iPhone 8 Predicted to Start at $850 to $900 for 64GB Model, $950 to $1,000 for 256GB Model

[kwandrews]

I've sworn off leasing a phone. I don't lease cars and I don't want to lease a phone. Purchase program? Aka. 0% financing? No thanks, I like my phones unlocked now and I don't want a "phone payment". I choose to just buy outright. The prices are getting to the point where it just doesn't make much sense to stay on the cutting edge and hasn't for while unless you finance/lease.

My wife and I are still on the 6 (32G) and 6plus (64G), skipped the 6s (usually skip a generation) and passed on the 7 as the 6's are still going strong and not as "outdated" as the old 5's where when we moved to the 6's. If I had to replace both phones now with a 7 & 7plus, both 128G, it would be around $1550. Then the service contract which I have a good deal on. So, for the 12 months from purchase, the phone and plan would be a total of $2,510.....for phones.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my iPhones and have been since the first month of the original iPhone back in 2007. I won't go to any other brand. No question.

What's the smart move going forward? 1) Do what most people do and lease / finance (no thanks), 2) bite the bullet and just take it? (maybe), or 3) upgrade to an "older" model when the new one is released.

I get it. The new one will be faster, better screen, probably new authentication technology, maybe augmented reality (maybe), an improved camera, etc. I use the camera, but I have real cameras for photography. The iPhone camera is good for grab shots and it's a handy tool to have with me all the time. But it's not my primary camera like most people these days.

The idea of a $1,000+ iPhone? I just can't see that. I'll gladly pay for (and have) MacBook pros, iPads, iMacs, etc. in the $750 - 2000+ range. But a phone? I look at the device + service as a PACKAGE price over 12 months. At $1000, that's more than a $2000 phone when it's all included (service, tax, etc.).

Choices, choices. $2k MacBook? Okay, that's a work machine that makes me money. iPad Pro? It allows me to be ultra mobile and make money. A $1000 iPhone? Yes, it helps me be mobile and make money, but so can and iPhone SE for $400...just not as nicely and it's probably the least productive device I have. Hmmm.

Sorry for the rant. I get that Apple is a premium product, but when the total cost of a phone is in MacBook Pro and entry level iMac territory, I choke a bit.
[doublepost=1491368943][/doublepost]

I think a 2-3 year life span for a phone is acceptable. Every phone I've had has been 3-4 years. (minus the shattered screen on an iphone) So I don't think they are meant to be upgraded every year.

Yes, we are still on the 6 / 6 plus.

 

[fermat-au]

Apple knows that they have a a loyal group of consumers who will buy the new iPhone every year, or two, these people are not price sensitive. Increasing the price of the new iPhone pushes up the ASP (average selling price). Apple realises that they can probably make more by increasing ASP than increasing user base.

 

[Tycho24]

But you said anything above the "bare minimum" would be considered a luxury.

A $99 Android phone can make calls, send/receive texts, surf the web, and run apps.

So there are literally hundreds of phones that would be considered a luxury.

Does that sound right?

You're quick to call the iPhone a luxury... but it seems like there are tons of smartphones that are a luxury.

So like I said earlier... when does the iPhone stop being a luxury... and simply becomes one the crowd?

Oh Jesus...lol.
Go argue with yourself!

I'm done with you.
It's simple.
I'm CERTAIN you understand.
You're feigning for whatever reason; spoiling for a fight I guess.
I'm bowing out.
[doublepost=1491369692][/doublepost]

No one has to explain you pay a premium for Apple products, my first Mac was a Macintosh II and I have been loyal since then. Hell, I even have a Apple logo tattooed on my head!

Also no one has to explain these devices don't pop out of thin Air, there is hefty R&D costs but research shows Apple is making about a ~$400 profit on each iPhone 7. That should be more than enough profit to recoup the R&D costs in a short time. I don't feel giving them $100 more on the top of that is acceptable.

