Canada's Largest Carrier Says iPhone 8 Demand Has Been 'Anemic'

Rogers, the largest wireless carrier in Canada, has admitted that it has seen lackluster demand for the iPhone 8 so far.

"What we're seeing is sort of […] anemic appetite for the iPhone 8," said Rogers CEO Joe Natale, during an earnings call today, according to Reuters.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders began on September 15, and the devices launched on September 22, including at Rogers.

Earlier today, China's Economic Daily News claimed Apple has asked its suppliers to reduce iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus production by nearly 50 percent in November and December, just days after iPhone X pre-orders begin.

The report cited an unnamed source who claimed it is the first time in the iPhone's ten-year history that new models will face a major cutback less than three months after Apple suppliers began mass production in China. Given the staggered release of the iPhone X, however, this isn't a typical launch to begin with.

Apple shares declined around 1.5 percent in pre-market trading today as investors reacted to the news, dragging down the Dow Jones.

While many industry observers believe any negative sentiment surrounding the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus spells good news for iPhone X demand, Natale warned about the device's higher price and potential supply constraints.

"The iPhone X price point is about 75 percent higher than the iPhone 7. So it's a very expensive device," he said, referring to the device's $1319 starting price in Canada. "Inventory is a question mark in terms of what we will get."

iPhone X pre-orders begin next Friday, October 27 in several countries, including the United States and Canada. The device launches November 3.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8

Tag: Rogers

Buyer's Guide: iPhone 8 (Caution)

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

theelysium

9 months ago

Apple should have put the dual camera on the smaller iPhone 8. Most of us on 6s would have upgraded, but without that dual camera we are sticking with our 6s. Apple's bad for not including it.

Rating: 17 Votes

Ds6778

9 months ago

I genuinely think smartphone hype of years past is gone. Not only are we getting mostly iterative updates, they’re also getting crazy expensive. I can see the average person holding onto their phone for a few years at this point.

Rating: 13 Votes

agsystems

9 months ago

"The iPhone X price point is about 75 percent higher than the iPhone 7. So it's a very expensive device," he said,referring to the device's $1319 starting price in Canada"
Exactly what I have been saying if the customers don't get help from the carriers (rebates, installment, etc) Apple could be in trouble even matching last year's numbers. The number of folks outside the US able to outright purchase $1000-1500 phones its likely small or not the size Apple is expecting.

Rating: 7 Votes

v0lume4

9 months ago

What I ponder is if we are going to see a big dip in iPhone sales this quarter. Lackluster demand for the iPhone 8 (due to the incremental updates as well as people holding out for the X), as well as limited supply for the iPhone X could lead to lower than anticipated sales for the quarter.

And, something else that I don't think many people have considered -- how many folks are going to skip the iPhone X outright, due to it's price? The sample group here on the MacRumors forums isn't indicative of the rest of the buying public's purchase behavior. Only time will tell. Will be interested to see how this pans out.

Rating: 5 Votes

coolfactor

9 months ago

I can see how this happens.

* iPhone 8 — not different enough from iPhone 7 to justify an upgrade
* iPhone X — way too expensive for most people

Rating: 5 Votes

nvmls

9 months ago

Keep those margins up Apple so fanboys can compensate less sales, they love it.

Rating: 5 Votes

KeepCalmPeople

9 months ago

Everybody is assuming:
1) Lackluster 8/8+ sales are due to consumers holding out for the X
2) If X sales are low, it will be due to supply contraints

What if:
1) 8/8+ sales are low because the 8 is an incremental improvement over the 7, the price has increased, people are holding onto their phones longer etc.
2) The X is simply too expensive for most current iPhone users to even consider

Rating: 4 Votes

nylon

9 months ago

Or maybe it's just that Rogers sucks.

Rating: 3 Votes

sers

9 months ago

Love the iPhone X, but there's no way I would spend that kind of money on a phone. My SE isn't in the same ballpark technically speaking, but they both essentially do the same thing.

Rating: 3 Votes

Black Magic

9 months ago

While the iPhone X is nice, folks that get it will be beta testers. Not many apps will be ready for the resolution or design at launch. Next year will be the time to jump on that ship as developers will have many apps ready for it.

Rating: 3 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]