Second-Generation iPhone X Estimated to Cost Apple Up to 10% Less to Manufacture

[jadot]

That’s nice man. And really, the quoted text is all you had to write. I don’t know why people ditching iOS always follows some kind of justification. No one cares. If you come back a year later no one cares. If you stay no one cares.

I don't care if you care or not, silly. I've been using Apple stuff for 20 years, and up until recently I have existed in that eco system pretty much exclusively. I'm a pro user, and it turns out that costs matter in business.

At the beginning of the 2000s Apple was really the only game in town for digital creatives, so we stuck with Apple stuff. That's all very well, but slowly Apple have 'ditched' as you put it, various Pro centric software and hardware in favour of consumer devices. An iPad Pro is a fantastic computer, but it's still not going to cut it as a workstation. Cutting off all of the connections on a MacBook pro in favour of a fairly useless Touch Bar and neutering the RAM is kicking pros in the guts. But there never used to be an alternative.

The point is that the alternatives have caught up, and in some cases overtaken Apple. And for less money.
I used to think that iOS was the only OS. It works out that android does a lot of things better, and it turns out that it doesn't matter anyway. Microsoft have a superior cloud platform (over iCloud)and Google are open house when it comes to software and digital assistants have left Siri way behind.

Apple Music is great, but then so is Amazon Music, or Spotify.

So let me help you out. You say you don't know why people ditching iOS have to justify it - well I don't. But the glory of the internetz means I can. I use iOs on my iPad. I use android on my Google Phone. I Use One Drive for my cloud services. I use Amazon for my Music. I use an iMac for my business, and my wife uses a PC for hers.

That wasn't possible 5 years ago, maybe even less.

I thought I'd never be able to not have to only use Apple for services and would have to pay the premium, but now I don't.

You don't have to care about that, but on a forum that's discussing the merits of a phone that is over $1K that even die hard iOS fans don't have to own when the competition is better (for some things), cheaper (in every case), and less restricting, less of a walled garden, then some people might actually find that it's of use to actually (ironically?) "Think Different" for a change.

I don't need you to care and I don't need you to advise me on all I had to write, when in the end I could just throw that one right back atcha, mate.

 

[Firelock]

No, it not. The X is bigger and heavier in any dimension.

On other note - Tnx to all the beta user that paid ridiculous prices.

You are welcome! I love my iPhone X but I actually agree with you that I would prefer it to be the same size/weight as my old iPhone 6. This is a very small complaint given how much I like the phone, but I do agree with your points. I find it much more difficult to use the phone with one hand like I did my 6.

 

[Baymowe335]

The 2017 X would normally see a $100 price drop this year, so I don’t see much reason that a 2018 5.8” OLED can’t price at $899, with little change from this year’s X. Yes, they could maintain a $999 price point but they’ll sell more at $899.

$999 becomes a hard sell against a $749-$799 6.1” LCD that has FaceID, will people really pay an extra $200-$250 to get OLED? Also the 8 Plus will drop to $699. So I don’t think a 5.8” OLED stays at $999.

I think the OLED 6.5” Plus model will be $1,049 max and sell very well (though I’m not sure it will outsell the smaller 5.8” model, simply due to price and the fact that the 5.8” is a pretty great size). This will keep ASP high while allowing Apple to sell 225 million rather than 215 million.

They might price it as $899, but "higher cost" phones are here to say, including more expensive than the current X.

The X is selling very well. Just look at their last Q numbers. Comparing to last year's 14 week, the sold more phones and had MUCH higher iPhone revenue and almost $100 incremental ASP.

Think about this. iPhone X was not released until Nov 4. People not only waited for it (hurting October iPhone 8 sales) but the X was only available 2 months, not 3 as usual. Very different launch from normal.

If they launch 3 phones at the same time this year in September, sales are going to be insane.

 

[Ramchi]

Apple never going to reduce cost! As people upgrade less frequently, Apple has to compensate the margin by selling it at higher prices for their trusted FANS who are expected to shoulder the burden....The more the cost, more people will jumbo out sooner or later when their devices run out of juice. But thinking that Apple going to reduce price is real dream!

