Apple is likely to shake hands in terms of global market share as it is forecasting that it will price Apple's iPhone 8 a bit higher this fall.
On the 30th of last month, 'My Drivers.com' reported that the price of iPhone 8 could be higher than the iPhone 7S Plus by 150 ~ 200 dollars. The price of the highest-end model (256 gigabyte) is expected to reach $ 1,200.
In the related industry, Apple is trying to maximize the differentiation compared to the previous version while sticking to the premium image for the 10th anniversary of the iPhone's high price policy. Moreover, even if the company does not have a large share of sales, it is interpreted as a high profit margin through margins.
However, it is pointed out that Apple's continued high price policy can ultimately lead to a loss of influence in the global market. As technology gap between global smartphone makers decreases, it is doubtful whether premium premium marketing will be effective enough to lead consumers' purchase sentiment.
In fact, Apple failed to win the No. 1 spot in smartphone sales in China, the largest global smartphone market last year, due to the local company 'Oppo' last year. An industry observer said, "China has enough smartphones, and the level of functionality between products has been leveled up." It seems that there is a great demand for mid to low-end phones that are relatively affordable but not capable.
"China's smartphone shipments grew 6 percent year-on-year to a record high, but sales volume did not come along," said a market researcher, Counterpoint. "Apple's stance is shrinking in China."
In addition, Apple's total sales of iPhones declined for the third consecutive quarter of last year, and its share in Asia, Western Europe, Central and South America and Africa, excluding North America, continued to decline steadily.
Despite Apple's poor performances, global smartphone penetration is still saturated, and each maker is targeting emerging markets with premium-priced mid-priced products, but Apple, which has released a single premium model, has not shown any remarkable performance to be.
An industry official said, "Consumers' complaints about the high price policy of the iPhone continue to be formed," he said. "The price of 1.5 million won may be interpreted as giving up some market segments."
"But the price and information about the iPhone 8 so far not officially announced by Apple," said the official. "The launch date should be a little closer to a clear sales strategy," he added.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 8 is expected to be equipped with a 5.2-inch flexible OLED display, glass sandwich appearance, touch ID insertion, long-range wireless charging, and AR technology that minimizes the bezel.