78Bandit

AF_Hitt said:

nunzy said:

Apple has too much class to ever do this.

Right, because they’ve never done bright, colorful products before. Except for the iPhone 5c. Or the iPod Nano. Or the iPod Shuffle. Or the iMac. Or the MacBook.

I would love an iPhone with the anodized aluminum colored cases of the 5th generation iPod Nano.  Those were the high point of the entire line.

A polycarbonate case may be durable but it looks and feels cheap.  It reminds me of a $15 aftermarket case.

I think this is a new model that will be positioned as a smaller size companion the 6.1" LCD device.  It would also jibe with Ming's rumor of a new LCD device starting at around $500.  That would actually be a decent lineup for Apple in the fall.

4.0" SE2 - $399
5.2" LCD - $549
6.1" LCD - $699
5.8" OLED - $899
6.4" OLED - $999

Under that lineup the iPhone 8 would likely be completely dropped rather than carried over as a low-cost model.  There wouldn't be any need for a $599 4.7" LCD device with huge bezels and TouchID.  You might see the iPhone 7 carried over to have something in the $400-$500 range.

Not surprising.  Those that wanted an iPhone X typically had the disposable income to get one as soon as possible.  They also know the new models will be out in less than six months and the exclusivity of the original X will be replaced by whatever Apple announces in September.  The iPhone 8 series has multiple sales offers and is a much more economical alternative for those consumers that just want a new iPhone and aren't concerned with the luxury cachet of the X.  You can get two 8s for less than the price of one X at some retailers.

The true Apple fans can say what they want, but overall we are a very small minority of consumers.  The sales of the luxury model are going to be heavily stacked toward the beginning of the product's life cycle as the ones that want one typically want one right away.  With the rumors of a $600 6.1" LCD device as well as a possible $100 price cut to the next version of the X the smart money is staying on the sidelines until this fall.

One thing to remember is Consumer Reports generally favors the initial experience of products.  Both phones are wonderful pieces of technology, but Apple's will be current for a much longer period of time as it gets iOS updates for potentially five years.  If I were trading phones every year or two I would certainly consider the S9 for the $275 in savings over a comparable iPhone X; however, since I tend to keep phones for three years or more I'm more inclined to purchase Apple.  Hopefully this fall Apple will have something more competitive in the S9 price range other than the iPhone 8.

Shouldn't Apple be able to sue GrayKey completely out of existence?  If a former Apple security specialist is a founder of the company and they are able to easily defeat Apple's encryption methods then it seems very likely that Mr. Thomas brought proprietary information with him.  Get a multi-million dollar judgement against them and they will fold like a cheap suit.  Just take a look at the Google Waymo / Uber lawsuit for an example.