Most tech enthusiasts believe that Apple will introduce the iPhone 8 in 2017 to celebrate the iconic smartphone's tenth anniversary. A new report suggests that Apple may also release an iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus in order to keep more affordable flagship smartphones in its lineup.
Before the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were officially announced, tech pundits believed the pair wouldn't be a smash hit for Apple because the handsets featured a design that was too similar to that of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s series, not to mention they were stacked against the very well-received Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which was destined to take on the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus.
Consumers proved the pundits wrong, and the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus immediately sold out when Apple began selling the new iPhones in September. The company also benefitted from Samsung's recall of the Galaxy Note 7, which will reportedly translate into an additional 8 million iPhones sold by Apple before the end of 2016. While availability of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models has improved, wait times for popular variants have extended into the holiday season.
iPhone 8, iPhone 7s Or iPhone 7s Plus?
Some loyal iPhone fans have decided to not to upgrade to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and are instead waiting for 2017's rumored completely redesigned iPhone 8. A new report suggests that Apple may actually release the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus alongside the iPhone 8. The belief is that Apple wants to offer consumers more affordable devices with the same internals as the iPhone 8.
Apple's 2017 iPhone lineup will reportedly switch from the all-metal case of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to a glass casing that will allow the new iPhones to gain wireless charging capabilities.
"We believe one of the reasons why new iPhones will switch from metal casing to glass casing is to support wireless charging. In order to ensure a superior performance, we believe it is most appropriate for EMS suppliers to develop and make the wireless charger because then a comprehensive test can be conducted. As Hon Hai needs to deploy most resources to develop and produce OLED iPhone, we expect Pegatron will be the exclusive supplier of the wireless charger," stated KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo believes the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones will use similar LCD screens such as the displays found on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, while the iPhone 8 will rock a 5.1-inch to 5.2-inch curved OLED screen that will feature a bezel-free design.
It's worth noting that these reports should be taken with a huge grain of salt, as numerous reports stated that Apple was going to release three iPhone 7 models, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 Pro in 2016.
Do you think Apple will actually release an iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus and iPhone 8 in 2017? Please let us and our readers know in the comments below.