 

[sulpfiction]

holy fragmentation. The 5.8 iPhone will have lower end specs than the 6.1? That is strange.

All I know is that I won't be buying another iPhone until they have one available for purchase in the 5.8-6.1 range, with 4GB of memory. I don't care whether it's an OLED or LCD screen. Performance + 5.8-6.1 size range + dual camera are the things that matter to me.

Don’t need more ram. Where are u seeing performance issues in an 8 or x? They are both top of the list in processing power.

 

[curtvaughan]

Too late - Already bought a Pixel 2. I'm selling my iPhone 7 which was probably the peak point for the iPhone (the 8 being almost exactly the same).
There's a limit to what I (and a lot of people, apparently) will justify spending on a phone, no matter how forward thinking it is.
Likewise I haven't installed any internet of things in my 120 year old house, because I can switch the lights on myself. And I can boil the kettle and change the thermostat etc.

The point is - I just don't need all of this technology. Some of it's nice, but at what cost? What's the environmental impact?

Ditto here, except my last was a 6S+ - had pressure screen, decent enough camera with live photos, and <drumroll> bravely retained the 3.5mm jack.

 

[icanhazapple]

Don’t need more ram. Where are u seeing performance issues in an 8 or x? They are both top of the list in processing power.

Look at the performance of a 6S vs. 6 on a processor benchmark table and then compare the 6S to a 7 or 8 and tell me memory doesn't matter in iOS. In real world usage performing normal daily tasks on the iPhone with light weight apps, it's a huge deal.

The bump in processing power does not make up for the doubling in memory.

 

[otternonsense]

Too late - Already bought a Pixel 2. I'm selling my iPhone 7 which was probably the peak point for the iPhone (the 8 being almost exactly the same).
There's a limit to what I (and a lot of people, apparently) will justify spending on a phone, no matter how forward thinking it is.
Likewise I haven't installed any internet of things in my 120 year old house, because I can switch the lights on myself. And I can boil the kettle and change the thermostat etc.

The point is - I just don't need all of this technology. Some of it's nice, but at what cost? What's the environmental impact?
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Isn't that what the iPhone X already is? Are you confusing yourself?

Agree with everything except one small point, IMHO iPhone peaked at 6S.

 

[curtvaughan]

They feel like they are sticking it to Apple somehow. As you said, nobody cares.
[doublepost=1521639755][/doublepost]

I don't think there as many people as you think deciding between iOS and Android. Most people just stick with what they know/like.

If you don't like the direction Apple has taken with its products the last several years - reduced ports, lack of phone jacks, glued-in memory and lack of upgradability in laptops, sneaky upgrades that degrade performance for older models, and pricing defended by people who think $200 is nothing - then you express your dissatisfaction by not buying its products. Over time, and with enough disgruntled (former) customers, it's quite possible that somebody in the company will eventually "care". We see the beginning of this with the announcement here that lower priced iphones are in the works. Do that and bring back the phone jack and I might actually buy one. Your attitude - that nobody cares - typifies why many people are abandoning Apple. At least you apparently "care" enough to express that you don't.

 

[mytdave]

It seems illogical to me to design the new 5.8" iPhone to be cheaper than the rumored 6.1" LCD version. The "X" phones are supposed to be the flagship model(s), which means OLED, and having it in two sizes makes sense. It would also make sense to have the next generation be less expensive than the current "X" (I think Apple discovered the maximum price the market will bear for a smartphone by slightly exceeding that limit).

Why would any company build a LCD model to be more expensive than the flagship OLED models? That just seems really stupid to me. It's not about size (6.1 vs 5.8). It's about all the other aspects of the device.

