挑战果粉信仰的新iPhone

“果粉”们期盼已久的苹果新品发布会将在9月12日举行，届时苹果将发布10周年纪念版iPhone。新款iPhone在显示屏、摄像头和总体设计上均有重大升级，预计售价将达到1000美元。面对史无前例的高昂价格，“果粉”的忠诚还经得住考验吗？

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

enthusiasm[ɪn'θuːziæzəm] n. 热忱，热情

saturation[ˌsætʃə'reɪʃn] n. 饱和

continuous [kən'tɪnjuəs] adj. 连续的，继续的

augmented [ɔːg'mentɪd] adj. 增强的，扩张的

slick[slɪk] adj. 光滑的；娴熟的

elasticity[ˌiːlæ'stɪsəti] n. 弹力，弹性

reckoning['rekənɪŋ] n. 计算，算帐

Apple tests customer loyalty with $1,000 iPhone(511 words)

By Tim Bradshaw

Apple will this week test its customers’ loyalty, buying power and enthusiasm for innovation when it unveils the first iPhone to cost as much as $1,000.

Tuesday’s event at Apple’s new Cupertino headquarters is expected to reveal its much-anticipated 10th-anniversary iPhone, offering significant upgrades to the smartphone’s display, camera and overall design.

The high-end model is an addition to Apple’s line-up, alongside more incremental updates to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus released last year.

Analysts believe the launch will help Apple to overcome its growth problem of the last two years. In markets such as America and Europe, where smartphone ownership is close to saturation and many customers are holding on to their existing handsets for longer, the best way to drive faster revenue growth is by charging more for each device, rather than simply relying on unit growth.

At the same time, Apple is bringing in costly new components. These include an OLED display that makes the front of the phone into one continuous screen. Depth-sensing cameras will offer new “augmented reality” features and allow the device to be unlocked by face recognition, instead of fingerprint.

More advanced components are in short supply, however, which could leave many customers waiting long after September to get hold of the new iPhone. That presents an opportunity for rivals such as Samsung’s new Note 8 or Essential, the smartphone maker led by Android co-founder Andy Rubin, which is targeting premium customers such as Apple’s with its slick $699 device. Google is also said to be preparing a new version of its Pixel smartphone, which has proved popular with early adopters.

A survey by Creative Strategies and SurveyMonkey found that 21 per cent of consumers planning to buy the new iPhone would do so however much it cost, although 33 per cent of existing iPhone users said they would not upgrade if it was too expensive.

Analysts at Citi Research expect the “bill of materials” and assembly costs for the special-edition model to be $100 higher than for today’s iPhone 7, at an estimated $387. Half of that extra cost is due to the OLED display, which is available in more limited quantities from supplier Samsung Electronics than the LCD screens in previous iPhones.

To retain its gross margin of about 46 per cent, Wayne Lam of research group IHS predicts Apple will be forced to price the device at about $1,000.

“It is no secret that Apple has the highest profit margins in history,” he said. “This year will test the price elasticity of regular consumers.”

Some customers are prepared to pay more for their smartphones because the device has become so central to their daily lives, analysts say. Other smartphone makers are taking advantage of that: Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8, released next week, costs $960.

Still, it is more than most people spend on a PC these days. “Given that phones don’t necessarily last more than two years, it’s a big investment,” Mr Lam said. “There is an economic reckoning that needs to be had with the ever-increasing costs of devices.”

请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：

1.According to the article, why does Apple have growth problem in the last two years?

A. Because costumers in America and Europe will not upgrade their iPhone if it is too expensive.

B. Because costumers in America and Europe now tend to choose cheaper handsets.

C. Because costumers in America and Europe gradually lose their interest in iphone.

D. Because costumers in America and Europe upgrade their handsets slower than before.

答案(1)

2.Which is the most costly new component of the 10th-anniversary iPhone?

A. The depth-sensing camera.

B. The augmented reality device.

C. The face recognition.

D. The OLED display.

答案(2)

3.We can conclude from the passage that the cost of iPhone 7 is around ____.

A. $287.

B. $387.

C. $487.

D. $587.

答案(3)

4.Which of the following statements about Apple's upcoming new iPhone is true?

A. Samsung will supply OLEDs for Apple's new iPhone in limited quantities.

B. A survey shows most of existing iPhone users will not buy the new iPhone.

C. A new iPhone with the largest storage capacity will cost as much as $1,000.

D. Its “augmented reality” features allow the device to be unlocked by fingerprint.

答案(4)

* * *

(1) 答案：D.Because costumers in America and Europe upgrade their handsets slower than before.

解释：分析人士称此次新品发布将帮助苹果克服困扰两年之久的增长问题。在美国和欧洲等市场，智能手机市场占有率接近饱和，很多消费者不再频繁更换现有手机。

(2) 答案：D.The OLED display.

解释：苹果公司带来了昂贵的新部件，手机的成本也随之提高，提高的成本中有一半都花在OLED显示屏上。

(3) 答案：B.$387.

解释：据估计，新一代iPhone的成本达到了$387，比iPhone7增加了$100。

(4) 答案：A.Samsung will supply OLEDs for Apple's new iPhone in limited quantities.

解释：三星电子是新iPhone的OLED屏幕供应商，与前代的LCD屏幕相比，OLED的供应量更加有限。