Apple iPhone 8 prices leaked: Upcoming handset will burn pockets

The launch for Apple’s upcoming new smartphone is just a few days away and the iPhone 8 buzz is getting louder. Fans are excited about the company’s tenth anniversary handset as it will reportedly pack all-new features never before seen in previous models. But new enhancements also mean new pricing, and based on an Apple insider’s leaked info, it seems that the tech giant’s new flagship will burn pockets.

Mobile reporter Benjamin Geskin leaked the supposed pricing details of the iPhone 8 on Monday and it seems a bit excessive. The Mac maker’s tenth anniversary phone will come in three variants and the same number of price points.

According to Geskin, who said that he got the info from a “friend who has friend at Apple,” the new iPhone will start at US$999 for the 64 GB model, followed by the 256 GB unit at US$1,099 and the 512 GB variant at US$1,199. The 512 GB storage is the largest for any iPhone in history and is rather too much for a mobile device especially since Apple has a 256 GB memory option for its 12-inch MacBook.

In the US, the iPhone 7 currently starts at US$649 for the 32 GB variant, followed by the 128 GB model at US$749 and the 256 GB unit at US$849. In Australia, those models respectively sell for AU$1,079, AU$1,229 and AU$1,379. Based on the numbers, the iPhone 8’s 64 GB model could sell for about AU$1,429 while the 256 GB and the 512 GB units could go for around AU$1,579 and AU$1,729, respectively.

Apple will launch the iPhone 8 on September 12 Tuesday, at 10:00 a.m. PST at the Steve Jobs Theatre, which is located at the company’s new Apple Park “Spaceship” campus in its Cupertino headquarters in California. Australians can stream the event live on September 13, Wednesday at 3:00 a.m. The new Apple handset should be available worldwide about a week and a half after the unveiling.

Meanwhile, the rival flagship Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will hit US and UK shores on September 15 and Australia on September 22. Telstra has reportedly launched a mobile phone plan overhaul to entice interested iPhone 8 and Galaxy Note 8 purchasers. The giant telco is set to woo consumers with more downloads, some kind of method to “bank” unused data and free yearly Foxtel subscriptions. According to Telstra mobile product executive director Michael Simpson, the company will come up with new mobile phone plans for both prepaid and postpaid users of the new Apple and Samsung flagships.