Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch Revised 4.7-inch iPhone 8 in March 2020 to Boost Share of Mid-Tier Smartphone Market

Apple will launch a new version of the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 early next year with updated internals in a bid to boost its share of the mid-tier smartphone market, according to a report out today by the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) [Google Translate].

iphone 8 black
Citing sources from Taiwan-based Fubon Securities Investment Trust, EDN claims Apple's revised ‌iPhone‌ 8, launching in March 2020, will retain its 4.7-inch LCD display but will include a new PCB design featuring an A13 processor, a single-lens rear camera, and 128GB of base storage.

Production units are expected to reach 20 million, with all orders going to manufacturer Pegatron. EDN believes the new 4.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ 8 will have an aggressive price tag of around $649, as Apple attempts to boost its share of the mid-tier market, where it has lost out to Chinese rivals like Oppo and Vivo.

Apple's flagship ‌iPhone‌ XS, XS Max, and XR devices dominate its marketing, but the company continues to offer the ‌iPhone‌ 8 and ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus, originally launched in 2017, as lower cost options alongside the even cheaper ‌iPhone‌ 7 series.

Current prices for the existing ‌iPhone‌ 8 series, which include a Home button and thick top and bottom bezels, start at $599 for a 64GB ‌iPhone‌ 8 or $699 for an ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus. Both older iPhones are more affordable than the $749 ‌iPhone‌ XR, the $999 ‌iPhone‌ XS, and the $1099 ‌iPhone‌ XS Max.

(Via DigiTimes.)

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Whatsapp Feature

WhatsApp to Drop Support for These iPhones Starting May 2025

Monday December 2, 2024 2:57 am PST by
WhatsApp is set to end support for iOS versions older than iOS 15.1 from May next year, removing the chat platform's compatibility with several iPhone models in the process. From May 5, 2025, WhatsApp will no longer be compatible with iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus models. Users with those devices won't be able to access the encrypted chat service after the specified date unless they ...
Apple AI Command Center Concept Mock 3

Apple Expected to Launch This All-New Device Next Year

Wednesday November 27, 2024 1:05 pm PST by
Apple is expected to kick off 2025 by launching an all-new smart home hub, also referred to as a "command center," as early as March. The hub is expected to feature around a six-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. The device is said to run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and it is expected...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 27, 2024 5:05 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in early December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as...
iphone 16 pro models 1

12 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Friday November 29, 2024 5:17 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Flip iPhone Thumb 1

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market

Monday December 2, 2024 4:04 pm PST by
The foldable smartphone market has stalled with customer interest in foldables waning, but that could change when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, according to display analyst Ross Young. In a report on the current foldable smartphone market, Young says that Apple is expected to "enter the foldable market" in the second half of 2026. Apple's "dominant position in flagship smartphones" could...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Thursday November 28, 2024 3:30 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Rectangle Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Already Rumored to Have These 8 New Features

Wednesday November 27, 2024 12:19 pm PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch for 10 more months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. An imaginative iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro ...

Top Rated Comments

flygbuss Avatar
74 months ago
Probably my next phone. Love my 7 and couldn’t care less about the so called bezels the whole world seems so obsessed with.
Score: 56 Votes (Like | Disagree)
19SK91 Avatar
74 months ago
Home Button and thick bezels for $649? I don‘t think many people will buy that. If they keep the 4.7" display size but shrink the bezel and add FaceID then people who want an SE2 would buy it.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
igroeg Avatar
74 months ago
I don't know how it will fare priced at $649 and with such a dated design.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Feyl Avatar
74 months ago
Another recycled expensive product from Tim Cook. Color me surprised..
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T'hain Esh Kelch Avatar
74 months ago
SE diehard fans: This is your affordable small form factor iPhone.
...Except it is neither affordable nor small form factor.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
19SK91 Avatar
74 months ago
SE diehard fans: This is your affordable small form factor iPhone.
Pretty much the same physical size as a X/XS.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)