Foxconn's Profits Slide 31% as iPhone Sales Continue to Drop

[9081094]

Or all the rest, in the aggregate, when the market as a whole is down.

I don't think the market as a whole is down. Brands like Samsung, Huawei, xiaomi, oppo are all up. Why? Because they deliver improvements. I say they're more innovative but then I'll start the arguing on what's improvement and what's innovation again.

 

[symphara]

Not sure if i'm just viewing this wrong, or reading something wrong... however it seems that you were trying to claim the P9 is faster, then proceed to show us a video in which the 6S loaded most apps quicker? I just woke up so I'm thoroughly confused.

Messed up, posted wrong clip (the one with games, which the 6S loads a bit faster). There are several with apps and web browsing, where generally the P9 does a bit better, with the notable exception of Uber which loads slowly on Android for some reason. Anyway at half the price and with better screen/camera/battery/etc.

E.g.

And I mean, the P9 is really nice, but there are so many high-end Android phones to choose from (S7, Nexus 6P etc). I wonder if the Note 7 is going to be cheaper than the 16Gb 6S. If I were in charge at Samsung, that's exactly what I would do, just to point out how staggeringly bad value the iPhone is.

PS: answered my own question. I wasn't aware that the Note 7 has already appeared online here in Switzerland, but it has, at CHF828 (64Gb memory). The equivalent 6S plus is CHF999. Paying a lot more for a lot less, that's something.

 

[Soccertess]

I've got to ask, what is innovative about smaller bezels? What function do they provide? How does a small bezel make something more functional, or what problem does it solve?

The rest, you're conflating many different models of phones as if anyone (other than Samsung) has put nearly all of those into a device. Some of these are complete gimmicks as well. When we're able to charge our devices by merely walking into area instead of placing them on a specific spot on a pad we're going to wonder what in the world was so "innovative" about charging pads?

Smaller bezel's isn't innovation, is modernization. Smaller it is, the better it fits in your pocket and is more portable. We aren't talking about thinness, we are talking about having it stick out of your pocket!

And why are so many competitor phones smaller but have larger screens.. And you are right some of those features are gimmicks, and the benefits of Qi wireless charging are questionable. But I must say just dropping it off on a pad (either in your car built in, or in your office) would be nice. For my GF, we made a wooden holder that looked classy, put in a Qi charger, and now she just rests it on this table while she is in the kitchen. It was immensely useful and changed my mind on Qi charging a little bit.

Anyways, the chairman of Apple's board of directors, Arthur Levinson, and general counsel Bruce Sewell just dumped a whole lot of Apple stock. Funny they didn't sell it before a major product release. Poor Apple, something tells me Apple is in for a bumpy ride in Sept, and we will see if honorable Tim keeps his job.

 

[5105973]

Messed up, posted wrong clip (the one with games, which the 6S loads a bit faster). There are several with apps and web browsing, where generally the P9 does a bit better, with the notable exception of Uber which loads slowly on Android for some reason. Anyway at half the price and with better screen/camera/battery/etc.

E.g.

And I mean, the P9 is really nice, but there are so many high-end Android phones to choose from (S7, Nexus 6P etc). I wonder if the Note 7 is going to be cheaper than the 16Gb 6S. If I were in charge at Samsung, that's exactly what I would do, just to point out how staggeringly bad value the iPhone is.

PS: answered my own question. I wasn't aware that the Note 7 has already appeared online here in Switzerland, but it has, at CHF828 (64Gb memory). The equivalent 6S plus is CHF999. Paying a lot more for a lot less, that's something.

In the US some Carriers and merchants are also offering some great deals on Samsung products. We got free Gear S2 Watches with 4-G connectivity that can be used with existing phone numbers through AT&T number sync and one of our Note 7's was $695 off on a two year plan.

 

[9081094]

In the US some Carriers and merchants are also offering some great deals on Samsung products. We got free Gear S2 Watches with 4-G connectivity that can be used with existing phone numbers through AT&T number sync and one of our Note 7's was $695 off on a two year plan.

That's all we want: VALUE FOR MONEY

 

[Howyalikdemapls]

In the US some Carriers and merchants are also offering some great deals on Samsung products. We got free Gear S2 Watches with 4-G connectivity that can be used with existing phone numbers through AT&T number sync and one of our Note 7's was $695 off on a two year plan.

