Apple Expects First Ever Decline of iPhone Sales Next Quarter

[Thunderhawks]

Before upgrading go read the reviews of El Crappy in the AppStore. They will make your hair stand up.

As mentioned it depends on what one does. It works fine for me and I always give it some time before I jump, say release 2 or 3. That helped me avoid Lion altogether.

For example: MS Office 2016 has no good track record on El Capitan as of now, so I am waiting for MS or Apple to fix that before upgrading.
My hunch is that it's MS, as they usually end up with a ton of service packs for each MS Office product, by about 4 or 5 it's probably usable.
I am sure it's not the only app not working as it should.

On the positive side everybody is working on it

 

[Gudi]

Yah maybe 8GB RAM and HD is what makes it dicier. I need to ditch the hard drive for sure.

8GB RAM is enough. Switch the HDD for an SSD and love your MacBook Pro again. It's an easy upgrade you can do on your own. I've found that a 250GB SSD provides well enough space for me.

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 Hard Drive Replacement

 

[LizKat]

8GB RAM is enough. Switch the HDD for an SSD and love your MacBook Pro again. It's an easy upgrade you can do on your own. I've found that a 250GB SSD provides well enough space for me.

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 Hard Drive Replacement

Sounds right to me, then I can get a 4" iPhone 7 if they will just bring it...

 

[Michael Scrip]

Probably because no one is subsidizing the phone anymore. When faced with paying $299 vs $699, I decided to stick with my 5s.

Could be that because contracts are finished, and people will now have the big daunting price of the iPhone seen upfront, they might stick with the old version for another year?

The carriers simply replaced the confusing $299 price tag with another price tag that says $35 a month.

Have you ever paid the full retail price for an iPhone up front? Probably not.

And you still don't have to now either.

The new way won't cost you any more than the old way. Plus you don't have to pay $199 to $499 up front anymore.

Besides... I thought people hated contracts? So they got rid of them.

But you aren't forced to pay full retail for an iPhone.

 

[e93to]

Not sure about others, but "gotta have the latest gadget" frenzy is wearing off among the people I know. And phones have gotten expensive in the past couple of years or so.

 

[ttss6]

But to succeed, 3D Touch needs to be implemented across all iOS devices. This should be the year for doing exactly that, not pumping new iPads and a 4" iPhone without 3D Touch. The iOS line up is getting dangerously fragmented.
[doublepost=1453875504][/doublepost]

Not if it's an 'economized' model.

So true! If they can implement it on a $100+ trackpad, I'm sure they can double down on the engineers to find a way to incorporate 3D Touch on the more expensive iPad line. The way I see it is that surely the Pro will get it second time around and that may or may not be the same time with the 2016 iPad Air. The mini will likely be delayed to 2017 or the year following when the Air gets it if you look at the pattern of the mini's getting retina or a thinner redesign a year after the respective 9.7" did and full srgb (FINALLY!) just recently

I really hope these blogs are wrong and that the 4" phone won't be a 5SE, which would go against a 6/6P, 6S/6SP, 7/7P lineup but rather an IPhone 6S mini. All it needs is everything in the 6S to buildup a base to get the ball rolling for developers to take advantage of the 3D Touch

This stuff takes a lot of patience

 

[maflynn]

At some point this had to happen.

I wouldn't consider this bad news, but I think apple needs to be less reliant on a single product.

 

[Rogifan]

At some point this had to happen.

I wouldn't consider this bad news, but I think apple needs to be less reliant on a single product.

The thing is I don't think Apple intentionally became reliant on a single product. I think the iPhone became more popular than anyone at Apple could ever have expected in their wildest dreams. In a sense they're a victim of their own massive success.

 

[aces99]

Okay people need to stop saying that! Apple won't go back to 4 inch! 4 inch is a downgrade firstly and no one would buy it because everyone has seen how big phone make a better user experience as opposed to an eye squinting 4 inch phone.

Nowadays, everyone says that using their 4 inch iPhone 5 is horrible too small.

