iPhone 7 rumors postmortem: What the Apple rumor mill got right, and what it didn't

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 63
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    A review of my comment history here will show I was more than half a year ahead of any mentioned source on a haptic feedback Home button, just as I was earlier than anyone I'd seen on calling the return of the MacBook name and calling it as a fanless design.  Too bad there's not mention of those who truly called these things out, using insight rather than waiting for supply chain leaks. 
    pscooter63
  • Reply 42 of 63
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Seems to me that the rumour sites have a fairly good idea of what the future iPhone will look like, but their shots of prototypes never do justice to the finished article. 
  • Reply 43 of 63
    Maybe 2017 iPhone could have a ceramic back plate. Apple just released a ceramic Watch 2 edition and it's supposedly stronger than stainless steel and (I gusess) is radio transparent, so they could built a seamless body out of that (instead of glass).

  • Reply 44 of 63
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    chazbcn said:
    Maybe 2017 iPhone could have a ceramic back plate. Apple just released a ceramic Watch 2 edition and it's supposedly stronger than stainless steel and (I gusess) is radio transparent, so they could built a seamless body out of that (instead of glass).

    Unless they add another material to it, one of the benefits is being radio transparent, which means they could include more antennas and use less power for the same usability, but will the cost be there in a year when the Watch has a $900 premium over the same aluminum used in the iPhone?
  • Reply 45 of 63
    I'm actually happy that there were a few things the rumours sites missed out on. Yes we knew AirPods were coming, but we didn't know they'd look so, "Oh that's weird ... no, wait I get it!" I remember thinking at first that it was weird to have the long part, but then I realized that it's going to both work better to pick up speech, as well as help balance them in the ear and keep them in. (EarPods stay in my ears great!) Also glad the Nintendo stuff didn't leak. I'd love to see this be the start of Apple negotiating to buy Nintendo. (Or at least buy a big enough share to have them partner with Nintendo on their next console and have Apple handle hardware and Nintendo handle games.) Glad the details of the Fusion processor didn't get leaked. (Now how soon before people start calling the iPhone Quad Core when it's still only ever running two cores at once?) I think the A10 shows they're really getting ready to move their A series chips to Macs. Imagine how power efficient a MacBook could be that had two cores that run normally and handle every day tasks, but then there's four more high power cores that make sure you never notice a real slow down or lack of responsiveness EVER!
    Soliwatto_cobrapscooter63patchythepiratefastasleep
  • Reply 46 of 63
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    eriamjh said:

    In addition, there was no logical or even imaginary reason for it to be put on the iPhone at all.
    Logical: optional changing while listening with bundled headphones.

    Imaginary: charing cases, camera cases and gaming controller that don't obscure the charing port and don't have a chin.
    edited September 2016 doozydozen
  • Reply 47 of 63
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Soli said:

    Now, what about Apple offering a special, high-end iPhone made of ceramics that is less prone to cracking, breaking, scratching, or scuffing, and is lighter than aluminium for, say, an extra $500? Well, that might work at a premium option, especially in certain markets, if the ceramic Watch sells well -and- Apple can use economies of scale and expertise to bring down the price from where it stands today.
    That's not how economies of scale work. When you sell 5-10M of something in an opening weekend and 150M in one year economies of scale are priced in from day one. You take a hit as you build up. Because you build up mega-quick.
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 48 of 63
    haarhaar Posts: 563member
    Regarding "earlier-than-usual iPhone launch this year," iPhone 7 actually is the earliest launch date for a new generation model (outside of CDMA 4 or SE refreshes) since iPhone 4S first shifted the launch window from the Summer to the Fall. Only a few days ahead of iPhone 5/5s/6, but just over a full extra week ahead of 6s last year and a month ahead of the 4S.

    Given how many iPhones are preordered and shipped in the first few days, that means several millions more iPhone 7's will included in calendar Q3 due to 2 weeks of September sales vs 1 week a year ago.

    That also means an extra launch-week of revenues and profits from iPhones will be reported in October vs. last year, which is likely to have an impact on perception of the launch and Apple's stock price.

    iPhone Launches
    Original iPhone: June 29, 2007
    3G: July 11, 2008
    3GS: June 19, 2009
    4: June 24, 2010
    4S: October 14, 2011
    5: September 21, 2012
    5C, 5S: September 20, 2013
    6 / 6 Plus: September 19, 2014
    6S / 6S Plus: September 25, 2015
    SE: March 31, 2016
    7 / 7 Plus: September 16, 2016
    And whhy apple will not report numbers for sold phones on premiere weekend... and instead wait until the new quarter.