I hadn't heard of NumberSync so I just looked it up. It looks like you have to add another whole line of service to your plan. Technically the new device has it's own phone number and everything, but NumberSync sorta just forwards everything to your primary number, ya? I'm not sure I have all the details, but this sounds crazy. I totally see why they're giving away free Gear S2 watches if it means you have to add a line of service for each one and pay an additional monthly fee. This reminds me of the days when you'd be walking through the mall and every 20 feet somebody at a kiosk would be trying to give you a "free" phone.

I've been holding out on an Apple Watch because of the lack of cellular capabilities, but I don't want to pay for yet another line of service. I just want to be able to access my current line of service through a separate device without having to move a sim card back and forth between the two.

 

[symphara]

In the US some Carriers and merchants are also offering some great deals on Samsung products. We got free Gear S2 Watches with 4-G connectivity that can be used with existing phone numbers through AT&T number sync and one of our Note 7's was $695 off on a two year plan.

Awesome, I wish the Swiss carriers were anywhere as generous. I played yesterday with a Gear S2 for the first time, I really liked it - it's what Android Wear should be - except for one saving grace. On Wear, they've updated the Maps apps at some point and now it's really useful, i.e. I can finally navigate without the phone (it shows directions & map with real-time updates, including orientation). Hopefully the new Nixon will be nice.

 

[5105973]

I hadn't heard of NumberSync so I just looked it up. It looks like you have to add another whole line of service to your plan. Technically the new device has it's own phone number and everything, but NumberSync sorta just forwards everything to your primary number, ya? I'm not sure I have all the details, but this sounds crazy. I totally see why they're giving away free Gear S2 watches if it means you have to add a line of service for each one and pay an additional monthly fee. This reminds me of the days when you'd be walking through the mall and every 20 feet somebody at a kiosk would be trying to give you a "free" phone.

I've been holding out on an Apple Watch because of the lack of cellular capabilities, but I don't want to pay for yet another line of service. I just want to be able to access my current line of service through a separate device without having to move a sim card back and forth between the two.

Oh yeah we did add two new lines of service for the Note 7's. We had to, since our existing unlimited data plans are specific to and locked into iPhones. If we ever decide to leave iPhone for Android permanently we have to say goodbye to our grandfathered unlimited data plans. However, Apple would have to massively tick us off for that to happen. We are both giving Apple the stink eye right now, but we think they will come around.

 

[garylapointe]

The market is saturated. Without significant innovation nobody will upgrade just to have the latest model. I'm happy with my iPhone 6 and won't upgrade till it really makes a difference.

Speed, camera and battery life. That's generally what gets me excited.

Make the screen look brighter outside, excellent.
Make the back be low power eInk that I can read in bright sunlight AND uses less power, that's innovation.

I can't think of any other "innovations" they've made on the iPhones lately, new features aren't always aren't innovations. And software updates that works on previous models aren't hardware innovations generally (except for exceptions).

 

[FelixDerKater]

This all stems from the installment buying model. Before, it made sense to use the upgrade credit on the best of the best. When people see the monthly price breakdown, they are less convinced.

Spare me the yammering responses that they are only paying 20 per line instead of 40 now.

 

[Abazigal]

Can't agree with you more. I think the market will force Apple to change. It's a pity that those change will come from numbers/profits and not driven by delivering the best. Apple made history in computers and mobile phones, we both and most give them credit for that.

But that isn't an excuse how they're behaving now. They still want to give you the impression that they're at the forefront of high tech and that those prices are justified for it. I find it an insult to their customers and even long time fans like you and me aren't buying that anymore.

The iPhone 7 will without a doubt sell good. But gone are the days of innovative leadership. Not only in hardware, but software too.

Unless a miracle happens, and I personally doubt that, they're heading for a steady decline. And by today's standard, they deserve it.

I'm thinking they're leaving the phone and computer business all together because they aren't able to compete. They are searching for more lucrative markets, like cars or something. 2016 will be remembered as a turning point. Nobody cares if the iPhone is 0.5 sec faster then the competition. That same competition is designing beautiful phones at a reasonable price.

People will come up with the eco system, but let's be honest:
Siri is a joke compared to Google now
Maps is a joke compared to Google maps
Cloud services are way overpriced and not on par with the competition

I think their new to be introduced file system will see the light of day next year, so you can have the same file system and/or compatible with OS X and iOS. Hardware wise they've lost the race.

