Affordable: Cheaper iPhone Could Boost Sales

With Google, Xiaomi, and Huawei all releasing powerful smartphones with mid-spec features for less than $400, we ask whether it’s time for Apple to introduce its own low-cost iPhone.

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In today’s competitive times where Apple’s smartphone market share is shrinking, appealing to price-conscious consumers yet to jump to iOS could be just what the Cupertino firm needs…

APPLE’S SMARTPHONE BATTLE

iPhone and Affordable are not two words you’d often string together in the same sentence, but as the smartphone battle heats up and global smartphone shipments are down, Apple needs to do more to appease investors and ensure consumers stay locked-in to the iOS and Apple ecosystems. According to Canalys, smartphone shipments fell 18% year-over-year during the quarter, hitting a five-year low of 36.4 million units, with Apple shipping 14.6 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2019. That’s down more than 19 percent on last year - concerning considering Samsung’s shipments increased 3% year-on-year in comparison.

What’s perhaps most interesting about Canalys’ data is that of the 14.6 million iPhones sold in the first three months of 2019, 4.5 million were iPhone XR units, whilst retail discounts on older models such as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 also helped to prop up sales. That’s without mentioning the significant discounts the company has been offering on the XR and XS models, allowing price cuts of up to $500 for those willing to trade in their old iPhone X.