Is the iPhone 8 a failure?

[anon(10000748)]

Honestly one thing the iPhone could do for me, pick up apple pen support. Beyond that as far as function I mean I can already use it to turn off lights, vacuum my floor and open my garage... what else do we expect smart phones to do? Artificial intelligence? Can Siri be my new best friend?

 

[Rob Phillips]

It’s an iPhone! Let people tell it, Apple falls short every year because there aren’t any HUGE/gimmicky changes to it.

Personally, I just look for features that work for my lifestyle. I was intrigued by the 8 because it’s glass, which I love!! I also wanted a smaller device, since carrying around 2 pluses has become a pain! Everything else is just an added bonus.

Apple is doomed!

The smartphone market has reached maturity, in my honest opinion. People are tired of looking at the same rectangle and want a different looking rectangle. Functionally, there’s not much else we should expect at this point. It isn’t just Apple though. When is the last time Samsung reinvented the smartphone?

 

[Tartarus]

Apple is doomed!

The smartphone market has reached maturity, in my honest opinion. People are tired of looking at the same rectangle and want a different looking rectangle. Functionally, there’s not much else we should expect at this point. It isn’t just Apple though. When is the last time Samsung reinvented the smartphone?

Aside from innovations, smartphone manufacturers have to find new markets, penetrate deeper in low-developed economies and create new ways to keep selling their products.

Everyone in my family, for example, only upgrades when their current devices simply don’t suffice.
The more tech savvy friends of mine upgrade rarely every year, but in two-year cycles.

If I had the means I would’ve purchased the iPhone X upright from the Apple Store, but instead will have to wait until I can renew my contract next year around this time with one of the iPhones that will come out around the same time.

 

[Spencerdl]

Apple is doomed!

LOL...True Story.
In MY opinion the reason the iPhone 8/8 Plus (should have been named iPhone 7s/7s Plus to be honest) appears as a failure in comparison is a combination of just about every post in this thread. It's the same phone design after four years, It's not that much of an upgrade and I'm tired of being bamboozled out of my money for small incremental upgrades, I want the Apple "Flagship", I'm waiting on the X...Blah, Blah Blah...Apple will sell iPhones and a lot of them...PERIOD. Apple has a way of taking old/current technology and making it better while making consumers think because it's finally on an iPhone it's the best thing since sliced bread. That's what they do...they're supposed to. That's called BUSINESS.

 

[nikkisharif]

I just don’t know what people expect in a smartphone. They want all these crazy features packed into an octagon (rectangles are so dated), but then they don’t even use them & they complain it doesn’t fit right in their pocket. It’s the most annoying mess ever!! Oh wait, I forgot they also want the battery to last for 30 days & for it to cost $199.

Most people don’t even know half the features that exist on their phone, but they still complain because they want more. Since we’re techy & in the forums we believe the public cares about these “special” things & they don’t. Ask the average person about 3D Touch & they’ll look at you crazy. Heck, you can ask them to do something as basic as Spotlight search & they still won’t know. I still have friends texting me to ask why their email only shows the past month, & how they backup their device because they keep getting a pop up that says they haven’t backed up. And don’t get me started on “how come my screen won’t rotate” My cousin goes to the bank to withdraw money, so he can deposit it into an account at another bank. He also goes to the ATM or calls to check his balances....he has a Samsung S7. People have no idea what they have in their hands. If you think about it, test a few folks that you know aren’t techy. The responses will shock you!!

 

[Tartarus]

I just don’t know what people expect in a smartphone. They want all these crazy features packed into an octagon (rectangles are so dated), but then they don’t even use them & they complain it doesn’t fit right in their pocket. It’s the most annoying mess ever!! Oh wait, I forgot they also want the battery to last for 30 days & for it to cost $199.

Most people don’t even know half the features that exist on their phone, but they still complain because they want more. Since we’re techy & in the forums we believe the public cares about these “special” things & they don’t. Ask the average person about 3D Touch & they’ll look at you crazy. Heck, you can ask them to do something as basic as Spotlight search & they still won’t know. I still have friends texting me to ask why their email only shows the past month, & how they backup their device because they keep getting a pop up that says they haven’t backed up. And don’t get me started on “how come my screen won’t rotate” My cousin goes to the bank to withdraw money, so he can deposit it into an account at another bank. He also goes to the ATM or calls to check his balances....he has a Samsung S7. People have no idea what they have in their hands. If you think about it, test a few folks that you know aren’t techy. The responses will shock you!!

Preach!!!

 

[fairmarketvalue]

I have a trusty iPhone 6 Plus currently running IOS 11. It may be a little slower that an 8 Plus, but it's paid for, and doesn't cost $800 to upgrade, so there's that. Based on my experience with 11, it looks like I can struggle by for at least another year, maybe more. At that point I'll reassess, and see whether: (a) Apple gets real with its iPhone X pricing by lowering it a bit; and (b) seeing if Apple has perfected its "no Home button" approach by doing away with the incredibly stupid and aesthetically displeasing "notch". Yup, I'm an Apple Luddite, not an Apple apostle, which is a good thing in my view.