Everybody who is waiting for the iPhone 8 miracle next year (which will be a good phone) is going to be disappointed to see other brands will have or pass that design in specs and features.

The only hardware thing what's Apple is their A10/11. Other parts come from the open market where everybody can take from. And those other brands will beat Apple to market, like they're doing now and selling those same hardware at market conform price.

People who brag that Apple is making the most profits should consider the reason why. It's because their margins are very high for that same hardware compared to others.

And those same people bragging about the screen of the hyped iPhone 8 should also know that that same screen will be made by Samsung.

High margins are useless if nobody buys a company's products. You might want to ask yourself just why so many people are willing to pay for Apple products despite their high margins (and consequently higher prices).

You yourself admitted that many people are likely to buy the next iPhone as well. Why would they, if not because the iPhone continues to be a great product for them?

Being a company focused on hardware, software and services, Apple can never be as good in services as say, Google, which is their sole bread and butter. What Apple does do very well, however, is make it such that they work very well together, thereby allowing Apple to "cheat" their way around any drawbacks and limitations of their products.

The end result is a product which works better than the rest of the competition (for me at least) despite its many flaws, such as Google maps being better than Apple Maps (and yet Apple Maps is my default go-to maps app).

That's what people pay for. A great end user experience made possible precisely because Apple wields such absolute control over their own platform. Something which no other company can yet replicate, much less offer.

 

[Oridus]

Messed up, posted wrong clip (the one with games, which the 6S loads a bit faster). There are several with apps and web browsing, where generally the P9 does a bit better, with the notable exception of Uber which loads slowly on Android for some reason. Anyway at half the price and with better screen/camera/battery/etc.

E.g.

And I mean, the P9 is really nice, but there are so many high-end Android phones to choose from (S7, Nexus 6P etc). I wonder if the Note 7 is going to be cheaper than the 16Gb 6S. If I were in charge at Samsung, that's exactly what I would do, just to point out how staggeringly bad value the iPhone is.

PS: answered my own question. I wasn't aware that the Note 7 has already appeared online here in Switzerland, but it has, at CHF828 (64Gb memory). The equivalent 6S plus is CHF999. Paying a lot more for a lot less, that's something.

Meh. To each their own. I use both iPhone and Android (Carry two phones around daily), and the iCloud backup, iMessaging, Continuity, and Handoff features hands down make my experience worth more than anything Android can offer me. Until that changes, as in Android can offer me what the Apple ecosystem does, I'm pro Apple.

 

[44267547]

You are completely wrong and because you can not accept the frankness of my comments, you are just trying to misrepresent me and my approach to Apple. I do not disparage Apple in every fashion. Please refrain from misrepresenting me and my comments. When I see some thing wrong with Apple, I call it out. I've also mentioned many, many positive things about Apple in the past, I copy links below of just a few of those many positive remarks:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...osoft-tablets-combined.1985052/#post-23174581
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...d-larger-cameras.1981302/page-8#post-23101400
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-great-but-mysterious-apple-tv-campaign.1976083/
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...h-two-new-videos.1965465/page-3#post-22757125
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...gpu-still-in-the-works.1979534/#post-23054904
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-during-wwdc-2016-demo.1978761/#post-23036952
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...for-wwdc-in-june.1971008/page-3#post-22866632
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-pro-for-charity.1967904/page-6#post-22806245
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...our-decades-of-history.1965200/#post-22750942

Customers have held back on their purchases in recent years, it's not saturation but a mix of low rehashed tech, high price, and impure design aspects. Keynotes no longer even discuss Apple's business which is revealing. Apple is positioned as a high standards business, and when those standards slip, customers don't want to buy, they have no reason to buy. Customers need a reason to upgrade and they aren't getting that reason currently from Apple. They are however getting reasons from competitors.

iPhone SE uses old tech, there's no other way to say it. Just look at the Apple website for a comparison of the tech specs. There isn't anything complicated about this that needs references and citations.

I'm being honest about Apple's current line up. Are you? Because anything else than honesty will see Apple become a lame rehash of the 1990s Apple, and this time the difference will be that it will end in complete bankruptcy.