  • Reply 49 of 63
    ireland said:
    sergioz said:
    I am confused why is this time around forth coming iPhone 8 and not iPhone 7S? 
    S models are the same physical design, usually. And the rumour is a complete departure and by far the most radical redesign since, ever. The last thing users want now is a fourth year of the same design. The 10th anniversary will be a big one.

    I'm not looking forward to a breakable all-glass design for practical reasons, but a home button and camera beneath the display itself with no chin or forhead and reduced side bezels sounds intriguing. The ear-piece speaker will likely be at the top edge cleverly hiden to the casual observer. In its first iteration I can see why this will be the large iPhone model first. Eventually trickling down to all three sizes some day. Or perhaps eventually the 5.8" model is today's plus size and thanks to the shrinking bezel-free design and the singular small iPhone could level off at 4.3-4.7".
    Wouldn't be surprised if Apple goes uses the same ceramic in the next iPhone as they do in their Watch. This article makes a good case for it:

    https://www.quora.com/What-will-the-iPhone-8-be-made-of/answer/Brian-Roemmele?srid=Pi3
    I expect ceramic so they can go to contact style charging, like the Watch. 
    I suspect ceramic has shown up in the Watch at this time because they've been researching its use in the Apple Car. R&D work in one product line tends to show up in others at Apple.
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 50 of 63
    nhughes said:
    cali said:
    P.S. I'm glad this article was made. Would be a great tradition since sites and analysts are never called out.
    Thanks! That was the overall goal: Identify who is putting their neck out there and reporting rumors well in advance of a product launch, and highlight those who are doing a good job with those reports. The goal here is to offer an accurate assessment of who you can trust, not promote our own editorial decisions. But you can't please everyone. 
    With that goal in mind, please stop providing always-wrong sources like DigiTimes, which I noticed was absent from the story, any future "ink". They're wrong and only contribute to the noise and angry responses here.
    ireland
  • Reply 51 of 63
    ireland said:
    sergioz said:
    I am confused why is this time around forth coming iPhone 8 and not iPhone 7S? 
    S models are the same physical design, usually. And the rumour is a complete departure and by far the most radical redesign since, ever. The last thing users want now is a fourth year of the same design. The 10th anniversary will be a big one.

    I'm not looking forward to a breakable all-glass design for practical reasons, but a home button and camera beneath the display itself with no chin or forhead and reduced side bezels sounds intriguing. The ear-piece speaker will likely be at the top edge cleverly hiden to the casual observer. In its first iteration I can see why this will be the large iPhone model first. Eventually trickling down to all three sizes some day. Or perhaps eventually the 5.8" model is today's plus size and thanks to the shrinking bezel-free design and the singular small iPhone could level off at 4.3-4.7".
    Wouldn't be surprised if Apple goes uses the same ceramic in the next iPhone as they do in their Watch. This article makes a good case for it:

    https://www.quora.com/What-will-the-iPhone-8-be-made-of/answer/Brian-Roemmele?srid=Pi3
    I expect ceramic so they can go to contact style charging, like the Watch. 
    I suspect ceramic has shown up in the Watch at this time because they've been researching its use in the Apple Car. R&D work in one product line tends to show up in others at Apple.
    I doubt they'd be worried about developing ceramic for  the car so many years out when it's already being used in phones by other handset makers. More likely the other way around, develop it for a mainstream product like a watch or phone then after several years, perhaps use it in the car. They'll be focusing on the tech that will differentiate the car and worry about nuts and bolts and materials later.
    nolamacguy
  • Reply 52 of 63
    ireland said:
    sergioz said:
    I am confused why is this time around forth coming iPhone 8 and not iPhone 7S? 
    S models are the same physical design, usually. And the rumour is a complete departure and by far the most radical redesign since, ever. The last thing users want now is a fourth year of the same design. The 10th anniversary will be a big one.

    I'm not looking forward to a breakable all-glass design for practical reasons, but a home button and camera beneath the display itself with no chin or forhead and reduced side bezels sounds intriguing. The ear-piece speaker will likely be at the top edge cleverly hiden to the casual observer. In its first iteration I can see why this will be the large iPhone model first. Eventually trickling down to all three sizes some day. Or perhaps eventually the 5.8" model is today's plus size and thanks to the shrinking bezel-free design and the singular small iPhone could level off at 4.3-4.7".
    Wouldn't be surprised if Apple goes uses the same ceramic in the next iPhone as they do in their Watch. This article makes a good case for it:

