Apple is likely to advance the iPhone 7 release date next year, moving from the usual September rollout to July 2016, a new report said. The adjustment is apparently aimed to boost sales of the iPhone 6S that is seen unlikely to match the iPhone 6 record performance.
According to Business Insider, consumer demand for the current iPhone model turned out weaker than expected with Apple reportedly reducing its projected iPhone sales, bannered by the 6S and 6S Plus, for 2016. From 244 million units, the forecast sales have been downgraded to 222 million, the report said.
But the 6S remains on course to surpass the 2014 holiday sales figures recorded by the iPhone 6 as analysts predict that the 2015 iOS flagship phone is likely to overtake its older sibling by a slim margin. Apple sold nearly 75 million iPhones at the close of December 2014 and it looks like that the tech giant is gunning to beat those numbers by shipping out some 80 million new iPhones in the last quarter of 2015.
However, it seems for now that the new features unboxed with the iPhone 6S are a bit underwhelming, the 3D Touch for instance, that Apple is likely to implement modifications such as opting for an earlier release date for the 6S and 6S Plus sequel - the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
In order to stay competitive against Android rivals, Samsung and LG chief among them, the next iPhone could be scheduled to come out summer of 2016 instead of the usual fall market debut. The iPhone 7 release date could happen as early as July 2016, Apple Insider reported.
As mentioned, the 6S may not haul in the same numbers that the iPhone 6 has managed to turn in during its first three quarters of availability and sales could start to falter by the second quarter of 2016. To arrest the downturn, Apple will introduce the iPhone 7 early in hopes of reversing the downtrend and gain momentum for the remaining months of the year.
The rosier projection for the iPhone 7 is anchored on the perceived design overhaul of the device, which normally is the case when Apple transitions from an S model. Rumors say that the follow up to the 6S could be the slimmest iPhone ever at 6.0mm thin. The power behind the device is believed to be the next-generation A10 processing chip.
But long-time Apple-focused analyst Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities shot down earlier prediction that from LCD the iPhone 7 will boast of an AMOLED display panel. The iPhone 7 on release date will sport an LTPS TFT-LCD screen, Kuo said as reported by 9to5Mac.