Bottom line is this, all you have provided me is an anecdotal idea of evidence that does not exist and is completely futile. You never answered any of my questions and ignored my original question, 'Where and how did you determine the iPhone SE sales?' And your choosing to refute this? You didn't, because you have no clear and convincing evidence of what you stated in your previous posts regarding the sales of the SE. Its all Farce. I honestly think you make statements up, post them on Macrumors, hoping for other forum members to like your posts, believing you think you influenced them, when in reality, you have not. Truthfully, I am not trying to be disrespectful, but your lost in your own disbelief. Sure, Apple has made mistakes and they need to remedy them in their product line, and Apple has to be held accountable for their mistakes. But we all understand this on Macrumors, its not a secret. I don't know Apple's future and I don't claim too.

Respectfully, I suggest for future reference, any claims, statements, sales numbers or direct quotes, please try and provide the necessary criteria, because ignoring, avoiding and hiding is not going to fly. Especially when other forum members have asked you the same questions without answers.

 

[Savor]

Apple needs to fall for someone to give them a wakeup call.

2016 is an SE year for Apple. Same Edition.

For a company that brags about changing EVERYTHING again, they changed NOTHING during the last eight years since the App Store.

The Unending Arrogance Of The iPhone Tagline Marches Ever Onward

Then this summer, Apple/TBWA released a series of iPhone image spots with maybe the worst, probably the most arrogant, definitely the most childish slogan in advertising history.

 

[wigby]

After reading all the rumors about the new iPhone I really don't even know how thy are going to advertise it.

No headphone jack is a huge no go for many people I have talked to, myself included.

And the rumors also point to most other things staying virtually the same.
The 6S is already blazing fast so a faster processor is unlikely to convince anyone to go out and upgrade their phone either.

wht is their strategy for the new phone? Only people with yearly free upgrade plans and expiring contracts?

What am I missing?

Well they're not going to publicize the lack of headphone port. They will promote the new camera which is enough for half of all iPhone buyers right there. The rest who use 2+ year old phones are also likely to upgrade.

 

[tdale]

I dont think saturation has anything whatsoever to do with it. Most of iPhone sales are to existing iPhone owners, so by definition its been saturated for years. The issue is we have gone from I must upgrade, cool, to why upgrade? Why replace a phone that differs little from the one you have? I see far more value on iOS functionality than the hardware functionality.

It makes calls, texts, has apps, camera, very little has changed since I got my 6 Plus, the 6S Plus I didn't bother with and the 7 I probably wont either
[doublepost=1471162147][/doublepost]

High margins are useless if nobody buys a company's products. You might want to ask yourself just why so many people are willing to pay for Apple products despite their high margins (and consequently higher prices).

You yourself admitted that many people are likely to buy the next iPhone as well. Why would they, if not because the iPhone continues to be a great product for them?

Being a company focused on hardware, software and services, Apple can never be as good in services as say, Google, which is their sole bread and butter. What Apple does do very well, however, is make it such that they work very well together, thereby allowing Apple to "cheat" their way around any drawbacks and limitations of their products.

The end result is a product which works better than the rest of the competition (for me at least) despite its many flaws, such as Google maps being better than Apple Maps (and yet Apple Maps is my default go-to maps app).

That's what people pay for. A great end user experience made possible precisely because Apple wields such absolute control over their own platform. Something which no other company can yet replicate, much less offer.

yes, but the issue is declining sales. Your points are 100% valid, but I can keep and enjoy my 6 Plus iPhone experience without wanting money on the 6S Plus or the 7 Plus. When I upgrade anything I want a new devices with some new features and capability that will be used by me. I dont see that anymore. So Apple money is my bank not theirs

 

[Sy7ygy]

They need new leadership that's interested in innovating again instead of promoting social policies as their top priority.

This, 100%.

Why pay £500+ for the latest & greatest iPhone when HTC, Motorola and the like are just as good?

 

[aquariun76]

The smartphones have gone high resolution displays, screen of all sizes and cameras of good quality.
Now there is not much innovation left for a common user, who use it for calling, messaging, social activities, browsing and gaming. OS refresh cycle is yearly.
A premium product couple of years ago works well today. Even many upgrade every year, old phones sell in market. People can find a top line android 2 year old model for $150 ~ $200 in market, which works better than low cost latest models.

Apple raised price bar of 6(s) Plus with 64(+) gb models to a level which is very high.

No more an innovation felt by common man.

I was amazed to know Apple iPhone records MONO (really ????) sound with 4K video.

Its cycle Apple has to go through... The same thing that happened with iPod.

The day I saw more than one model of iPhone, it was evident of slowing trend in sales. iPod also got multiple models before cannibalized by iPhone.

