The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. (Photo : FACEBOOK)
Will Apple advanced its iPhone 7 release date plans in light of the latest downward price adjustments for all iPhone models currently available to the Japanese market? The 4-inch iPhone SE and the iPhone 6S and 6 are now down by 10 percent from their introductory price tags, a new report said.
Savings go as high as $83 for the 128GB iPhone 6S Plus while the iPhone SE sticker price has been shaved off by as much as $50 in what looked like as currency exchange adjustments observed by Apple. But in a report, 9to5Mac said that the specific "reason for the price cut was not given," so it could be that the current inventory of the iPhone 6 and 6S are in the process of being cleared out to make room for fresh shipments.
Basing too on the report, the Japanese iPhone price adjustment is across the board and includes limited refund aimed at buyers who got iPhone SE, 6S and 6 from Apple Store in the last 14 days. Sadly, those who bought units when the SE was first made available are out of luck - the refund does not apply to buyers who snapped up the new compact iPhone from March 31 up to early April.
And if indeed the latest Apple move points to an earlier 2016 iPhone launch, some analysts said such a decision will be due to dipping sales of the current models. The sales numbers are projected to retreat not only for the March 2016 quarter but also by the end of June, Apple watchers said.
So in order to stave off the negative impact, the tech giant could ensure that sales will improve by September and en route to exploding figures by the end of 2016. The most feasible way Apple can do so is by deploying the next iPhone at least a month ahead from the usual release cycle.
It is likely that the earliest that the iPhone 7 will arrive is around August and mass production could start late May or early June.
Apple appears quite upbeat that the next iPhone will perform a lot better than the 6S as rumors continue to fire up that the sequel will be of different design and build from its immediate predecessor. Gone will be the home button and the 3.5mm audio jack, paving the way for an all-screen front panel and a slimmer build. The rear antenna band is rumored to have been pushed further at the edge that gives the new iPhone a clearer back finish.
The iPhone 7 on release date is also believed to introduce a dual-camera system but according to analysts the camera bump will be exclusive to the 5.5-inch model that likely will be renamed iPhone Pro. Powering the next iPhone series is the duo of A10 application processor and iOS 10.
