iPhone 8 Predicted to Cost $999 For 128GB And $1,099 For 256GB, With No 32GB Model
Apple’s so-called “iPhone 8” with an OLED display and wireless charging is widely expected to cost in the neighborhood of $1,000 in the United States, and Wall Street analysts continue to guess just how much it’ll sell for.
iPhone 8 concept by Benjamin Geskin
The latest prediction comes from Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski, who today said she expects the rumored high-end iPhone to be available in 128GB and 256GB storage capacities for $999 and $1,099 respectively. Unlike the iPhone 7, she doesn’t believe the iPhone 8 will be available in 32GB.
An excerpt from her research note distributed today:
Relative to the 128GB iPhone 7 Plus, we estimate the new features and higher commodity prices to increase the bill of materials by over $70, which we expect Apple to offset via a $130 price increase, resulting in a starting price of $999 for the 128GB capacity and $1,099 for the 256GB capacity (we don’t expect the iPhone 8 to come in 32GB).
Apple’s most expensive smartphone to date is the iPhone 7 Plus with 256GB of storage, which retails for $969 in the United States.
UBS analyst Steven Milunovich shared entirely different pricing expectations last month, so it’s clear that analysts are simply guesstimating. He thinks the iPhone 8 will come in 64GB and 256GB storage capacities for $850-$900 and $950-$1,000 respectively. His research note didn’t mention 32GB or 128GB models.
The takeaway here is that the iPhone 8 will likely be very expensive. The device’s exact price tag is likely privy only to Apple at this point, however, so treat any estimate with a healthy dose of skepticism for now.
Goldman Sachs raised its 12-month price target for Apple’s stock to $170, up from $164, based on strong iPhone 8 expectations.