Why the iPhone 8 Might Not Cost You $1,000 After All

A thousand bucks is a lot of money to spend on something that's ruining your posture and complicating your relationship with nature or whatever, right? Right. Still, rumors and industry whisperings over the last couple months have suggested that the forthcoming (and possibly OLED-outfitted) iPhone 8 would set Apple users back a full grand. But according to a new report from Business Insider, there's a bit more to the story.

"We believe US carriers are preparing assertive promotions for the launch," Jeffrey Kvaal, a Nomura-Instinet analyst, said. Potentially, what this means is that major carriers like Verizon—in an effort to curb "record-low" upgrade rates—will offer big discounts for anyone ready to ink a long-term contract. According to the report, carriers will likely either discount the device itself or offer a new payment plan to boost sales.

A big selling point for the new iPhone is the fact that it's expected to boast a variety of major improvements and tweaks, which analysts predict will inspire those with older phones to finally take the upgrade plunge. "Modest feature enhancements post-iPhone 6 drove plateauing volumes," Kvaal said.

As for what we can expect as far as upgrade-worthy features, there's a number of possibilities. The next leap in Apple evolution has been rumored to include wireless charging capabilities, no home button, and that aforementioned edge-to-edge OLED display.

Last month marked the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone, an occasion Apple CEO Tim Cook marked with a nod to the late Steve Jobs and the importance of the time 9:41.