I hope apple never goes back to 4 inch, in fact apple should ditch the 4.7" iPhone, simplify their lineup and just make a 5.5" iPhone.

All in all let 4 inch go and move on with the times people!

Really? What planet are you living on? Funny how you speak for everybody. Because I own a 4" phone and it is not horrible small for me. I have also read post after post from people wanting a 4" phone. That is why Apple is releasing a new 4" iPhone, if the rumours are true. Just because you don't want a 4" phone doesn't mean everybody else doesn't want one. I know if Apple does release a new 4" with the same internals and specs as the current 4.7" iPhone 6S I will be buying one. So I guess that blows your theory that nobody would buy one out of the water.

 

[nviz22]

After tax, a new 16gb iPhone 6s will cost $955 CAD if purchased through Apple.

Considering the state of our economy right now, Canucks aren't going to be a big part of iPhone sales numbers in the near future.

Especially with the rate hikes we've been promises to our mobile data plans and less subsidies that the carriers have already scaled back on.

That's insanely high. No wonder why used phones and older devices are better alternatives. Spending near $1000 for an entry phone without even considering the 6S Plus. Smh.

 

[mantan]

Once someone notices what "just works" for generation of profits, it naturally enough gets harder to maintain as time goes on and the copycats emerge with cheaper knockoffs that "sorta work". I don't think Tim Cook has forgotten about functionality or quality either, and certainly not about customer service.

There are bound to be hardware / software messups, and there can be some big ones, but on balance I'll still look to Apple for my gear and apps before turning elsewhere. My Macs been problem-free since a number of irritating go-arounds with a 2010 MBP awhile back but even that was all covered by Apple Care.

My iPhones have all worked great except for my first 4S that had to be turned around for poor call quality, and I still use two older phones as WiFi devices around the house. I don't take getting a defective product out of the box as sign of impending doom, I just call customer service and get it sorted out, which Apple's excellent at getting done.

As far as software preference goes ( app design, the look of the thing), to each his own, but I find I often like the look of a previous version better until I get used to the newer one... human nature, I guess. We can resist even good changes sometimes. I dislike having to learn new shortcuts but as long as they're there, I don't mind. Subtracting features (separate download window in iTunes on Mac) still does annoy me, however, since it suggests effort to simplify OS X too much towards iOS; to me those need to remain distinct else the power of OS X will diminish and ultimately vanish.



Thanks for that post, those are sensible goals for me now -- and for all, I didn't mean to hijack thread away from phones with my complaint about my aging laptop and dithering attitudes towards newer OS X releases.

Good post. Though my experience hasn't been that good from a quality perspective.

My ip4 always had the proximity issue....never did work correctly.

The battery started failing at 15 months on my ip4, ip5, and is currently going out on my ip6. (Jumps from down at bigt intervals including going from 23% to dead last week.)

We've had a wide variety of minor issues in our household that required a trip to the Apple Store and a replacement/repair. While Apple folks are always friendly and most of the items are covered, I don't consider their products particularly high quality as they seem to fail at the same rate as other consumer products.

 

[maflynn]

The thing is I don't think Apple intentionally became reliant on a single product. I think the iPhone became more popular than anyone at Apple could ever have expected in their wildest dreams. In a sense they're a victim of their own massive success.

No of course not, they were tickled pink that the phone was making money, and the halo effect seemingly had a positive impact on Mac sales, and proceeds on app sales were also another plus.

Now they're a huge billion dollar company with a single major product driving much of their profits.

 

[Flow39]

Not sure about others, but "gotta have the latest gadget" frenzy is wearing off among the people I know. And phones have gotten expensive in the past couple of years or so.

On the Android side, most phones have actually come down in price, yet still retain the features and performance that make them flagships. Look at devices like the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition, Nexus 6p, OnePlus One/Two, etc. These phones are all flagships in their own right and perform on par with phones $200+ more than they are.

