iPhone 8 Price Rumors: Apple Could Set iPhone 8 Price to $1,000
The next-generation iPhone may be Apple's most expensive smartphone to date.
According to reports, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the upcoming iPhone 8 could be priced at $1,000 because of its high-end features.
Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski also agrees with Kuo's claims. In an interview with Business Insider, Jankowski states, "We expect the iPhone 8 to have 128 GB and 256 GB models priced at $999 and $1,099, respectively."
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The high price tag of the iPhone 8 is reportedly caused by the expensive rate for 3D Touch display that will be included in the device's upcoming features.
Based on a report that cited a translated statement from Chinese-language publication Economic Daily News, the touch panel manufacturer TPK Holdings quoted as much as $18 to $22 for the 3D Touch solution that will be fitted into the device's OLED panel. This is reportedly 50 percent more expensive compared to the LCD display.
Goldman also lists down the other rumored features of the iPhone 8 and their corresponding costs, which include 5.8-inch OLED screen with no bezel and no home button that adds $35, 3D sensing that can cost as much as $20, a faster and improved NAND/DRAM memory that could cost as much as $16–$29, a storage capacity that may start at 128 GB, the in-house A11 processor, and the rumored Biometric authentication.
The price range of the new device would be several hundred higher compared to the current iPhone lineup, since the iPhone 7 price starts at $649 and above, while its bigger cousin, the iPhone 7 Plus, is priced at $769 and up.
While the Cupertino-based tech giant remains mum about its plans for the release of iPhone 8 this year, Jankowski still believes the device will be released sometime in 2017. "Apple usually explores multiple designs in parallel. However, with only four months left until launch, we believe Apple has now locked down the design," the analyst states.