Samsung's new edge to edge screen phone is $840.
The assumption is that in 2017 an iPhone 7S will come out for $650, an iPhone 7S+ will come out for $769, and an edge to edge screen "edition" iPhone will come out for $850.
So, if you feel like the $10 premium above Samsung's phone is too much to bear; you'll have two other BRAND NEW phones to choose from; one w/ a $200 cheaper price tag.
In short: if you don't want to pay more, don't

 

[nfilg]

Will the iPhone 8 256GB Model come with this??

 

[goobot]

Apple knows that they have a a loyal group of consumers who will buy the new iPhone every year, or two, these people are not price sensitive. Increasing the price of the new iPhone pushes up the ASP (average selling price). Apple realises that they can probably make more by increasing ASP than increasing user base.

Yea, this is probably true. Though selling more phones also means potential to sell more services and get more people into the ecosystem to buy other Apple products.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

So basically Samsung forced Apple's hand with regards to pricing, to me that means Apple sees the S8 as a threat and doesn't want to price themselves out of the market.
[doublepost=1491370147][/doublepost]

I would only be buying this as a status symbol, considering my iPhone 6s is working just fine. Is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram going to be any better? I think not.

Good points, but what do you think this iPhone will project about your "status"?

 

[MH01]

I believe analysts make this stuff up.
[doublepost=1491370251][/doublepost]

You mean like mismatched ports, an awkwardly placed fingerprint sensor, insecure login options, bloated operating system and a non-existent ecosystem?

Mismatched ports......owww the irony

 

[Cloudsurfer]

That 7s is looking very attractive at that price though... Imagine what a 7 will cost by then.

 

[BvizioN]

I hope it resembles a Galaxy 8 by bringing back the headphone jack...

Now I care about having headphone jack back on the iPhone just as much I care having steam trains back on rails. It won't be too late before Samsung does it too. Leave the dinosaurs behind and move on.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

Just thinking to myself.....the iPhone 8 will have older generation AMOLED technology with true tone (of course) and every fanboy will praise this through the roof

Is True Tone a technology that can applied to AMOLED? It doesn't currently exist, we've heard no rumors about such a thing and does AMOLED even need it? I think you're combining buzzwords and marketing terms together to make a fantasy fanboy iPhone.

 

[BvizioN]

I understand laptops being expensive. I expect to keep mine for multiple years. But if smartphones are supposed to be upgraded once a year, these prices are too much.

Why would you want to upgrade once a year? I know people who are still using iPhone 5 and quite happy with it. If you want to always have the latest and the greatest, obviously that comes with a price. I think all the people whining about price here will be the first to place the order, no matter what price.

 

[bunnicula]

I've sworn off leasing a phone. I don't lease cars and I don't want to lease a phone. Purchase program? Aka. 0% financing? No thanks, I like my phones unlocked now and I don't want a "phone payment". I choose to just buy outright. The prices are getting to the point where it just doesn't make much sense to stay on the cutting edge and hasn't for while unless you finance/lease.

My wife and I are still on the 6 (32G) and 6plus (64G), skipped the 6s (usually skip a generation) and passed on the 7 as the 6's are still going strong and not as "outdated" as the old 5's where when we moved to the 6's. If I had to replace both phones now with a 7 & 7plus, both 128G, it would be around $1550. Then the service contract which I have a good deal on. So, for the 12 months from purchase, the phone and plan would be a total of $2,510.....for phones.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my iPhones and have been since the first month of the original iPhone back in 2007. I won't go to any other brand. No question.

What's the smart move going forward? 1) Do what most people do and lease / finance (no thanks), 2) bite the bullet and just take it? (maybe), or 3) upgrade to an "older" model when the new one is released.

I get it. The new one will be faster, better screen, probably new authentication technology, maybe augmented reality (maybe), an improved camera, etc. I use the camera, but I have real cameras for photography. The iPhone camera is good for grab shots and it's a handy tool to have with me all the time. But it's not my primary camera like most people these days.