    https://www.quora.com/What-will-the-iPhone-8-be-made-of/answer/Brian-Roemmele?srid=Pi3
    I expect ceramic so they can go to contact style charging, like the Watch. 
    I suspect ceramic has shown up in the Watch at this time because they've been researching its use in the Apple Car. R&D work in one product line tends to show up in others at Apple.
    I doubt they'd be worried about developing ceramic for  the car so many years out when it's already being used in phones by other handset makers. More likely the other way around, develop it for a mainstream product like a watch or phone then after several years, perhaps use it in the car. They'll be focusing on the tech that will differentiate the car and worry about nuts and bolts and materials later.
    Which phones are using ceramic? I've not seen any.
    ireland
  • Reply 53 of 63
    ireland said:
    sergioz said:
    I am confused why is this time around forth coming iPhone 8 and not iPhone 7S? 
    S models are the same physical design, usually. And the rumour is a complete departure and by far the most radical redesign since, ever. The last thing users want now is a fourth year of the same design. The 10th anniversary will be a big one.

    I'm not looking forward to a breakable all-glass design for practical reasons, but a home button and camera beneath the display itself with no chin or forhead and reduced side bezels sounds intriguing. The ear-piece speaker will likely be at the top edge cleverly hiden to the casual observer. In its first iteration I can see why this will be the large iPhone model first. Eventually trickling down to all three sizes some day. Or perhaps eventually the 5.8" model is today's plus size and thanks to the shrinking bezel-free design and the singular small iPhone could level off at 4.3-4.7".
    Wouldn't be surprised if Apple goes uses the same ceramic in the next iPhone as they do in their Watch. This article makes a good case for it:

    https://www.quora.com/What-will-the-iPhone-8-be-made-of/answer/Brian-Roemmele?srid=Pi3
    I expect ceramic so they can go to contact style charging, like the Watch. 
    I suspect ceramic has shown up in the Watch at this time because they've been researching its use in the Apple Car. R&D work in one product line tends to show up in others at Apple.
    I doubt they'd be worried about developing ceramic for  the car so many years out when it's already being used in phones by other handset makers. More likely the other way around, develop it for a mainstream product like a watch or phone then after several years, perhaps use it in the car. They'll be focusing on the tech that will differentiate the car and worry about nuts and bolts and materials later.
    Which phones are using ceramic? I've not seen any.
    Xiaomi Mi 5, OnePlus X, LG G4, Huawei P9 all have variations of either ceramic backs or coats and there are ceramic cases out there
    ireland
  • Reply 54 of 63
    ireland said:
    nhughes said:
    ireland said:
    Reliable sources mix things up, too.
    Don't think it's fair you deleting my comment for calling you out on including this line. It's an unjust justification for Ming-Chi Kuo getting things wrong. When he got the thinner MBP in June two years ago wrong not so much as a pip-squeak.

    When he gets it right ye shout it from the rooftops—when he's wrong ye excuse and minimise. And Apple Insider isn't the only publication guilty of this regarding this guy. Some of his predictions such as Apple going higher end than Beats didn't even read right at the time. It's like a gambler only recalling his wins. Sooner or later he's no house and is forced to look at his reality. No doubt Kuo has some inside sources, but he gets things wrong and right.
    I deleted it because you made a joke implying I was having sex with him. Your post is indefensible -- we don't tolerate that kind of content. 

    You don't like Kuo, fine. No need to insult the reporters at AppleInsider. Cut it out or leave. 
    Get out of his bed was meant in the business sense of that term. Apologies if you felt it was a personal attack or a literal reference. We just get fed up when this guy gets a pass when he's wrong. I believe that's the case. It's OK for him to be imperfect. He's often on a few sites not even referred to as an analyst—he is an analyst. Analysts usually have sources. That's their job. If they don't they are a mediocre analyst.
    You said "Get out of his bed" and that was taken literally/offensively? The moderator jumped the gun on that one. A better step would've been to ask for clarification first.

    Back on topic... I'm glad Apple delivered the goods. Top-rate design, features and performance... and avoided taking advantage of Samsung's woes. Respect to them. Rumours are fun, and I'm glad they don't catch everything.
    SpamSandwich
  • Reply 55 of 63
    What a rose colored article. You got a lot more wrong than that.

    Hell you were still running articles up until the morning of the event with names like "iPhone 6SE".
    SpamSandwich
  • Reply 56 of 63
    TurboPGT said:
    What a rose colored article. You got a lot more wrong than that.

    Hell you were still running articles up until the morning of the event with names like "iPhone 6SE".
    The purpose of this article was to highlight who was first to report the big changes to this year's iPhone.

