Price history of Apple's iPhones: how did we get to €1,600?

04 November 2018
Early on, Apple hid the true cost behind carrier subsidies. Even now that that's over, it's not shy about raising the prices.

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Chris Apple, 15 Nov 2018I agree, that's the major concern. Prices keep hike, while ... moreYep, that's just sad, OEM's realized that they can rip people off easily so they are simply doing that. For example, the S8 had the same camera as S7, just bit better because of software... and S9 has the same battery technology as the S8...
My iPhone SE is as good for texting and browsing the internet as any other phone, even flagships. Reason why I like it the most is because it's compact and pocket friendly, as long as it's working and is still supported - I don't see myself buying a new phone.

    Realistic1, 14 Nov 2018I agree "affordable" iPhone is as expensive or more expensi... moreI agree, that's the major concern. Prices keep hike, while the package doesn't change year-on-year: practically the same phones each year save for the new CPU, nowadays even cameras are getting better because of software, not the hardware!!! This awkward situation has to stop, but I can't blame people as most of 'em are not into tech like us, but they have to understand: they are buying the same stuff every year!

      Chris Apple, 12 Nov 2018Yes, it is indeed, but only when price is kept at bay, beca... moreI agree "affordable" iPhone is as expensive or more expensive than flagship iPhone before. It's sad that prices of flagships continue to grow despite the tech going forwards.
      Last year's flagships are seeing less and less price drops than phones before them.
      Tech should inded be affordable to anyone, so that pretty much anyone can have a flagship if he or she desires to have one.
      Yet, today's flagships are more expensive than some cars. That alone says it enough. If folding phone will start at around 2 thousand dollars, then it's unlikley the prices of regular phones will drop.

        DiggerNicks, 09 Nov 2018Oh god, how long are you gonna parrot that lethargic statem... moreI wasn't talking about them getting caught, they just did it AGAIN with the iPhone X, from you know 12 months ago.

        Unless their batteries s*ck so much that they deteriorate so fast, which again shows its an inferior device.

        Superiority? nice one.

        Next.

          Realistic1, 12 Nov 2018Yeah, they'll most likley cut down production costs with ti... moreYes, it is indeed, but only when price is kept at bay, because if OEMs continue the actual trend, tech lovers like ourselves will face restrictions coming from high prices. Tech should be accessible to anyone, affordable enough so anyone can buy these things. I say this because rumours has it that Samsung will launch Galaxy F for $1769!!! But that's not over, next year iPhone Pro 5.8" price will start at $1049, while iPhone Pro 6.5" at $1199. "Affordable" iPhone 11 will start at $799!!!

            Chris Apple, 11 Nov 2018Still, smartphone industry is stuck with OLEDs for now beca... moreYeah, they'll most likley cut down production costs with time, but honestly it'll most likley still always stay more expensive than OLED. And we still have to see how will that whole thing with Foldable phone fare on the market. Also it's yet unknown if MicroLED will be as flexible as OLED or it'll be different (less, or even more flexible).
            Technology is trully amazing though.

              Realistic1, 11 Nov 2018Yeah, screen technology really stagnated over the years. O... moreStill, smartphone industry is stuck with OLEDs for now because microLED is nearly 15 times pricier than OLEDs which in turn are 4 times pricier than typical LCDs.

                Chris Apple, 10 Nov 2018Hahaha having a color screen phone was like an achievement ... moreYeah, screen technology really stagnated over the years.
                OLED screens are good, but they have major flaws (degradation and burn-in).
                MicroLED is the most superior technology, but it'll take some time till it's ready to use and ready for mass production.

                  Realistic1, 10 Nov 2018You are definitley right on that, I still remember those du... moreHahaha having a color screen phone was like an achievement back then. Screens today have many areas of improvement, for one, raising color space from 24bit to 32bit (more than 2 billion shades, up from 16 million). Another one is the technology used: microLED. These monsters are capable of offering superior sunlight contrast, contrast ratio, brightness and color reproduction. But to be fully legit, microLED resolution should be higher than on other screens because on microLEDs pixels are tiny (that's why Apple raised ppi on their phones from 326 on LCDs (quite large pixels), to 458 ppi on OLEDs (smaller pixels). 3rd is the refresh rate. 120hz and moreover 180hz refresh rate makes for a fluid performance (IGZO LCD on RAZER 2 is soo good), and combined with superior screen tech like microLEDs it will make for a phenomenal good looking. The 1st and the 3rd are some specs we're stuck with for ages: 60hz refresh rate and 24bit color space (since the invention of smartphones!!)

