Apple’s latest product Apple Watch is off to a great start as the company started taking pre-orders on Friday. According to data intelligence firm Slice Intelligence, the Cupertino company received one million pre-orders for Apple Watch on the first day. Now consumers are looking forward to Apple’s next-gen flagship smartphone.
KGI Securities predicts iPhone 7 launch in 2015
Contradicting reports in the past few weeks have caused some confusion as to whether Apple will be releasing the iPhone 7 or iPhone 6S this year. Some other reports claim that another device called the iPhone 6C may also arrive this year. Earlier this week, well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities said that the Cupertino company will launch the iPhone 7 in the second half of this year, skipping the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
Kuo argues that the next-gen iPhone will feature the Force Touch technology, which was first introduced in the Apple Watch. Force Touch is too big a feature to bury in an iPhone 6S as the ‘S’ versions are usually minor upgrades. But it is just right for an iPhone 7. Kuo added that there would be no such thing as a 4-inch iPhone 6C this year. Last month, a mobile blog called the Future Supplier leaked images of the iPhone 6C, fueling rumors that the device may indeed arrive this year.
German retailer lists iPhone 6S, 6S Plus and 6C
Kuo’s report also contradicts with an online listing by a German electronics retailer. The retailer in question, 24Mobile.de, has listed many unreleased Apple products in its online catalog. The listing includes the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus and 6C. KGI Securities said the devices coming this year will retain the screen size of their predecessors. The iPhone 7 will have a 4.7-inch display and the iPhone 7 Plus would feature a 5.5-inch screen.
Apple has not officially confirmed anything. So these are just rumors and speculations at this point. But it’s hard to question Ming-Chi Kuo’s predictions. The well-connected KGI Securities analyst has an impressive track record of predicting Apple’s future products. Apple is hiring aggressively hiring battery technology experts to enhance the battery life of its future iOS devices.
