Will the iPhone 7s be the weakest "S" upgrade ever?

[Andres Cantu]

The 3GS had video recording and the first-ever speed improvements.
The 4s had Siri and huge improvements in the SoC and camera departments.
The 5s had Touch-ID and was the first phone with a 64-bit processor.
The 6s had 3D-Touch and huge speed improvements (SoC, flash storage speeds, etc.)

The 7s will have...what exactly? So far, all the cool things sound like they're being reserved for the so-called "iPhone X". If that's the case, do you guys expect it to be the most-boring "S" upgrade ever, and if so, would you justify it?

 

[eyoungren]

The 3GS had video recording and the first-ever speed improvements.
The 4s had Siri and huge improvements in the SoC and camera departments.
The 5s had Touch-ID and was the first phone with a 64-bit processor.
The 6s had 3D-Touch and huge speed improvements (SoC, flash storage speeds, etc.)

The 7s will have...what exactly? So far, all the cool things sound like they're being reserved for the so-called "iPhone X". If that's the case, do you guys expect it to be the most-boring "S" upgrade ever, and if so, would you justify it?

I skipped the 7 because it looked too much like the 6/6s. I was expecting Apple to go a different direction with that fugly camera bump. Instead they doubled down on it.

If the next phone isn't a redesign I won't be buying it either. I already have a fugly 6s+. Don't need/want to buy another fugly phone.

Everything you listed per model has either very little relevance or no relevance at all to me. As long as I can text, email, message and browse the internet I'm good. That's all I really use my phone for. Basic flip phones do that.

So, why do I buy iPhone? Because of the design. And if Apple skips redesiging the phone again to give us a fourth year of the same fugly design I will again skip buying it.

 

[Andres Cantu]

I skipped the 7 because it looked too much like the 6/6s. I was expecting Apple to go a different direction with that fugly camera bump. Instead they doubled down on it.

If the next phone isn't a redesign I won't be buying it either. I already have a fugly 6s+. Don't need/want to buy another fugly phone.

Everything you listed per model has either very little relevance or no relevance at all to me. As long as I can text, email, message and browse the internet I'm good. That's all I really use my phone for. Basic flip phones do that.

So, why do I buy iPhone? Because of the design. And if Apple skips redesiging the phone again to give us a fourth year of the same fugly design I will again skip buying it.

That's a fair point, four years with basically the same design is just too much.

That means we have to deal with all the drawbacks the 6 design has including the huge bezels and 750p display for effectively four years.

 

[geoff5093]

I really don't think Apple would make an iPhone 7s and an iPhone X that they announce at the same time. It's basically saying everything about the 7s is already obsolete.

 

[Andres Cantu]

I really don't think Apple would make an iPhone 7s and an iPhone X that they announce at the same time. It's basically saying everything about the 7s is already obsolete.

I would have agreed with that, but something tells me that's exactly what they're going to do. They want to get people to pay more for what they would have gotten normally from them before.

In other words, same strategy as the iPad Pro 9.7" vs. what would have normally been an iPad Air 3.

 

[eyoungren]

That's a fair point, four years with basically the same design is just too much.

That means we have to deal with all the drawbacks the 6 design has including the huge bezels and 750p display for effectively four years.

Exactly.

Apple, in my opinion, has adopted an auto industry practice. Upgrade the model slightly year to year, every so many years introduce a new design. Sell the new device based on the strength of the stuff you can't see (the internals).

But if you line up the first year model with the last year model you wouldn't notice the difference between them unless you knew what to look for.

This is ok with the car industry because very few people are buying a brand new car every year. But some people buy brand new iPhones every year and it starts to get old after awhile.

I'm the type that buys every 2 to 3.5 years and it's depressing to realize that I'd only be purchasing something slightly different than what I already have since internals and features are not what motivate me to buy. Design is.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

I agree, i have the iphone6 and it works just fine, and my phone looks exactly like the 7. I don't get those who will get the 7s series when they will be able to get the 8.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Exactly.

