The brand new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models have been launched in the U.S and a few other countries (including the U.K and Australia). Just like every year, fans queued outside the stores to get their hands on the latest iPhones. However, there are reports from across the globe that the demand isn’t what it used to be in the previous years.
People’s response towards the iPhone 8 series seems to be muted. Typically at the Apple Stores in New York City, hundreds of fans and buyers queue outside to buy the new iPhone weeks before the launch. But this time, the entire line was gone within the first hour of the store opening.
In U.K and Australia also the queues look pretty much feeble. Some stores didn’t even have a waiting line. It is evident people are forgoing the iPhone 8 in anticipation of the iPhone X launch in November.
Reuters reports that “poor reviews” are to be blamed for the weak response towards the smartphones, quoting a fan, Mazen Kourouche who says that the iPhone 8 “is pretty similar to the iPhone 7 but it shoots 4k 60 frames per second, and it’s got a new glass back instead of the metal which is apparently more durable. There aren’t too many new features to this one.”
The marketing strategy of Apple is also pushing the customers more towards online platforms more than offline ones. If the excitement levels were actually to be checked, the traffic on the e-commerce portals launching the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus should also be tapped. But the anticipated launch of iPhone X still looks like the biggest reason behind the lack of enthusiasm among people.
The iPhone X is going to be the most sophisticated iPhone that Apple has ever launched and the company is hoping for a huge response to it. While it’s safe to assume that the iPhone X will sell a lot better than iPhone 8, the exorbitant pricing of the smartphone could be something that would hold back many customers. We can only hope and wait for November 3rd to see if iPhone 8’s weak demand was an exception or the new trend.