 

[Rob Phillips]

Most people don’t even know half the features that exist on their phone, but they still complain because they want more. Since we’re techy & in the forums we believe the public cares about these “special” things & they don’t. Ask the average person about 3D Touch & they’ll look at you crazy.

So true. My wife is a perfect example. She’s clueless. She doesn’t even use Touch ID despite my every effort to help her set it up. She’s using a 6s that she’ll keep until it breaks or until I upgrade it for her. Would I recommend that my wife upgrade to an iPhone 8? Nope. It would be a waste of money. She would just comment about how it’s the exact same thing as her 6s. Literally would not notice a difference aside from maybe the glass back.

 

[DarkBlade_95]

I think a lot of people held out to see what the big deal is about the iPhone X. After the reviews are out and 90% of the people waiting miss the preorder window, we’ll see iPhone 8 sales take off.

 

[Tartarus]

She doesn’t even use Touch ID despite my every effort to help her set it up.

It took me 5 attempts to have my mother be able to use TouchID.
Now she’s praising the lord she doesn’t have to enter the 6-digit passcode anymore.

 

[ItnStln]

Marketing. I imagine their focus groups and marketing research showed they’d sell more if they call it iPhone 8. I honestly believe the jump from iPhone 7 to iPhone 8 is being undervalued. Yes, it looks similar but iPhone 8 is a beast. The jump between iPhone 8 and iPhone X, on the other hand, is very much cosmetic.

Marketing makes sense

 

[firstborn80]

I agree! There's a lot of fuss that the iPhone 8 is not much of an upgrade from the 7, but neither was the 5 to 5S or 6 to 6S. I upgraded then as well, but I definitely could understand this launch being called 7S. I think they only called it an 8 because they changed to a glass back. I can't see any other reason...although there's probably a ton.

Edit: I didn't answer the question...no I don't think it's a failure. I just think expectations are high.

 

[Ledsteplin]

So true. My wife is a perfect example. She’s clueless. She doesn’t even use Touch ID despite my every effort to help her set it up. She’s using a 6s that she’ll keep until it breaks or until I upgrade it for her. Would I recommend that my wife upgrade to an iPhone 8? Nope. It would be a waste of money. She would just comment about how it’s the exact same thing as her 6s. Literally would not notice a difference aside from maybe the glass back.

Same with my wife. She simply has no desire to set up Touch ID. I think she's afraid of it.

 

[Craig]

I can't get my wife to use Apple Pay, oh well.. but besides that, if the iPhone 8 is such a failure, why is the iPhone 8-Plus basically sold out everywhere? Around here AT&T and Verizon = completely sold out. Ship time is only 1+ weeks, but in store, they're gone, except a few silver 64GB.

 

[ItnStln]

I don’t recall if Apple have ever released two iPhone models in the same year.

However, the pending iPhone X release, is probably what’s impeding iPhone 8/8 Plus sales.

Albeit, I’m sure Apple expected this prior to launch. All those statistics they probably have on sales, regions of sales, etcetera.

2016 saw the SE and the 7/7 Plus
I agree that the X release is impeding on the 8/8 Plus sales.

 

[Premium1]

Yes it is. Should have been the iPhone 7s (or really the 6sss). With that being said will be interesting to see what they do next year if they have the iPhone 9 and iPhone XI or whatever they call it or if they skip 9 altogether

 

[calebt]

Well I'm waiting for the X, I was at the store the other day checking out the 8 and nothing about it persuaded me into buying it, it also was available in all size and colors. I never preordered an iPhone I always wait for the reviews then decide. Who knows I might decide I don't like the X either after playing with it at the store.

 

[mogelijk]

Two things:

I suspect Apple only added the iPhone 8 out of "desperation." I think ideally Apple didn't want to release the 8 -- that it wanted to just have an X, maybe even an X and an X plus. However, after they started finding they'd have issues with the fingerprint reader and that they'd have issues making enough X phones to meet demand, the 8 was put into the lineup to allow an upgrade path for those who insisted on a fingerprint sensor, liked the traditional look and bezels (bezel-less phones can be difficult to hold without accidentally pressing on the screen), etc. I suspect if they would have had the X ready to ship in September, and could build enough to meet demand, there would have been no iPhone 8 (or perhaps the X would have been named the 8).

Next, as the OP even admits to, I think this is an example of the Tech media trying to drum up controversy and get page views. From all accounts, the iPhone 8/Plus are selling well -- they've largely sold out the first weekend, though they aren't as "sold out" (such as a month delay if you didn't preorder a week ago) than previous iPhones. I think Apple is thrilled with how many have sold, considering their main flagship is still coming out in another month. I think, when all is said and done, Apple will sell just as many, or even more phones (with the extra new model), than they have in previous years.

 

[Just_Me_D]

......as the OP even admits to, I think this is an example of the Tech media trying to drum up controversy and get page views.....

I did?.....

 

[mogelijk]

I did?.....

You started this thread, saying:

You know me - I like to stir the pot a bit....... I can’t help it! With that in mind, ...

So, yes, you did!