8-bit PIC IC pricing?

[trastikata]

Hi all,

I was wondering how doe MC price the 8-bit MCUs? Is it based on research cost, transistor count, functionality or something else?

The question has been bugging me for some time since I stumbled across PIC18F67K22 for an old device. The IC has no special functionality, looks like general purpose MCU with some standard peripherals and yet it costs 8$ a piece - triple or quadruple the price for much better PICs?

[tumbleweed]

Microchip almost never obsolete a part. You can still get almost everything from 20+ years ago.
What they DO do is raise the price as the devices get older to discourage its use/make them more cash.

It's almost always the case that the newer the chip, the less it costs, even if it's more capable.

In fairness, older devices usually have less demand, so they're probably running smaller batches on older technology fabs so it's costing them more to produce them.

[shantanu@india]

PIC prices have almost trebled after the pandemic... Microchip China products are off the shelves in our part of the world

[m.kaviani]

here the price is based on valid information and sells about using that device. for example, the price is 10$ 16f876A, but 8$ for 18f66k80!
or 2$ for small 12f675.

[shantanu@india]

12F675 used to sell at 0.5$ before 2020

[Giuseppe MPO]

I think that the price, rather than for technical reasons, is given for marketing reasons only, the high price for old components is given only to try to entice people to buy new components. The old components are only stock funds.
As for the others, the price depends only on choices to maximize the profit.