Apple Flagship Store (Photo : Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
Apple is following up 2015's year of big releases with what industry experts believe will be a year of flat sales as the company tweaks and polishes its product line instead of launching the next big thing. In fact, the company's value has been slashed over $220 billion by Wall Street analysts due to the smartphone market's saturation. This follows the company launching the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, and Apple Watch during the past year.
In fact, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty recently projected that next year will be the first one in which iPhone sales decrease. She projected a 3 percent drop. Analysts at KGI Securities and Pacific Crest have made similar forecasts.
Other analysts have been more upbeat about 2016. Ian Dawson of Jack Daw Research has predicted that Apple's sales will keep growing, but is less optimistic about the iPad due to struggling sales in the tablet market.
The Apple Watch helped Tim Cook's company to enter the wearables market with $1.7 billion in sales within just six months. In fact, it leapfrogged companies such as Sony and Samsung.
Apple also rolled out an upgraded Apple TV and 12-inch iPad Pro. Meanwhile, Apple Music has 8 million subscribers, which could increase to 20 million by the end of 2016.
Argus Insights CEO John Feland predicts that Apple will start to focus on smart homes rather than mobile devices, according to News. He believes that the company might vanquish competitors who have failed to produce Internet of Things (IoT) products that earn high sales figures.
However, other mobile devices are also in the works for next year. The iPhone 7 will be the most anticipated release, although there could also be a new Apple Watch, upgraded MacBook, and another iPad Pro, according to TechnoBuffalo.
