iPhone X Is the Thousand dollar price of X justified based on new Tech?

[Raist3001]

I own an iPhone 8+, but the iPhone X is an impressive piece of tech.

The iPhone 8+ has a great Retina LCD Display, Dual Camera, Wireless charging, glass back, TouchID, 3D Touch, A11 Chip, larger battery, fast charging, 4K recording 60 FPS

The iPhone X has a fantastic OLED display, True Depth Camera, Dual Camera with dual OIS, Wireless charging, glass back, FaceID, 3D Touch, A11 Chip, smaller battery, fast charging, 4K recording 60 FPS

I didn't name all the differences obviously. So the new features and hardware on the X has driven the price to 1000 dollars. Why is the time right now to introduce a 1000 phone? Why hasn't previous iPhone releases with all the new hardware and tech driven the costs to 1000 dollars?

 

[DNichter]

See, that's an assumption.

There are things that come every year called tax refunds. Once the bills and necessary things are paid off you can use that for other things. Carriers will place you on leasing for phones and devices as well, so the remainder of your refund can be used for the down required to lease a phone.

People who do this, such as my wife and I, upgrade every 2 to 3.5 years. Right now I am still using a 6s+ and my wife has a 6s.

So, don't just assume because the ramen-eating poor people have an iPhone that it was a bad financial decision on their part. It very well could have been. But you'd be wrong if you were apply that to my wife and I.

I love me some ramen.
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This kind of goes without saying. I was going by with what we can quantify easily based on public info, which is materials cost.

Yes, but that's only a small part of it. Ultimately, there is really no way we an assume to know the true cost it takes to develop, manufacture, and sell an iPhone.
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The iPhone 8+ has a great Retina LCD Display, Dual Camera, Wireless charging, glass back, TouchID, 3D Touch, A11 Chip, larger battery, fast charging, 4K recording 60 FPS

The iPhone X has a fantastic OLED display, True Depth Camera, Dual Camera with dual OIS, Wireless charging, glass back, FaceID, 3D Touch, A11 Chip, smaller battery, fast charging, 4K recording 60 FPS

I didn't name all the differences obviously. So the new features and hardware on the X has driven the price to 1000 dollars. Why is the time right now to introduce a 1000 phone? Why hasn't previous iPhone releases with all the new hardware and tech driven the costs to 1000 dollars?

I'd imagine the advances in the X cost more to develop, manufacture, and sell.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am not looking to debate the justification of a purchase. That is not the point of my thread. I am speaking solely weather the tech justifies the price.

That is a subjective question which brings forth debate.

 

[Raist3001]

That is a subjective question which brings forth debate.

I don't think its such a subjective question, but more on the lines of a specific question. That's just my opinion. But debate is what I am looking for

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't think its such a subjective question, but more on the lines of a specific question. That's just my opinion. But debate is what I am looking for

The question asked can only be answered by someone based on his or her wants and desires, which is based on subjective reasoning.

For me, the purchase was worth the cost.

 

[Raist3001]

The question asked can only be answered by someone based on his or her wants and desires, which is based on subjective reasoning.

I agree if the question was why did you buy the X. I was hoping to only explore the reasoning in regards to the new hardware and tech included in the X. Are these u'upgrades' alone driving the cost of the X?

 

[russelljg]

Based on the estimated cost of the different tech and Apple's constant calculated mark-up of 37% then yes the new tech justifies the difference.

Do i think it's worth it for this 'iteration' of new tech, no, hence I have an 8.

 

[44267547]

I think if you take the average consumer and ask them how they justify the price point increase for the iPhone X and what intrigues then most about the new tech, I think The majority don’t follow all the technical specifications like gesture controls, Face ID and you have those who will spend the extra $200 on the iPhone X just because it’s the latest device and that’s what they want without even knowing much about it.

On a tech site, the majority of us know more about iPhones then the average consumer ever will. I think the average iPhone consumer doesn’t care about the latest tech, but more tech oriented enthusiast can break down specifically what features attracts them and justifies the $200 price point.

 

[DNichter]

The answer is yes (or pretty close) based on your component costs. The X costs $357.50 in component costs. The 8 Plus costs $288.08 in component costs. The X's component cost is a 24.10% increase. An 8 Plus costs $799 and an X costs $999. The X is a 25.03% increase in cost from the 8 Plus. So due to the 24.10% increase in component costs, there is a 25.03% increase in overall cost of the device. Pretty close.

 

[Raist3001]

I think if you take the average consumer and ask them how they justify the price point increase for the iPhone X and what intrigues then most about the new tech, I think The majority don’t follow all the technical specifications like gesture controls, Face ID and you have those who will spend the extra $200 on the iPhone X just because it’s the latest device and that’s what they want without even knowing much about it.

