Apple's premium 'iPhone X' could cost more than a grand

[Shawn Knight]

Apple later this year will celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the iPhone. Love it or hate it, Apple’s iconic smartphone single-handedly changed the course of modern computing and catapulted Apple into the stratosphere.

It’s no surprise, then, that the company is reportedly preparing to go all-out with its next release.

Sources tell Fast Company that Apple’s premium 10^th anniversary handset, commonly referred to as the iPhone 8 (or perhaps even the iPhone X), will carry a price tag of more than a grand. The additional cost will be necessitated by an all-new 5.8-inch OLED display and upgrades in the memory department, one source claims.

Most anticipate the high-end offering will also ditch the traditional Home “button” by integrating the Touch ID fingerprint reader into the display’s glass covering. Even the phone’s physical side buttons could be going away, replaced by touch-sensitive variants, sources say.

Speaking of, will we finally see the long-rumored sapphire crystal screen cover or has Apple given up on that idea?

Only this larger iPhone is expected to have the OLED display – it is rumored that the smaller 4.7-inch variant and 5.5-incher will use LCD panels. Even still, Apple is reportedly tying up a large portion of the OLED supply chain as it must expect heavy demand. This, Fast Company says, comes at the expense of smaller phone makers.

Something else new to expect is forged stainless steel on the sides of the iPhone 8 versus the aluminum currently in use by Apple and others. That’s a cheaper metal and seems like a step back but I digress.

Look for Apple to unveil the new iPhone 8 and possible iPhone X this fall.

All concepts via ConceptsiPhone

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https://www.techspot.com/news/68107-apple-premium-iphone-x-could-cost-more-than.html

 

[p51d007]

I don't care who makes it...NO WAY I'd pay THAT for "a phone" even if it does have an apple logo
on the back. Can't believe, that there are people willing to pony up 700,800, or more for A PHONE.
Guess that is why a lot of people are broke these days.
Free country...if that's what you want to spend your money on, feel free...I just don't get it.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I get spending big bucks on an iphone, since it's guaranteed 5 years of updates and better app support then android devices, and you can get them serviced in apple stores as opposed to mailing them to korea.

But at that price, the only way this thing would be worth it would be if the battery was removable, it came with 256GB of storage, and absolutely demolished every other flagship in existence in terms of performance and quality. Even then it would be too expensive.

 

[MalcolmX]

Wow no way Jose !

 

[Evernessince]

I get spending big bucks on an iphone, since it's guaranteed 5 years of updates and better app support then android devices, and you can get them serviced in apple stores as opposed to mailing them to korea.

But at that price, the only way this thing would be worth it would be if the battery was removable, it came with 256GB of storage, and absolutely demolished every other flagship in existence in terms of performance and quality. Even then it would be too expensive.

Um, most android manufacturers have RMA centers in the US. The vast majority. Also app support? WTF is that? devs update apps on the iphone just as android. If you are referring to needing help with an app, that's not something Apple provides. FYI certain android device makers have a better warranty then Apple.

I don't care who makes it...NO WAY I'd pay THAT for "a phone" even if it does have an apple logo
on the back. Can't believe, that there are people willing to pony up 700,800, or more for A PHONE.
Guess that is why a lot of people are broke these days.
Free country...if that's what you want to spend your money on, feel free...I just don't get it.

I think very few people will be paying upfront for this phone. Like those before it they will hide the cost in your monthly bill.

 

[davislane1]

I don't care who makes it...NO WAY I'd pay THAT for "a phone" even if it does have an apple logo
on the back. Can't believe, that there are people willing to pony up 700,800, or more for A PHONE.
Guess that is why a lot of people are broke these days.
Free country...if that's what you want to spend your money on, feel free...I just don't get it.

This is a money burn purchase. If you're pulling 10,000 net each month (that's 10K after bills and expenses), it's no big deal. You've got money to burn.

If you aren't a hotshot executive or business owner, and you're standing in line for one of these things, you need to get in touch with a neurologist immediately.

 

[hahahanoobs]

I don't care who makes it...NO WAY I'd pay THAT for "a phone" even if it does have an apple logo
on the back. Can't believe, that there are people willing to pony up 700,800, or more for A PHONE.

Just a phone? That's like saying a GPU is just for games.

 

[Ean Mogg]

Most Apple owners I know niece included haven't a clue what their buying as long as its Apple so I think there will be plenty of takers for this Fashion Accessory and text machine ..lol

 

[Steed]

I actually tend to like the idea of Stainless steel. It may be cheaper than Aluminium, but its also a lot tougher. Far less likely to scratch, buckle or warp. The only concern is that depending on where it is used on the phone body could affect the signal strength and or Antennae characteristics, as Stainless Steel has a much greater magnetic permeability than Aluminium.

