iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Production Will Reportedly Drop Nearly 50% When iPhone X Launches

[Return Zero]

The average consumer has no need for most of those features. They will either decide to spend the money buy the iPhone X (which has a shiny new larger screen for the average consumer to look at and immediately looks more modern), or they will save as much money as possible and buy the 7 or even the 6S. The average consumer has no need for super fast processors or GPUs, doesn't know what Bluetooth 5.0 does, and has no idea what a True Tone display even means.

What the iPhone line up comes down to now is either you are willing to spend the money to get something that looks shiny and new, or you don't care and just want a relatively cheap (yet reliable) phone. There are very few people in the middle that are willing to pay the premium for all the upgrades in the 8, but not the X. I'd be willing to bet there are more people buying the 8 solely due to their ignorance of the differences between models, than a conscience decision weighing the cost-benefits of each phone.

Well I'm sure Apple takes into account consumer ignorance when setting their product lineups as well

Either way, I don't agree. A lot of "average consumers" will want the best performance without paying the premium for a fancier screen and Face ID. Business customers especially will want modern yet proven tech without the cost and potential issues that come with brand new designs. In reality, people have a general tendency to buy neither the top-of-the-line nor the cheapest models of anything. If your way of thinking was correct, medium would be the least popular drink size at a fast food restaurant. People could save money with a small, or get the most possible product with a large, right? As it turns out, behavioral economics is not always logical, and medium is by far the most popular drink size.
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The 60 frame rate on 4K is a scam. Pure marketing. It was shown that 4K video at 60 frames/sec gives worse video quality.

It may have worse lighting performance when you're analyzing frame-by-frame, but it's still true 4K at 60 fps, not a scam by any means. With motion involved it is far superior to 30 fps. Don't spread those stupid lies.

 

[TVreporter]

Just pick a phone and enjoy it - this mocking someone because they only got the 8-plus is beyond ridiculous.

I just got one after 3 years on a 5s and it's a solid phone which will last me several years if I take care of it. Why can't people just enjoy what they have and have the means to purchase. Stop being so petty... the phone is far from dead on arrival.

 

[riverfreak]

Just pick a phone and enjoy it - this mocking someone because they only got the 8-plus is beyond ridiculous.

I just got one after 3 years on a 5s and it's a solid phone which will last me several years if I take care of it. Why can't people just enjoy what they have and have the means to purchase. Stop being so petty... the phone is far from dead on arrival.

What’s that weird buzzing sound? Is that the voice of reason? Make it stop so we can get back to fighting about the iPhone 8

 

[Return Zero]

I'm happy to read this; last time Apple had problems with a drop in iPhone sales they released the iPhone SE. If they're selling less 8s than they expected this early, and they can't sell enough Xs due to supply constraints and the high price; they might release an SE2.

Are you saying they released the SE only because of a drop in iPhone sales a few months prior?

 

[actcyclist]

Are you saying they released the SE only because of a drop in iPhone sales a few months prior?

That's what I've read from tech reporters and it makes sense to me.

 

[polbit]

Hmm, let's see... 8 Plus vs. 7 Plus. $130 more expensive. Twice the storage. Far superior processor and graphics. Significant camera upgrades. True Tone display. Bluetooth 5.0. Wireless charging. Fast charging.

You're right, I don't see any difference. I'd rather have the slower phone with fewer features off the bat that also goes obsolete a whole year earlier and save the $130! /s

Ah, the justifications, here we come! Ok, let's examine.

7 Plus 128Gb is $769. 8 Plus is $949. That's $180. Not $130.

Using it right now, 7 Plus is just as fast on iOS 11 as 8 Plus. There is absolutely no difference to the end-user.

Wireless charging was made fun of by everyone here ever since Android phones got it. Until Apple realized it makes sense, now it's awesome!!

8 Plus is heavier, and has a more fragile back. Awesome!!

And more, and more, and more. It's basically the same damn phone, just like 6S Plus was, and like 6 Plus was. At least when I upgraded from 6 to 6S, I noticed a speed difference. 6S to 7? Nope. Playing with 8 at the store? Nope. Sorry, but the ONLY reason for 6S, 7, 8 and X to co-exist is for Apple to make more money. It has NOTHING to do with customers, like you and me.