I suggest that $950 (USD) is the maximum you can charge for a smartphone. The next generation "X" should be around $950 for the 6.5" model, and $850 for the 5.8" model. Logically, that leaves plenty of room for a lower end 6.1" LCD "X" model for around $750. Apple can then fill in the lower price tiers with iPhone 8 at $650, and iPhone 7 at $550, and maybe an updated SE model for $450. Add or subtract $50 here and there depending on storage capacity. What's not to like?

 

[EightyTwenty]

This supposed 6.1” phone makes absolutely no sense to me. Never has. If it’s real, it’s going to confuse the hell out of the market.

A “cheap” 5.8” OLED and a more expensive 6.1 LCD? Wut?

 

[EightyTwenty]

Look at the performance of a 6S vs. 6 on a processor benchmark table and then compare the 6S to a 7 or 8 and tell me memory doesn't matter in iOS. In real world usage performing normal daily tasks on the iPhone with light weight apps, it's a huge deal.

The bump in processing power does not make up for the doubling in memory.

There would be zero difference between 2gb and 4gb of RAM on any current iPhone. Just a total waste of money.

 

[sman789]

There would be zero difference between 2gb and 4gb of RAM on any current iPhone. Just a total waste of money.

Could be a smarter purchase economics-wise (by Apple). Many RAM manufacturers are catering to mobile handset makers, driving up desktop RAM costs, and most handsets now use 4 or 6gb. The price difference for them buying a 2gb chip vs 4gb could be pennies.

 

[SnorkyB]

That’s nice man. And really, the quoted text is all you had to write. I don’t know why people ditching iOS always follows some kind of justification. No one cares. If you come back a year later no one cares. If you stay no one cares.

Why have you posted then?

 

[neutralguy]

They made it a 1000 dollars, for many it’s an unachiavable desire. Now they reduce the price and sell like crazy.

Pricing at $1000 is called "courage". Reducing price? Will the history repeat itself?

 

[PickUrPoison]

Look at the performance of a 6S vs. 6 on a processor benchmark table and then compare the 6S to a 7 or 8 and tell me memory doesn't matter in iOS. In real world usage performing normal daily tasks on the iPhone with light weight apps, it's a huge deal.

The bump in processing power does not make up for the doubling in memory.

There’s a big difference between 1GB and 2GB. There’s a reason Apple put 2GB in the $349 SE and the $329 iPad; they’re well aware of RAM requirements.

But there’s not much difference between 2GB and 3GB, both the iPhone 7 and 8 demonstrate that. The performance difference between 3GB and 4GB would be rather minimal.

I don’t expect 4GB even on the 2018 X Plus model but it’s possible. Probably in 2019 for the X.3 and/or the Plus version.

 

[SnorkyB]

My condolences. I tried my friend's Pickle 2 XL and no thanks. If that's the best Android has to offer, then there are billions of people in this world with standards that are far too low.

All of my IoT devices save me time and money in the form of lower energy bills. So there's your environmental impact.

 

[neutralguy]

A few thousand dollar designer bag has much smaller BOM, comparatively very little technological development or even "craftsmanship", even then people buy them like crazy. apple has delicately placed themselves right behind this group. and seem to be doing pretty well with it...

Those designer bag companies actually don't expect large volume sell to keep the uniqueness of their brand. Apple has no such business model. They want to sell high volume. Imagine LV bags had a 50 million sale per qaurter. The price will go down like crazy!
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For people who are struggling for $200, they probably shouldn't be spending $799 on a phone. If they can't afford it, they don't buy. No big deal.

If that's the truth, then Tim Cook shouldn't have compared it to a cup of coffee per day! The elitist behavior needs to stop.

 

[DNichter]

If you don't like the direction Apple has taken with its products the last several years - reduced ports, lack of phone jacks, glued-in memory and lack of upgradability in laptops, sneaky upgrades that degrade performance for older models, and pricing defended by people who think $200 is nothing - then you express your dissatisfaction by not buying its products. Over time, and with enough disgruntled (former) customers, it's quite possible that somebody in the company will eventually "care". We see the beginning of this with the announcement here that lower priced iphones are in the works. Do that and bring back the phone jack and I might actually buy one. Your attitude - that nobody cares - typifies why many people are abandoning Apple. At least you apparently "care" enough to express that you don't.

