Pricing For 2019 iPhone Models Gets Teased As Reports Also Hint At Longer Upgrade Cycles
The past few months have seen numerous reports suggest that Apple’s 2018 iPhones — the XS, XS Max, and XR — have not sold as many units as the tech giant had expected, despite how the numbers appear solid at first glance. As noted by BGR, Apple has been doing what it can to spark interest in its latest iPhones, announcing price cuts for Chinese customers and selling users on the advantages of trading in older models for newer ones. But with the company still enjoying strong profit margins despite the recent swoon, a new report suggests that Apple’s 2019 iPhones will be priced identically to the XS, XS Max, and XR, when they’re announced later this year.
The above rumor was first reported on Friday by Droid Shout, which reported on several expectations for the 2019 iPhones in terms of features, specifications, and color options. The publication also cited an unnamed source that claimed that Apple will not be changing the iPhone’s price this year, leaving everything the same for all three expected models.
“This means the iPhone XR successor might start at $749, while the iPhone 11 could start at $999. The ‘high-end’ iPhone 11 variant, on the other hand, could start at $1,099. However, it is important to note that the new iPhones will not arrive before September, so a lot may change by then.”
Aside from the above disclaimer that the 2019 iPhones might still be priced differently upon their unveiling, BGR cautioned that Droid Shout “doesn’t have much of a track record” as a source of iPhone-related rumors. The publication, however, added that it might be a good idea for Apple to complement its three likely iPhone releases this year with a cheaper alternative, in the form of a “revamped” iPhone SE.
Rumor: Apple will stick with the same prices for its 2019 iPhone lineup https://t.co/I8A6S7OW5X pic.twitter.com/5GgTiYLU8e
— BGR (@BGR) February 8, 2019
While it remains far from certain whether Apple will stick to the same price points for the 2019 iPhones — or try to drive sales by making the devices more affordable — a separate report underscored how rising prices have, in part, contributed to the longer intervals between phone upgrades for most consumers. Citing information from Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, Hot Hardware wrote on Saturday that most iPhone users now upgrade from older to newer devices every four years, an increase over last year’s average of about three years between upgrades.
In addition to the above statistics, Sacconaghi also forecasted that only 16 percent of iPhone owners will upgrade in the current year. The analyst believes that Apple’s steadily increasing retail prices could convince consumers to pass on the 2019 iPhones, though he also noted that the recent decision to slash iPhone prices in China did help improve sales figures in the country.