No innovation..... No Sales......

 

[kentsydney]

I've upgraded my iPhone every other year since 2007. The only exception was when I went from a 5S to a 6 Plus because I wanted a larger screen. But the 6 Plus lags occasionally and I get frequent page re-loads in Safari (maybe a memory limitation), so I've been thinking that I'd get back to my former upgrade cycle.

I'm reserving judgement on the 7 until it's actually announced—it's possible, though unlikely, that it could have features like wireless charging that haven't been "confirmed" in recent leaks. I'm also waiting to see what the rumor mill says about timing for the iPhone 8 or whatever it's called. If there's a possibility that it'll hit the streets sooner than September 2017, I may wait unless the iPhone 7 is very compelling.

I'm pretty much the same as you.

Have a 6 plus 128 and perfectly happy with it.

From what I've seen I won't be upgrading this year to a 7 but we haven't seen what it really is.

I'll also be holding off downloading to iOS 10 straight away in case it cripplesmy perfectly good phone...

I'll never go android as it may offer more features but it's horrible to use and inherently not secure( I mean it's open, no checking of apps, fragmented updating ( including no coordinated updating security patches etc etc)

I do on line banking on my phone so security is a huge consideration for me.

But I do acknowledge that Samsung and android offer superior technology and apples looking a little dated.

 

[tdale]

This, 100%.

Why pay £500+ for the latest & greatest iPhone when HTC, Motorola and the like are just as good?

Hardware is hardware. They are all good. But the iOS ecosystem is what we use, in conjunction with the dumb hardware.

My argument is " Why pay £500+ for the latest & greatest iPhone, when the one I got 12 months ago is very very similar"

 

[smacrumon]

Bottom line is this, all you have provided me is an anecdotal idea of evidence that does not exist and is completely futile. You never answered any of my questions and ignored my original question, 'Where and how did you determine the iPhone SE sales?' And your choosing to refute this? You didn't, because you have no clear and convincing evidence of what you stated in your previous posts regarding the sales of the SE. Its all Farce. I honestly think you make statements up, post them on Macrumors, hoping for other forum members to like your posts, believing you think you influenced them, when in reality, you have not. Truthfully, I am not trying to be disrespectful, but your lost in your own disbelief. Sure, Apple has made mistakes and they need to remedy them in their product line, and Apple has to be held accountable for their mistakes. But we all understand this on Macrumors, its not a secret. I don't know Apple's future and I don't claim too.

Respectfully, I suggest for future reference, any claims, statements, sales numbers or direct quotes, please try and provide the necessary criteria, because ignoring, avoiding and hiding is not going to fly. Especially when other forum members have asked you the same questions without answers.

Much to unpack in your reply, including many inaccuracies and representations of my previous comments. I won't unpack it because this conversation is already protracted enough and you are now obviously just attempting to discredit my discussions. I don't make up stuff, I also don't post to get likes or influence anyone, I don't particularly care about likes, and individuals are intelligent enough to make their own assessments of commenters here in the forum.

Unfortunately, you can not even acknowledge in the face of hard evidence iPhone SE is a lower tech product that misses technology iPhone 6/6s contain, based on the tech specs on Apple's own website.

One final note about "sales". Overall sales are down. iPhone SE replaced the iPhone 5s which was discontinued in March. It's an odd situation because once 4s and 5 were discontinued, availability was zero in the Apple Store and very shortly thereafter zero on the networks, stock sold out fast. iPhone 5s stock however persists many months after being discontinued on major networks in many countries.

A lot of iPhones have shipped, but a lot have also remained unsold and on shelf which is very different to previous years.

iPhone is priced too high. iPhone is not innovative at this point in time. Customers won't pay the Apple premium if they aren't getting cutting edge design and technology. It's a no brainer.

