Lucky 8? $1,000 price tag lowers iPhone enthusiasm in China

While the iPhone 6 took China by storm in 2014, models since have received a more muted response

Apple will launch an expected “iPhone 8” on Tuesday, hoping the number’s auspicious connotations in China will help turn around fortunes in the world’s biggest smartphone market after six quarters of falling sales.

Chinese shoppers, however, are already counting the cost, with the latest model tipped to have a price tag upward of $1,000 —roughly double the average Chinese monthly salary.

The success of Apple’s next iPhone in China is crucial for the Cupertino-based firm, which has seen its once—coveted phone slip into fifth position in China behind offerings from local rivals Huawei Technologies, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi.

Greater China,