entry-level

　iPhone Xの予約が始まりました。

iPhone X supply tight

Apple Inc. began accepting early orders for its iPhone X and shipping times quickly lengthened to as much as five weeks in the U.S., signaling supplies will likely remain tight as the new device goes on sale Nov. 3.

Hong Kong appeared to sell out less than half an hour after purchases commenced in the mid-afternoon, as the online store for the city of 7 million showed both models of the gadget to be “currently unavailable.”

The device also sold out via Apple’s website within minutes in the U.K. By mid-morning, customers trying to preorder the phone — which will cost British consumers £999 for the entry-level model — were being told they would have to wait four to six weeks for availability.

以下省略

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004030998

　entry-levelを取り上げます。entryと聞くと、場所への入場や競技などへの参加が思い浮かびますが、levelがつくとどのような意味になるのでしょうか。手持ちの紙辞書には記載がありませんでしたが、電子辞書の『ジーニアス英和辞典』（第4版　大修館書店）には「（主に英）（製品が）初心者向きの、基本的な；（仕事が）未経験者向けの、最下位の地位の」とありました。

　LDOCEには “entry level product/model/computer etc” の形で “a product etc that is the most basic or simple of its kind, making it suitable for people who do not have much money to spend or who do not have experience using the product” と定義されています。

　ひとくくりにiPhoneといっても容量などでいくつかの種類分けがされていることから、ここでは一番基本となるモデルという意味になるのではないかと思いました。（aqua）