 

[Rogifan]

On the Android side, most phones have actually come down in price, yet still retain the features and performance that make them flagships. Look at devices like the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition, Nexus 6p, OnePlus One/Two, etc. These phones are all flagships in their own right and perform on par with phones $200+ more than they are.

And yet Tim Cook says Android switchers is higher than ever.

 

[ggibson913]

I was on a two year cycle, I still am on a two year cycle. I have no intention of upgrading my phone every year. For me 2 to 2.5 years is good enough. Since the loss of the two year plans I tend to buy my phone outright so i want to get as much value as i can. Thst being said I am planning on iPhone 7.

It is only natural that with market saturation, the iPhone would sell less. I think Android would be in the same boat. I find that most stay in thier ecosystem and with no incentive to upgrade, (i.e. Paying subsidy) they will likely do so less often.

I think this is an unforseen cost of doing away with two year contracts that the carriers and manufactureres didnt see coming.
[doublepost=1453930024][/doublepost]

I think these are generally referred to as the Normal People.

Truth

 

[Flow39]

And yet Tim Cook says Android switchers is higher than ever.

Yes, I know. I was just pointing that fact out because of the comment that I was quoting.

 

[LordVic]

z

That's insanely high. No wonder why used phones and older devices are better alternatives. Spending near $1000 for an entry phone without even considering the 6S Plus. Smh.

while I don't doubt that there are a lot of users going from android to Apple, saying that alone is a bit of reality distortions field.

How many? How does he know? Where is this number coming from? And what is the number going the other way?

These are all critical bits of information. Just taking TCs statement and assuming anything more than face value of it completely ignores a lot of information.

Eg, "more than ever before" could be a low number like 5million, or it could be high like 100million. And without knowing the other way, it's absolutely meaningless.

 

[duffman9000]

Really? What planet are you living on? Funny how you speak for everybody. Because I own a 4" phone and it is not horrible small for me. I have also read post after post from people wanting a 4" phone. That is why Apple is releasing a new 4" iPhone, if the rumours are true. Just because you don't want a 4" phone doesn't mean everybody else doesn't want one.

For years people here have been telling us how 4" is the correct size because Steve Jobs. No, one size does not fit all. Now the people who want a 4" are being ignored. Welcome to the land of people who wanted a bigger iPhone but were told no.

 

[billy the fish]

I keep my phones for 24 months, contract term. Im due for an upgrade when the 7 comes out. Have had 3G, 4, 5, 6plus.

Thanks for sharing. .

 

[flaw600]

That's a sweeping exaggeration and false. "Some" people were claiming apple needed a bigger handset, sales figures proved the 4" was doing just fine, records set each launch, Some apple fans "still" want a 4" option with the same specs as the larger units.

Supply constraints? The iPhone 6 and 6s have been the easiest models ever to get after launch day. Are you referring to apple online? Cause if you just went to your local shopping centre plenty available. I have no idea what is happening with apple online, as most new apple products can be ordered faster through 3rd party suppliers.

The 6s yes, but not the 6. That's the point. And actually, Cook made a point to say that for the 6, sales were pushed into Q2 2015 because of lack of supply.
[doublepost=1453937863][/doublepost]

My wife can easily kill her iP6 by midday. And yes she does carry a portable battery for times we are away from the car. And yes she is charging her phone while we are driving too.

Then that begs the question of why she's doing on her iPhone. A) bad battery B) Not using the device typically. If it's A, get the battery replaced. If B) stop expecting heavy usage to mean long battery life. Honestly, my iPhone 6 runs all day so it really depends on usage pattern. I get ~10 hours on typical usage which is what is advertised. 6+ people get 12+ hours. Both should be fine for everyday usage. Now should the battery life improve? Certainly, but stop talking as if the iPhone's battery life sucks.
[doublepost=1453938013][/doublepost]

That wouldn't help the international sales very much.

Even better - don't buy ATT. Make an MVNO that works globally.

