Why the new iPhone’s lucky number 8 may not bring Apple good fortune in China
Chinese users’ love of the new may see them forsake the iPhone 8 for the fresh look and innovation of the iPhone X, according to a survey
Two of Apple’s latest iPhone models may carry the number eight in their names, but that may not bring the company the luck in China that the number is associated with there.
A recent survey showed that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus may be less popular among Chinese users than the company’s other new model, the iPhone X, because its new features and striking change in visual appearance appeal more than just another upgraded model.
Despite its hefty price tag – starting at 8,388 yuan (US$1,281) in China – the iPhone X is the most wanted among the three new models, according to the survey published on Thursday by Penguin Intelligence, a market research unit affiliated with the Hong Kong-listed internet giant Tencent Holdings.
The poll of 73,907 Chinese internet users showed that 66.2 per cent who expressed interest in buying a new iPhone voted for the iPhone X, 20.4 per cent for the iPhone 8 Plus and 13.4 per cent for the iPhone 8. About one-third of those polled would buy one of the new iPhones, it said, without detailing how many were existing Apple users.
For Beijing office worker ET Meng, the choice is easy.
“The iPhone 8 looks too identical to the iPhone 6 or 7. My philosophy is either picking the best or not buying at all,” said Meng, She wants to buy an iPhone X even if it means paying an extra 2,000 yuan and waiting a few months longer.
Apple has dubbed the iPhone X “the future of the smartphone”. New features not found in earlier iPhones include an edge-to-edge screen and facial recognition technology.