Apple, in my opinion, has adopted an auto industry practice. Upgrade the model slightly year to year, every so many years introduce a new design. Sell the new device based on the strength of the stuff you can't see (the internals).

But if you line up the first year model with the last year model you wouldn't notice the difference between them unless you knew what to look for.

This is ok with the car industry because very few people are buying a brand new car every year. But some people buy brand new iPhones every year and it starts to get old after awhile.

I'm the type that buys every 2 to 3.5 years and it's depressing to realize that I'd only be purchasing something slightly different than what I already have since internals and features are not what motivate me to buy. Design is.

Very true. Not gonna defend them, but I think they are already reaching that point. The innovation from the next ten iPhones won't match the first ten, in my opinion.

 

[Thor_1]

It's a phone. If it works and does want I want I don't care if it looks similar year to year.

 

[44267547]

Exactly.

Apple, in my opinion, has adopted an auto industry practice. Upgrade the model slightly year to year, every so many years introduce a new design. Sell the new device based on the strength of the stuff you can't see (the internals).

But if you line up the first year model with the last year model you wouldn't notice the difference between them unless you knew what to look for.

This is ok with the car industry because very few people are buying a brand new car every year. But some people buy brand new iPhones every year and it starts to get old after awhile.

I'm the type that buys every 2 to 3.5 years and it's depressing to realize that I'd only be purchasing something slightly different than what I already have since internals and features are not what motivate me to buy. Design is.

Exactly. If the rumors hold true, Apple is releasing 4.7/5.5 iPhone with a similar design to the iPhone 7, with an all new 5.8 OLED model. I upgrade annually and it's slightly disheartening to see the same design for three years. I enjoy my 6s Plus and 7 Plus, but I think new hardware is needed also to compete With Samsung, which they have some big phones in Store this year too.

 

[nutriousmitten]

Smartest thing Apple could do to make the difference for consumers, is drop the price of the 7s over the 7.
Want the cutting edge and early adopter...ok, fork out over $1000US (and people will and there will be short supply until Christmas) for the newest Iphone. Want a solid phone with a standard design and likely every bit as fast any anyone needs? And pay $300/30% (or more) less? Get the 7/7s.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

It's a phone. If it works and does want I want I don't care if it looks similar year to year.

Still rolling your Nokia 3210 I see.

I assume wireless charging will be the big thing for the 7S. Other than going with the rumored iPhone 8 design, I can't see what they could add to it otherwise? Hopefully that means that Apple has a chance of surprising us this time.

 

[jumpingjackflash]

For me, i'm gonna hold my 6S Plus and Air2 untill ,atleast, OLED displays, completely portless (even buttonless) and good wireless (from distance) charge. I can live with the current design & bezels. But Lightning ports are at the end of their life-cycle ayways and Apple will ditch them for sure.

 

[tomjleeds]

Very true. Not gonna defend them, but I think they are already reaching that point. The innovation from the next ten iPhones won't match the first ten, in my opinion.

It absolutely won't, how could it? Smartphones were effectively a whole new type of device and have dramatically changed developed society, how could they possibly hope to keep innovating in the same way with the same device?

I think people's expectations of new exciting stuff are pretty unrealistic. Lots of people seem to think that because there was a flurry of new stuff a few years ago, things will continue like that going forward. It doesn't work like that.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I think it is way to early to know.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Smartest thing Apple could do to make the difference for consumers, is drop the price of the 7s over the 7.
Want the cutting edge and early adopter...ok, fork out over $1000US (and people will and there will be short supply until Christmas) for the newest Iphone. Want a solid phone with a standard design and likely every bit as fast any anyone needs? And pay $300/30% (or more) less? Get the 7/7s.

That would be a fair trade-off, in my opinion, though unlikely considering Apple charged $549.99 for the iPhone 5c when it was released, even though it was cheaper to make than the 5.

 

[stevemiller]

hows the SE been selling lately I wonder. I'd probably consider a 4" with 7S internals and waterproofing. Otherwise I honestly don't know what I would buy anymore. Never really loved my 6, and don't really feel like buying more of the same.

