For the longest time, every single Apple product introduced to consumers was pretty much aguaranteed hit. In fact, each model outsold its predecessor by a considerable margin. This was the tech giant’s reality until this year. For the very first time, Apple encountered a glaring drop in iPhone sales. Apple still sold millions of units, however, for most tech reviewers and vendors who sell iPhones; this decline seems to point out the future of iPhone revenues.
With this profit drop comes rumors about the company’s refresh cycle. Based on a report from Nikkei, Apple is reported to be considering switching the iPhone refresh cycle to once every three years. Purportedly, this is because of the absence of significant developments in the overall smartphone hardware. This means the reason to update annually weakens its worth.
For tech reviewers, this actually makes sense since year after year we only see a handful of improvements. These include faster units due to improved RAM with a slightly better power use and improved camera features. But apart from these few add-ons, nothing specifically important has come up. The truth is, the iPhone 7 series is apparently somewhat lackluster in its reported technical specs, with its most fun element likely being a potential dual lens setting.
At any rate take, iPhone enthusiasts must take this news with a grain of salt since the company’s newest smartphone series will be released later this year. This three-year refresh cycle will most likely not happen anytime soon.
Is It a Good Move?
A move to a three-year refresh cycle would appear to be a risky one, so much so that many are doubtful if the rumors are true. The report from Nikkei provided no specific proof for the headline claim, or at the very least, nothing new. However, almost every report these days conveys the same story: that the newest iPhone series is pretty much similar to the old iPhone line. All reputable tech sites have supported this report, particularly for the smaller handles.
Still, consumers and vendors are anticipating several more changes. Apple seems to be resolved in getting rid of the headphone plug for both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. It also sounds like the antenna band will most likely be less glaring. The smaller handles may get the visual image stabilization presently restricted to the 5.5-inch model, whereas the bigger ones appear set in acquiring a newer dual-camera setup.
There will probably be additional improvements we are not aware of. But each of the advertised renders and images indicate that the appearance of the iPhone 7 appears to be similar to the style of the present 6 and 6 Plus. It may be argued that the reason for this mirror design is that
Apple is already focusing on the three-year update cycle for future gadgets. Nikkei advocated a couple of reasons the company may want to transition to this new cycle.
One, there is very little room left for significant improvements. Two, consumers grow closer to the global saturation stage where the market slows down. The effects of these probable reasons point to the direction of the company also slowing down its development.
Cesar is a Product Manager at Gadget Salvation, a leader in the refurbished electronics industry. An avid technology enthusiast, he’s always on top of the latest tech trends and applies that knowledge to drive product innovation.
