Apple’s 2017 iPhone, which is expected to feature premium parts and radical design changes, could cost “north of $1,000,” reports Fast Company, citing a source with “knowledge of Apple’s plans.”
Rumors suggest the upcoming iPhone, which may be called the iPhone 8, will feature an OLED display that’s more expensive than traditional LED displays. Other improvements, such as an increase in memory and wireless charging functionality may also drive up the price. It’s not hard to imagine the iPhone hitting that price point when the 256GB iPhone 7 Plus is already at $969 in the United States, and previous rumors have also suggested it will be a “premium” device… More at MacRumors.
I work with someone who paid £919 for a 256GB iPhone 7 Plus so the above is not surprising, and we live in a world where £80/month for unlimited everything is a reality.
The trick for Apple will be to make the potential buyer feel like the next iPhone is the BEST they can buy and that they will be using it for a long time. For me, the iPhone 6 and 7 models have not offered that.
McGST 
On one level, “it’s the best” is true in the same way nearly ANY Macbook is better than anything not running MacOS – for some one using it for a decade, iOS and the apps one has accumulated is a true differentiator (heh, wonder if the threat of throwing away 32 bit apps will cut into that?)
“Using it for a long time” is a different can of worms. I think my mind got set in the 2 year upgrade cycle w/ the phone plans i was on, and even though they’ve moved away from “subsidized”/”paying on the installment plan” phones, the phones get enough of a beatdown over time to not be seen as such a long term thing anyway.
The $1000 milestone, while eye-opening, is a little misleading, maybe. I’d be more interested in average price for all phones (normal and large sizes), or the price of the single most popular variant, or maybe what the lowend looks like. I could spend $2800 on a Macbook, but realistically will be spending about half that.
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“nearly ANY Macbook is better than anything not running MacOS” – just as a side note… this is kind of true. But I do tend to say to people you can only compare two products when in equal terms. Meaning… MacBook is top, but try and go for a windows 10 laptop, ranged the same price of the MacBook and with ssd onboard. Then you can say what’s best. I do have a windows 7 PC that after installing ssd boots up just as fast as a mac. And works fast too. So… one needs to address all facts.
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You’re absolutely right that it’s only fair to compare a $1200 Macbook to a $1200 Windows laptop (and I know I’ve probably judged my $1000K Macbook Air vs my mom’s cheapy $250 HP) but maybe I wasn’t clear – for many, may people, MacOS vs Windows is in itself a CRITICAL plus for the Mac. (For other people, being able to buy a new and usable $250 laptop is a critical plus for Windows that Apple is not looking to match…)
Getting back to Shaun’s point, I accept that the Pixel and the next Galaxy might have small features that are better than whatever the iPhone has (though not a ton – Apple keeps its hardware in contention for best in market, consistently) but it’s irrelevant to me if I have to learn a new OS, find new apps, and figure out how to manage my music collection… (plus, some apps have a ton of data, like I would probably have to start with a blank slate in “One Second Everyday”, instead of being able to remix the 3 years of clips I’ve saved there now…)
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