Apple reportedly boosts 'iPhone 7' parts orders ahead of launch

Posted:
in iPhone
Apple recently increased parts orders for the "iPhone 7" -- expected to be announced on Wednesday -- in what may be a sign that it doesn't think iPhone sales will decline as harshly year-over-year as originally forecast, a report claimed on Monday.




Orders from suppliers were raised 10 percent, Taiwanese supply chain sources told DigiTimes. Apple allegedly predicted that iPhone shipments in the second half of 2016 would only be 60 percent of those a year ago, which averaged roughly 30 million units per month.

Even with a temporary improvement, parts orders are likely to diminish over the December quarter. While Apple needs a large quantity of components to meet launch and holiday demand for iPhones, sales inevitably shrink in the beginning of the following year, even if a product is a runaway success.

The "iPhone 7" is mostly expected to be an interim update, with features like a faster processor, better camera technology, better waterproofing, a pressure-sensitive home button with haptic feedback, and more storage space -- 32 gigabytes on the bottom end, 256 gigabytes at the top. The "7 Plus" should have a dual-lens camera, and may or may not have a Smart Connector on the back.

These relatively modest upgrades could be one reason Apple would anticipate softer iPhone sales. The company is thought to be placing a bigger bet on 2017 iPhone models, which may have features like edge-to-edge OLED screens and iris scanning.
apple-fan
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,087member
    A "modest upgrade" which potentially includes:  new A10 CPU, greatly improved camera, waterproof, more storage, stereo speakers, TrueTone display, a refined design including new color options 

    I would call that a solid upgrade.   The whole phone will be significantly improved.  Just the design will be iterative 
    edited September 2016 tmay[Deleted User]schlacknolamacguyjony0DeelronTurboPGTanomebadmonk
  • Reply 2 of 31
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,630member
    The "iPhone 7" is mostly expected to be an interim update...
    Aren't all iPhone updates interim updates?  Unless they are expecting the iPhone 8 in 6 months or so, it's still going to be a year until the next iPhone.

    The iPhone 7 will be the best phone ever.  People who complain about the package just don't get it.  It's about what the phone can DO, not what it looks like.

    Piano Black for me, please.
    tmayschlackcintosnolamacguynapoleon_phoneapartjony0Deelrontycho24TurboPGTronn
  • Reply 3 of 31
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,309member
    iPhone 7 Plus, 256, Matte Black or Space Grey for me.

    I'll apologize in advance for cutting in front of the rest of you in the pre-order line...
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 4 of 31
    If Apple starts offering augmented reality and provides the tools to the public to create content for the Apple platform, iPhone and iPad sales will skyrocket to new highs. It's like real life Pokémon.

    edited September 2016 tmaynostrathomasHawk5263
  • Reply 5 of 31
    Watch 2 SS 42mm with some awesome new type of band & iPhone 7 Plus 128gb Piano or Gold. But if Piano is glossy enough, then Piano :blush:  , please. :smiley: 
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 6 of 31
    The "iPhone 7" is mostly expected to be an interim update, with features like a faster processor, better camera technology, better waterproofing, a pressure-sensitive home button with haptic feedback, and more storage space -- 32 gigabytes on the bottom end, 256 gigabytes at the top. The "7 Plus" should have a dual-lens camera, and may or may not have a Smart Connector on the back.
    Roger -- How on earth do you list all that then call it an interim update? you're trying to suggest this is disappointing release with little change, but the reason you're suggesting that is because the case looks similar. thats not logical. then you throw in "iris scanning", because hey, why the fuck not? that's change! right!? never mind that its the faintest of rumors with no clear value add.

    I really expect better critical thinking from an apple site. You're supposed to be experts and specialists in Apple, yet here you are writing garbage memes like a cnet.
    edited September 2016 applesauce007badmonk
  • Reply 7 of 31
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    How is Apple gonna boost orders with part when component supplies are always constrained. /s
    netroxHawk5263
  • Reply 8 of 31
    tmay said:
    iPhone 7 Plus, 256, Matte Black or Space Grey for me.

