iPhone X in trouble? Apple reportedly halves production

Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, introduces the iPhone X during a launch event in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam - HP1ED9C1I90DE

Maybe a $1,000 iPhone is too rich for most people after all. Despite a massive amount of hype for Apple's 10th anniversary handset, there are serious signs of trouble.

A new report from Nikkei says Apple will cut its production target in half for the iPhone X for the three-month period beginning in January. The number will reportedly drop from 40 million units to 20 million.

The report, not citing sources, says that Apple has notified its suppliers. The cause for this slashing? Slower-than-expected sales during the holiday season in such markets as the U.S., Europe and China.

It looks like the primary reason for lackluster adoption is the fairly high price tag. At $999, the iPhone X is the most expensive flagship phone from a major company. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, for example, started at $750 and $850, respectively. The Galaxy Note 8, which has a larger screen than the iPhone X (6.3 inches vs 5.8 inches) costs $949.

In our iPhone X review, we found plenty to love about Apple's device, including a best-in-class OLED display and versatile TrueDepth camera. However, while Face ID works well, it's not as fast as Touch ID.

In addition, the iPhone X has a learning curve compared to other iPhones because of its edge-to-edge display and lack of a home button. For instance, our how to close apps on the iPhone X has been our most popular tutorial for months, as it requires a different set of steps.

It's possible that Apple loyalists are simply opting for the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus instead. The Nikkei report says that the company will maintain its existing production target of 30 million units for those two phones and the iPhone 7.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus don't boast the iPhone X's dazzling OLED display, but they both pack the same blazing A11 Bionic chip. And the iPhone 8 Plus' dual rear cameras are just about as capable as the shooters on the iPhone X, with the exception of optical image stabilization on both lenses.