UK
O2: https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/phones/apple/iphone-5s/
Virgin: http://store.virginmedia.com/virgin...ce-grey/iphone5s-16gb-space-grey-tariffs.html
Vodaphone: http://www.vodafone.co.uk/brands/apple/iphone-5s/#Space_Grey/16
3: http://www.three.co.uk/iPhone/iPhone_5s
EE: http://shop.ee.co.uk/mobile-phones/pay-monthly/iphone-5s-16gb-silver/details

France
Bouygues Telecom: https://www.bouyguestelecom.fr/apple-iphone-5s-16go-gris-sideral
SFR: http://www.sfr.fr/forfait-mobile/telephone/APPLE-iPhone-5s/16Go/ARGENT
Orange: https://boutique.orange.fr/mobile/iphone5s

South Africa
MTN: https://shop.mtn.co.za/crs/jump/product/89098229MD/Apple-iPhone-5s-16GB
Telkom: https://secure.telkom.co.za/today/shop/personal/device/apple-iphone-5s-16gb-silver/

USA
Sprint: https://www.sprint.com/shop/#!/devi...ion=24&contractType=easyPay&lineId=8579067840
Virgin Mobile: https://www.virginmobileusa.com/#!/shop/phones/iphone5s-gray-phone/features/Gray,16GB/

Australia
Telstra: https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/prepaid-mobiles/iphone-5s-16gb
Optus: http://www.optus.com.au/shop/mobile/phones/apple/iphone-5s
Virgin Mobile: https://www.virginmobile.com.au/Shop/5S-Space-Grey-16GB
Vodaphone: https://shop.vodafone.com.au/mobile-details/iPhone-5s-16GB-Spacegrey

Canada
Rogers: http://www.rogers.com/web/link/wire...oductType=normal&productId_Detailed=IP5S16GRY
Bell: http://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Products/Apple-iPhone-5s
Telus: http://www.telus.com/en/on/mobility/device/iphone-5s/

 

[RuffyYoshi]

They really should lower the price... Here it can go up to 1000+ euros for one, if they would bring it down to the level of Android phones (which can also be expensive, don't get me wrong) sales would be much better. The SE costs around 600 euros, if the bigger ones went no further than 800 then that would be much better.

 

[CEmajr]

While Apple still offers by far the greatest combination of software, hardware, customer service, and overall user experience, I'm pretty sure I'm going to skip the 7 no matter what it does mainly because the 6s Plus is so damn fast and smooth. I had to upgrade last year because the 6 Plus lagged and refreshed pages to no end. This time around I'm totally satisfied with my current device.

 

[kdarling]

I don't think the market as a whole is down. Brands like Samsung, Huawei, xiaomi, oppo are all up. .

Yep, those companies' sales are up, whereas Apple dropped 15% from last year.

Of course, this was predicted to happen when subsidies began to disappear. High priced phones just don't sell well in such an environment.

Heck, a similar sales drop would've happened last year, but Apple bought themselves a temporary respite by reversing course and coming out with highly desired larger phones. To boost sales numbers, Apple is also trying out lower priced phones, such as the SE, and even tried to get India let them sell refurbished iPhones.

--

Nevertheless, I think there is a potential silver lining for us consumers here. In order to boost their highest margin sales, I think Apple knows they need to come out with something that's desirable enough, people will splurge on it even if high priced. At least, I hope they do!

A side question is, will removing the headphone jack be the equivalent of Samsung removing addon storage last year? That is, will it end up being a bad idea that will get rectified in the next model?

 

[tdale]

I disagree that the iPhone is priced too high. Galaxy are a similar price. Although they drop soon after release.

Yep, those companies' sales are up, whereas Apple dropped 15% from last year.

Of course, this was predicted to happen when subsidies began to disappear. High priced phones just don't sell well in such an environment.

Heck, a similar sales drop would've happened last year, but Apple bought themselves a temporary respite by reversing course and coming out with highly desired larger phones. To boost sales numbers, Apple is also trying out lower priced phones, such as the SE, and even tried to get India let them sell refurbished iPhones.

--

Nevertheless, I think there is a potential silver lining for us consumers here. In order to boost their highest margin sales, I think Apple knows they need to come out with something that's desirable enough, people will splurge on it even if high priced. At least, I hope they do!

A side question is, will removing the headphone jack be the equivalent of Samsung removing addon storage last year? That is, will it end up being a bad idea that will get rectified in the next model?

Dont telco's now offer interest free time payments?
[doublepost=1471202002][/doublepost]

They really should lower the price... Here it can go up to 1000+ euros for one, if they would bring it down to the level of Android phones (which can also be expensive, don't get me wrong) sales would be much better. The SE costs around 600 euros, if the bigger ones went no further than 800 then that would be much better.

No. Some extra sales will occur of they dropped prices, but ALL sales margins will drop massively in percentage terms.
A 15% retail price drop might well be 35% profit drop, thats huge.