I still remember the days when I went from iPhone to a Samsung Note because I wanted a bigger screen. I begged Apple to make two phones, bigger and smaller, and I got crucified by the Apple fanboys... Look at Apple now.

 

[MagicKnights]

I've yet to see any speed test that blew me away. "Significant camera upgrades" obviously isn't fooling anyone. True Tone Display? Seriously, that's so important? And finally, it's a proven fact that wireless charging only degrades the battery faster, hence shorter lifespan.

And #1, I can get a refurbished iPhone 7 in pristine condition much cheaper than your $130 discount and with more storage.

Keep selling it for Timmy Boy. You must not have worked in sales very long nor him.

OH, one last thing, IOS 11 means I lose all my free games too or as Steve Jobs once said, "Bag O' Hurt"!

Comparing a refurbished phone to a brand new one

 

[lordofthereef]

They’re readily available almost everywhere. We walked into T-Mobile a few days ago and got my wife an 8 after clearing up her juno on demand issues with her 7 )m(nothing can be smooth for us when talking device purchases with T-Mobile).

No idea how many they made but supply clearly, at least, meets demand. Doesn’t make sense to churn them out at a ridiculous pace if people aren’t buying at a ridiculous pace.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

What's the iPhone 8 again? Oh yeah, that was the last gen.

Thanks to all the beta testers plunking down $1000 to beta test the iPhone X, and ID, so when I am ready to buy into this technology in two years, it will probably be a reliable phone...
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This may be only half of the the story. A 50% cut in iPhone 8 production could be in order to move those production lines to iPhone X production.

This was my first thought too. I hope availability of the iPhone 8 doesn't trail off during / after the holidays.

 

[Bacillus]

What do people expect in a redesign, though? It's a smart phone. They all tend to have roughly the same shape. They all have screens that cover most of the front of the device. They all have some sort of camera in back, and a camera for the front. They all perform similar tasks.

What is required to be worthy of calling a phone a "redesign" then?
I consider this a redesign because they've pretty much gotten rid of the bezels that this phone has had since it was first introduced in 2007. They've moved away from aluminum to glass and SS. We have a different material for the screen itself. We have another way to charge these devices.
We have new specs, obviously, but we get new specs every year.
So, yes... the X is a redesign. The 8/8 plus is a spec upgrade with some tweaks to an existing design. They both serve a purpose, which is to move away from the aluminum body and move into wireless charging.

Look at the competition (especially the Chinese!), look at what fancy new materials Apple has patented which are more robust than glass, induction-ready and self-repairing but it never applied, look at the iPhone X which has a OK design but shouldn't have that terrible notch. Look at some foldout designs Samsung already piloted in 2014 but never applied. Imagine a more competitive marketplace like in cars instead of a duopoly of giants supplying each other OLED screens.
Be somewhat more imaginative and don't except flimsy talk by Cook/Ive/Schiller who essentially put Apple into another Performa-age by milking, milking, milking.
Tell me, what are hundreds of designers at Apple keeping themselves busy with 365 days around ?
How can the largest company in the world with bigger pockets than continents get away with a single design in 6 years (apart from copying a dental floss box as headphone holder) ?
See where the HomePod design came from: https://whyd.com
Wake up, please.

 

[OllyW]

7 Plus 128Gb is $769. 8 Plus is $949. That's $180. Not $130

Your storage needs make a big difference. I'm happy with enough with 64GB but 32GB wouldn't be enough.

The 64GB 8 Plus cost me £799 but I would have needed a 128GB 7 Plus at £769 which made made the 8 Plus an easy choice.

 

[jo.Lo]

Your storage needs make a big difference. I'm happy with enough with 64GB but 32GB wouldn't be enough.

The 64GB 8 Plus cost me £799 but I would have needed a 128GB 7 Plus at £769 which made made the 8 Plus an easy choice.

As long as the storage options aren't the same size, comparing prices doesn't make sense at all.

I could also say I got my brand new 7 plus for less than 600€ on ebay without losing any benefits a purchase in the official store has, while the new 8 plus costs me at least 900€ (!) in Germany.
Comparing the "entry prices" for purchasing one or the other device makes more sense to me than comparing the official list prices.