It's a business, you either buy the products from Apple or from competition. I look at the platform overall (I am iOS only for my computing needs) and I still feel Apple provide the best platform when it comes to performance, security, privacy, ecosystem, apps, and support. Until competition provides something better in those areas, I will stick with Apple. I don't particularly care for ports (wireless), headphone jacks (bluetooth), glued in memory (no memory issues, stopped doing my own repairs years ago), lack of upgradability (same thing, moved on, more important things to worry about), sneaky updates (they increased the longevity of those phones, but should have been transparent) or pricing (see MacBook Air introduction, same exact thing, Apple has never been cheap). I still see the same value in the Apple platform as I did from the beginning. That's my decision. If you don't like it, apparently there are a ton of good options out there. But yes, no one on here cares if you change platforms or buy a Pixel. Apparently, neither does Apple, they still have a ton of customers that are moving in the direction of using wireless solutions and don't care about manually updating their devices. I guess it's time for you to move on.

 

[thebeans]

Apple has managed to reduce the manufacturing cost of its iPhone X successor to a level much lower than the current flagship model, according to DigiTimes' research analyst Luke Lin.
Apple is rumored to be introducing three iPhones in 2018: The first is said to be a second-generation version of the iPhone X, with the same 5.8-inch OLED display, while the second can be thought of as an "iPhone X Plus" with a larger 6.5-inch OLED display.

Apple is also reportedly planning to introduce a new, more affordable 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD display. However, recent engineering samples from the 5.8-inch device are said to show components with lower-level specifications or lower capacities than those of the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, with LPDDR memory being one of the major differences.

According to Lin, the cost reduction could see Apple position the new 5.8-inch device as the cheapest model of all three next-generation iPhone models. The analyst also believes a project to develop a 5.8-inch LCD iPhone has been suspended since the end of the Lunar New Year holidays in mid-February and may be eventually terminated.

Lin reckons weak demand for iPhone X meant Apple needed a lot less OLED panels from Samsung than it said it would, which gave the Korean firm more bargaining power with regards to panel quotes for the next generation of iPhones. However, Apple has supposedly reached an agreement with Samsung and secured "satisfactory terms" that will prevent display panel cost increases.

DigiTimes' sources often provide reliable information, but the site has a mixed track record when it comes to interpreting that information and accurately deciphering Apple's plans, so it would be wise not to base any future purchasing decisions on today's report.

Article Link: Second-Generation iPhone X Estimated to Cost Apple Up to 10% Less to Manufacture

Awesome! Now if Apple would just drop the price by about 25% it would be a good product.

 

[Falhófnir]

Definitely adds credibility to the standard 'XI' coming down in price to 899 or so.

 

[DNichter]

Those designer bag companies actually don't expect large volume sell to keep the uniqueness of their brand. Apple has no such business model. They want to sell high volume. Imagine LV bags had a 50 million sale per qaurter. The price will go down like crazy!
[doublepost=1521645620][/doublepost]
If that's the truth, then Tim Cook shouldn't have compared it to a cup of coffee per day! The elitist behavior needs to stop.

Not sure what you mean. It's not "elitist", it's the truth. My X cost me $1.20 more per month than my 7 Plus. For people who don't want to spend the money, they don't have to. Not Apple's fault for offering (that's why they still sell cheaper models) or an "elitist" thing for the people who do buy. I am somehow an "elitist" because I have the money and choose to spend it on a product? People need to stop acting like Apple owe's them something. If you can't afford a product or don't want to buy a product, great, grow up and get over it.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

I tried responding to SnorkyB's quote of my post that contained no text, but the forum blanked out his empty post.

 

[kaneda]

i heard this on the news 2 days ago hopefully prices will not be bad.

The price will remain the same.

 

[nt5672]

Probably just reduced the performance with the same form factor. Smaller battery, lower speed processor, etc. It looks the same so the masses will buy it.