Apple CEO Tim Cook Attributes a 'Pause' in iPhone Purchases to 2017 iPhone Rumors

[recoil80]

I think he is right. News about the future iPhone are starting to appear even on newspapers so you don't have to follow macrumors to know next iPhone will (should) be a huge step forward.
The next iPhone event is about 4 months away, why buy an iPhone 7 today unless you can find a pretty good deal?
They better deliver a great product this fall or a lot of people will be disappointed, including me.

 

[44267547]

I think he is right. News about the future iPhone are starting to appear even on newspapers so you don't have to follow macrumors to know next iPhone will (should) be a huge step forward.
The next iPhone event is about 4 months away, why buy an iPhone 7 today unless you can find a pretty good deal?
They better deliver a great product this fall or a lot of people will be disappointed, including me.

Of course he is right. At least he should be, knowingly he knows all the numbers for Apple. This is a natural effect every year Apple experiences and here we are in May. When iPhone 7 launched, of course it was in high demand and rightfully so through the holidays. But now production is caught up and widely available through Apple/third-party retailers. With the new iPhone debuting in four months, most have the concept of waiting.

Demand is always highest and more significant when there's hype before launch and immediately after a launch. There's nothing shocking going on here that someone wouldn't expect from market fluctuation.

 

[mib1800]

I think he is right. News about the future iPhone are starting to appear even on newspapers so you don't have to follow macrumors to know next iPhone will (should) be a huge step forward.
The next iPhone event is about 4 months away, why buy an iPhone 7 today unless you can find a pretty good deal?
They better deliver a great product this fall or a lot of people will be disappointed, including me.

Can it better S8? If it just a copy of S8 then novelty is gone. Worst case is if it just have an edge-to-edge screen with a thick shiny rim. Edge-to-edge screen is nothing. Most Chinese/Samsung mid-range and above phones have edge-to-edge (or near to it) screen. Apple is very late to the game.

 

[44267547]

Can it better S8? If it just a copy of S8 then novelty is gone. Worst case is if it just have an edge-to-edge screen with a thick shiny rim. Edge-to-edge screen is nothing. Most Chinese/Samsung mid-range and above phones have edge-to-edge (or near to it) screen. Apple is very late to the game.

The Galaxy S8 is not going to be Apple's competition, that will be the Note 8 when it launches later this year.

And is it really that much of a shock to you that Apple is "Late to the game" with technology that's already available? Anyone that follows Apple knows they are never the first to release anything, but it's not about releasing or being the first to the market with new technology, I would much rather have a product that's refined and reliable versus being "Late." Being first on the market for technology doesn't have any significant relevance.

 

[RamGuy]

How many millions of those were SE, 6, 6s selling at upper mid range price?

Considering sales are down, but revenue are up I doubt they are selling a lot of the cheaper devices as they tend to have a lower margins compared to newest ones. The iPhone 6 is no longer sold by Apple, so I highly doubt it's a big portion of the sales.

And Samsung sold at total of 85 million smart phones in 2016, that includes all their models (there are a lot) and Samsung is selling a lot of cheap handsets so it doesn't seem like Samsung is selling more over the entire year of 2016 even if we calculate in whatever sales they had on older models like Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge etc..

 

[curtvaughan]

I can't believe there's still people whining about the headphone jack, move on.

I did. Bought an LG V20 for the sound percs with headphone jack; retaining my 6 Plus for iOS needs.

 

[mwcfc1905]

Hopefully he will learn that people have learnt when new products are likely and keep to regular upgrade cycles.

 

[RamGuy]

The Galaxy S8 is not going to be Apple's competition, that will be the Note 8 when it launches later this year.

And is it really that much of a shock to you that Apple is "Late to the game" with technology that's already available? Anyone that follows Apple knows they are never the first to release anything, but it's not about releasing or being the first to the market with new technology, I would much rather have a product that's refined and reliable versus being "Late." Being first on the market for technology doesn't have any significant relevance.

It should be obvious to everyone when we are looking at these sales numbers that it's very difficult for Apple to be "cutting-edge" on anything. They are selling the same amount of iPhone's in Q1 2017 as Samsung sold S7 and S7 Edge for the entire year 2016.

Apple has to produce these iPhone's in quantities that are simply ridiculous... And much larger quantities than anyone else in the industry. You can't simply take "cutting-edge" technology and put it into the iPhone unless the suppliers are able to supply Apple with the required amounts, fast enough etc.. If Apple were to decide on using something that is not available in large enough quantities they wouldn't be able to produce enough phone's and everyone would loose their **** and Apple would loose a lot of revenue... This isn't rocket science, this is simple logistics and mathematics.