    I'll apologize in advance for cutting in front of the rest of you in the pre-order line...
    Go ahead, I'm probably going for a 7 Plus 32GB, Piano Black. You won't hurt me at all. 
  • Reply 9 of 31
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    But no one will buy a phone without a 3.5mm headphone jack¡
  • Reply 10 of 31
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Soli said:
    But no one will buy a phone without a 3.5mm headphone jack¡
    Apple will take the heat at first but the 3.5mm jack is going away for a number of technical and physical reasons. It’s only a matter of time and the headphone industry is already getting on board. The naysayers are quieting down lately too. They realize it’s going to happen. Watch for a deluge of wireless earbuds, headphones, audio products coming on the market. 
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 11 of 31
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    lkrupp said:
    Soli said:
    But no one will buy a phone without a 3.5mm headphone jack¡
    Apple will take the heat at first but the 3.5mm jack is going away for a number of technical and physical reasons. It’s only a matter of time and the headphone industry is already getting on board. The naysayers are quieting down lately too. They realize it’s going to happen. Watch for a deluge of wireless earbuds, headphones, audio products coming on the market. 
    It's been happening for years. Personally, I think it's overdue by a couple years, but I tend to think to be on that end of the spectrum. I'm sure there are posts you can dig up from this forum of me wanting the 3.5mm jack to go long before the iPhone 7 was making news, and the ODD to be removed years before it finally happened.

    In this situation there are so many fronts that make the 3.5mm removal both a non-issue and not isolated to Apple. From Lightning headphones already existing, to BT headphones making up 15% of unit sales and 50% of the revenue, to a Smart Connector and adapter easing the "but I won't be able to charge and listen to music" woes, to Intel throwing its supporting behind USB-C for digital audio in handheld devices.
    ronn
  • Reply 12 of 31
    levilevi Posts: 344member
    Modest upgrades...The upgrades on a whole seem fairly significant and comparable to previous releases. Maybe Apple should release the same phone with a different shell every year to wow and confuse the broader tech media
    ronn
  • Reply 13 of 31
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    levi said:
    Modest upgrades...The upgrades on a whole seem fairly significant and comparable to previous releases. Maybe Apple should release the same phone with a different shell every year to wow and confuse the broader tech media
    I'm thinking they should move to keeping the same shell for 3 years in a row now that the product has matured.
  • Reply 14 of 31
    Soli said:
    levi said:
    Modest upgrades...The upgrades on a whole seem fairly significant and comparable to previous releases. Maybe Apple should release the same phone with a different shell every year to wow and confuse the broader tech media
    I'm thinking they should move to keeping the same shell for 3 years in a row now that the product has matured.
    I think they should do what they do with all of their product designs. Settle for one and refine it year after year.

    It's a great idea that brings a lot of personality to the product (see Porsche 911). I always prefer a refined product to a radical designed one.
    Of course, those that associate new shapes with new phones are also the same audience that associates more cores and higher numbers to better. There's no problem in losing those users.
    SoliTurboPGTnolamacguyHawk5263ronn
  • Reply 15 of 31
    Any mention of DigiTimes immediately ends the story for me.
    Soli
  • Reply 16 of 31
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    MacBAir said:
    Soli said:
    levi said:
    Modest upgrades...The upgrades on a whole seem fairly significant and comparable to previous releases. Maybe Apple should release the same phone with a different shell every year to wow and confuse the broader tech media
    I'm thinking they should move to keeping the same shell for 3 years in a row now that the product has matured.
    Of course, those that associate new shapes with new phones are also the same audience that associates more cores and higher numbers to better. There's no problem in losing those users.
    Every year with a the 'S' edition those people complain that nothing has changed even though most of radical changes occur with that model.
    TurboPGTronn
  • Reply 17 of 31
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    red oak said:
    A "modest upgrade" which potentially includes:  new A10 CPU, greatly improved camera, waterproof, more storage, stereo speakers, TrueTone display, a refined design including new color options 

