But Apple is also lifting its retail prices in China, mainly due to the depreciation of the Chinese currency over the past year, in a bid to protect its profits denominated in the U.S. dollar.
Advertisement
The Cupertino-based Apple has upgraded the storage versions of the previous iPhone models. The company then deleted the messages. Also, at a time when a 720p display is looked down upon when it comes to a $200 Android phone, Apple iPhone still has one of these despite being a flagship. This year, Apple will break with that tradition, according to a Reuters report. Its tactics: Eliminate the standard headphone jack in its newest iPhones and market new “AirPods” – tiny wireless earbuds that the company claims greatly improve on standard Bluetooth technology.
Lightning connectors were designed from the outset to handle high-quality audio, Apple vice president Phil Schiller told the audience, addressing concerns about the headphone jack removal.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus launch event is being held today in San Francisco at 6.00pm United Kingdom time. Other than a truly impressive new camera (which is available only on the larger, more expensive iPhone 7 Plus, though the 7’s camera has also been upgraded), the iPhone 7 doesn’t offer much more to the average consumer than last year’s model. Starting at $649, it is the same price as the 6S predecessor.
The new smartphones come with Apple seeking to reverse declines in sales of the iPhone in an increasingly saturated global market, and boost its Apple Watch.
The only thing that really makes sense is that this is a half step towards a future of wireless charging and wireless headphones that don’t cost a ton of extra money. Apple includes the adapter.
Many people on social media complained that without a wire and being so small, the in-ear device is much more likely to get lost than traditional headphones. Another reason is dirt and water: by removing the 3.5mm port, they close a gaping hole in the phone that water easily enters and ruins the inner electronics. Apple has been trying very hard to shift the narrative away from quarterly unit sales and toward recurring revenue sources like services and digital content purchases. The phones will be available September 16, with pre-ordering starting Friday.
Advertisement
“While the camera improvements for the iPhone 7 Plus are nice, they are incremental for most and the lack of headphone jacks could offset that for others”, he said. Most years, there is some crucial component that creates some bottleneck within Apple’s supply chain that limits production, and shipping times on new models typically slip pretty quickly. Many are expecting a three-year cycle this time, culminating in a major redesign for 2017 to be called iPhone 8.