    I just went back and checked and we ran zero articles on Sept. 7 with the name "iPhone 6SE."
    gatorguypatchythepiratefastasleep
  • Reply 57 of 63
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member

    I expect ceramic so they can go to contact style charging, like the Watch. 
    I suspect ceramic has shown up in the Watch at this time because they've been researching its use in the Apple Car. R&D work in one product line tends to show up in others at Apple.
    I doubt they'd be worried about developing ceramic for  the car so many years out when it's already being used in phones by other handset makers. More likely the other way around, develop it for a mainstream product like a watch or phone then after several years, perhaps use it in the car. They'll be focusing on the tech that will differentiate the car and worry about nuts and bolts and materials later.
    Which phones are using ceramic? I've not seen any.
    http://www.phonearena.com/news/The-ceramic-Xiaomi-Mi-5-survives-torture-test-against-a-key-saw-file-and-even-a-drill_id79710

    Last year's LG G4 is another that offered a ceramic casing as an option. 
    ...and there's many ceramic watches aren't there, which is what I suppose leads smartphone manufacturers to use it? 
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 58 of 63
    gatorguy said:

    I expect ceramic so they can go to contact style charging, like the Watch. 
    I suspect ceramic has shown up in the Watch at this time because they've been researching its use in the Apple Car. R&D work in one product line tends to show up in others at Apple.
    I doubt they'd be worried about developing ceramic for  the car so many years out when it's already being used in phones by other handset makers. More likely the other way around, develop it for a mainstream product like a watch or phone then after several years, perhaps use it in the car. They'll be focusing on the tech that will differentiate the car and worry about nuts and bolts and materials later.
    Which phones are using ceramic? I've not seen any.
    http://www.phonearena.com/news/The-ceramic-Xiaomi-Mi-5-survives-torture-test-against-a-key-saw-file-and-even-a-drill_id79710

    Last year's LG G4 is another that offered a ceramic casing as an option. 
    ...and there's many ceramic watches aren't there, which is what I suppose leads smartphone manufacturers to use it? 
    What's the environmental impact of having cases that are multiple times stronger than steel being eventually dumped by the millions into landfill? Can't be good.
  • Reply 59 of 63
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    gatorguy said:

    I expect ceramic so they can go to contact style charging, like the Watch. 
    I suspect ceramic has shown up in the Watch at this time because they've been researching its use in the Apple Car. R&D work in one product line tends to show up in others at Apple.
    I doubt they'd be worried about developing ceramic for  the car so many years out when it's already being used in phones by other handset makers. More likely the other way around, develop it for a mainstream product like a watch or phone then after several years, perhaps use it in the car. They'll be focusing on the tech that will differentiate the car and worry about nuts and bolts and materials later.
    Which phones are using ceramic? I've not seen any.
    http://www.phonearena.com/news/The-ceramic-Xiaomi-Mi-5-survives-torture-test-against-a-key-saw-file-and-even-a-drill_id79710

    Last year's LG G4 is another that offered a ceramic casing as an option. 
    ...and there's many ceramic watches aren't there, which is what I suppose leads smartphone manufacturers to use it? 
    What's the environmental impact of having cases that are multiple times stronger than steel being eventually dumped by the millions into landfill? Can't be good.
    I think that depends more on the energy/environment cost for breaking down the material. For example, plastics and styrofoam aren't hard materials but I'm told are the worst for landfills.
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 60 of 63
    ireland said:
    sergioz said:
    I am confused why is this time around forth coming iPhone 8 and not iPhone 7S? 
    S models are the same physical design, usually. And the rumour is a complete departure and by far the most radical redesign since, ever. The last thing users want now is a fourth year of the same design. The 10th anniversary will be a big one.

    I'm not looking forward to a breakable all-glass design for practical reasons, but a home button and camera beneath the display itself with no chin or forhead and reduced side bezels sounds intriguing. The ear-piece speaker will likely be at the top edge cleverly hiden to the casual observer. In its first iteration I can see why this will be the large iPhone model first. Eventually trickling down to all three sizes some day. Or perhaps eventually the 5.8" model is today's plus size and thanks to the shrinking bezel-free design and the singular small iPhone could level off at 4.3-4.7".
    Wouldn't be surprised if Apple goes uses the same ceramic in the next iPhone as they do in their Watch. This article makes a good case for it:

    https://www.quora.com/What-will-the-iPhone-8-be-made-of/answer/Brian-Roemmele?srid=Pi3
    I expect ceramic so they can go to contact style charging, like the Watch. 
    I suspect ceramic has shown up in the Watch at this time because they've been researching its use in the Apple Car. R&D work in one product line tends to show up in others at Apple.
    perhaps. tho its been rumored since the 4 and 5:

    http://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/18/iphone-4g-to-have-glass-ceramic-back-user-removable-battery/

    http://www.iphonehacks.com/2012/03/next-iphone-glass-or-ceramic-back-panel.html
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