Apple Reduces iPhone 7 Supplier Orders Amid 'Fading' Demand and 'iPhone 8' Excitement

[Taisiya]

I've only had my brand new iPhone 7 for about 48 hours
and this article makes me sad.

Should I return the iPhone 7 to Best Buy and get my
$1 back? (and cancel my Verizon 2-year contract)

I *only* bought it because Best Buy was selling it for just
$1 on Cyber Monday.

Even if the rumors of the iPhone 8 all come true, isn't it at
least another 10 months away?

Confused....

 

[Alch3mist]

Stupid to remove outdated tech? So, by your definition, all computers should still have a floppy disk drive too.

BT is starting to be viable enough for audio, and has the benefit of not getting stuck on something with the wires, or even the wires becoming overly sensitive like my last pair of EarPods. But Apple does allow a wired connection with support for digital audio directly from the Lightning port. And if you prefer your outdated tech, they even include an adapter in the box to connect it to the Lightning port.

You may think that to yourself "Fanboy", but I am a Windows user with an iPad and an iPhone. If it hadn't been Apple who made the contraversial change first, we would have soon had it start being removed anyway by other companies.

The future Marty McFly visited in Back to the Future Part II (yes, it's only a movie) was so different from the present he knew. Even some of my nieces and nephews have no clue what a VHS tape is. (Another example of companies removing outdated tech for the new advances made.) Do you think the future could be the future if tech doesn't embrace the new advances. Should we really limit bettering products because we cling to outdated and / or obseleted tech from 50 years ago?

I tend to agree with this sentiment. The only thing that concerns me is

I'm hoping for compelling wireless charging (i.e. as long as I'm in one or two specific rooms in my home, the phone is charging automatically). Also, a fully waterproof design would be nice. I would love to have my iPhone in the pool for pictures and videos; and while people have certainly done that plenty with the iPhone 7, Apple's warranty fine print would probably dissuade me from doing so if I had an iPhone 7.

I know it's a pipe dream, but I'm hoping that Apple dissolved the AirPort team and moved them to other projects because they're working on a Wi-Fi mesh router that doubles as a wireless charger for your iPhone that "beams" power to your phone when you're within a certain range of the base stations. Sell a two pack of the base stations for $300 and Apple will suddenly be back in the router business and in a bigger way than they ever were in the past, I think.

If they pull something like that off, I think it would be amazing and would make the wireless charging that's been done up to this point look akin to the way the Palm smartphones looked next to the iPhone nine years ago.

I suspect that they rerouted some of the Airport team to the AppleTv team because they are planning to integrate those two systems. I would be astonished if they completely did away with time capsule, based on its reviews and fan chatter.

 

[B4U]

Bluetooth is here, and has better battery life then it had. If you don't want to embrace it, you're SOL because it's the future, even if you refuse to accept it.

Irony: people pushing Apple for WIRELESS charging, but don't want WIRELESS headphones that are significantly better than the obsolete ones.

Please do enlighten me on which pair of BT headphones that performs better than the wired ones. It has been 9 years that I have been buying stereo BT headphones at the average rate of 2 pairs per year and I have yet to come across a pair that does not suck.

 

[sorten]

Next year is gonna be a crazy year for smartphones. It looks like Apple and Samsung both have some big plans. And who knows, the Google Pixel 2 might be killer as well since Google will have some experience up their sleeves.

Don't forget the Surface phone running a 35 watt quad core i7!
[doublepost=1480653155][/doublepost]Jonny Ivy needs to apologize for the headphone jack and fall on his sword.

 

[Alch3mist]

I've only had my brand new iPhone 7 for about 48 hours
and this article makes me sad.

Should I return the iPhone 7 to Best Buy and get my
$1 back? (and cancel my Verizon 2-year contract)

I *only* bought it because Best Buy was selling it for just
$1 on Cyber Monday.

Even if the rumors of the iPhone 8 all come true, isn't it at
least another 10 months away?

Confused....

My response to this is that it all depends on your reason for buying. The Iphone 7 is not a bad phone. Do you have an alternative that would hold you for the next 10 months?

That being said, I returned my JB Iphone 7 for the following reason.
1)I have a paid for 6s Plus.
2) I did plenty of research on what is in the pipeline for 2017 and Android has some technology out there I might be interested in in the next 3 months.
3)I am paying for new phones for my kids (2 x Iphone 7).

I decided to hold my 6S Plus mostly due to cost and timing. Not to mention bang for my buck.

btw, if you are truly paying $1 for the device I would probably keep it and look at your upgrade options in 12 month.

 

[epicrayban]

I am excited too. I have a good feeling Cook and crew will pull out all the stops in 2017 for the iPhone.

 

[kstotlani]

It would be really funny if this iPhone 8 was just an iPhone 7s. So funny I would cry!

