Apple Stock News: Which New iPhone Has Higher Margins?
October 4, 2017
Apple Stock News
For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $154.48 per share on October 3rd, 2017. Its share price increased 0.44% from its previous close on October 2nd, 2017, when it closed at $153.81 per share.
An interesting question is starting to be asked. Which new iPhone is more profitable-the iPhone 8 or the iPhone X? The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are similar to the iPhone 7 in terms of manufacturing cost. Even so, Apple bumped up the price of these phones compared to the iPhone 7 due to the higher storage capacity of 64 GB. There is also the option to upgrade to 256 GB storage for $150 which applies to all 2017 models. These facts indicate a healthy margin for the iPhone 8. But everyone knows the X starts at $1,000 so shouldn’t it have a higher margin?
$$ for Samsung
Maybe or maybe not. The X model is believed to cost significantly more to manufacture due to the radical redesign. An example being the new OLED screens supplied by Samsung as well as the more advanced cameras. Samsung is estimated to earn at least $110 from each iPhone X model sold which could amount to $4B over the first 20 months after the X model ships according to Counterpoint Technology Market Research. These new screens cost significantly more than the screens in previous models. The price of $1,000 might not be enough to make up for the additional new costs and could lead to a lower margin compared to the 8 models.
However, this assumption could get muddled because more than half of the iPhone X consumers are gravitating towards the 256 GB model which costs $150 more than the base model. That would add to its profitability. For the iPhone 8, less than half of the customers are expected to buy the 256 GB model.
The iPhone 8 demand is seen as being subpar because consumers are waiting for the release of the iPhone X. Obviously, Apple and its investors would want to sell more of its most profitable model. Right now, that model is a mystery. That being said, with higher prices all around, the iPhone average selling price (ASP) should see a noticeable jump.
In Other News
According to a survey reported to the Financial Times, less than 25% of Chinese consumers who plan to buy a new smartphone would buy an iPhone. More than 30% would rather buy a Huawei smartphone. The reasoning is that most of the market growth is going to the mid-market space, not the premium space where Apple operates.
The Trump administration’s proposed tax framework could have a significant effect on Apple. The framework mentions “rules to protect the U.S. tax base by taxing at a reduced rate and on a global basis the foreign profits of multinational corporations.” The rate and formula weren’t listed, but this one sentence can have multi-billion dollar implications for multinationals like Apple. One positive takeaway from the framework is that it would allow Apple to repatriate many years’ worth of foreign earnings at a reduced tax rate which is expected to be in the 10-15% range.
Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For Full AAPL forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.
