The iPhone 8 has received a wave of snubs from fans after speculations surfaced that the device will come with a hefty price tag. Despite the design leaks, which were expected to explain why the 10th-anniversary smartphone of Apple costs at least US$1,200, the backlash continues with some fans even throwing condescending remarks against the manufacturer. But for Steve Wozniak, the iPhone 8 is designed for the Apple lovers.
Apple co-founder Wozniak told reporters Tuesday at a technology forum in Guangdong, China that the top of the line iPhone 8 is still marketable in spite of the price tag that competes with a basic MacBook device.
"In life I don't believe in quantity as much as I do in quality", says Wozniak. "So you may not have the hugest share in the market or be the No 1, but you should have the best product you can possibly build and Apple qualifies for that".
He added that Apple products are "safe bet" for many consumers despite its high price, emphasising that more expensive iPhone devices "are still the leader in innovation".
In China, Apple is facing the toughest rivals in the smartphone race, including Xiaomi and Huawei. Wozniak favoured Chinese smartphones for offering high-end functionalities at lower prices. He said, "Here is what I admire about Chinese phones: really good, intelligent decisions about how to lower the cost but keep enough of the functionality in".
According to South China Morning Post, Apple lost US$10.7 billion in mainland China during the first quarter, shipping out more than 9.6 million units of iPhone. This is 26.7 percent down from the same period in 2016. In terms of overall smartphone sales, Apple is only fourth largest purveyor next to Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo, respectively.
