Apple Battery Refinements To Help Offset iPhone 12 5G Costs, iPhone 11 Poised For Big Price Cut
iAppleTimes is reporting that the iPhone 11 will drop in price from $699 to $549 following the launch of the iPhone 12 family. If you recall, Apple made a similar move last year, when it offered the iPhone XR at just $599 as opposed to its launch price of $749. At the same time, both the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Max will be discontinued following the launch of the iPhone 12 family. Having that many flagship devices around would simply be too confusing for customers, especially given that the iPhone 12 family is expected to include four models this year:
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 Max
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
If previous rumors are accurate, the iPhone 12 could start as low as $649, but we wouldn’t hold our breath on that one. We’d be more inclined to be believe that Apple would stick to the $699 pricing introduced with the iPhone 11. It will be incredibly difficult for Apple to reduce costs (for customers) given that analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is indicating that mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G tech will cost roughly $130 and $80 respectively – far greater than what the company is paying for legacy 4G LTE hardware in the current crop of iPhones.
However, Apple is said to be reducing the cost of its battery board by as much as 50 percent to help somewhat offset the higher costs of 5G. The hybrid battery design is said to be smaller and simpler, while using fewer layers.
All of Apple’s iPhone 12 devices will feature 5G wireless, OLED display panels, and A14 Bionic SoCs. The iPhone 12 Pro members of the family will up the stakes with an extra camera, LiDAR sensor, and a 120Hz refresh rate display according to reports.