 

[KernTUG]

The iPhone 7+ 128 GB is 1121,59$ here in Denmark. One can only imagine what 1000 dollars equals to in DKK for the iPhone 8/X

 

[captaincranky]

I actually tend to like the idea of Stainless steel. It may be cheaper than Aluminium, but its also a lot tougher. Far less likely to scratch, buckle or warp. The only concern is that depending on where it is used on the phone body could affect the signal strength and or Antennae characteristics, as Stainless Steel has a much greater magnetic permeability than Aluminium.

There's no way any material in the case could affect the signal, or the phone's performance. Any trouble you might encounter would obviously be the fault of you, "holding it wrong".

 

[GreenNova343]

I actually tend to like the idea of Stainless steel. It may be cheaper than Aluminium, but its also a lot tougher. Far less likely to scratch, buckle or warp. The only concern is that depending on where it is used on the phone body could affect the signal strength and or Antennae characteristics, as Stainless Steel has a much greater magnetic permeability than Aluminium.

"Far less likely to scratch"... you mean like stainless steel appliances? Yeah, that's not going to prevent scratching. And since the first thing any person with half a brain does is put a protective (or at least decorative) case on it, you'll a) have more protection from scratching than the stainless steel will provide, & b) even if you do end up getting scratches, you won't even notice them.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Yawn. I'll leave the iSheep to salivate over these things. They'll be nothing more than overpriced gadgets and most of the suckers who do buy them will spend the better part of two years, if not more, trying to pay them off, they're just throwing good money after bad. Thankfully that's their problem.

 

[mbrowne5061]

I actually tend to like the idea of Stainless steel. It may be cheaper than Aluminium, but its also a lot tougher. Far less likely to scratch, buckle or warp. The only concern is that depending on where it is used on the phone body could affect the signal strength and or Antennae characteristics, as Stainless Steel has a much greater magnetic permeability than Aluminium.

"Far less likely to scratch"... you mean like stainless steel appliances? Yeah, that's not going to prevent scratching. And since the first thing any person with half a brain does is put a protective (or at least decorative) case on it, you'll a) have more protection from scratching than the stainless steel will provide, & b) even if you do end up getting scratches, you won't even notice them.

The likelihood of something being scratched is described by the Mohs Hardness scale. The lower the rating, the easier it is to scratch, and materials can only be scratched by things with a higher Mohs hardness. Stainless Steel has a Mohs hardness of 4-4.5, Aluminum has a hardness of 2.5-3. For reference, diamond has a mohs hardness of 10.

Steed is correct, switching to Stainless Steel will improve the overall durability of the phone, both in terms of scratch-resistance, and in terms of 'flex' and general strength of the phone body. He is also correct that it may also affect the electromagnetics of the phone as well if Apple is not careful: there is a reason every has been using aluminum, and its not just because it gives a nice brushed finish.

 

[p51d007]

This is a money burn purchase. If you're pulling 10,000 net each month (that's 10K after bills and expenses), it's no big deal. You've got money to burn.

If you aren't a hotshot executive or business owner, and you're standing in line for one of these things, you need to get in touch with a neurologist immediately.

You'd think if you "have money to burn", you'd save it...but, look at all of the HollyWEIRD/sports types that have uber money, and file for bankruptcy 3-4 years down the road.
I guess I was raised differently. No bills, no credit card debt, 800+ credit score and I'm considered middle class, making just under 50K per year, but I got a lot of money in the bank, precious metals etc so I shouldn't have to worry..."down the road".

 

[davislane1]

You'd think if you "have money to burn", you'd save it...but, look at all of the HollyWEIRD/sports types that have uber money, and file for bankruptcy 3-4 years down the road.
I guess I was raised differently. No bills, no credit card debt, 800+ credit score and I'm considered middle class, making just under 50K per year, but I got a lot of money in the bank, precious metals etc so I shouldn't have to worry..."down the road".

Most of those people don't have any personal finance skills. If you're banking millions of dollars a year, go buy a Ferrari and have some fun. Don't by 5 of them, two estates, and a boat...unless you're banking 25 million a year. Most celebs/athletes have mastered living paycheck to paycheck in a higher income bracket. Nobody taught them about spending as a % of income. Sad.

