In a note to clients — as noted by 9to5Mac — Barclay analyst Mark Moskowitz says that less one-in-five potential iPhone buyers will spend $1,000 or more on a new Apple smartphone.
The “iPhone 8” (shown in a fanciful mock-up) — expected to debut next month — is predicted, by some pundits, to cost upwards of $1,000. According to Moskowitz research, this means that “only” 18% of possible upgraders would purchase the next gen, high end phone.
“While the device itself seems more evolutionary than revolutionary, we believe this launch represents the return of staunch competition into the premium segment ($700+ ASP) of the smartphone market following Samsung’s Note 7 debacle last year,” he writes. “For Apple, we are concerned that the company needs to meet momentous investor expectations following the expected launch of three new iPhone devices in September. This could be made more challenging when considering that only 18% of potential iPhone buyers are willing to spend $1,000+ for a new device (Wireless Subscriber Survey; 08/09/17), which is below the 30-35% figure investors seem to be expecting.”