 

[duffman9000]

The 6s yes, but not the 6. That's the point. And actually, Cook made a point to say that for the 6, sales were pushed into Q2 2015 because of lack of supply.
[doublepost=1453937863][/doublepost]
Then that begs the question of why she's doing on her iPhone. A) bad battery B) Not using the device typically. If it's A, get the battery replaced. If B) stop expecting heavy usage to mean long battery life. Honestly, my iPhone 6 runs all day so it really depends on usage pattern. I get ~10 hours on typical usage which is what is advertised. 6+ people get 12+ hours. Both should be fine for everyday usage. Now should the battery life improve? Certainly, but stop talking as if the iPhone's battery life sucks.
[doublepost=1453938013][/doublepost]
Even better - don't buy ATT. Make an MVNO that works globally.

Well of course battery life depends on usage.
But here we go again with one person comparing usage with another person because only your usage matters.

iP6 battery life has not been very good. And since you want to talk about the 6+, it leads or is close to leading the longest charge time in a flagship phone when used with its inbox wall wart. I bet you're going to argue that the 6+ doesn't take so long to charge next.

 

[flaw600]

Personally I think the new iPhone 6S was a flop, if you upgraded what did you really get that was different from the iPhone 6?

3D Touch? To me this is a software gimmick, its nothing but a long press. You didn't need new hardware for this and if you jailbroke your old phone it could do it just as well. While the did redesign the vibration motor inside for the 6S if you have a 6 and jailbreak you can still "feel" it I consider 3D Touch a software gimmick.

Live Photos? How many of you with 6S's tried it once and said it was neat and never used it again. (Probably a good majority of you reading this) again here we have another software gimmick as if you Jailbroke your phone guess what... Live Photos works.

Better camera? They claim its a better camera yet so many sites have done tests and have shown that the old iPhone 6 Camera is as good if not slightly better than the 6S camera.

4K Video? Oh great your iPhone now can shoot 4K video great! Wait how do I watch the 4K Video I shot in 4K? I got it I will watch it in 4K on my new Apple TV! Wait what the new Apple TV does not support 4K? You can't even watch in full resolution on your phone. And I have seen some people wondering why they can only shoot a few minutes of 4K video on their 16 GB iPhone... hmm let me think about that one... no wait you will figure that one out.

Faster Wifi? My Wifi Speeds on my iPhone 6 Plus are already good now, and in speed testings I can get around 150 mb/s on my home cable modem service. How much faster do you want on your phone?

Faster CPU? Really? It may be faster but honestly is Angry Birds any faster or better on that Faster CPU?

I will be honest I purchased TWO iPhone 6s + Phones... and within a week guess what i did with them... I returned them! Why? Honestly I could do everything on my old iPhone 6 Plus phones. After a day of using it didn't feel like using a new phone, it felt like my old iPhone 6. Also there was no cool factor like in the past when you purchase a new iPhone, no one said to me hey is that the new iPhone S plus? So after all of that I said to myself since I feel like I am using my iPhone 6 Plus why not return the two iPhone 6S Plus I purchased and saved myself almost $2,000.

I am just as happy today using my iPhone 6+ as I was with the iPhone 6S +, and my wallet feels better.

With the iPhone 6S + for me there was nothing gained in upgrading. And looking at the poor sales and declining sales, I am guessing I am not the only one who felt that way.

Like every Apple fan, I am excited to see what the iPhone 7 brings. I would hope that we see a new updated design and some new technology that has me saying I want one of those, Apple take my money! But I am fearing the new iPhone 7 will look just like the 6 and the new features will be nothing to make me want to open my wallet again.

I hope Jony Ive has some good tricks up his sleeve for what should be a new milestone phone. If he does then I am willing to open my wallet again.

Lets hope innovation is not a lost art.

By that logic the 5s should've been a flop b/c it's main attraction was the then-gimmicky Touch ID. But let's go through your points:

1) 3D Touch is designed to save time. And as more apps incorporate it, it'll become a must-have feature. That said, I don't think that 3D Touch should've been the selling point for an S model because it's not immediately usable.

