Customers stand beneath an Apple logo. (Photo : Reuters/Mike Segar)
Unfazed by the decline in iPhone 6S sales, Apple CEO Tim Cook is upbeat that following the iPhone 7 release date in the second half of 2016 there will be mass upgrade moves as the next iPhone is packed with killer features that consumers will find hard to resist. A new report agrees, adding that AAPL will get back to growth trajectory soon.
"We are going to give you things that you can't live without that you just don't know you need today," Cook was reported by 9to5Mac as saying. The statement somehow echoes the sentiment originated by Cook's immediate predecessor - the late Steve Jobs.
The Apple chief, however, stopped short of providing the specific feature upgrades that the 2016 iPhones will deliver. One guess coming from 9to5Mac is dual camera system that a number of Android flagship phones have already introduced in the past months but fell short in execution.
It is believed that with the iPhone 7, the feature - essentially bumping up the iPhone camera capabilities to near-DSLR level - will be implemented to near perfection, which is an Apple signature.
The sequel to the iPhone 6S is also expected to be a huge redesign - sporting a new chassis with the body slimmer and lighter than ever and the finish clearer with the elimination of the rear antenna band. Another rumored upgrade is the Smart Connector, first seen with the iPad Pro, that Apple Insider said will lead to the use of bigger but slimmer battery pack.
The next iPhone is likely to include wireless charging likes its Samsung Galaxy S7 rival, thanks again to the Smart Connector, Apple Insider added on its report.
And with the iPhone 7 launch this year seemingly jammed with killer features, a UBS report said that the device is generating higher anticipation than the iPhone 6S did last year. The trend has been observed in key destinations led by the United States and China - two of the biggest and most lucrative smartphone markets. The likelihood is Apple fans that skipped the 6S will readily jump to the new model come the availability time.
"The data has led UBS analyst Steven Milunovich to predict that iPhone unit growth will reach between 5 and 10 percent in Apple's fiscal year 2017," Apple Insider reported.
Powered by iOS 10 and A10 mobile processor, the iPhone 7 (together with the iPhone 7 Plus) is expected for a release date no later than September 2016 though speculations are rife that the unboxing could be advanced, likely in August, if only to improve the overall iPhone sales performance in the remaining months of the year.
