Lack of innovation, high prices discouraging people from buying iPhones

New Delhi: After a cold response at the doors of Apple corporate resellers for the latest iPhones -- iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, smartphone users have said the lack of innovation coupled with high price of the devices have affected their decision to buy the flagship models.

The iPhone 8 64GB costs Rs 64,000 while the 256GB variant will be available for Rs 77,000. The iPhone 8 Plus starts at Rs 73,000 for 64GB while the 256GB variant will cost Indian users Rs 86,000. 

The iPhone X, which marks the 10th anniversary of the device, will be launched in India on November 3 and will cost the users Rs 89,000 (64 GB model) and Rs 1.02 lakh (256 GB). 

IANS found that people, who converged at several Apple reseller stores in the NCR region after the new Apple flagships were available in India on September 29, were put off by "no or less innovation". 

"I am not buying this iPhone 8. It has got a hefty price tag with no or less innovation. It is not a value-for-money product," Sidharath Arya, who came to check the latest iPhones at iWorld in Kamla Nagar, told IANS.

He said he would rather go for Android devices as they are better when it comes to bringing fresh features aboard. 

Another heavy smartphone user, Gaurav Sharma, said he would not buy an iPhone 8 because "even Apple is not sure of its innovation in this device".

"Apple made iPhone 8 obsolete in a matter of minutes by announcing ultra-expensive iPhone X. The A11 Bionic chip is powerful, but Apple, known for its innovation, has not done anything great in the latest flgaship. There are several other factors that pursue people to buy a device. The iPhone 8 doesn`t have them," he added.

Talking about the price, Abhishek Singh, who works as an engineer, told IANS that he was disappointed when he saw the prices of the new devices.

"Had Apple launched iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus with `Super Retina` display, I would have bought it on the first day. Instead they chose to incorporate the `innovation` in highly-priced iPhone X, which is beyond reach of several iPhone lovers," Singh added.

Echoing the responses, Shobhit Dev, who is a professional photographer, said he was disappointed with iPhone 7 last year and expected a lot from Apple this time around.

"I read a lot about India being a major market for Apple and expected a great deal from iPhone this year. However, by looking at the devices and pricing, I think Apple planned wrongly to tap the nerves of Indians," he said.

Dev said that buying an iPhone 8 would be a compromise when iPhone X is around the corner. 

"Then again, shelling out Rs 89,000 for the `Super Premium` device is not my cup of tea. I would rather go for Samsung Galaxy Note 8." 

IANS found several iPhone users, who spoke highly of Apple and said they would wait for iPhone X to arrive in November.

Yatharth Sinha, who uses iPhone 6s, said he waited for iPhone 7 to do wonders but it failed.

"I waited for an extra year thinking iPhone 8 would bring something new. Apple launched iPhone X with great features and new powerful camera. For sure, I`m not buying an iPhone 8, iPhone X does the magic for me but I still need some time to comprehend the heavy price tag," he told IANS.

Another iPhone user, Sheeba Manzoor, said that although the reviews have not been that great, she would still buy the device.

"I am absolutely thinking of buying it as it will be an upgrade for a 5s user like me," she noted.

A similar response was noticed in the US after reviewers spoke less of the device`s innovation earlier this month and the queues outside Apple stores were shorter than previous years.