My thoughts as well. There is a group of people that just need the latest and greatest. And that's fine. New features, and hardware won't matter. Just as long as its the newest release.

On a tech site, the majority of us know more about iPhones then the average consumer ever will. I think the average iPhone consumer doesn’t care about the latest tech, but more tech oriented enthusiast can break down specifically what features attracts them and justifies the $200 price point.

Thank you. You put it more eloquently than I did. I was hoping to discus with folks which feature or features they felt justified the higher price point. Maybe none of them did, maybe one did, maybe all of them did. Considering past releases of iPhone's, each new release saw new tech, yet not the 1000 price tag. I love my X and have never regretted my purchase.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

For me the difference between the iPhone X and iPhone 8 was too minimal to justify £300 more. In my eyes it could and should have been cheaper. They would have sold a lot more too and it wouldn’t be so illusive in public.

The tech bump is minimal for me, sorry.

 

[Raist3001]

For me the difference between the iPhone X and iPhone 8 was too minimal to justify £300 more. In my eyes it could and should have been cheaper. They would have sold a lot more too and it wouldn’t be so illusive in public.

The tech bump is minimal for me, sorry.

Don't be sorry. I totally understand your reasoning. I also believe the tech bump was minimal. It has been minimal for years now, yet no 1000 price point until now.

 

[DNichter]

There ya go, you have your support. Some people don't think it's worth the value.

 

[1rottenapple]

I am not looking to debate the justification of a purchase. That is not the point of my thread. I am speaking solely weather the tech justifies the price.

For Apple share holders, yes. J/k

The material cost was like $216? R&D, I don’t know much that is but maybe
$500 (someone chime in). And Apple margins another approx 300? So who knows unless Tim cooks breaks it down but he won’t. It’s Apple. They can charge a lot because it’s Apple. God forbid Motorola comes out with a $1000 phone. I high highly doubt they can charge that much for a phone with “cutting edge technology”. I suppose Apple could wait in 2018 to release the Face ID X and cut it down to $850 but maybe the pressure of releasing a product on the iPhones anniversary took presidence.

Like let’s say Motorola came out with Face ID, top shelf materials, screens, etc... they won’t be able to sell it in the dozens of millions Apple can.

Hopefully this makes sense and I understand the question. Still groggy from a flu lol

 

[NT1440]

My friend just spent $900 and change on a Samsung Note today. Can we stop pretending like the flagship phones don’t cost nearly $1000 these days? As if Apple is somehow alone in this trend?

 

[SnyG]

$200 is not much to me so it is entirely worth it. Someone eating Ramen and living check to check may see differently but they probably shouldn't be owning an iPhone at all.

Get over yourself, mate.

 

[sean000]

We all know what the X costs. Many folks do not see the price tag worthy of the X. I don't wish to debate why one feels its not worth the price tag. I am looking to discuss the new tech released and weather or not this was worth the price increase over previous phones.

With the X we got an OLED display, FaceID, True depth camera, Wireless charging.

Do you feel this new tech is worth the price increase. Considering what apple has released in the past...Better LCD screens, higher resolutions, TouchID, 3D touch, better camera......none of which drove the price to a thousand dollars. Is it the OLED display that is the main culprit? The true depth camera?

EDIT:
I am not looking to debate the justification of a purchase. That is not the point of this thread.

You get some of the features you mentioned with the iPhone 8 as well, so I'd say the extra $200 for the X gets you the following:

• OLED "Super Retina" HDR display
• More display area in a smaller than Plus-sized package
• Dual camera in a smaller than Plus-sized package
• Optical Image stabilization for the telephoto (the 8 Plus has OIS only on the wide angle)
• Telephoto is half a stop brighter than iPhone 8 Plus telephoto
• True depth camera for selfie camera
• FaceID
• Home buttonless interface

I'm an iPhone X owner and I really like it. For me the dual camera in a smaller than iPhone 8 Plus size is worth the extra $200 by itself. The OLED display is dazzling, but the LCD displays in the other models are also excellent, so I'm kind of meh on that one. I really like FaceID and the interface without a home button. This new interface has been an added value for me that I didn't expect.

If you are a photography nut like me, the better camera specs and the more pocketable size (compared to a Plus) justify the extra price. Whether this justifies Apple's asking price compared to their development and manufacturing cost is up for debate. They charged what their research told them the market would bear.

 

[Breezygirl]

Hardware, yes. Software, no. Imo.

