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iPhone XS What iPhone line-up do you expect after Tuesday?

Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Original poster
Nov 14, 2011
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Right now the line-up is the

XS starting at $999
XR starting at $749
8 starting at $599
7 starting at $449

My guess is the current XS models will be retired as will the 7. Since they probably can’t price the current XR low enough the 8 sticks around for now. And there would be too much of a price gap between the 8 and XR successor so I suspect the current XR will stick around at a reduced price. I really hope Apple moves away from the XR and XS naming. If the XR model becomes the phone that sticks around in the line-up I can see them using a number for it. But I’m hoping the XS successors are numberless and are just called iPhone Pro or something. I suspect the lineup will be something like this:

iPhone Pro (comes in 2 sizes the iPad Pro of the iPhone line)
iPhone 11 (one size, comes in a range of colors, the MacBook Air of the iPhone line)
iPhone XR (to fill a price point)
iPhone 8 (to fill a price point and keep one model with Touch ID)

I really wish Apple could get to only three models: price conscious model, model for most people, model for those willing to spend more. And just update those models every year, even if in some cases it’s just a spec bump. For a while the iPad line was clean and then Apple mucked it up again bringing back the iPad Air. And it seems it’s all down to trying to fill price points. I think they could do something like this:

Price conscious model starting at $499
Model for most people starting at $749
Pro model starting at $999

That’s a $250 price gap between each model, which is how it currently is between the XR and XS. Think how simple a good > better > best structure from a consumer standpoint would be. And Apple could easily articulate the differences between each model. I just want to see them get away from cluttered product line-ups where products exist just to fill price points/gaps. Keep it simple stupid.
 
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I agree with the scheme, but I think it will be iPhone 11 Pro instead of just "iPhone Pro". The phone market is different than the others, they need to remark wich model it is. And by doing that, the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro will seem to have the same "base", at least more than the XS and XR.
 
I wish they had more choices, not less. Why any armchair marketing manager cares about how many models aplle makes because it might confuse OTHER people is beyond me.
Even an idiot can grasp the concept of higher prices for different models goes hand & hand with better performance/features. How can that possibly be confusing?
The primary reason companies pare down their offerings to only a couple offerings has to do with manufacturing costs and inventory management. Aplle is no longer a company on the verge of bankruptcy. The Four Quadrant product line up Jobs introduced when he returned to an almost bankrupt Aplle was a last ditch effort to pare everything down to the bare essentials. Those days are long gone and they're fully capable now of offering an extensive product line up at different price points.
 
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iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 8

At least until the iPhone 8 upgrade in spring 2020.
 
Will the iPhone 11 screen size be smaller than the iPhone 11 Pro? Where does the XR fit into this? I'm actually not interested in the XR. I'm trying to figure out the screen sizes of each? I'm that consumer who is already confused.
 
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now i see it said:
I wish they had more choices, not less. Why any armchair marketing manager cares about how many models aplle makes because it might confuse OTHER people is beyond me.
Even an idiot can grasp the concept of higher prices for different models goes hand & hand with better performance/features. How can that possibly be confusing?
The primary reason companies pare down their offerings to only a couple offerings has to do with manufacturing costs and inventory management. Aplle is no longer a company on the verge of bankruptcy. The Four Quadrant product line up Jobs introduced when he returned to an almost bankrupt Aplle was a last ditch effort to pare everything down to the bare essentials. Those days are long gone and they're fully capable now of offering an extensive product line up at different price points.
Click to expand...
Have you read The Paradox of Choice? More choice isn’t necessarily a good thing. Too many options just cause anxiety for consumers. In the case of Apple, it isn’t about more choice it’s about price points. And with iPhones they’ve chosen the business model of keeping around older phones to fill lower price points. I’d rather see them have 3 models - good > better > best. And within each they could have a smaller version and a bigger version. And then keep them updated every year. Even if on the low end bigger updates only come every other year and maybe all they do is swap in new colors or something.
[doublepost=1567782527][/doublepost]
pojo1806 said:
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 8

At least until the iPhone 8 upgrade in spring 2020.
Click to expand...
Apple only needs numbers if they’re keeping last years models in the lineup. If the current XS and XS Max stop being produced Apple doesn’t need to name the new ones iPhone 11. This would finally be the time they get off the number train. Even if the XS is still produced for certain markets calling new phones iPhone Pro would eliminate the confusion.

Under your scenario what would be the price gaps between the 8, 11 and 11 Pro?
 
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‘Pro Max’ is kinda showing Apple losing touch with its marketing skills. I mean, I get it, they’re trying to show a differentiation of the newest iPhone having the ‘best’ camera, but the way they’re implementing these new monikers, is absolutely atrocious. They need to keep it simple and refined, and by having Max/Pro is horribly undefined. But then again, they have to somehow move past ‘Max’ to show which iPhone has what hardware/features.
 
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Relentless Power said:
‘Pro Max’ is kinda showing Apple losing touch with its marketing skills. I mean, I get it, they’re trying to show a differentiation of the newest iPhone having the ‘best’ camera, but the way they’re implementing these new monkeys, is absolutely atrocious. They need to keep it simple and refined, and by having Max/Pro is horribly undefined. But then again, they have to somehow move past ‘Max’ to show which iPhone has what hardware/features.
Click to expand...
It makes no sense to do that. I mean they don’t call the 12.9” iPad iPad Pro Max.
 