 

[Greg S]

The iPhone 7+ 128 GB is 1121,59$ here in Denmark. One can only imagine what 1000 dollars equals to in DKK for the iPhone 8/X

That's not too bad of a price at all actually. The Danish Krone is ~1/7th the value of the dollar currently, so $1000 USD = 7005.52 DKK. I doubt it's actually that highly priced for you.

 

[GreenNova343]

The likelihood of something being scratched is described by the Mohs Hardness scale. The lower the rating, the easier it is to scratch, and materials can only be scratched by things with a higher Mohs hardness. Stainless Steel has a Mohs hardness of 4-4.5, Aluminum has a hardness of 2.5-3. For reference, diamond has a mohs hardness of 10.

Steed is correct, switching to Stainless Steel will improve the overall durability of the phone, both in terms of scratch-resistance, and in terms of 'flex' and general strength of the phone body. He is also correct that it may also affect the electromagnetics of the phone as well if Apple is not careful: there is a reason every has been using aluminum, and its not just because it gives a nice brushed finish.

Which means that glass (Mohs hardness of 5.5) will still scratch the stainless steel. Or worse yet, children attempting to teethe on it will scratch it (tooth enamal Mohs hardness of 5). And let's not forget taking it to the beach & exposing it to sand (generally comprised of silica, aka quartz; Mohs hardness of 7).

Yeah, I can really see how the stainless steel is going to help protect against those everyday objects (/sarcasm)...

 

[mbrowne5061]

Which means that glass (Mohs hardness of 5.5) will still scratch the stainless steel. Or worse yet, children attempting to teethe on it will scratch it (tooth enamal Mohs hardness of 5). And let's not forget taking it to the beach & exposing it to sand (generally comprised of silica, aka quartz; Mohs hardness of 7).

Yeah, I can really see how the stainless steel is going to help protect against those everyday objects (/sarcasm)...

And so those same items will have an even easier time scratching aluminum.

 

[GreenNova343]

There's no way any material in the case could affect the signal, or the phone's performance. Any trouble you might encounter would obviously be the fault of you, "holding it wrong".

It's possible there might be some slight interference, but only because I hate using the word "impossible". Some stainless steel alloys can be magnetic, but they usually are of the "ferritic" or "martensitic" type, & the latter is primarily used for medical instruments. However, "austenitic" types are usually not magnetic. Since magnets generally don't stick to stainless steel appliances, I would strongly suspect that a similar type of stainless steel would be used in these iPhones. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar enough with the physics of EM transmissions to know whether its low magnetism would reduce or eliminate the chance of interference, or if its poor electrical conductivity would conversely cause interference (versus the highly conductive aluminum currently used).

 

[captaincranky]

It's possible there might be some slight interference, but only because I hate using the word "impossible". Some stainless steel alloys can be magnetic, but they usually are of the "ferritic" or "martensitic" type, & the latter is primarily used for medical instruments. However, "austenitic" types are usually not magnetic. Since magnets generally don't stick to stainless steel appliances, I would strongly suspect that a similar type of stainless steel would be used in these iPhones. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar enough with the physics of EM transmissions to know whether its low magnetism would reduce or eliminate the chance of interference, or if its poor electrical conductivity would conversely cause interference (versus the highly conductive aluminum currently used).

You're telling me you've never heard the supposed Apple "support" quote, when users complained of poor signal with their iPhone (3, 4, or 5 not sure), they were told they were "holding it wrong". I though it had become a full fledged internet meme by now.

 

[Squid Surprise]

The "old" top of the line iPhone (the 7 Plus) costs just under $1000.... so it's not really that much of a jump to think that next year's model will be more than a $1000.... Typically, bumping up the storage already costs $100, so not sure why everyone's up in arms over the cost...

The previous iPhones have all sold in record numbers, so I hardly think that adding $100 or so will make any difference to their overall numbers.

 

[captaincranky]

I guess I have my priorities all screwed up. If you handed me a grand tomorrow, and told me I had to spend it on computer tech. There would be a new game ready desktop in the house! With people hooked on this phone garbage, no wonder desktop computers aren't selling.

If they want to add a great new feature to the iPhone, it should tell you when you're about to walk into oncoming traffic, while playing "Bubble Witch 2". A thousand plus dollars to transform a mild mannered, (but ego well endowed), hipster into a danger to him or herself and others. On the highway. Walking down the street, and so forth.

 

[agello24]

As long as apple makes something new. *****s will follow.

 

[toxicfiend]

The iPhone 7+ 128 GB is 1121,59$ here in Denmark. One can only imagine what 1000 dollars equals to in DKK for the iPhone 8/X

Much the same here in Australia so it would be over $2000 for it.