Will Apple opt for an earlier release date for the iPhone 7 as market reports indicate that South Korea's Samsung has outperformed the U.S-based tech giant in the latter's own turf. Thanks to the duo of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, the iPhone is no longer the bestselling mobile phone in the United States.
The latest market data, which Business Korea said was provided by Counterpoint Research from Hong Kong, showed that bannered by the GS7 Samsung captured 28.8 percent of the U.S. smartphone market by the end of March 2016. The result was revealed following Apple's revelation of its latest earnings report that reflected the receding, though still impressive, sales numbers of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
During the first three months of 2016, Apple only managed to secure 23 percent of the market pie on its home base, further highlighting the weakening performance of the current iPhone models, which closed out 2015 flying off the shelves and delivering for Apple another record revenue for December 2015.
But the narrative of the ongoing rivalry between the two tech giants appears to be taking in a new story arc, in which Samsung is becoming the top player even in Apple's own backyard. It used to be that the iPhone maker is the perennial leader in the bitter contest between the two titans.
And it likely will be the case by the end of 2016 if Apple will manage to convince massive upgrades and lure in new buys to the next iPhone. Analysts don't see that happening with the freshly-issued 4-inch iPhone SE. At best, the compact handset is labelled as mild success but hardly making a deep impact on Apple's bottom lines.
The task of shoring up to Apple's sales numbers for the balance of 2016 will have to fall on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (rumored too as iPhone Pro), which according to Apple chief Tim Cook is jam-packed with new killer features that will generate massive jumps from old iPhone users and Android owners alike.
Among the most speculated next iPhone feature upgrades are the following - a slimmer and lighter chassis plus a cleaner finish, wireless charging and waterproofing capabilities, bigger batteries for both models and the combo of iOS 10 and A10 mobile processors. Cook is convinced that the above and the numerous bumps that will unbox with the new iPhones will ring the Apple cash register incessantly well into 2017.
Now the chance is quite high that the iPhone 7 release date will take place earlier than its predecessor, likely in August 2016 and not September. And this could happen if mass production of the next iPhone will start May or June, analysts said. Still, Apple will have to deal with the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 - touted as the device that will correct the imperfections seen in the Galaxy S7.