KGI Analyst Claims Apple iPhone X Will Be Discontinued Rather Than Discounted This Fall
Apple is all about the profit margin when it comes to its devices, and the iPhone X is no exception. The high-end smartphone hasn't sold as strongly as Apple wanted according to some reports, with some citing the high cost of entry. Shipment estimates for Q1 2018 were allegedly slashed in late December as demand during the crucial holiday shopping season for the iPhone X was soft. A new report is making the rounds concerning the iPhone X from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who just so happens to be one of the most accurate analysts out there with regards to all things Apple.
According to Kuo, Apple will discontinue the first-gen iPhone X when the second-generation version of the device launches later this year. This discontinuation will come rather than pushing the current iPhone X down the line and reducing its price as Apple often does when new devices launch. Kuo says that if Apple kept the iPhone X in its line and reduced the price to something like $899, which is about a $100 discount, the iPhone X would then cannibalize sales of the rumored 6.1-inch iPhone with Face ID and LCD that is expected to launch in the second half of 2018. Kuo expects that this 6.1-inch iPhone will sell in the $650 to $750 range in the U.S.
Assuming Kuo is correct in his prediction, the 2018 iPhone line later this year will have a second gen iPhone X 5.8-inch device in the high-end slot expected to continue selling at the $999 price. A larger 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus is expected at an even higher price along with the mid-range 6.1-inch iPhone with the iPhone 8, iPhone 7, and iPhone SE sitting beneath.
Kuo expects pricing to start at $349 for the iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus at $449 and $569, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus at $549 and $669, a new 6.1-inch iPhone with Face ID at somewhere in the $649 and $749 range, 5.8-inch second-gen iPhone X at $999 and the 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus at $1,099.