 

[Ramchi]

With Note 7 debacle, if this is the case, just imagine if something fantastic out there on the market with clear price advantage - likes of Samsung Galaxy S8+ or Note 7 (Refurbished) or Note 8 ? Or Surface Phone? Going to be tough for Apple convincing customers to shell out a fortune for their new iPhone !! They may succeed this time with some marketing stuff but will they be able to continue?

 

[zen]

Rumors about the iPhone 8, coming in 2017, started before the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus were even released, despite Apple's ever-increasing focus on secrecy.

Sorry, but what evidence is there for the highlighted statement? Apple have always been secretive - it's part of their corporate culture and marketing strategy.

 

[Bacillus]

What are these engineers doing?

Breeding specialty bamboo to feed Phil the Panda
(sooo busy with trees in the Park...)

 

[9081094]

I think he is right. News about the future iPhone are starting to appear even on newspapers so you don't have to follow macrumors to know next iPhone will (should) be a huge step forward.
The next iPhone event is about 4 months away, why buy an iPhone 7 today unless you can find a pretty good deal?
They better deliver a great product this fall or a lot of people will be disappointed, including me.

Be prepared to get underwhelmed again. By then competitors already have what the iPhone X (or 8) promises to deliver. The Chinese competitors are not only faster but deliver same quality for half the price. Unless your software and services aren't light years ahead (and apple's aren't) they're going to face tough times.

That's why Apple is so hard trying in being a luxury brand. Look at there stores. They scream luxury and are trying to trap people with no knowledge of technology and much money on their hands. Those same people don't care if the technology inside Macs are old tech. They want to show off in I'm successful and able to buy Apple.

It's my fault I'm still hoping and believing in the old Apple vision from not so long ago. I'll get disappointed each time they do something because they don't renew to be better but to up the price and be more 'luxury'.

They do it with iPhones, the gimmick MacBook touchbar disaster, the watch, everything. The soul is out of Apple. Gone are the days they pioneered new ways of thinking in computers and tech. They just harvest the rich now and abandoning the demanding and tech heavy users. They're getting snobby and arrogant. It's not my company anymore. Uberpricing and branding is the new Apple.

 

[digiridoo]

It seems that every year people are waiting for the next gen IPhone hoping for something radically new and awesome to be unveiled and every year they get disappointed.... so they wait another year, and another... and another figuring out that the old phone is actually still doing its job Ok. The smart phone has reached its end of innovation and is being cramped with useless things every year.

 

[Bacillus]

It seems that every year people are waiting for the next gen IPhone hoping for something radically new and awesome to be unveiled and every year they get disappointed.... so they wait another year, and another... and another figuring out that the old phone is actually still doing its job Ok. The smart phone has reached its end of innovation and is being cramped with useless things every year.

For me it's merely become a "buy the prev model, because that still has ..."
Phonejack / Faster camera / Handy form factor / MagSafe / ......(Lightning?)

 

[eddjedi]

That's what happens when you release something people don't want. I won't be buying the iPhone 8 if it doesn't have a headphone jack either.

 

[Bacillus]

They do it with iPhones, the gimmick MacBook touchbar disaster, the watch, everything. The soul is out of Apple. Gone are the days they pioneered new ways of thinking in computers and tech. They just harvest the rich now and abandoning the demanding and tech heavy users. They're getting snobby and arrogant. It's not my company anymore. Uberpricing and branding is the new Apple.

Oh man. I'm completely locked in by that vision. I pay everything they ask.
Looking for loans to get lunch with Tim.
I am redressing my ponytail like Angela. Looking for her toilet seat-sized spectacles.
I am redressing in a potato bag like Phil.
I am looking to exploit some poor Chinese to do all the hard work for me. Like drilling holes in my arms to match the new Porsche-look AppleWatch.
Is there a way out of this ?

 

[RamGuy]

It seems that every year people are waiting for the next gen IPhone hoping for something radically new and awesome to be unveiled and every year they get disappointed.... so they wait another year, and another... and another figuring out that the old phone is actually still doing its job Ok. The smart phone has reached its end of innovation and is being cramped with useless things every year.

How did you come to this conclusion? The biggest competitor to Apple in terms of share volume on premium devices which is Samsung sold the same amount of their top of the line phones in one year, as Apple did in a single quarter.

