Apple likely won’t take any chances with the first redesign of the iPhone in years

Feb 21, 2014 13:02 GMT  ·  By

Different iPhone generations resemble one another a great deal, especially when you view them from the front. The back is a different story, but Apple has iterated identical designs once every two years since the 3G iPhone came out. Something has to change sooner rather than later.

Some say this trend will come to a halt this year when Apple rolls out not one, but two totally redesigned versions of the new-generation iPhone.

I’ll be honest with you. I’m not a fan of this rumor. I don’t care much for phablets (though I’m open to using one if it makes sense one day), and I don’t see Apple taking this step all of a sudden, after all its reluctance to increase the screen size even by half an inch.

But I honestly believe all the other rumors, such as the one about the sapphire screen and the new design.

A person who knows a thing or two about the manufacturing costs of an iPhone tells me that this particular model will be far more expensive for Apple to produce than previous iPhones.

The sapphire crystal is going to add quite a few dollars to the bill. But it’s not just the material itself that costs a lot, it’s also the new technologies, factories, and the staff that Apple has had to invest in to obtain this material in bulk (likely also for the iWatch, not just the new iPhone).

My guess is Apple will foot the bill and leave the customer to pay the same as before: $199 / €199 with a two-year contract for the lowest storage capacity, and an extra hundred for each storage increment above the entry level.

Apple’s already-high profit margins can easily take a small hit in exchange for the customer’s continued interest in the product. It’s not ideal, but they probably don’t have a choice with Samsung sniffing for switchers.

Disclaimer

This is a Personal Thoughts piece reflecting the author’s personal opinion on matters relating to Apple and / or the products associated with the Apple brand. This article should not be taken as the official stance of Softpedia on Apple-related matters.