The idea of a $1,000+ iPhone? I just can't see that. I'll gladly pay for (and have) MacBook pros, iPads, iMacs, etc. in the $750 - 2000+ range. But a phone? I look at the device + service as a PACKAGE price over 12 months. At $1000, that's more than a $2000 phone when it's all included (service, tax, etc.).

Choices, choices. $2k MacBook? Okay, that's a work machine that makes me money. iPad Pro? It allows me to be ultra mobile and make money. A $1000 iPhone? Yes, it helps me be mobile and make money, but so can and iPhone SE for $400...just not as nicely and it's probably the least productive device I have. Hmmm.

Sorry for the rant. I get that Apple is a premium product, but when the total cost of a phone is in MacBook Pro and entry level iMac territory, I choke a bit.
[doublepost=1491368943][/doublepost]

Yes, we are still on the 6 / 6 plus.

These phones have always been expensive, though. I paid a chunk for the original... did you?

And we were forced back then to be tied to AT&T. Pro tip, if you're on Verizon, your phone is unlocked anyway.

That said, I pay cash and upgrade yearly. I sell my prior year's model for about half what I paid for it. Sometimes a bit more, depending on how fast I decide to sell. I keep my phones in pretty close to pristine condition and since they are unlocked, I can sell them to anyone.

I don't see it as too much different than when all phones were on plans and subsidized. It SEEMED like a phone cost 200 bucks, but it really cost 3x that amount or more. The wireless provider got that money out of everyone through the phone plan.

*shrug*
[doublepost=1491371775][/doublepost]

Why would you want to upgrade once a year? I know people who are still using iPhone 5 and quite happy with it. If you want to always have the latest and the greatest, obviously that comes with a price. I think all the people whining about price here will be the first to place the order, no matter what price.

I think the traditional upgrade cycle was every other year with all the cellular providers. That said, newer plans sometimes come with a 12-mo option to upgrade. Not seeing why people wouldn't just upgrade if they plan to keep using the same provider and their price plan would stay the same. Know what I mean? If you're doing a payment plan for the hardware (zero interest deal from provider or Apple) and you chose the 12-mo upgrade, you're only going to pay upgrade fees and taxes on a new phone. Same monthly rate for phone payment unless you go with a more expensive model.

I dunno exactly how those work, because I don't go for the payment plans, but that's what I gather from what I've read online.

 

[Ries]

I think I'll let you all beta test the new one and wait for the design and screen to come to next years model.

 

[apolloa]

Yeah right, this is just one persons guess! They even state that, hardly worth taking note off without a dumper truck load of salt imo.

 

[Snake_Oiler]

Dudes whats the big deal here??? It already cost above $1000 in Denmark.
I paid around $1200 for my iPhone 6 128gb.
So why are you all crying about the prices? Man Up. It's only a 1000 bucks at highest in the US.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Microsoft Lumia 640 running Windows 10. $38. $137 with high speed 200GB SD Card (208GB total). $15 a month with Tracfone bring your own phone smart phone plan. 1080p video playback and record with two cameras and 8MP photos, Bluetooth and even a headphone jack (for $38!!!). WTF "needs" a $1000 phone? It's ridiculous. People texting their lives away and running into church buses to read "What's up dude?" text messages.... Unbelievable. Life is cheap, but iPhones are not it seems.

 

[44267547]

I agree $1,000 sounds high.

But could you pay $42 a month of top of the cost of your cell phone plan?

I'm not sure where you're from... but all the US carriers offer payment plans now.

My iPhone 6S Plus had a retail price of $850... but it's only $35 a month with the rest of my monthly bill.

That's much more manageable

I would agree with you. Most don't purchase iPhones out right with the full retail amount. With the way carriers are working now, they want you to finance the phone for "X" amount of years with monthly installed payments. And carriers are now offering incentives where if you make so many payments, you can upgrade early and turn in your previous iPhone.

