Seems like the 8 exists because Apple can’t mass produce the X yet

[Rogifan]

Look at the comparison page on Apple’s website and nearly all the specs for the 8 and the X are the same. Same chip, same wireless charging, same video recording capabilities, true tone, wide color display, nearly the same rear camera. It really seems like the 8 exists solely because Apple couldn’t produce enough OLED screens to meet demand yet they couldn’t go another year without a bezel-less phone. It is confusing though because if X is the future why is the tech in the 8 nearly identical and why is the X only $200 more? The other confusing thing is if Face ID is the future of biometrics why release a brand new phone using Touch ID?

I feel like if Apple had to release two new models then the X should have been a bigger upgrade with bigger differentiation between it and the 8.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/

EDIT: something else confusing....with the X Apple demoed animated emoji and Snapchat AR. Two things that seem like they would be really popular with teenage girls, but how many parents are going to (or can afford to) buy their daughters a $1,000 phone?

 

[JayIsAwesome]

Tbh I kinda wish they would've just killed off the 8 and had the X. Or make the X the 8. Bottom line have two oled phones...a 5.8in and a 6.3in. I kinda see them doing that next year

 

[WilliamG]

No chance. The iPhone 8 is there because they've done most of the work already in the design of the iPhone 6/7 etc. There's no reason NOT to have the 8.

 

[Rogifan]

No chance. The iPhone 8 is there because they've done most of the work already in the design of the iPhone 6/7 etc. There's no reason NOT to have the 8.

I don’t understand what you mean. If Apple could mass produce OLED screens to meet demand what reason would the 8 need to exist.

 

[tobeornottobe]

I don’t understand what you mean. If Apple could mass produce OLED screens to meet demand what reason would the 8 need to exist.
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EDIT: something else confusing....with the X Apple demoed animated emoji and Snapchat AR. Two things that seem like they would be really popular with teenage girls, but how many parents are going to (or can afford to) buy their daughters a $1,000 phone?

The X is just a special edition phone for the 10th anniversary, kind of like a working prototype, and the future direction the company is going to take with their main line of phones.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

No 8 exists because not everyone wants to pay top dollar for an OLED screen but does want the other features.

 

[Rigby]

I think you're exactly right. The 8 exists because Apple isn't yet able to manufacture enough Xs to satisfy the market demand a new iPhone usually generates (the bottleneck likely being the OLED panel). On the other hand, they didn't want to go yet another year without major design innovations, so they released the X as well (at a price high enough to manage demand).

Personally, I prefer the 8 regardless of price simply because I really like Touch ID (which is obviously a feature you use all the time), and I don't particularly care about animated turds.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

The X is just a special edition phone for the 10th anniversary, kind of like a working prototype, and the future direction the company is going to take with their main line of phones.

X is not a "special edition" and Apple in no way stated that, especially only for the 10th anniversary. The X is the future of iPhones and is part of the permanent lineup. In a couple years it will be the only "new" model, unlike now where you have the 8 and X. Possible next year there won't even be an iPhone 9. It will be iPhone SE, 8, X, and X1. In a couple of years the LCD iPhone is done and everything will be an X phone. (Yes, I realize it's "ten" not "ex." So was Mac OS X for how many iterations.)

 

[joeblow7777]

I don’t understand what you mean. If Apple could mass produce OLED screens to meet demand what reason would the 8 need to exist.

Because not everyone can/will pay the price for the X. If Apple only released a $1000 phone this year, they would leave a lot of consumers high and dry. Literally millions of people will buy the 8 and 8 Plus because they can't stomach the price of the X, but they want a new iPhone with updated specs.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I think you're exactly right. The 8 exists because Apple isn't yet able to manufacture enough Xs to satisfy the market demand a new iPhone usually generates (the bottleneck likely being the OLED panel)

If you look at Apple's lineup they are hitting on every single price point from $349 up. If the 8 didn't exist there would be a huge price gap between the 7 and the X. That would represent lost sales for Apple because not everyone wants to pay $1K-1.2K for a phone but also doesn't want last year's phone either.

 

[joeblow7777]

If you look at Apple's lineup they are hitting on every single price point from $349 up. If the 8 didn't exist there would be a huge price gap between the 7 and the X. That would represent lost sales for Apple because not everyone wants to pay $1K-1.2K for a phone but also doesn't want last year's phone either.

Exactly. It fills a rather large niche of people who don't want to spend crazy money but still want a new/current phone.

 

[Rogifan]

No 8 exists because not everyone wants to pay top dollar for an OLED screen but does want the other features.

That’s assuming the X had to be priced at $999.

 

[Rigby]

If you look at Apple's lineup they are hitting on every single price point from $349 up. If the 8 didn't exist there would be a huge price gap between the 7 and the X. That would represent lost sales for Apple because not everyone wants to pay $1K-1.2K for a phone but also doesn't want last year's phone either.

