There are unlikely to be lines stretched for miles from Apple stores, or wireless carrier stores, when the phone becomes available.
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The company chose to stop the practice because the number of phones sold during the period has become more a reflection of Apple’s supply than demand, a company spokeswoman said, when asked whether Apple will be releasing the figure.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus become available for pre-order on Friday, while Apple and carrier retail stores will begin selling the phones September 16, the company said.
The bigger device now starts at $769, as opposed to $749 for the iPhone 6s Plus, while the iPhone 7 kicks off at $649.
Apple shares, which closed up 0.6 percent on Wednesday when the new phones were launched, were down more than 2 per cent at US$106.04 in morning trading on Thursday. Customers will receive their new iPhones starting September 16.
By not releasing opening weekend sales numbers, Apple is holding back a key metric that some investors have used to determine the success of an iPhone launch. In a research note last week, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said mass production of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus did not begin until the second half of August, later than expected, as Apple’s supply chain faced issues ramping up production due to challenging requirements for IPX7 water resistance. In the most recent quarter, Apple’s revenue in the region actually dropped from the previous year.
However, smartphones expert Ernest Doku from comparison site uSwitch said the iPhone 7 would fail to grab the attention of many.
With iOS 10 and its Home app, Apple will also bring even more smart-home control capabilities to its mobile devices.
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Oppenhemier said the new glossy jet black color – available only with the 128 GB and 256 GB storage versions – will boost the average selling price of the iPhone.
