China is one of the 55 countries to receive the iPhone X first on 3 November. While Apple has been trying to woo the country being the biggest smartphone market in the world, analysts seem dubious of the Cupertino, California tech giant to draw out more sales in China with its latest smartphones.
Apple on Tuesday dropped the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, revealing the promising trio. With killer new features and specifications upgrade, the devices come with a hefty price. However, predictions from analysts seem to corroborate with regards to the saleability of the devices, especially the iPhone X.
Also read: Check out iPhone X features, specifications and price here
Reuters correspondent Cate Cadell says Chinese consumers might skip this year's model.
"Lots of supply chain experts expect that it's going to be over US$1,000 (S$1,300) and you know that's double the average Chinese salary," says Cadell. "So in the Chinese market they expect a much more innovative product.
Apple first saw its milestone in China when it launched the iPhone 6 in 2014. Cadell notes that back then Apple was "inventive" enough with its new and exciting features. As home-grown brands like Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi started to catch up, Chinese buyers already have the affordable alternatives for the iPhone models.
In the meantime, City Index market analyst Ken Odeluga predicts that the arrival of the iPhone 8 would spike the sales on credit.
"There's a degree of price inelasticity visible here. I think there's maybe a bit more to go. Clearly it's not a phone for everyone. It's for certain parts of the consumption market," says Odeluga in an interview with The Strait Times.
The iPhone X price starts at US$999. The iPhone X pre-orders begin on Friday.