I skipped it because of all the rumors about 8. I won't cry because being angry at apple is just the thing to do these days.

 

[v0lume4]

Don't forget the Surface phone running a 35 watt quad core i7!.

I seriously hope that the Surface Phone can turn the industry on its head. And if it does, I hope that people will buy the darn thing. Go MS!

 

[rickyipcw]

I still miss the headphone jack.

If Apple doesn't value the headphone jack on iPhone, shouldn't they at least update their iPod lineup? Hardcore music fans will love another high-end music player from Apple.

My iPod Classic is still going strong after a SSD upgrade, and I think it is still the best in iPod history.

 

[Phillyphil0302]

Fading demand? I'm in Colorado and you still cannot just walk into an Apple Store and get any 7+ you want. I was lucky to get mine the 2nd week, but they've been sold out nearly every day since launch.

How can they be sold out if most stores never had any to begin with? Few Apple stores in NYC finally got them in stock 4 days ago and I was able to pick up a jet black 7+

If you don't like Apple's decision, buy a different phone. That is the beauty of a free market, you get to decide what works best for you.

Why do you Apple panty sniffers always tell people to "buy a different phone" when y'all are called out?!?!

 

[Hughknows]

I still think the iPhone 7 is (by far) the best smartphone on the market but I don't blame anyone for waiting.

The iPhone 7 and the IPhone 7 plus are far from the best phones onthe market. Their dismal sales are proof of this.
[doublepost=1480661206][/doublepost]

I still think the iPhone 7 is (by far) the best smartphone on the market but I don't blame anyone for waiting.

Obviously the dismal sales figures reflect that the iPhone 7 is the "best phone " on the market
[doublepost=1480661389][/doublepost]

Apple has reduced its orders for the iPhone 7 with suppliers, following the initial sales influx within the first month of the device's launch this past September. Supply chain sources speaking with Digitimes pointed towards strong demand for the Jet Black iPhone 7 and Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 issues as catalysts for the initial shipping momentum, but both factors have now trailed off in producing more iPhone sales leading up to 2017.

Because of these factors and more, demand for the iPhone 7 in China and other markets around the world has "started fading." The timing aligns with Apple's typical iPhone manufacturing slow down towards the end of each year, and attention by suppliers and customers is now said to be on 2017's much-anticipated tenth anniversary iPhone.

"High expectations" for the so-called iPhone 8 are also factored into the shipment outlook for the iPhone 7 as the new year approaches. In total, shipments for the iPhone 7 are believed to be five million less in the first six months of 2017 than in the four month period the smartphone will have been available by the end of 2016.

The iPhone 8 already has a plethora of rumors surrounding its design and potential new features, including a glass body, edge-to-edge display, and wireless charging abilities.

Article Link: Apple Reduces iPhone 7 Supplier Orders Amid 'Fading' Demand and 'iPhone 8' Excitement

I'm on an 16Gb iPhone 5c and I'm due for an update. I'm so torn though. I really would like a new phone now since my phone currently doesn't support T-mobile's band 12 long range LTE and I could benefit from more storage capacity. But the iPhone 8 (I don't know if they'll be a 7s so lets just call it 8) is shaping up to such a major update that I'm tempted to hold off for another year. First world problems huh?

[doublepost=1480661695][/doublepost]

i'm excited

I am too, it's probably going to be their last phone. Apple can't innovate more than they have. No one is buying the Apple "hype" any more. The iPhone 8 will be as good as the Samsung S7. iPhone going same way as Blackberry....they forgot about their loyal fans

 

[Keniutek]

HAHAHAAAAA, riiiiiiight, shrinking demand because of iPhone 8 excitement. Lol. Just no way that the iPhone 7 being meh has anything to do with it.

Lol, this so much. Going 3 straight years with the same design and camera updates will do that Tim

 

[512ke]

Lol, this so much. Going 3 straight years with the same design and camera updates will do that Tim

There is not that much to get excited about with any Apple product right now. It feels like it's all incremental refinements.

The big excitement is that may Apple will offer a curved screen and wireless charging... way after its competitors?

I really hope I'm wrong and the 8 is insanely great.

The watch. The touch strip thingie. Losing ports and jacks.

How does the above compare with the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad?

 

[konqueror4u]

Need headphone jack back in iPhone 7s/8. Bluetooth is not a technology matured enough to deliver lossless audio experience.

 

[dilbert99]

Apple might add headphone jack in iPhone 8 to blow our mind! Also I didn't buy iPhone 7 because of lack of 3.5mm jack

I might pass on both 7 and 8 if no headphone jack.

