Why Apple’s next iPhone could turn out to be its most costly

APPLE could be about to release an iPhone costing almost £1,000 – its most expensive ever.

A cutting-edge screen, supply constraints and huge demand for the eighth model of the popular smartphone are set to push its price up, it has been claimed.

Blogger and Apple specialist John Gruber said a starting price of about $1,200 (£913) was ‘quite likely’.

The California-based giant’s rumoured redesign will see the iPhone boast organic lightemitting diode (OLED) ‘edgeto-edge’ screens in order to improve picture quality.

It may have also ditched the button at the foot of the screen and added wireless charging.

But Mr Gruber said the decision to use the ‘fancy’ new screen meant Apple would be unable to produce the iPhone 8 in the same quantities as previous models.

In the past, they had been manufactured at a rate of 20-25million a month.

He added: ‘The best available iPhone should be, arguably, the best phone in the world.

‘That might not be possible if all iPhones must be capable of being manufactured in the same quantities as in recent years.

‘It sounds to me like the OLED iPhone is a phone which Apple can’t make 40million of per quarter, at least not today.

‘And if that’s true, that means it should be more expensive.’

Apple did not comment.

‘Should be best in the world’