I7guy
macrumors Westmere
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Leaker: This Is Why Apple Is Delaying the iPhone 18
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zarmanto
macrumors 65816
There's an old business parable, that starts with an outgoing CEO handing the incoming CEO three envelopes...
antonrg
macrumors 6502a
I think it's too early to jump to conclusions about 18 being downgraded to 18e levels or at least somewhere near that. I suspect it's more likely to do with the upcoming EU regulations for longevity of electronics and easily replaceable batteries etc. Apple is perhaps changing things up a little to have easier management of parts and components to be in line with the EU regulations. It's probably to do with that, rather than just a downgrade. They tried screwing around with chips in the past (iPhone 14 using a similar chip to the 13 line) and look how that worked out for them. People are not stupid, albeit not as tech aware as us on this forum.
The way that I am interpreting this news is that Apple currently has their entry-level phone (17e) and their top end phone (17 Pro), with the standard iPhone 17 closer to the 17 Pro vs the 17e. For next year, it seems like the standard iPhone 18 will be closer to the 18e than it would be to the 18 Pro.
Anyone else thinking the logic needs to continue a little bit further down the line, or as they say, “play that tape forward more.” I definitely understand that letting the 17 have a longer presence increases everyone’s ROI but then what? The 18 debuts and to me, the issue isn’t if it is better or worse than the 17 as I see being speculated. The issue is what people are saying in that they will not upgrade to the 18. How is that strategic? I’m sure it is but it isn’t from whatever is being reported on because Apple already is exceeding expectations. Therefore how does a leak that they are going to take in more profits at the expense of the next product make sense for a company having record breaking quarters?
As I put on my tin foil hat, I do have to wonder if a lot of companies know when the money crunch everyone feels is going to be. For example, maybe all of the supply chain constraints also have a hidden variable such as not wanting to release new architectures during the Ai craze because 2nm could likely really show improvements that would outdated the racks of the smaller companies. I just wonder if there is a very measured and effective red herring being put out there from various companies that continue to cite supply restraints because it is very true and because not every company eats at the same dinner table and will not be able to absorb some bigger events that look to be looming?
As I put on my tin foil hat, I do have to wonder if a lot of companies know when the money crunch everyone feels is going to be. For example, maybe all of the supply chain constraints also have a hidden variable such as not wanting to release new architectures during the Ai craze because 2nm could likely really show improvements that would outdated the racks of the smaller companies. I just wonder if there is a very measured and effective red herring being put out there from various companies that continue to cite supply restraints because it is very true and because not every company eats at the same dinner table and will not be able to absorb some bigger events that look to be looming?
dampfnudel
macrumors 603
Unless the 18e will take the place of the 17 at $699 because of increased component costs while the 18 stays at $799. In other words, both the 16 and 17 will be discontinued in this theoretical scenario.
Yes, I’m curious what they mean by “downgrade”. And if the iPhone Air 2 gets the 2 cameras like the base 17 I might actually buy it. But I’d prefer it to be no more than $899. I’m willing to pay a little bit for thinness.
they are, but way less significant when launch is also postponed 6 additional months and the chip it comes with is 18 months old.
BSDnostalgia
macrumors 6502
Every time I glance at this thread, I keep expecting some kind of concrete information regarding what "downgrades" are actually being talked about. But, I never see it. This sounds kind of like the disappointment of some that Lexus cars used the same oil filters as the similarly-sized Toyota vehicles. iPhones have been made since 2007. Do we expect that every component of every new model is going to be revolutionarily different from the previous model? Perhaps only one component will be different for the new and improved model?
East India Company
macrumors 6502
People are quite reckless to so often dilapidate so much money on rapidly depreciating gadgets.
Both my iPhone 15 Pro and MacBook Air M1 will be used for 10 years.
Both my iPhone 15 Pro and MacBook Air M1 will be used for 10 years.
MikeyCopeland
macrumors newbie
I think I see what Apple are planning here. Its clear that they want 4 tiers of phone, and I think the 18 series will be as follows:
Iphone NEO (replacing the 17e)
Iphone (a downgraded 17)
Iphone Pro / Pro Max 2027 (will basically be the current iPhone 17 as there was little difference in the 17 and 17 pro)
Iphone Ultra (The foldable iPhone)
4 clear tiers with a significant step up to the next model, and not the blurred line between the 17 and 17 pro lineup
Iphone NEO (replacing the 17e)
Iphone (a downgraded 17)
Iphone Pro / Pro Max 2027 (will basically be the current iPhone 17 as there was little difference in the 17 and 17 pro)
Iphone Ultra (The foldable iPhone)
4 clear tiers with a significant step up to the next model, and not the blurred line between the 17 and 17 pro lineup
klky
macrumors 6502a
Your four-tier speculation is plausible to me only because Apple introduced the iPhone Air as a fourth option. That broke the good/better/best tiering of the iPhone. Air was positioned between the base model (better) and the Pro (best), with good-level battery life and camera, best-level screen size and chip, and thinness as a new best-level feature. By failing to integrate thinness coherently into the purchase decision process, it made the iPhone Air look like a step up in price with a step down in function. The result was confusion and poor adoption.
Someone was too enamored of thinness and the Air moniker used for MacBooks and iPads. They were looking for reuse of the name as a simplistic branding idea instead of thinking about the logic of the product line. Apple should have anticipated bad sales. Marketing completely dropped the ball by failing to fully analyze the behavioral-marketing consequences.
Apple should restore the good/better/best product ladder. Figure out what to do with Air. Jettison the product or figure out how to place the feature as either part of the better or best tier. It should not further confuse things by introducing a fifth product (the foldable) above the best tier at twice the price.
A foldable phone sits between a phone and a tablet. It invites the consumer to ask a different question. Instead of "what phone do I want?" the consumer has to also consider "do I want or need a portable computing device?". If the answer to the last question is yes, then they have to ask "do I need a tablet or a laptop?" That question is stimulated not only by the overlap in function, but also by price. For less than the rumored base price of a foldable, I can buy an iPhone Pro and an iPad, or an iPhone Pro and a MacBook Neo, or an iPhone and a MacBook Air.
Apple shouldn't position a foldable phone as an iPhone Ultra. It should do what it has done well in the past. Create a new category that directly invites the question: "Why should I buy a separate laptop, tablet, and smartphone when I can get the function of all three for less money and have it fit in my pocket?" Apple should make sure the device has enough memory to support an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It should be able to run the Apple Creative Studio apps to give it full workflow parity with existing iPads and Macs. Basically, Apple has to do an Apple-class job on the device and not half-ass it because it thinks of the product as a higher-end iPhone. That would justify positioning as a low-end enterprise-class mobile computing device, not merely an ultra-premium iPhone.
Of course, it would require Apple to market it differently with a new name: Apple Momentum. Drop the "i". Drop the connection with only one function of the device. You get true momentum by having the center of your communication, social media, video conferencing, camera, navigation, and enterprise-class mobile computing in your pocket at all times.