So many people sell sealed ip7 they get from renewing their contracts that prices for these ip7 reached a very attractive level as long as you don't expect to buy in an apple store.

 

[Delgibbons]

15 available on launch in the uk then

The Moto360 flat tyre is the perfect accompaniment to the iPhone notch.

 

[OllyW]

As long as the storage options aren't the same size, comparing prices doesn't make sense at all.

Just as it doesn't make sense to compare retail prices with eBay auctions.
I was just using my example to counter the quoted member who claimed that the 8 Plus costs £/$180 more than the 7 Plus. In my case it was only £/$30.

 

[Bacillus]

What do people expect in a redesign, though? It's a smart phone. They all tend to have roughly the same shape. They all have screens that cover most of the front of the device. They all have some sort of camera in back, and a camera for the front. They all perform similar tasks.
What is required to be worthy of calling a phone a "redesign" then?
I consider this a redesign because they've pretty much gotten rid of the bezels that this phone has had since it was first introduced in 2007. They've moved away from aluminum to glass and SS. We have a different material for the screen itself. We have another way to charge these devices.
We have new specs, obviously, but we get new specs every year.
So, yes... the X is a redesign. The 8/8 plus is a spec upgrade with some tweaks to an existing design. They both serve a purpose, which is to move away from the aluminum body and move into wireless charging.

If you don't value the design dimension of hi-tech, go for the iPhone 6 Mark III (a.k.a. iPhone 8)
Nobody prevents you from celebrating 10 years of Bezels. But nobody prevents the rest of the world to advance either.

 

[sdugoten]

Similar performance and a lot cheaper?

A lot of iphone users buy the phone because it looks good and user friendly. For those who actually want raw performance, those people should have already been an Android user already. Flagship Android can just do so much more than what IOS can offer, and given the fact that it is so much easier to root an Android than jailbreaking an iphone, it will even offer more feature than what IOS can offer. Android is the answer for those tech user and performance oriented users. Lets face it, can IOS do call recording? Can IOS use custom app for screenshot? Can IOS have a real share directory across all apps? No.

Now, if you are not a power user, you don't even need the A11 at all. A iphone 7 or even a iphone 6S will serve your purpose for 90% of the apps out there on IOS. How fast a CPU you need when you only do Safari, Whatsapp , Twitter and youtube? Why bother an iPhone 8? For a price tag of $US 799?

For most of the people who buy an iPhone, they are looking for stylish smart phone while having good user experience and hassle free. iPhone 8 gives you good user experience and hassle free. However, the 4 years old outdated design by no mean would call that stylish. With a price tag of $799 for an iPHone 8 plus, for those who is not a power user, why even bother an iphone 8 when iphone 7 or even iphone 6S do the job already for normal web surfing and facebook.

That's why iPhoneX is the iphone of the year. Local apple authorized store in my country have a 5% discount on iphone 8 Plus and iphone 8 on the 2nd day of iphone 8 release, which never happen for a new iphone release in the past 10 years. iPhone 8 here have so many that all the store here need to put on discount to clear their stock.

I can tell you some local scalper here are even selling iphone 8 (original from apple store with apple store receipt) at a lose so that they can clear the stock fast enough for the iphone X. I saw iphone 8 plus selling at 10% off of the original price from some local scalper here, on the 3rd day of iphone 8 release.

 

[OllyW]

Now, if you are not a power user, you don't even need the A11 at all. A iphone 7 or even a iphone 6S will serve your purpose for 90% of the apps out there on IOS. How fast a CPU you need when you only do Safari, Whatsapp , Twitter and youtube? Why bother an iPhone 8? For a price tag of $US 799?

It was a decent upgrade from my iPhone 6 and the 7 Plus with enough storage for my needs was only £30 cheaper. It's also nice knowing it's got enough performance in reserve to live with any iOS updates over the next 2-3 years.

 

[nia820]

Makes sense. The iPhone 8 is an an old looking device. Outdated design. Iphone 8 should have never been released. Iphone x should have been the 8.

 

[Return Zero]

That's what I've read from tech reporters and it makes sense to me.

