14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s 2018 iPhones aren’t selling exactly as anticipated, so the Cupertino-based tech giant is forced to turn to a series of emergency measures that could help reignite sales in the short term.
In addition restarting production of the iPhone X, a model which Apple retired after launching the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max this year, the company will also offer iPhone XR subsidies to carriers.
According to a report from the WSJ, Japanese carriers will get such price cuts sometime next week, so the iPhone XR should become cheaper by the end of the month.
No specifics have been provided as to how cheap it could get, but given it’s an Apple product we’re talking about here, do not expect any substantial price drop.
The “cheaper” iPhone
iPhone XR is a brand new model launched in September that’s often referred to as a more “affordable iPhone.” Despite being cheaper than its premium siblings, it’s not exactly an affordable option, as the base model costs no less than $749 in the United States.
Prices go up in markets worldwide due to the currency and the additional taxes, and this presumably impacted global demand for the device in a significant manner. Apple wants to increase sales of the iPhone XR with this price drop, as more people are apparently going for an iPhone 8, which is still being produced and available for a lower price.
People familiar with the matter indicated earlier this year that Apple was expecting the iPhone XR to be the best-selling model of the entire 2018 lineup. The device accounted for more than 50 percent of all orders placed at suppliers, and analysts even anticipated a super-cycle that may be generated thanks to its smaller price.
None of these happen right now, and Apple instead is forced to adjust production and to announce price drops as a desperate solution to weak sales.