According to Apple-focused tech leaker iAppleTimes on Twitter, Apple is not only going to pull the plug on the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 Pro, it is also going to drop the price of the iPhone 11 to $549 upon the launch of the iPhone 12 (via Tom’s Guide).
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The discontinuation of the previous Pro models follows a pattern that Apple established with the iPhone X as that model and the following iPhone XS models were all eliminated from the lineup after one year. The iPhone XR’s discontinuation would perhaps be a bit more surprising if it were it not for the release of the iPhone SE this year that along with the rumored price drop on the iPhone 11 obviates the need for the once “budget” iPhone. The bigger news is that $150 price drop for the $699 base model iPhone 11. While this does mirror the drop seen on the iPhone XR last year, that device was coming down from $749. This will make the iPhone 11 a tough bargain to beat despite the improvements coming in the iPhone 12 and while it may cannibalize some of the sales of the lower-end iPhone 12 from a sales perspective, Apple also likely sees it as a solid potential upsell for iPhone SE buyers. Regardless of how Apple is viewing that math, it is also going to contribute to by far the most confusing iPhone lineup for consumers in the company’s history. Assuming pricing rumors for the iPhone 12 are correct, iPhone customers are going to have the iPhone SE at $399, the iPhone 11 at $549 and then the iPhone 12 lineup starting at $649 for the standard iPhone 12, $749 for the iPhone 12 Max, $999 for the iPhone 12 Pro and $1,099 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Unlike in the laptop market, Apple will have virtually all of its bases covered in smartphone pricing from the low-mid range all the way up to flagship-class pricing. It’s shaping up to be an embarrassment of riches for prospective iPhone buyers this fall and don’t worry we’ll be ready to guide you on the right choice to make among all of these options.