It makes zero sense to me, and I can guarantee you it's not true. Each new phone takes multiple years of research, design, testing, verification, and manufacturing. This includes phones that share major design elements (like the SE and the 5S).
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Ah, the justifications, here we come! Ok, let's examine.

7 Plus 128Gb is $769. 8 Plus is $949. That's $180. Not $130.

Using it right now, 7 Plus is just as fast on iOS 11 as 8 Plus. There is absolutely no difference to the end-user.

Wireless charging was made fun of by everyone here ever since Android phones got it. Until Apple realized it makes sense, now it's awesome!!

8 Plus is heavier, and has a more fragile back. Awesome!!

And more, and more, and more. It's basically the same damn phone, just like 6S Plus was, and like 6 Plus was. At least when I upgraded from 6 to 6S, I noticed a speed difference. 6S to 7? Nope. Playing with 8 at the store? Nope. Sorry, but the ONLY reason for 6S, 7, 8 and X to co-exist is for Apple to make more money. It has NOTHING to do with customers, like you and me.

I still remember the days when I went from iPhone to a Samsung Note because I wanted a bigger screen. I begged Apple to make two phones, bigger and smaller, and I got crucified by the Apple fanboys... Look at Apple now.

I was comparing the base model price, which is consistently the more popular seller. Still, if you need the storage, another $180 more for a phone that is a whole year newer and which has double the storage is well worth it to many people.

Why do people keep anecdotally comparing speed of brand new phones? Of course the 7 is still fast, it's barely a year old. Come back to me after a couple years, after a few software upgrades, and tell me that you still don't notice the speed difference between the 7 and the 8. Case in point, as you alluded to, the iPhone 6 is now really starting to struggle, while the 6S is plugging along quite well. The 8 is basically a 7S (or 6SSS if you want to consider it that way). The speed difference will be very apparent and welcome in the long run.

For the record, I own both a 7 and an 8 Plus, and to me the speed difference is already VERY noticeable. It's a freaking 6-core A11 compared to a 2-core A10, and depending on the process, the 8 is way faster.

 

[bunnicula]

If you don't value the design dimension of hi-tech, go for the iPhone 6 Mark III (a.k.a. iPhone 8)
Nobody prevents you from celebrating 10 years of Bezels. But nobody prevents the rest of the world to advance either.

I have no interest in the iPhone 8 or the 8 plus. I'm buying a X.

I am interested in it. I don't like Android as an OS and I am content in my walled garden. I don't mind if everyone else wants more and goes someplace else to find it. If I ever feel like I really need something Apple is not offering, I'll go elsewhere for it instead of complaining about Apple all the time. It's just that straightforward.

For years, I was content with gas-powered cars. We bought a Volt in 2011, and we've not owned a gas-only vehicle since. Our entire garage is full of EV and PHEV vehicles.

Our choice. I could get mad because Honda doesn't have a PHEV or an EV that I really want or I could do what I have been doing, and stick with manufacturers that do.

Know what I mean?

 

[LordVic]

What do people expect in a redesign, though? It's a smart phone. They all tend to have roughly the same shape. They all have screens that cover most of the front of the device. They all have some sort of camera in back, and a camera for the front. They all perform similar tasks.

What is required to be worthy of calling a phone a "redesign" then?

I consider this a redesign because they've pretty much gotten rid of the bezels that this phone has had since it was first introduced in 2007. They've moved away from aluminum to glass and SS. We have a different material for the screen itself. We have another way to charge these devices.

We have new specs, obviously, but we get new specs every year.

So, yes... the X is a redesign. The 8/8 plus is a spec upgrade with some tweaks to an existing design. They both serve a purpose, which is to move away from the aluminum body and move into wireless charging.

the problem I have, is that by essentially using the similar design, and many parts for 4 iterations in a row, the price points should be going down due to manufacturing inefficiencies from economies of scale, and lack of expenses spent on retooling and redesign. Instead prices are also going up continuously.

So there's nothing really wrong with releasing it. But there's something that doesn't sit right by releasing it, calling it "new" and charging more for it.

 

[bunnicula]

the problem I have, is that by essentially using the similar design, and many parts for 4 iterations in a row, the price points should be going down due to manufacturing inefficiencies from economies of scale, and lack of expenses spent on retooling and redesign. Instead prices are also going up continuously.