 

[newellj]

I had an X for five weeks and returned it, so I think my point of view may surprise you and I think it may also be a little more credible than some other folks' views (because I don't have any confirmation bias or similar issues to complicate my opinion). My answer to your question is yes, the hardware is absolutely brilliant and worth $1K. It's not perfect, and I don't think it represents some permanent high water mark for iPhones, but it is amazing and amazingly well developed.

I have seen countless posts disparaging the X as an immature, undeveloped beta product. I don't recall anyone who posted that having actually owned one, although a couple of them must have. By and large, people with that opinion simply don't know what they're talking about. I do agree with the post immediately above, but that wasn't your question.

 

[44267547]

My friend just spent $900 and change on a Samsung Note today. Can we stop pretending like the flagship phones don’t cost nearly $1000 these days? As if Apple is somehow alone in this trend?

Aside from the price of a smart phone increasingly close to $1000, then factor in accessories like a case, AppleCare, screen protectors, and they can Easily supersede over $1000 including those costs as well.

 

[Raist3001]

It’s Apple. They can charge a lot because it’s Apple. God forbid Motorola comes out with a $1000 phone.......Hopefully this makes sense and I understand the question. Still groggy from a flu lol

You did, and thank you. You have also expressed some of my beliefs in that apple charges what they will and we will pay it because its apple. However, it does not necessarily mean the minimal upgrade will always be worth the price hike
Sending you some good vibes for a speedy recovery from the flu

My answer to your question is yes, the hardware is absolutely brilliant and worth $1K. It's not perfect, and I don't think it represents some permanent high water mark for iPhones, but it is amazing and amazingly well developed.

Do you believe the hardware is a jump in technology. More so than any other iPhone release that didn't push the 1000 dollar price point?

 

[newellj]

You did, and thank you. You have also expressed some of my beliefs in that apple charges what they will and we will pay it because its apple. However, it does not necessarily mean the minimal upgrade will always be worth the price hike
Sending you some good vibes for a speedy recovery from the flu


Do you believe the hardware is a jump in technology. More so than any other iPhone release that didn't push the 1000 dollar price point?

You know, the complicated thing about that is that there's pure tech hardware, and then there's useful tech.

Yes, I think the X is a significant jump in technology, equal at least to the 4 or the 5S. I'm going to duck the dollar question because more tech can cost more, although we've gotten used to getting more year over year at roughly the same price point and the X certainly broke that pattern.

Let me try it this way. The X was roughly $300 more than I expected to pay for a phone that worked the way I want it to - in my words, worked for me rather than making me work for it. Lots of elements of the X hardware - the display (although the PWM flicker was a problem), FaceID in a vacuum (vs. FaceID in real world use), dual batteries, other features - were each a big jump and collectively a really big jump. So, without trying to get to precisely quantitative, yeah, I paid more but I got more so in the end I felt OK about spending $1K on that hardware.

Where it feel down for me was the user experience. Apple has not yet arranged the user interface in ways that make my life easier and make the phone less of a speed bump. At first I thought it was just "different" and I'd get used to it. But it turned out that, for me, it wasn't "different," it was "harder" and that was worse (than the TouchID phones), which is why I gave it back to Apple. It wasn't a price problem...

 

[noobinator]

Get over yourself, mate.

Sorry if what I said offends you. I just think it's a bad idea to spend $700+ on a cell phone if you are barely able to pay the bills to survive.

 

[NT1440]

Aside from the price of a smart phone increasingly close to $1000, then factor in accessories like a case, AppleCare, screen protectors, and they can Easily supersede over $1000 including those costs as well.

He bought a warranty and case, what’s you’re point? The Samsung costs as much as the X, this isn’t news.

 

[Raist3001]

You know, the complicated thing about that is that there's pure tech hardware, and then there's useful tech.

If you have listened to Chris Pirillo on Youtube, he pretty much feels the same way. Tech that makes life easier

Yes, I think the X is a significant jump in technology, equal at least to the 4 or the 5S.

Good point. In my opinion though, I don't see the jump in technology compared to the 7+, or the 8+. If I were comparing the 5s to the X, my answer would be yes.

Where it feel down for me was the user experience. Apple has not yet arranged the user interface in ways that make my life easier and make the phone less of a speed bump. At first I thought it was just "different" and I'd get used to it. But it turned out that, for me, it wasn't "different," it was "harder" and that was worse (than the TouchID phones), which is why I gave it back to Apple. It wasn't a price problem...

I never had a price problem with the X either. As a matter of fact, I expect to pay more in 2018 for the X+ model. The user experience in my opinion on the X is what sold me. The gestures are so fluid, and so natural, this alone to me was worth the price increase.