Let’s face it, while the iPhone X is one of the most expensive, and sought after smartphones around right now, not many people are actually buying it. The phone’s price tag that starts at Dh4,304 (VAT included) is a bit too steep for most consumers.
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While a second-generation rendition of the X is expected to launch later this year, reports claim the alpha X might be discontinued altogether.
When new iPhone models usually hit the market around September every year, older models are still sold officially, however at a lower price.
According to a recent AppleInsider report, Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst associated with Taiwanese business group KGI Securities, stated that Apple will not sell the iPhone X at lower price as it will hurt its other products in the lower-priced premium segment.
Kuo estimated that Apple would ship about 18 million iPhone X units in the January-March quarter in 2018, Apple-fan site MacRumors reported late last night.
“We revise down 1Q18 and 2Q18 shipments of iPhone X to 18 million units and 13 million units, respectively, lower than market consensus of 20-30 million and 15-20 million units," said Kuo.
"We expect iPhone X will go to end of life (EOL) around mid-2018 and that total life cycle shipments will be around 62 million units, lower than our previous forecast of 80 million units. iPhone X would hurt product brand value and line-up of 2H18 new models if it continues to sell at a lower price after 2H18 new models launch. Additionally, to sell iPhone X at a lower price may have a negative impact on shipments of the new 6.1-inch LCD iPhone in 2H18," the analyst continued.
One of the main markets that hindered Apple’s expected shipment stats was China. The iPhone X has seen a ‘weaker-than-expected’ demand. According to Kuo, the device is not yet compatible with many popular Chinese apps, leading many customers to see it as offering less usable screen space than 5.5-inch iPhone Plus models.
Kuo, however, said the overall iPhone shipments will maintain year-on-year growth of 0-5 per cent over the first half of 2018.
iPhone X Plus?
The report went on to add that KGI also expects three new iPhone models in the fall of 2018. One of these could possibly be, according to Kuo, an "iPhone X Plus" model, with a larger screen to off-set the concerns about usable screen area.
So there’s some good news for Apple fans reading this after all. If you’re still thinking about buying the iPhone X, go ahead as it could be a rare collector’s item in a few years.
-With inputs from Agencies