Well, they could have simply left the 7 at the previous price point. But I think their preferred scenario would have been to introduce only the X at a more "normal" price, but they couldn't source the display panel in sufficient quantities for an iPhone (i.e. 10s of millions of units).

 

[Rogifan]

Because not everyone can/will pay the price for the X. If Apple only released a $1000 phone this year, they would leave a lot of consumers high and dry. Literally millions of people will buy the 8 and 8 Plus because they can't stomach the price of the X, but they want a new iPhone with updated specs.

Again that’s assuming Apple had to price an OLED phone at $1000. Who else is doing that?

 

[HallStevenson]

I don’t understand what you mean. If Apple could mass produce OLED screens to meet demand what reason would the 8 need to exist.

Do you know how long it takes to 'design' a new phone model, spec the parts, prototype them, and so on. It can take 1-2 years on the short end. No way Apple designed the "X" model, then well into the process determined they didn't have enough OLED parts and then quickly designed an in-between model ? Nope, not the case at all....

 

[Rogifan]

If you look at Apple's lineup they are hitting on every single price point from $349 up. If the 8 didn't exist there would be a huge price gap between the 7 and the X. That would represent lost sales for Apple because not everyone wants to pay $1K-1.2K for a phone but also doesn't want last year's phone either.

Again this goes back to the assumption the X couldn’t be cheaper than $999. But is that price a function of increased component costs or more so because they don’t have adequate supply so they have to constrain demand via high price.

 

[joeblow7777]

Again that’s assuming Apple had to price an OLED phone at $1000. Who else is doing that?

I'm not saying that they had to, but that's all the more reason for the 8. It helps them get away with pricing something else even higher. Basically it adds up to Apple sells more phones, and at a higher price than ever.

Even releasing the X several weeks later is smart because they know they are some crazy and impatient people who will buy both because of the staggered release!

 

[cnotes2019]

I for one am glad they have the iPhone 8/plus and X. I will be buying all models and handing down my current phones to my family

 

[Rogifan]

Do you know how long it takes to 'design' a new phone model, spec the parts, prototype them, and so on. It can take 1-2 years on the short end. No way Apple designed the "X" model, then well into the process determined they didn't have enough OLED parts and then quickly designed an in-between model ? Nope, not the case at all....

OK then the 8 is even more confusing to me. But I’m not convinced that IF Apple was able to make enough OLED phones to meet demand they would still have to price them at $1000. Galaxy S8 is $750. What makes the X worth $250 more?

 

[eyedoc2020]

I think the 8 is there because they know not everyone wants to pay 1k+ for a cell phone. 1149 for the phone, another 199 for AppleCare, cases and then the wireless charger... that doesn't even include the AirPods.

 

[cardfan]

OK then the 8 is even more confusing to me. But I’m not convinced that IF Apple was able to make enough OLED phones to meet demand they would still have to price them at $1000. Galaxy S8 is $750. What makes the X worth $250 more?

Hate to be the one to break it to you, but iOS isn't free to Apple. That FaceID stuff didn't just happen either. You're not giving Apple credit for software/hardware where as Samsung works a little bit with android, adding their bloat and half baked software to it and boom, you got the latest samsung bloatware special for the unwashed.

 

[Rogifan]

I'm not saying that they had to, but that's all the more reason for the 8. It helps them get away with pricing something else even higher. Basically it adds up to Apple sells more phones, and at a higher price than ever.

Even releasing the X several weeks later is smart because they know they are some crazy and impatient people who will buy both because of the staggered release!

Right so as I said the 8 exists because the X couldn’t be produced in significant quantities or be priced cheaper than $1000. Do you think there’s enough differentiation with the X to warrant it being $200 more expensive? Is the OLED display , Face ID and animated emoji’s worth an extra $200? I guess we’ll find out, though I suspect because the X looks different from the front people will still want it because it looks like they have something new whereas the 8 when in a case will look just like a 7.

 

[Cuesca]

Hearing talks of OLED screen makes me scared after the Samsung retention image fiasco. However from what I understand Apple has implement software alternating pixels which should prevent burn in.

 

[joeblow7777]

Right so as I said the 8 exists because the X couldn’t be produced in significant quantities or be priced cheaper than $1000. Do you think there’s enough differentiation with the X to warrant it being $200 more expensive? Is the OLED display , Face ID and animated emoji’s worth an extra $200? I guess we’ll find out, though I suspect because the X looks different from the front people will still want it because it looks like they have something new whereas the 8 when in a case will look just like a 7.

I don't know if those features are worth the extra cash. That's why I'm still stuck on whether to get an 8 Plus or X!

 

[ForumChick]

That’s assuming the X had to be priced at $999.

It did