To me, this is more convenient of doing it like this, where I upgrade annually anyways. Especially with the way iPhones and smart phones in general, are increasing in price with all the newest technology being released.

 

[Winni]

Enjoy touch wiz and bloat ware. And Android OS.

Android is ****ing awesome, especially when you develop software -- it gives you FREEDOM, something iOS users wouldn't know anything about. Yes, that freedom invites certain negative aspects as well, but I rather have those than the constant feeling that my device is owned and strictly controlled by Apple instead of me.

 

[Fried_Gold]

This phone is going to be a total rip off in the UK, I'll probably end up with one at some point though as usual, I am part of the problem.

Enjoy touch wiz and bloat ware. And Android OS.

What year is it? 2012?

 

[purplehaze0]

All the time testing the boundaries of what people will pay. It's a smart strategy really from Apples point of view. There will however be a point where a line is drawn by consumers . They will find that line and price point just at it. There will never be a bargain new iPhone.

 

[thekeyring]

I'm tired of my monthly phone bill being so high, so was planning to go off contract and just buy outright the new iPhone.

Looks like I'll hold onto my iPhone 6S Plus for another year!

 

[recoil80]

Why are you expected to upgrade your phone every year? Because Apple makes new phones every year? Well, they also refresh their laptops and desktops as frequently.

I wish it was true...

 

[eveluvsrainbows]

Microsoft Lumia 640 running Windows 10. $38. $137 with high speed 200GB SD Card (208GB total). $15 a month with Tracfone bring your own phone smart phone plan. 1080p video playback and record with two cameras and 8MP photos, Bluetooth and even a headphone jack (for $38!!!). WTF "needs" a $1000 phone? It's ridiculous. People texting their lives away and running into church buses to read "What's up dude?" text messages.... Unbelievable. Life is cheap, but iPhones are not it seems.

>MS Lumia 640
Uh...what? Dude, almost nobody uses a Windows Phone. You're literally in the minority. So lemme ask you this: Why do you own one? They're ridiculously limited and do almost nothing in terms of apps. I'd rather spend my money on an iPhone or Android device than ever, ever use a Windows Phone. There's more cons than pros as well IMO to owning a Windows Phone. Move away from that Lumia and just switch to a Android device or an iPhone. You'll get more for your money if you do.

 

[cardfan]

I'll probably get a few extra to resell but should be free again like every year along with verizon's subsidy. Apple was already good for me with the airpods though. Those sold great at xmas. My apple acct is at around 6k on the positive side just from upgrading or reselling.

I'm all for Apple increasing the price as much as they can. Keeps the value up.
[doublepost=1491374748][/doublepost]

>MS Lumia 640
Uh...what? Dude, almost nobody uses a Windows Phone. You're literally in the minority. So lemme ask you this: Why the heck do you own one? They're ridiculously limited and do almost nothing in terms of apps. I'd rather spend my money on an iPhone or Android device than ever, ever use a Windows Phone. There's more cons than frickin pros to owning a Windows Phone. Move away from that Lumia and just switch to a Android device or an iPhone. You'll get more for your money if you do.

Depends on how much desktop windows ties into it. But yeah, that lack of apps is a dealbreaker. Would need the full version of windows with edge and all that. I haven't really seen one in a while so can't say much. It really comes down to that UI on windows..I hate it. I don't use metro on the desktop as it is one the gaming PC i have.

It really is a shame MS can't leverage its billion windows users into something better for mobile. That bing garbage has to go though.

 

[BvizioN]

Dudes whats the big deal here??? It already cost above $1000 in Denmark.
I paid around $1200 for my iPhone 6 128gb.
So why are you all crying about the prices? Man Up. It's only a 1000 bucks at highest in the US.

Of course the high price is nothing unusual. Galaxy S8 already is priced to that. But this is MacRumors community. If you have been long enough in this site, you would know that nothing goes without whine and there are some of the most unsatisfied people of the planed right here