Rogifan said:
It makes no sense to do that. I mean they don’t call the 12.9” iPad iPad Pro Max.
Click to expand...

It’s terrible marketing. See, the thing is, they shot themselves in the foot when they use the term ‘Max’, so the question is, how do they build off the term Max? They’re not gonna just drop Max after one year, so now they have to add another silly moniker in front of it to differentiate the most expensive iPhone. See what Apple did here? Apples marketing has always generally been very good, very discreet and simplistic, but this is really poor execution on their behalf, I don’t think it’s a good look for Schiller being the VP of marketing.
 
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Rogifan said:
Have you read The Paradox of Choice? More choice isn’t necessarily a good thing. Too many options just cause anxiety for consumers. In the case of Apple, it isn’t about more choice it’s about price points. And with iPhones they’ve chosen the business model of keeping around older phones to fill lower price points. I’d rather see them have 3 models - good > better > best. And within each they could have a smaller version and a bigger version. And then keep them updated every year. Even if on the low end bigger updates only come every other year and maybe all they do is swap in new colors or something.
[doublepost=1567782527][/doublepost]
Apple only needs numbers if they’re keeping last years models in the lineup. If the current XS and XS Max stop being produced Apple doesn’t need to name the new ones iPhone 11. This would finally be the time they get off the number train. Even if the XS is still produced for certain markets calling new phones iPhone Pro would eliminate the confusion.

Under your scenario what would be the price gaps between the 8, 11 and 11 Pro?
Click to expand...

I don't even know what the 8 costs now as I have no interest in it, I fully expect the new models to be the same as current or slightly more expensive, definitely not cheaper.

While the number is getting ridiculous I honestly believe the new phones will be "11".
 
As always, the iPhone generation # will be retained. Even if the official Apple Store stops selling iPhone X and Xs, wireless carriers will continue to sell them for the next 36 months. Without a #, you end up with a marketing disaster in upcoming years.
 
A completely irrelevant one to anyone who owns an X, XS or XR. Spec bumps at best.

I would prefer to see a physically smaller model as the lowest cost option instead of keeping the dated iPhone 7/8 around. I hope that happens next year but I am sure Apple will mess it up somehow to make it unappealing.
 
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A couple of Apple insiders on Twitter are guessing iPhone 11 and simply iPhone 11 Pro (5.8") (6.5") with Apple dropping the Max name after just 1 year. I hope they do. Max was an awful choice last year.
 
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Relentless Power said:
‘Pro Max’ is kinda showing Apple losing touch with its marketing skills. I mean, I get it, they’re trying to show a differentiation of the newest iPhone having the ‘best’ camera, but the way they’re implementing these new monikers, is absolutely atrocious. They need to keep it simple and refined, and by having Max/Pro is horribly undefined. But then again, they have to somehow move past ‘Max’ to show which iPhone has what hardware/features.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. The ridiculous names for the phones is one reason I'm keeping the 8 Plus for a 3rd year.

The wife however just upgraded from her 8 Plus to an XS Max... and the kid got an XR from his 7 Plus.

Happy wife happy life.
 
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I hate Apple’s website now because all the phone prices are listed with trade-in. So you get iPhone 8 as $399* with trade-in. Just tell me the dang price of the phone.
 
Good read and insight!

In the market for an 8 through Xfinity but trying to hold out to see if prices drop. ($250 gift card offer currently with upgrade)
 
Jimmy James said:
I expect lots of complaining on this forum after Tuesday.
Click to expand...

True. It’s usually the same voices every year that we hear about those trying to be vocal about ‘Apple doesn’t know what they’re doing’, ‘Tim Cook needs to go’, ‘the iPhone sales are tanking’, usually things are just aren’t true, just a lot of frivolous noise that never equates to anything.

But....

Some of us have a more optimistic outlook on things, even if the product doesn’t meet our expectations or something that we want at the time, it’s still interesting and fun to see what Apple has to offer, because we all share the same passion for tech, but others like to be more negative, because it somehow makes them feel better.
 
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I sure wish they wouldn’t use the term “Max” anymore. I’d be happier if my phone were the “XS Plus.” Would have made much more sense with her previous naming scheme.
 
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ScreenSavers said:
I sure wish they wouldn’t use the term “Max” anymore. I’d be happier if my phone were the “XS Plus.” Would have made much more sense with her previous naming scheme.
Click to expand...
I think they changed it from Plus to Max because the bigger phone was no longer better. The XS and XS Max are the same other than the XS Max has a bigger battery.
 
Relentless Power said:
‘Pro Max’ is kinda showing Apple losing touch with its marketing skills. I mean, I get it, they’re trying to show a differentiation of the newest iPhone having the ‘best’ camera, but the way they’re implementing these new monikers, is absolutely atrocious. They need to keep it simple and refined, and by having Max/Pro is horribly undefined. But then again, they have to somehow move past ‘Max’ to show which iPhone has what hardware/features.
Click to expand...

Lord Piana...is that you?
 
Mike82 said:
iPhone 8 - 449
iPhone 8 Plus - 569
iPhone XR - 649
iPhone 11 - 749
iPhone 11 Pro - 999
iPhone 11 Pro Max - 1099
Click to expand...
If they do keep the XR on sale, I can imagine it dropping down to just black and white versions. Otherwise, alongside the new 11, there’d be way too many variants to display in stores without it becoming a confusing mess.

But then again, a confusing mess is what the current lineup is and has been for some time.
 
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