Speculations suggest that Apple Inc. will be coming out with the iPhone 7 later this year. However, since it is also said that the iPhone 8 will be much more upgraded that the seventh-generation iPhone, will a year-long wait be worth it?
Industry followers believe that Apple may be holding back with the upgrades for the iPhone 7 and will offer heavy improvements with next year's iPhone 8 instead. Reportedly, KGI Securities analyst and perennial Apple soothsayer Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that in terms of upgrades, the iPhone 7 will get all the standard improvements, including a better camera setup, longer battery life, and new chipsets. Meanwhile, there will also be new innovations such as wireless charging and change from the standard 3.5mm audio jack to a Lightning-type port for earphones and headsets.
However, Kuo also stated that in terms of design, the iPhone 7 will probably be similar to its predecessors, the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus. In addition, while the next-gen iPhone will be an improved version, Apple is focusing on the iPhone 8 for next year, and this iPhone 7 follow-up will be the one to get the heavy upgrades. Since rumors have already started with the iPhone 8, the industry analyst believes that fans will instead wait for the 2017 release rather than getting the iPhone 7 later this year. With the interest in the iPhone 8, iPhone sales for this year will reportedly slump to at least 205 million, down from the 232 million sales figures for 2015.
While Apple has yet to confirm the specs sheet for the iPhone 7, let alone the iPhone 8 for next year, speculations suggest that the 2017 iPhone will be the one to benefit from a new display technology, the OLED screens, as well as featuring a dual-curve display much like the upcoming Galaxy Note. In addition, Apple is said to switch from metal frame to an all-glass construction for the iPhone 8. Under the hood, it is expected that the iPhone will carry the next-gen A10X chipset. With the dramatic increase in RAM from its competitors, it is also expected that the iPhone 8 will have increased RAM capacity, as well as huge storage options.
