Apple prides itself on producing well-built, covetable smartphones, but one analyst believes that the iPhone 7 might not be too impressive.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a respected analyst at KGI Securities, believes the iPhone 7 won’t have “many attractive selling points”.
The long-time Apple commentator made the damning remarks in a new research note that describes how Apple’s 2016 phone shipments could fall below 2014 levels.
“Given the fact that shipments fell YoY for the first time in 1Q16, we don’t think large-screen replacement demand will contribute much to growth,” Kuo explained.
He continued: “To sustain growth, the iPhone needs to come up with more innovative features to revitalise the user experience, for example in form factor design, software and hardware specs.”
The analyst added: “
According to Kuo, Apple will be the only top-five smartphone brand to see a decline in shipments year-on-year.
Related: iPhone 8
However, Kuo recently predicted that next year’s iPhone – the rumoured iPhone 8 – will feature a significant design refresh, possibly debuting an all-glass body.
It’s also expected that Apple will introduce AMOLED displays, with the possibility of a new 5.8-inch model.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.