Google pixel looks interesting, but they left out too much of the rushed first version for the price point. Pixel 2 might be a lot better, I'm just sick of Apple at this point.
[doublepost=1480675272][/doublepost]

Um... isn't there still a high demand or the 7 Plus? They aren't exactly in stock and readily available.

Isn't that just the artificial/scarcity demand thing
[doublepost=1480675549][/doublepost]

Why can't Apple put those efforts to Mac, it's the basis of the company.

I was listening to a podcast that was suggesting that Apples problem is that it is a single team making everything and moving from product to product compared to being separate departments each responsible for making the best iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Seems to resonate with what we see, Apple needs dedicated resources and multiple divisions
[doublepost=1480675710][/doublepost]

exactly.

different year, same article.

As long as it doesn't go 2017 - 20% market share
2018 - 10% market share
2025 - 1% market share
2026 RIP Apple.
[doublepost=1480676345][/doublepost]

Stupid to remove outdated tech? So, by your definition, all computers should still have a floppy disk drive too.

BT is starting to be viable enough for audio, and has the benefit of not getting stuck on something with the wires, or even the wires becoming overly sensitive like my last pair of EarPods. But Apple does allow a wired connection with support for digital audio directly from the Lightning port. And if you prefer your outdated tech, they even include an adapter in the box to connect it to the Lightning port.

You may think that to yourself "Fanboy", but I am a Windows user with an iPad and an iPhone. If it hadn't been Apple who made the contraversial change first, we would have soon had it start being removed anyway by other companies.

The future Marty McFly visited in Back to the Future Part II (yes, it's only a movie) was so different from the present he knew. Even some of my nieces and nephews have no clue what a VHS tape is. (Another example of companies removing outdated tech for the new advances made.) Do you think the future could be the future if tech doesn't embrace the new advances. Should we really limit bettering products because we cling to outdated and / or obseleted tech from 50 years ago?

You compare apples to oranges, Floppy disk was replaced by another media type and floppies lived alongside CD for a period of time and had both in my devices.
Headphone jack is not outdated tech, there is no standards wired equivalent.

Yeah, Apples/Fanboys response to everything these days, yes there's an app for that (sorry there's a dongle for that)

I was just reading some posts up where a musician was caught out a few times without his dongle.

Also you do know that all headphones are analogue, including those connected to lightning
[doublepost=1480676935][/doublepost]

But we also all know that Apple always goes for the two-generation cycle before bumping the number up. The S variants are usually improved, but that's all just under-the-hood. Never any case changes, except maybe improving the Jet Black coating this time.

You do know that the 6, 6s and 7 are three iterations of the same shell?
[doublepost=1480677461][/doublepost]

Does this mean that you will never buy a phone without a headphone jack?

Rose coloured glasses? How about a phone with a standard audio port?
At the moment there is only one and that is the 3.5mm jack.
If this changes to USB-C then everyone will jump on board.
[doublepost=1480677768][/doublepost]

Can we permanently post this for all the people that said, "There's a dongle. You can still use it with your headphone jack."

Where is there an MFI dongle that allows you to charge and plug my phone in to my car audio at the same time?
[doublepost=1480677944][/doublepost]

Cameras and batteries are a bad example. Both have been and are constantly updated. Not so for the audio jack. For me the real reason was they needed the space. Pure and simple. Let's all move on as this subject has been beaten to death.

What? You do know that jacks are just a continuation of wires. You don't innovate wires, you innovate DAC at both ends of the wire which obviously is constantly updated.
[doublepost=1480678352][/doublepost]

Cry all you want but the headphone jack is done. Newer bluetooth standards are in the horizon.

I prefer to live in the now. I have no qualms about switching to bluetooth when I want to. I sent a pair back because I didn't like the sound.

 

[Ma2k5]

Don't forget the Surface phone running a 35 watt quad core i7!
[doublepost=1480653155][/doublepost]Jonny Ivy needs to apologize for the headphone jack and fall on his sword.

35 watt i7?

 

[verpeiler]

I hate to say it, it must be said, so I might as well say it!

I TOLD YOU SO!

I told yall back LAST FALL, an iPhone 7 without a headphone jack and no Airpods is useless. You might as well keep your iPhone 6s.

I also told yall, "Wait For the Eight"

Go look at my threads. I've been consistent from beginning to the end. Who in their right mind would buy an iPhone 7 when they own an iPhone 6s and it doesn't have a headphone jack. I told you.

So you said the same like thousand other people. Wow, what a snowflake.

 

[Math889]

Wow! So, people are really excited about the 2017 Iphone, doubled Iphone 8.. Then, Apple comes, and introduce the Iphone 7S( which IMO will be the Iphone 7), people will be dissapointed. So, basically, people are waiting for the 2018 Iphone (Iphone 8). I am waiting for the 8S..

