Ten years ago Apple Inc. revolutionized the smartphone world with the release of the original iPhone. Today Apple tried to do it again with the release of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
The iPhone 8 is a worthy upgrade to the iPhone 7. Based on previous releases, the iPhone 8 is really the iPhone 7s, but with Samsung releasing the Galaxy S8 and Note 8, Apple does not want customers to feel like they’re a generation behind.
The iPhone X is in some ways revolutionary. Most of the new features like edge to edge glass, wireless charging (also available on the iPhone 8) and facial recognition can be found in products from other companies. Apple, however, has fine tuned these features and put them together in a product that is almost perfect. What’s not perfect? The price!
Once Apple lowered the starting price of the original iPhone a few weeks after its release, the retail price for a base iPhone started at $599 and increased to $649 in 2010. Today, the base iPhone 8 has a retail price of $699. The iPhone X … $999. Unless you enable iCloud Drive and iCloud Photo Library, the base 64GB iPhone X will likely fill up quickly with larger pictures and apps. Most users are better off with a 256GB phone. This phone starts off at $1149. Add $199 for AppleCare+, and the total price is almost $1350. If you live in an area that charges sales tax, you could be paying almost $1,500 for the 256GB iPhone X. By comparison, the 13 inch MacBook Air starts at $999. The iPhone X in not fully capable of controlling a home or car without other accessories. It does not support teleportation. It doesn’t do laundry or pick up the kids. It is not able to prepare cooked meals.
With $1000, would you buy a phone or a laptop? It is possible that Apple will reduce the price next year. The iPhone X is beautiful and exciting but Apple seems to have forgotten that $1,500 for a smartphone probably isn’t practical considering a new device is released every year like clockwork. Remember the $17,000 Gold Apple Watch Edition? It was outdated after a year.
