iPhone 8 flopping already...

[matty.p]

You have to remember too that they've drastically reduced the number of SKUs while also dividing the demand. There are only three colors this year while last year there were four and this year there are only two storage options while last year there were three. So they could have a lot more of the fewer models and therefore it would appear to have a lot more of the "the" model you want when in reality there is the same number as last year. That in addition to there being divided demand with the X and it would appear to be a 'flop.' In reality they will probably sell well more of the 8 than they ever will of the X.

Anecdotally. My sister had the 6s and it was time for her to upgrade as we were paying off her installment. My mom offered to get her a new phone. We sent her the videos, hands ons, etc. She literally could have either at zero cost and she decided she wanted an 8+ over the X. So i stayed up and pre-ordered her the 8+. There will be a lot of people in the world that simply won't care about the X. This is a person who is more attached to her phone than just about anyone.

 

[Sugadaddy]

Same design 4 years in a row + higher price = declining demand

 

[magpie maniac]

Same design 4 years in a row + higher price = declining demand

Why do people keep saying this? Goods increase in price over time. Memory alone is more expensive. I don't care about the "same design" as long as internals and utility improve. Is this what we have become?

 

[cola79]

I don't see Apple sell as much iPhone 8/X as they did with former models.

Most people i talked see no extra value in wireless charging and/or face id nonsense.

Also oled is no "must have", people really don't care much what technology is used in their displays.

And the phones show no benefit in daily life. Do they do anything noticeable faster than maybe a 7 or SE? Browsing, texting, taking pictures-the same like before for the average customer.

Even people who were looking for a new phone prefer the 7 over the 8, because of price differences.

The X is a flop, the number of people paying that much for a phone is very limited. The X isn't the first phone for over 1000 dollar, and all of these have not become a success.

I think Apple should release only all three years instead of each year. Times were there were big changes between the models are over and nobody needs upgrades each year.

With longer periods between models they could justify high prices.

 

[noobinator]

I don't see Apple sell as much iPhone 8/X as they did with former models.

Most people i talked see no extra value in wireless charging and/or face id nonsense.

Also oled is no "must have", people really don't care much what technology is used in their displays.

And the phones show no benefit in daily life. Do they do anything noticeable faster than maybe a 7 or SE? Browsing, texting, taking pictures-the same like before for the average customer.

Even people who were looking for a new phone prefer the 7 over the 8, because of price differences.

The X is a flop, the number of people paying that much for a phone is very limited. The X isn't the first phone for over 1000 dollar, and all of these have not become a success.

I think Apple should release only all three years instead of each year. Times were there were big changes between the models are over and nobody needs upgrades each year.

With longer periods between models they could justify high prices.

Well the Note 8 is only $70 cheaper and is setting records for Samsung. So not all ~$1000 phones are not a success.

 

[magpie maniac]

I don't see Apple sell as much iPhone 8/X as they did with former models.

Most people i talked see no extra value in wireless charging and/or face id nonsense.

Also oled is no "must have", people really don't care much what technology is used in their displays.

And the phones show no benefit in daily life. Do they do anything noticeable faster than maybe a 7 or SE? Browsing, texting, taking pictures-the same like before for the average customer.

Even people who were looking for a new phone prefer the 7 over the 8, because of price differences.

The X is a flop, the number of people paying that much for a phone is very limited. The X isn't the first phone for over 1000 dollar, and all of these have not become a success.

I think Apple should release only all three years instead of each year. Times were there were big changes between the models are over and nobody needs upgrades each year.

With longer periods between models they could justify high prices.

Good post.

Most consumers aren't like the fans in this forum. They don't obsess about the latest and greatest and "form factors" and such. They don't fall for corporate planned obsolescence. They need a device that will communicate, has good battery life, allows them to check the web for some info, and give them directions from point A to point B. This is why most people skip several releases before upgrading.

 

[joeblow7777]

Is this your first time getting a phone? At 30 minutes past midnight last year, some folks were getting the deliver week of two weeks later or a month from actual release date.

Everyone who wanted a phone on the release date stays up and goes through the pain of Apple having server issues etc.

So yes, at the moment, this is actually showing signs that more folks are just waiting for the X or simply underwhelmed with what Apple is trying to feed us

You've missed my point entirely, but try to think of it this way, what if Apple simply has more supply this time? After all, externally it's pretty much just a rehash of a design they've been using for years now.

You're making an assumption that you can bases sales and therefore success solely on delivery time, which only makes sense if literally every other factor is the same as previous launches.

Also, even if it is selling slower, that still doesn't necessarily make it a flop. We all know that it's being released in the shadow of the X, so initial purchases may be slower because the people who are most enthusiastic about getting a new iPhone on day one are also the people who are probably more likely to wait for the best iPhone.

There's only one sure sign that the 8 is a flop; if post holidays there's tons of them sitting on shelves. THEN you will know that sales didn't meet Apple's expectations. Right now there's not even an argument that can be made. There is not enough evidence to draw any conclusion.

 

[MCube74]

I feel the IPhone 8 is a flop but IPhone 8 plus and IPhone X will both sell well.

