The next iPhone could cost as much as $1,500, according to technology writer John Gruber, who correctly predicted the price of the first Apple Watch.
“But I think $1,200 is quite likely as the starting price, with the high end model at $1,300 or 1,400,” Gruber explained in blog post Friday.
While he is known to have a somewhat close relationship with Apple’s Senior Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller, Gruber says his projection is not based on insider information. Instead, he explains that the price conjecture is based off of the specifics of manufacturing and the pricing of the parts.
The iPhone 8 is anticipated to have an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, which is a relatively advanced feature for a smartphone, or most electronic devices in general.
“It sounds to me like the OLED iPhone is a phone which Apple can’t make 40 million of per quarter, at least not today,” Gruber asserts. “And if that’s true, that means it should be more expensive. Not should in any moral sense, but simply because that’s how the principle of supply and demand works. When supply is constrained and demand is high, prices go higher. The higher prices alleviate demand.”
Gruber is basing a lot of his own analysis off of Ming-Chi Kuo, who was once referred to as “the best Apple analyst on the planet.” (RELATED: Potentially Leaked iPhone 8 Images Appear To Show Touch Sensor On Back Of Device)
Kuo, who is an analyst at KGI securities, a business group involved in several different industries, says that there will likely be “severe supply shortages,” but that probably won’t affect demand. If there aren’t enough new iPhones to go around during an extended time period, then Apple could certainly boost the opening price to maximize profits. Kuo has also predicted that Apple will roll out three different iPhone models within the year.
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