2) Live Photos are actually universally praised. If I had a 6S I'd probably use it all the time save storage space

3) Actually, they show that the 6S's camera is better but not by a largely significant amount. They do praise, however, the upgraded resolution and the front facing flash

4) Why would you care about viewing 4K content on the phone? That's just stupid. You won't notice the difference. As for the Apple TV, there's not even anywhere near the majority of the TV market that has a 4K TV. The introduction of 4K in their iPhones was to spur 4K adoption by content creators

5) Faster Wifi. Believe it or not, the US has slow internet. Europe has fast internet. So yes, faster wifi is a great benefit. You also forgot about the expanded band range that leads to faster speeds and greater coverage too.

Personally, I think it was fine for an S model. It would've been great, imo, if they'd gotten more apps to use 3D Touch at launch but I think it'll be a selling point later on. You gotta remember that the only S model that held any significant weight was the 4S due to Siri. I don't recall the 3GS having any cool feature and the 5s's Touch ID was a cool intro but gimmicky at the time. That said, I do think that all the low-hanging fruit has been picked. Which I think has been the point, tbh. Now the iPhone 7 can come out and wow people. Remember that low expectations are good for an amazing upcoming product.
[doublepost=1453938830][/doublepost]

Well of course battery life depends on usage.
But here we go again with one person comparing usage with another person because only your usage matters.

iP6 battery life has not been very good. And since you want to talk about the 6+, it leads or is close to leading the longest charge time in a flagship phone when used with its inbox wall wart. I bet you're going to argue that the 6+ doesn't take so long to charge next.

Talking with various Apple Geniuses in stores as well as on the phone (because I do that when I have Apple problems), I got the impression that the battery life has gotten more stable and true to the estimated time. Of course, you have to take that at face value but given the 99% customer sat rating, I'm gonna go with the battery life staying true to estimates.

 

[dampfnudel]

I agree. Battery is the one easy piece of low hanging fruit. Apple could offer a device slightly thicker with signficantly more batter life and people would go nuts about it. Either that or they need to find some realistic way to deal with the battery issue.

I know some asshat will say that it's just me and that they easily make it through their day with 40% on their 6/6s. But most people I know have a charger in their car and at the office. People carry portable chargers. They run for the airport outlets just like in the Samsung commercial. A device that had truly improved battery life would be very popular.

Exactly. I hope someday I'll be able to be a little more relaxed when it comes to my device's power needs. I have a portable power charger myself by the way.

 

[Rogifan]

My Twitter feed is full of Apple watchers freaking out pushing this meme that Apple needs to pivot to services immediately. Ok first of all let's not forget that Apple stock is quite cyclical. It's had downturns before (like 2013) and then it swing back up. Apple's never been a services company and you don't just flip to being one on a dime. Plus what kind of services? I don't think the world needs another social network. And Apple has made most of its software free so software as a service seems out. Also Tim Cook has made it very clear where Apple stands on privacy so that rules out advertising. I guess they could buy Netflix or try to create a Netflix competitor but that all seems like panic to me; Wall Street doesn't like hardware companies right now so quick Apple stop being one. Oh and Apple has a lot of cash so just buy revenue growth. No. No. No.

 

[StoneJack]

I think there is no reason to fuss about.
Strong dollar did make US products (including iPhones) more expensive, on average about 10-20%.
Economies of Brazil, China, Australia, Russia are tanking.
Even with that, Apple still managed to grow, albeit slower and sell more iPhones. I think kudos to them.

Now about iPhone. We are at the end of 2 year design cycle, which will bring new design and iPhone 7 in fall. it is no surprise that sales still grow but at slower rate. I bought both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S plus, but it is because i wanted + size rather than 3D touch. I can imagine that many 5S and 6 users will upgrade to new 7 series, especially if it comes with that amazing camera technology.

So, no reasons either to worry or be much surprised.