Prices on the iPhone and the iPod touch may drop substantially within the next two months, a report suggests. Citing an anonymous source, the report claims that by mid-April at the latest, a $100 price drop will reach the 16GB iPhone, as well as the 16 and 32GB Touches; this would put their costs at $399, $299 and $399, respectively. It is also said that sales of the 8GB Touch will stop completely, but the source does not mention a removal of the 8GB iPhone, which would have to happen if it did not also fall in price.
The cuts could happen as soon as this month, coinciding with Apple's official release of the iPhone SDK to developers. An event of some sort is expected towards the end of February, possibly on the 26th. The view that price reductions are inevitable has been echoed by analysts such as Ezra Gottheil of Technology Business Research, who proposes that Apple must revise its iPhone plans in order to reach 2008 sales of 10 million, a target set earlier by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. In recent commentary however, Gottheil has predicted that the 8GB iPhone will remain, with just a $50 discount.
Well it better be sooner
216979
2/11/08, 9:36 am EST
rather than later, now. With this story out it could dramatically affect sales of both products. What would be great would be to drop the price of the 8GB iPhone while they are phasing it out. Some (my wife) really don't need or want anything bigger. Heck we have been looking for a 4GB for her but they are a fortune on eBay because they are unlocked (like I care). I wished we had bought one when Apple first EOL'd them. Oh well...
Price cuts are nice but..
216986
2/11/08, 10:02 am EST
Should the Mac news sites be speculating on this a lot? When I worked for one of the Apple Stores, rumors like this sometimes caused downturns in our sales. I'm all for price cuts but I would hate to see the rumor of a price cut cause Apple to be stuck with a lot of unsold inventory.
There we go again, analysts talking out of their ass. Sure, there will be price cuts at one point in time, but not in the next 1-2 months, as they allege. Just because Apple did that previously (and there was a reason), they won't be doing it again.
What *will* happen is that at one time Apple will be releasing a new version of iPhone, with new hardware features - which will take the top post in the current pricing structure ($499), deprecating the existing models to the second tiers ($399), and usually dropping the bottom line models (relegating them to the refurb store).
If anything, this is one of those stupid rumors that *could* affect sales, as I have no doubt I get to hear this from the usual plebs any moment now "..did you hear, the price will drop in April...?"
Should the Mac news sites be speculating on this a lot? When I worked for one of the Apple Stores, rumors like this sometimes caused downturns in our sales.
It is not the job of Mac news/rumor sites to worry about Apple's marketshare/bottomline/sales. If such a rumor really would drive sales down (wow, the power of MacNN!), maybe it would be indicative that a lot of consumers, even those who would buy an iPhone, think its over priced.
Why not - February/March is the usual time to cut the prices on high end electronic goods - you are past the Christmas sale peak, and in a low demand quarter.
If you look at games consoles it is pretty much what they always do - maintain the price through the Xmas period, and cut it a couple of months later.
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