 

[bufffilm]

I dunno if the 7s will be 'boring'...but all the goodies will be with the mystery phone.

If the mystery iPhone is really going to cost close to $900-$1000 and only in the larger screen size, how many people will get it? Not me.

If the 2017 sales take a dip, Apple has only themselves to blame.

I'm probably going to sit this year out and go w/my 6s for a third year. If Apple thinks I'm going to drop $700 again for the same design iPhone, it's not happening.

By 2018, hopefully we'll have OLED in the smaller size at which point, I'll buy.

 

[blairh]

I think it's pretty obvious why they will give us an iPhone 7S/7S Plus. They need to hit a price point in their iPhone lineup for new iPhone's and the iPhone X will be too expensive for some. I don't believe these $1K iPhone X rumors. I believe the base model will start at $799 or $849. With that established, they still want to give consumers 'new' iPhone's that start at $649. So they'll give us the new S models and perhaps feature a new backplate that allows for wireless charging (along with updated cameras and processor of course). While I'm no fan of this, I do expect that's what you will see this fall. Then next fall (2018) Apple will make the 7S/7S Plus the middle tier device and you'll have essentially an iPhone X Plus to go along with an updated version of the new iPhone X coming this fall.

 

[edlex]

I upgrade every year to the Plus model. If the new oled iPhone is really 5.8" with 5.15" usable, then I'll be upgrading to the Plus again this year. I'm used to 5.5" and I'm not going back to a smaller usable screen size.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I think it is way to early to know.

Agreed, there is a long way to go.

 

[dominiongamma]

I don't believe in the 7s, Apple is more likely do iPhone 8 for the 10th anniversary.

 

[CTHarrryH]

I can't understand why people care more about the looks of a phone vs. what it can do and what it does. Give me more function, which they have every release, and leave the looks alone if you want. I don't even know what and ugly phone is.. Is that your life GEE you have a great looking phone!

 

[lordofthereef]

Imo the 7 was already the most boring upgrade we've seen to date. Slightly better camera depending on situational differences and that's about it for me. I hope the next phone doesn't follow suit. I never really used to purchase based on looks, but I can absolutely say I want the next device to stand out. My 6s plus is otherwise good enough.

 

[eyoungren]

I dunno if the 7s will be 'boring'...but all the goodies will be with the mystery phone.

If the mystery iPhone is really going to cost close to $900-$1000 and only in the larger screen size, how many people will get it? Not me.

If the 2017 sales take a dip, Apple has only themselves to blame.

I'm probably going to sit this year out and go w/my 6s for a third year. If Apple thinks I'm going to drop $700 again for the same design iPhone, it's not happening.

By 2018, hopefully we'll have OLED in the smaller size at which point, I'll buy.

Totally agree with you on this.

I am not opposed to dropping around $900 or even $1000 when I know that the money I am spending is buying me the highest capacity version Apple sells for that model. Both my 5, my traded in 6+ and my 6s+ all cost around that.

But, I AM opposed to paying that price to find out it's what Apple might be charging for the smallest capacity of that model. I make this statement because usually when prices are quoted around Apple devices it's for the device with the least capacity or least options. And if the price goes UP from there - no, no way. I'll do another year on my 6s+.
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I can't understand why people care more about the looks of a phone vs. what it can do and what it does. Give me more function, which they have every release, and leave the looks alone if you want. I don't even know what and ugly phone is.. Is that your life GEE you have a great looking phone!

Looks don't matter to you then.

That's fine. Features don't matter to me.

I have a Sanyo Katana in my drawer. I don't do anything on my current iPhone 6s+ that my old Sanyo Katana couldn't do. So features don't matter to me. Sure they are nice, but not as nice as knowing that the phone I am going to use for the next 2 to 3.5 years is a phone I'm going to like.

I am not trying to convince you to see my side, but I am pointing out that I have what are legitimate reasons to me to prefer looks over features.

Ultimately, if you can understand that other people may place a different value on things than you do then I've made my point. Why people place importance on those things you do not and vice versa isn't really relevant.