1000美元iPhone将考验“果粉”忠诚度
Apple will this week test its customers’ loyalty, buying power and enthusiasm for innovation when it unveils the first iPhone to cost as much as $1,000. Tuesday’s event at Apple’s new Cupertino headquarters is expected to reveal its much-anticipated 10th-anniversary iPhone, offering significant upgrades to the smartphone’s display, camera and overall design. The high-end model is an addition to Apple’s line-up, alongside more incremental updates to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus released last year. Analysts believe the launch will help Apple to overcome its growth problem of the last two years. In markets such as America and Europe, where smartphone ownership is close to saturation and many customers are holding on to their existing handsets for longer, the best way to drive faster revenue growth is by charging more for each device, rather than simply relying on unit growth. At the same time, Apple is bringing in costly new components. These include an OLED display that makes the front of the phone into one continuous screen. Depth-sensing cameras will offer new “augmented reality” features and allow the device to be unlocked by face recognition, instead of fingerprint. At least one model of the next iPhone is expected to feature image-capture technology that can sense depth, and track faces and expressions. A range of new emojis include monkeys and robots, whose animated expressions can mirror the iPhone user’s face as Apple battles for users’ attention with the likes of Facebook and Snapchat. More advanced components are in short supply, however, which could leave many customers waiting long after September to get hold of the new iPhone. That presents an opportunity for rivals such as Samsung’s new Note 8 or Essential, the smartphone maker led by Android co-founder Andy Rubin, which is targeting premium customers such as Apple’s with its slick $699 device. Google is also said to be preparing a new version of its Pixel smartphone, which has proved popular with early adopters. |