Majority of iPhone X Buyers Will Splurge on 256GB Option

Prospective iPhone X buyers said they will opt for the 256-gigabyte storage configuration, according to a survey conducted by investment bank RBC Capital Markets. The survey was distributed in a note to clients Sunday, Business Insider reported.

The firm surveyed 832 individuals about their future iPhone-related purchase plans.

• Out of the 832, 28 percent said that they plan on buying an iPhone X.
• 20 percent said they will purchase an iPhone 8 Plus.
• 17 percent said they’ll go for the standard iPhone 8.
• The remaining 35 percent said they plan on purchasing an older model iPhone.

• A majority — 57 percent — of those surveyed who plan on purchasing an iPhone X said they will buy the 256GB model, priced at $1,149 in the U.S.
• The remaining 43 percent said they’d opt for the cheaper 64GB, which will retail for $999.

For comparison’s sake, 50 percent of prospective iPhone 7 buyers opted for the 128GB configuration — the middle-of-the-road option between the 32GB and 256GB tiers. Removing that option this year might bode well for Apple, as otherwise middle-tier buyers might be more likely to opt for the larger storage options.

“Interestingly, Apple has removed the middle-tier storage option from iPhones,” said analyst Amit Daryanani. “We think that given increasingly greater storage requirements, most of mid-tier storage users will move towards the higher tier.”

RBC Capital Markets also interviewed a larger pool of prospective buyers, asking which iPhone X feature was the most attractive. Out of the 4,196 surveyed, 46 percent said that it was wireless charging (you can see the rest of the results broken down below).

The investment bank joins other financial firms that are optimistic about iPhone X demand. Indeed, some analysts have predicted that — due to that high demand — it will be incredibly difficult to actually purchase the premium device this year. RBC Capital Markets has set an upbeat target price for AAPL stock at $180.

The iPhone X will become available for pre-order on Oct. 27. The high-end device will then hit store shelves and begin shipping out to consumers on Nov. 3.