iPhone 7 demand reportedly starts fading as iPhone 8 rumors continue picking up steam

iPhone 7 jet black back camera

Apple has enjoyed success with the new iPhone 7 family as the Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus models saw strong demand, in some part due to Samsung’s Note 7 debacle. But demand for latest iPhones may have started to fade recently, forcing Apple to cut back on orders, Taiwanese supply chain sources told trade publication DigiTimes.

That’s especially true with the rumor-mill in high gear regarding next year’s massive iPhone 8 upgrade and all the talk of the so-called Tenth Anniversary iPhone gaining all-glassbezel-free industrial design and a wraparound OLED displays akin to that on the Galaxy S7 edge.

iPhone 7 demand in China, Apple’s second-largest market by revenue, and in other key markets has reportedly scaled back substantially since the smartphone launched in September, prompting Apple to start reducing orders for the device.

From the report:

Affected by consumers’ high expectations on the next generation iPhone, makers in the supply chain are mostly conservative about the shipment outlook for the iPhone 7 in the first half of 2017, expecting shipments in this six-month period to be at least five million units less than those shipped in the second half of 2016.

Unnamed sources from Taiwan’s handset supply chain claim that component suppliers and consumers alike have been shifting their focus to 2017’s iPhone refresh. The report states that the iPhone 8 may feature an enhanced processor and “advanced sensors” that will support mixed reality (MR) and wireless charging technologies.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that as many as ten different iPhone prototypes are in development. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted price cuts for 2017 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones with LCD screens to boost sales.

Source: DigiTimes