Analyst says Apple might be trying a new strategy for iPhone

Apr 22, 2016 23:15 GMT  ·  By

Apple is projected to unveil the iPhone 7 later this year, most likely in September, but current leaks and information about the device point to a rather modest makeover planned for the next generation iPhone.

And while this could be disappointing for buyers who expected a bigger overhaul over the iPhone 6s, the September release is actually paving the way for a more significant makeover planned for 2017.

Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz believes that Apple might be trying something different with the next iPhone models and actually bring the iPhone 8 to the market one year faster.

The only way to do this is to phase out the iPhone 7s and according to the analyst, this is exactly what the company is planning to do. Basically, Apple wants to launch the iPhone 7 in September as a small upgrade over the current 6s and then introduce the all-new iPhone 8 in 2017.

Typically, Apple first launches a new iPhone and one year later it ships the “s” upgrade which brings hardware improvements and one signature feature, such as Siri and 3D Touch. But for the next iPhone, Apple is becoming more aggressive and could give up on the “s” model in its struggle to breathe life into the iPhone lineup.

The 2017 iPhone

While this does make sense given the fact that Apple is reportedly planning some big changes on the 2017 iPhone, there’s absolutely no confirmation or evidence that the iPhone 7s will never see daylight and be replaced by the iPhone 8.

But even so, the analyst believes that next year’s model will come with significant upgrades, many of which we’ve already heard about, including an OLED screen produced by Samsung, dual cameras, wireless charging and probably the most important, a huge design overhaul with smaller bezels.

As far as the iPhone 7 coming in September is concerned, do not expect anything too exciting this time. Apple is indeed expected to drop the audio jack in the favor of a Lightning port that would serve multiple purposes, but other than that, most changes will be under the hood.

The iPhone 7 will definitely ship with a new processor, most likely the A10, and more RAM, but Apple will probably use the same LCD screen as on the current generation.

Take this with a healthy pinch of salt because Apple’s secrecy certainly leaves room for speculation, so nothing can be taken for granted until the company confirms it.