The new Icom IC-705 should be available starting April 2020, with a MSRP of 124,800 yen + tax.
As you probably know by now, the Icom IC-705 is a portable SDR transceiver that covers HF/VHF/UHF with a power output of up to 10W. The 4.3″ colour touchscreen display and novel features (for a HF radio) such as GPS or Bluetooth are just some of the unique features that make the IC-705 highly awaited by radio amateurs everywhere.
At this moment, 124,800 yen translates to US$1,138 / €1,024 / £871 and this doesn’t include taxes. Icom UK expects an initial market price of £1,000+VAT.
This feels a bit on the expensive side and doesn’t seem to hit the right price point for the portable crowd, in my opinion. However, being the only modern radio in its segment gives it quite good value, as long as the battery life is reasonable.
For comparison, the Icom IC-7300 was initially priced at 139,800 yen (December 2015) , which was the equivalent of US$1,134 / €1,047 / £744 at the time. The first market prices in the US were around US$1,500 (March 2016) and after about a year they settled to what we know.
For more information, see my previous post about the Icom IC-705.