    I would call that a solid upgrade.   The whole phone will be significantly improved.  Just the design will be iterative 
    1) A faster processor. That qualifies every update.
    2) How is the camera greatly improved? Perhaps on the Plus, but the Plus is a minority of new sales. And we just went from 8MP to 12MP, with a two year "shot on an iPhone" campaign. Unless most customers are complaining about their cameras, I'm hard pressed to see that as a significant consideration for most.
    3) waterproof certainly gets my attention, but the reality may be that most people protect their phones from liquid damage. I personally have never lost an iPhone in this way. So I guess the extent that this is a reason to upgrade will depend on the extent of the problem.
    4) People have been debating on this forum for years about what constituted enough storage. Most recently many were insisting 16GB was plenty. So the base models get a bump, but if most people are getting by with 16GB , or already have 32GB or greater where's the incentive? 256GB is rumored only on the Plus model, so again how compelling is that going to be for the majority?
    5) TrueTone display isn't really vital in the iPhone. It's very important in the iPad which is used for reading books. I just don't see this being a compelling reason at all in the iPhone.
    6) Refined design is subjective. I think it looks worse. Regardless, if someone wants a glossy black phone, then it will be worth every penny. Seriously -- I paid the Black MacBook premium.

    So it absolutely is a solid upgrade. But what sells upgrades are features the customer can identify with. Touch ID, Larger Screen, 12MP camera. Those are tangible reasons that are going to stand out during marketing. Right now, the only feature that stands out to me is the dual camera on the Plus. While I'm interested in it as a reason to upgrade, I'm also not going to upgrade from my SE to a 5.5" phone.

    So lots of variables. Add to that, they are removing the headphone jack. We'll find out soon enough, but I fully expect Apple to lose some sales over the headphone jack, at least initially until the reviews start to come in about how great Apple's wireless and Lightning audio solutions are. And given that at the time the SE was introduced there were over 60% of Apple's installed customer base using a 4" or smaller phone, I'd say there's not enough compelling features for the average customer to really get excited about upgrading, especially considering the loss of the headphone jack. And I suspect Apple is prepared for this -- unless they introduce something that comes as a complete surprise to all of us -- but when's the last time that happened?
  • Reply 18 of 31

    The "iPhone 7" is mostly expected to be an interim update

    When you publish this, you are lying to people. 
    nolamacguySpamSandwichronn
  • Reply 19 of 31
    eriamjh said:
    The "iPhone 7" is mostly expected to be an interim update...
    Aren't all iPhone updates interim updates?  Unless they are expecting the iPhone 8 in 6 months or so, it's still going to be a year until the next iPhone.

    The iPhone 7 will be the best phone ever.  People who complain about the package just don't get it.  It's about what the phone can DO, not what it looks like.

    Piano Black for me, please.
    It really is getting obnoxious to keep reading "interim update" nonsense..when rumors indicate that literally every facet of the phone that matters is being updated/replaced.
    But due to some vague resemblance to 6 series, nothing else matters. I honestly expect better from this site.
    nolamacguyronn
  • Reply 20 of 31
    MacBAir said:
    Soli said:
    levi said:
    Modest upgrades...The upgrades on a whole seem fairly significant and comparable to previous releases. Maybe Apple should release the same phone with a different shell every year to wow and confuse the broader tech media
    I'm thinking they should move to keeping the same shell for 3 years in a row now that the product has matured.
    I think they should do what they do with all of their product designs. Settle for one and refine it year after year.

    It's a great idea that brings a lot of personality to the product (see Porsche 911). I always prefer a refined product to a radical designed one.
    Of course, those that associate new shapes with new phones are also the same audience that associates more cores and higher numbers to better. There's no problem in losing those users.
    You're talking way over the heads of these low IQ dopamine-addicted users. I mean why would Apple change the design every 2 years if there wasn't a reason to? They nailed the general size/shape with the 6 series. It is idiotic to think they should do something different just to be different.
    nolamacguytmayronn
Sign In or Register to comment.