 

[BeeGood]

Same design 4 years in a row + higher price = declining demand

We can’t possibly know what demand looks like until all units (8, 8+ and X) are for sale.

 

[CoriG]

Pretty much my thinking as well.

That was my thinking as well.

 

[bbrks]

iPhone 8 is my next phone, coming from 6, it's more than upgrade.
Great design and great OS, nothing else I could wish for....
Not interested in X...it's definitely the best phone ever, but sadly to expensive for me.

 

[Cyberguycpt]

Why do people keep saying this? Goods increase in price over time. Memory alone is more expensive. I don't care about the "same design" as long as internals and utility improve. Is this what we have become?

I thought the more things are mass produced the prices go down, not up. Why would memory be higher when most things are going to the cloud.

 

[AppleZombie]

I can tell you that the Iphone 8 256gb on Verizon is not a flop, it's 2 weeks out and the only one that Verizon is charging full price on.

 

[CoriG]

Um, the iPhone 8 plus (the one with the same size screen as the X), has the same single hand usability concerns. Never seemed to affect sales of the plus size phones before.

That is true.. but you are not reliant on those gestures. There are times I need to use two hands with 7+, but I don't NEED to do those gestures for the phone to function. I can access my control center, change apps, etc still with one hand. But I would potentially need two hands to do those tasks on the iphone X.

 

[bunnicula]

I think plenty of people will buy the 8 and the 8 plus. It'll sell well. Here on MR, you'll get more going for the X, but this is a geeky Apple Fan site so that's hardly surprising.

 

[Cyberguycpt]

I can tell you that the Iphone 8 256gb on Verizon is not a flop, it's 2 weeks out and the only one that Verizon is charging full price on.

Honestly two weeks out is really not that long in the Apple verse. A hit would have it 1 month and a half to two months out.

 

[magpie maniac]

I thought the more things are mass produced the prices go down, not up. Why would memory be higher when most things are going to the cloud.

You're talking about economies of scale. Ceteris paribus—as the Econ 101 lingo goes—that can be true, but not when inputs increase more than marginal efficiencies of production.

 

[bpeeps]

I just looked and I was able to get a model on release day. its definitely not selling as fast as prior models.

Apple preorders sell out in hours, people whine they don't have more stock. Apple preorders don't sell out in hours, people call it a flop. This community is truly amazing.

 

[craigio85]

That is true.. but you are not reliant on those gestures. There are times I need to use two hands with 7+, but I don't NEED to do those gestures for the phone to function. I can access my control center, change apps, etc still with one hand. But I would potentially need two hands to do those tasks on the iphone X.

Also - the X design isn't intended to be niche. Come next year, it'll be the standard form factor. Might never have held back sales of the Plus models, but they were manufactured in smaller numbers to cater to a smaller market. Mainstream user base may be less accepting of the larger form of the X for the very reasons you state.

 

[sdwaltz]

Apple preorders sell out in hours, people whine they don't have more stock. Apple preorders don't sell out in hours, people call it a flop. This community is truly amazing.

Amen and hallelujah.

The reason for this is simple: demand for the 8/8 Plus is down due to the iPhone X, and we can reasonably assume that Apple's production numbers for the 8/8 Plus will be initially higher than last year because they've used the same basic design since 2014. Last year the dual camera setup on the 7 Plus was brand-new so production numbers were limited.

I can guarantee you, when it's all said and done, that total number of NEW iPhones (8/8 Plus/X) sold by 2Q next year will break records once again. And that's all Apple cares about.

 

[trifid]

Why do people keep saying this? Goods increase in price over time. Memory alone is more expensive. I don't care about the "same design" as long as internals and utility improve. Is this what we have become?

Actually it’s the reverse, memory prices usually go down, and in the case SSD it goes down exponentially.

 

[MrXiro]

Well it's 6:55 EST here and I can preorder an iPhone 8 plus, unlocked for delivery in a week or just over a week depending on color and capacity. That tells me everyone is going for the iPhone X in about a month.

They maniacs who stay up all night to pre-order a phone don't want the iPhone 8 (I am one of these maniacs); they want the X.

Normals (or sane people) would just wait til the phone comes out, for reviews to come out or even for their 2 year upgrade to get it. The 8 is a very good phone and I'm sure in due time they will sell quite a few especially at the price point vs the X. It's tried and true in regards of features and does everything anyone that isn't a crazy tech nerd would want or need.

That said... I can't wait to get my 256gb X with Apple Care and a case for $1500.

 

[matty.p]

Actually it’s the reverse, memory prices usually go down, and in the case SSD it goes down exponentially.

Except right now, memory prices are going up.

 

[welles13]

Why do people keep saying this? Goods increase in price over time. Memory alone is more expensive. I don't care about the "same design" as long as internals and utility improve. Is this what we have become?

Why do you keep defending your decision to buy the 8 like this? The fact is for the first time since the 3G, you can purchase a new iPhone for pick-up on day of release 10+ hours after pre-orders began.

Dude, nobody wants the 8.

 

[OneMike]

Well the Note 8 is only $70 cheaper and is setting records for Samsung. So not all ~$1000 phones are not a success.

I like the note 8 more than the iPhone 8/X and I wouldn't buy an Android.