricing graph comes from Benjamin Geskin and backs up the widely held view of the iPhone’s price.
The entry-level 64 GB model of the iPhone 8 is expected to come in at $999 plus tax, a mid-tier 256 GB model at $1099, and a top tier 512 GB of $1199. While that’s a new line-up for an iPhone it does match the iPad Pro choices. Apple loves repeating patterns, so this is another nod towards the iPhone 8 being the ‘Pro’ smartphone in the portfolio.
As always, Apple has maintained a $100 separation between the storage tiers, which leads to the curious situation of the first storage increase of 192 GB costing the same as the second increase of 256 GB. Presumably, Apple would not be so crass as to say ‘buy another 192 GB, get a bonus 64 GB for free’ but the thought is there.
Apple PR
Tim Cook in the shadows at WWDC 2015
No doubt Apple will also be maintaining the profit margin of the iPhone 8 – generally accepted to be around thirty-five to forty percent – but consumers will be wondering what they will be getting when they pay the ‘Apple premium’. Many of the new features that Tim Cook and his team will be introducing to the iOS ecosystem are common features on high-end Android devices. OLED screens, curved glass, dual lens cameras and wireless charging can all be found in handsets manufactured by the competition.
And some of those features are going to be limited. The wireless charging system may be based on the Qi standard but it looks like Apple will lock the iPhone hardware to only accepting a charge from third-party devices that have been licensed by Cupertino.
I’m expecting a lot of media-friendly cheering from the specially invited audience at The Steve Jobs Theatre when the iPhone 8 is unveiled on September 12th, along with talk of Apple taking existing technology and ’perfecting’ it. Does that justify the sticker shock of $1200 for a smartphone?
For a few members of the geekerati, yes that is a price worth paying. For the general public, the iPhone 8 may look too expensive for what it offers.
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