So there's nothing really wrong with releasing it. But there's something that doesn't sit right by releasing it, calling it "new" and charging more for it.

I suspect it the OLED, facial recognition (which is different than what has been used by other manufacturers in the past) and their implementation of wireless charging is what drove up the price on this one. It'll hopefully settle down to around what the 8/8 plus cost with the next iteration.

 

[LordVic]

I suspect it the OLED, facial recognition (which is different than what has been used by other manufacturers in the past) and their implementation of wireless charging is what drove up the price on this one. It'll hopefully settle down to around what the 8/8 plus cost with the next iteration.

Sorry, was referring to the8,not the 10 in regards to price point


I believe the 8s increased price point and likely profit margins are being used to potentially soften, if not make invisible the potential lower sales of the 10 due to price/limited availability/increased costs.

Cook is using the extra margins on the 8 to subsidize the 10 essentially without pissing off investors.

Similar to how the Mac lineup saw record profits last quarter despite lowered volume sales

 

[carpleror]

Well I'm sure Apple takes into account consumer ignorance when setting their product lineups as well

Either way, I don't agree. A lot of "average consumers" will want the best performance without paying the premium for a fancier screen and Face ID. Business customers especially will want modern yet proven tech without the cost and potential issues that come with brand new designs. In reality, people have a general tendency to buy neither the top-of-the-line nor the cheapest models of anything. If your way of thinking was correct, medium would be the least popular drink size at a fast food restaurant. People could save money with a small, or get the most possible product with a large, right? As it turns out, behavioral economics is not always logical, and medium is by far the most popular drink size.
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It may have worse lighting performance when you're analyzing frame-by-frame, but it's still true 4K at 60 fps, not a scam by any means. With motion involved it is far superior to 30 fps. Don't spread those stupid lies.

I respectfully disagree, I don't think the average consumer understands the performance upgrades in the iPhone 8. I think they have a naive assumption that a new iPhone should perform better than their old one, but I don't believe they understand that as software becomes more complex, better processing performance is needed to make everything run seamlessly. Simple concept, yes, but I don't think most people really care enough to understand.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the average consumer walks into an Apple Store and inquires about processing performance on all the available iPhone models. I think they walk into the situation with a reasonable assumption that any iPhone they purchase will perform better than their old one, and leave it at that. If performance then becomes a constant for them, the consumer will look towards cost and features/design to make their decision.

The fact of the matter is the iPhone 8 occupies this weird middle ground we've never seen before in the product line. I don't think it's compelling enough to attract people who would normally purchase the previous years model at a cheaper price, nor do I think the $300 difference in price between the 8 and X is enough to convince people who would normally buy the brand new model to not buy the X. Remember, most people finance their phones through Apple or their carrier, so $300 over 24 or 36 months is only about $10/month. So, I think most people who want a cheap iPhone will continue to buy the previous years model, and the people who want a new iPhone will finance the phone and buy the iPhone X (and the iPhone 8's availability and this report seem to agree with me).

 

[Bacillus]

I have no interest in the iPhone 8 or the 8 plus. I'm buying a X.
I am interested in it. I don't like Android as an OS and I am content in my walled garden. I don't mind if everyone else wants more and goes someplace else to find it. If I ever feel like I really need something Apple is not offering, I'll go elsewhere for it instead of complaining about Apple all the time. It's just that straightforward.
For years, I was content with gas-powered cars. We bought a Volt in 2011, and we've not owned a gas-only vehicle since. Our entire garage is full of EV and PHEV vehicles.
Our choice. I could get mad because Honda doesn't have a PHEV or an EV that I really want or I could do what I have been doing, and stick with manufacturers that do.
Know what I mean?

I do, but I'm afraid that's not the other way around. I invested in Apple for pure innovation but not for Cook's stupid hobby's, Ive's nonnovation and Cue's truckloads of rappers, rasta's and maladjusted headphone freaks. Axe them all and get lean and mean again. I will not offer them that relaxation of diverting to Samsung but get them by their balls until they obey and beg for forgiveness. There is just too much on stake.