                    Chris Apple, 09 Nov 2018Damn yeah, microLED tech is far more superior than OLEDs, b... moreYou are definitley right on that, I still remember those dumb phones which didn't even had display in colour hahaha.
                    Then I remember my first dumb phone made by LG which actually had display in colour and everyone was like "WOW"...

                      Realistic1, 09 Nov 2018OLED could indeed soon be replaced with Micro LED, so Micro... moreDamn yeah, microLED tech is far more superior than OLEDs, but screen tech is a minor change, while transiting from a gen to another. Remember, dumb phones used early versions of LCDs, but LCD as a tech is still used today, a gen later.

                        Chris Apple, 08 Nov 2018Very true. The introduction of foldable smartphones will ma... moreOLED could indeed soon be replaced with Micro LED, so Micro LED would be premium and OLED would become budget version.

                          FrankDrebin, 08 Nov 2018You say "keep the phone updated", they also say that, but o... moreOh god, how long are you gonna parrot that lethargic statement? We get it - Apple stymied phones because of deteriorating batteries. Ya gonna hold on to that one forever, huh? They got caught. They admitted it. The whole thing does not detract from the overall superiority of Apple phones, jabroni.

                            DiggerNicks, 08 Nov 2018Bahahahaha. That's the most nonsensical thing I've read in ... moreYou say "keep the phone updated", they also say that, but oh boy, did they "update" the iphone x and 8/8Plus, guess what it has now? the "slow the phone for your own good" feature.

                            NO OTHER PHONE HAS THIS.

                            Just apple, and they make sure this "feature" reaches all the phones, going all the way back 4 years.

                              ShonaSoF, 06 Nov 2018Considering how many customers I see who have phones all th... moreThey can have them for sure, are they slower? thats a different question, almost certainly yes they are slower, not to the point of bother the average user, but they definetly are slower.

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                                DiggerNicks, 08 Nov 2018Bahahahaha. That's the most nonsensical thing I've read in ... moreyeah haha that would be so true

                                  Realistic1, 08 Nov 2018I completley agree with you on that one. Revolution is need... moreVery true. The introduction of foldable smartphones will make tablets pointless, and upon this concept OEMs will create phones Gen. 3. Yeah, the intro of the original iPhone caught other OEMs unprepared, but since then Android and iPhones differences grew larger, and today Androids OEMs doesn't offer any solid tablet offer, while Apple iPad is no.1 tablet in the world right now, saleswise and specswise. So if you think carefully, you'll see that foldable smartphones (which I believe will be Android exclusive because Apple doesn't want to jump into this bandwagon) will serve as a scapegoat for Androids to fill the void left by the termination (not officially) of tablets. But, I think this situation won't last long. Because tech is advancing a lot faster than it did 10-12 years ago, also 5G network will be official next year globally, so 3rd gen phones are closer than 10 years you predict. Maybe after 10 years 3rd gen phones will grow mature. Oh, and as belong to what these next gen phones will offer, I predict holographic screen, or more likely transparent screen (something that OLEDs can do even today, by making the substrate of transparent plastic)

                                    FrankDrebin, 06 Nov 2018The only reason they keep updating their phones all the way... moreBahahahaha. That's the most nonsensical thing I've read in weeks. The reason they keep people's phones updated for over five years is so that they force you to upgrade every year ............... did you even think this sentence through? You're an embarrassment.

                                      Chris Apple, 07 Nov 2018Yes, it's true. Folding smartphones and flip dumb phones ar... moreI completley agree with you on that one. Revolution is needed, foldable phones just mean we are closer to it. I see future "phones" more like holograms or something. But still, we need something that will shake the market as much as first iPhone did. First mobile phone was made in 1983, and in 2005 we already thought "WOW how far did tech go since first mobile phone" only to be blown away 2 years later when Apple released first iPhone in 2007. So I assume we could see next revolution at least within next 10 years since tech moves faster today, and we'll see foldable smartphones really soon.

                                        Realistic1, 07 Nov 2018I totally agree. I also see lots of people getting hyped fo... moreYes, it's true. Folding smartphones and flip dumb phones are just a shape differentiation from bar-shaped regular smartphones or dumb ones (these are way more durable because have fixed parts unlike folding SP or flip DP). As a tech enthusiast I don't just want a change in phone aesthetics (I'm way more comfy with bar-shaped smartphones) , I want revolution beneath the screen, something unprecedented, exciting, something to differentiate the product from a bunch of copycats. Personally, I'm willing to wait the real revolution of smartphones, maybe called geniusphones (since we're transiting from a lower mental state to a much higher one dumb-smart-genius :D) rather than buying these not-that-different-folding-phone

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