You better get used to waiting 3 years for big iPhone upgrades

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iPhone-6s-name
We may see a lot more 'S' upgrades in the future.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Many iPhone fans don’t like waiting two years for major refreshes, but it could be about to get a lot worse. According to one report, Apple is switching its big upgrades to a three-year cycle, which is why this year’s iPhone 7 will look just like its predecessors.

Apple’s second iPhone — iPhone 3G — was a big upgrade over the original that arrived a year earlier, but since then, significant refreshes have only happened every other year. Incremental ‘S’ upgrades, which offer newer components inside the same design, have filled the gaps.

This year, following last year’s iPhone 6s series, we should be getting another major refresh — but we know that’s not going to be the case. Leaks have revealed the iPhone 7 is almost identical to the iPhone 6s in design, with most improvements to be made internally.

We figured this was because it’s the iPhone’s tenth anniversary next year, and that Apple is planning to save its next major upgrade for that. According to reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to deliver a new “all-glass” design and OLED displays.

Now a report from Japanese newspaper Nikkei warns we should get used to this three-year wait for big upgrades. Apple has reportedly decided to extent its cycle because of slowing market demand and due to “smartphone functions having little room left for major enhancements.”

For this year’s upgrade, Nikkei expects “functions such as the camera, water resistance and battery capacity will likely be improved, and the headphone jack will be removed.” Its report claims there will also be a “high-end version” that offers greater camera capabilities.

According to other reports, that model will be the iPhone 7 Plus, which is expected to get Apple’s first dual-lens camera.

“On the other hand, the 2017 model will likely involve major enhancements and design changes, including adoption of an organic electroluminescent display,” Nikkei adds. “The new device will also be able to create more complex tactile vibrations on the display.”

This news is likely to upset Apple investors, many of whom already feel the company isn’t doing enough to address falling iPhone demand.

Via: PC World

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