 

[2010mini]

I might pass on both 7 and 8 if no headphone jack.

Google pixel looks interesting, but they left out too much of the rushed first version for the price point. Pixel 2 might be a lot better, I'm just sick of Apple at this point.
[doublepost=1480675272][/doublepost]

Isn't that just the artificial/scarcity demand thing
[doublepost=1480675549][/doublepost]

I was listening to a podcast that was suggesting that Apples problem is that it is a single team making everything and moving from product to product compared to being separate departments each responsible for making the best iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Seems to resonate with what we see, Apple needs dedicated resources and multiple divisions
[doublepost=1480675710][/doublepost]

As long as it doesn't go 2017 - 20% market share
2018 - 10% market share
2025 - 1% market share
2026 RIP Apple.
[doublepost=1480676345][/doublepost]
You compare apples to oranges, Floppy disk was replaced by another media type and floppies lived alongside CD for a period of time and had both in my devices.
Headphone jack is not outdated tech, there is no standards wired equivalent.

Yeah, Apples/Fanboys response to everything these days, yes there's an app for that (sorry there's a dongle for that)

I was just reading some posts up where a musician was caught out a few times without his dongle.

Also you do know that all headphones are analogue, including those connected to lightning
[doublepost=1480676935][/doublepost]
You do know that the 6, 6s and 7 are three iterations of the same shell?
[doublepost=1480677461][/doublepost]

Rose coloured glasses? How about a phone with a standard audio port?
At the moment there is only one and that is the 3.5mm jack.
If this changes to USB-C then everyone will jump on board.
[doublepost=1480677768][/doublepost]

Where is there an MFI dongle that allows you to charge and plug my phone in to my car audio at the same time?
[doublepost=1480677944][/doublepost]

What? You do know that jacks are just a continuation of wires. You don't innovate wires, you innovate DAC at both ends of the wire which obviously is constantly updated.
[doublepost=1480678352][/doublepost]

I prefer to live in the now. I have no qualms about switching to bluetooth when I want to. I sent a pair back because I didn't like the sound.

So tell me why hasn't the jack been updated in decades? Why hasn't it gotten shorter? Why hasn't it been switched to MagSafe like connection? I could think of dozens of other ways that port could've been updated if it is really THAT important.

But as I've said in the post you quoted. The real reason was space. The deed has been done. If this means you protest by not buying an iPhone, cudos to you.

 

[joueboy]

I hate to disappoint everyone here, but there's no iPhone 8 next year. There will be an iPhone 7S, because Apple is no longer in a position to release something bigger than your head can imagine. Long range wireless charging it's not happening either for the next 7-10 years.

 

[jlc1978]

Why do you Apple panty sniffers always tell people to "buy a different phone" when y'all are called out?!?!

Your ad hominem aside, if a phone doesn't meet your needs why not find one that does? You want a headphone jack, the new 7's don't have one. If it is important to have one there are plenty of choices that do that you can buy. It has nothing to do with defending Apple; why buy product that isn't what you want? That would not seem to be a rational action.

 

[MacBH928]

iphone is pretty decent compared the Mac hardware nightmare, innovation should be in the software department, and iphone 8 is very very far away.

19 months for just an announcement, good luck finding any for the next 1-3 months, as long as Apple does not find the courage to build a new phone without a 100 year technology like a screen.

 

[dilbert99]

So tell me why hasn't the jack been updated in decades? Why hasn't it gotten shorter? Why hasn't it been switched to MagSafe like connection? I could think of dozens of other ways that port could've been updated if it is really THAT important.

But as I've said in the post you quoted. The real reason was space. The deed has been done. If this means you protest by not buying an iPhone, cudos to you.

What's the bee in your bonnet about the port?
The wire isn't important, the audio is.
There are many variation on the 3.5mm jack, the reason it doesn't change is that it is a standard, I'm sure you get that.
I don't mind the jack being replaced with another standard port but that port ain't lightning. I ain't attached to the port, just standards.

Cudos to me? Rose colour and cult come to mind.

 

[Cloudkicker]

What innovation are you expecting? Basically every manufacturer has caught up. They are all limited by current tech.

But Apple purposely gimped the 7. Not surprising as this practice dates back pre-iPhone to iPod Touch w/ Apple having great tech specs but sprinkling each innovation over the course of a few years to keep upgrade sales going. This always p-ses me off about Apple.

 

[Phillyphil0302]

Your ad hominem aside, if a phone doesn't meet your needs why not find one that does? You want a headphone jack, the new 7's don't have one. If it is important to have one there are plenty of choices that do that you can buy. It has nothing to do with defending Apple; why buy product that isn't what you want? That would seem to be a rational action.

Okay...and I'm sure you'd love to tell immigrants to go back to where they came from if they disagree with any policies of the United States