Apple announced yesterday that it sold 50.7 millions iPhones during the most recent quarter which disappointed Wall Street because it was a slight year-over-year drop instead of growth. China performance and a “pause” on iPhone sales are partly “due to the earlier and much more frequent reports about future iPhones” according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Supply chain rumors about the so-called iPhone 8 have been surfacing for over a year now — months before the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus debuted — but have they been a factor for you not buying a new iPhone recently?
Personally, I upgrade my iPhone every year when a new model comes out so “iPhone 8” rumors a year ago didn’t make me hold off but instead reassured me that the next model would be a significant update. That still seems true.
And despite the rationale that performance and camera quality is more important than looks, I do believe a lot of customers are disappointed when the iPhone design doesn’t change much. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have improved designs and new black (and most recently red) finishes, but the iPhone has generally looked the same for the last three generations with dramatic changes for every other generation before.
In terms of future iPhone curiosity, interest may be higher than previous years because of arguably iterative updates for the last couple generations which is leading analysts to predict an upcoming super cycle for the next iPhone.
I would argue both that interest in future iPhones is hyped because customers are ready for a new design (and in some markets it’s very important for the new iPhone to look like the new iPhone), and that iPhone leaks are actually a few weeks behind schedule based on previous cycles.
iPhone 8 anticipation is certainly keeping analysts optimistic for now, too, and Apple will likely be able to cash in on it later this year. Let us know what you think in our poll and in the comments.
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