And yet you argument like nobody is buying iPhone's? They are selling huge amounts of iPhone's.. If you believe Apple is not selling phones, the nobody does.
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That's what happens when you release something people don't want. I won't be buying the iPhone 8 if it doesn't have a headphone jack either.

They sold over 50 million phones in a single quarter. Samsung sold 7.2 million of their top of the line phones in the same quarter. And here you argue that "people don't want" the phone? Like seriously? Did you even read the numbers?

 

[576316]

That's because the iPhone 8/10th anniversary iPhone rumours have basically overwhelmed them to the point I just can't see them living up to expectations.

 

[RamGuy]

That's because the iPhone 8/10th anniversary iPhone rumours have basically overwhelmed them to the point I just can't see them living up to expectations.

Do you really believe the mass-market cares about rumours? And if so, how come Apple still sold over 50 million iPhone's? Blowing their competitors out of the water? You would expect the sales to drop down more than 1-2 million if your assumptions was correct.

 

[GoldenJoe]

Another flashback to my days as a Blackberry developer.

 

[Chevenowner]

How do i get this steve jobs wallpaper ?

 

[cdm283813]

The Galaxy S8 is not going to be Apple's competition, that will be the Note 8 when it launches later this year.

And is it really that much of a shock to you that Apple is "Late to the game" with technology that's already available? Anyone that follows Apple knows they are never the first to release anything, but it's not about releasing or being the first to the market with new technology, I would much rather have a product that's refined and reliable versus being "Late." Being first on the market for technology doesn't have any significant relevance.

All Samsung has to do is put the fingerprint reader on the display and add dual cameras on the back and the Note 8 already beats the mock ups of the iPhone 8 that are floating around.
I would love to see a iPhone 8 vs Note 8 battle this fall but I just don't believe iPhone 8 is releasing in 2017. Apple will just milk us another iPhone "S" model again. You just can't release another phone based on a design from 2014.

 

[thekeyring]

That comment from Tim Cook will further hype the 2017 iPhone rumours... Sounds like he knows the iPhone 8 is going to be good to go. Can you imagine if all that's released in September in an iPhone 7S, now?

 

[Quu]

What he's trying to say is your trolling.

Except I wasn't trolling. If anything he was trolling.

Lets play a game shall we. Which iPhone is this:

Is it the iPhone 6S or the iPhone 7? - You cannot tell because it's impossible. Proving my point that externally the phones are too similar.

The iPhone 3GS looks nothing like the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S looks nothing like the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5S looks nothing like the iPhone 6. But the iPhone 6S and 7 look very similar because it uses the same basic design with some tweaks it's not an overhaul like prior iPhones.

Many people are waiting for that overhaul and all the rumours are pointing towards the iPhone 8 being that overhaul.

Apple is doing fine, Tim Cook has made SOME people happy. And one-liner "x is failing/failure" won't stop apples steam this fall, they are absolutely going crush it.

I never even commented on them doing well or not. The iPhone is holding steady and as Tim Cook himself said people are waiting for the next iPhone.

I love my iPhone 7 Plus it's great. But I'm under no illusions that it was an iterative change when it comes to the physical exterior of the phone. Most of the changes are internal like the twin speakers, water proof sealing, solid state touch id, improved force touch motor, improved CPU and GPU performance and so on. There is not much changed externally.

 

[thekeyring]

You know, what has become way more annoying than the negative critiques of Apple's moves and performance over the past few years ...

... is the number of cliche artists who mock that criticism by making sarcastic 'Apple is doomed' posts.

That's because some people have turned it into an art form.

Don't get me wrong, I find it interesting when people have something negative to say. A developer on this forum told me only recently why he thinks the Apple Watch SDK is so limited, and I found it really interesting. But that's a reasoned, sensible argument.

I don't track what every user is saying, so I can't prove they're individually contradicting themselves. But as a whole the "Tim Cook needs to be fired" crowd often spout things like "Why is Tim focusing on iPad when sales are falling?" one day then "Tim is too focused on iPhone! He's just milking one product!"

Or better yet "Tim Cook goes on about the product pipeline, I judge Apple on what's available now" vs "That preview of what Viv are working on (but can't release yet) blows Siri out of the water!"
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There is that and there is three models with the same design and there is the pricing. I just had my hands on with Galaxy S8 today and have to say it is gorgeous piece of hardware and the price is about 100$ below iPhone 7.

Samsung get Android for free, Apple has to finance iOS.