With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on the horizon, the release date for the iPhone 7 and other major devices is up in the air. Apple is always extremely reticent about releasing any information until it deems it to be absolutely necessary, thus there has been no official word on when its major devices will release during 2015 and into next year. Indeed, Apple hasn’t even confirmed the existence of the next generation iPhone, and other devices which are strongly linked with the California-based corporation have also remained under wraps.
So it will therefore be informative to look at some possible release dates for the iPhone 7, iPad Pro and iOS 9. the format of these will obviously be a logical continuation of the iPhone series, after the iPhone 6 was released last year. The iPad Pro has been rumored for some time as Apple is expected to continue the process of refreshing its extremely successful tablet range with a premium version. And iOS 9 is the next-generation operating system which is expected to feature in both devices (although it is possible that there could be an iOS 10 by the time that the iPhone 7 is released).
iPhone 7 Release Date
This particular issue has been widely debated in the Apple-following media for sometime. Apple is extremely diligent with the marketing of its devices, and the existence of the iPhone 7 will be reliant on how the corporation sees the future of the smartphone marketplace.
Earlier in 2015, it was assumed that Apple would release a follow-up to the iPhone 6 in the fourth-quarter of this year. This has been a frequent occurrence in a previous iPhone release years, as Apple looks to produce a next-generation device following on from the previous iteration in the series.
But Apple has also shown a fondness for more upgraded versions of smartphones as well, with the branding of devices indicating that they are more of an updated iPhone model than a brand new next-generation device. This could be a possibility with the iPhone in 2015, as many analysts have asserted that Apple will hold the iPhone 7 back until 2016 as it works on some significant upgrades for the smartphone series.
To release in 2016?
So how likely is this possibility? Well, this will be largely dependent on how Apple perceive the smartphone marketplace in 2015 and 2016. And another factor will be the public perception of the iPhone series. It is worth noting that Apple is in an extremely strong commercial position at present for several different reasons.
Firstly, the iPhone 6 was a massively successful release for Apple. The smartphone significantly outsold the number of projected units linked with the device, and has played a major part in the rude financial health of the corporation. Even in the most recent financial quarter, despite the fact that the iPhone 6 has been on sale for several months, it continued to outdo the estimates of both analysts and indeed its own projections.
Secondly, 2014 was a phenomenal financial year for Apple. During this 12 month period, the consumer electronics giant became the first company to be valued in excess of $700 billion in terms of market capitalization. This is a pretty significant figure for Apple, and the company has since extended this as it looks to break through the $750 billion barrier. Although there is some debate on this issue, many analysts suggest that Apple will shortly become the world’s first $1 trillion corporation.
In addition to this figure, Apple was also able to record the highest ever single-quarter profit in recorded business history. This was achieved during Q4, and is no mean feat considering the length of time that records go back. Additionally, it is important to emphasize that Apple is up against some phenomenally powerful and gargantuan corporations in this figure. For Apple to have outperformed, for example, all major oil companies in all of their history in a single-quarter is a pretty monumental achievement for a consumer electronics company.
And it has also been reported by the technology analyst organisation Gartner that Apple has recently overtaken the Samsung Galaxy series in terms of pure sales volume. This is significant for the corporation, as the Korean manufacturer has typically had smaller profit margins and relied on large volume sales in developing economies and other markets concerned with affordable devices.
What this collectively suggests is that Apple is in a very strong position to delay the iPhone 7, and it seems certain that we will see this handset at some point in 2016, possibly around the October time it tends to schedule smartphone releases.
iPad Pro Release Date
The iPad Pro has become one of Apple’s most talked about products over the last 12 months, and although its existence is still somewhat shady it does seem a certainty in the near future.
However, although there is a lot of consumer appetite for this high-spec tablet, it looks increasingly likely that it will be pushed back to a later release date than was originally suggested.
With Apple extremely busy producing this year’s iPhone, and the corporation having already released one major new products in 2015 in the shape of the Apple watch, it is unlikely that we will see the iPad Pro this year. Apple has reportedly been in talks with several major screen makers including LG Display, Japan Display and Samsung Display to acquire silver nano wire-wound (AgNW) touch panels for the iPad Pro, and with sapphire glass and Force Touch both also expected to be included, the 2015 release date for the device is just not practical, or possibly even feasible.
So a 2016 release date is certain for this device, and it could slot in around the same time that the Apple Watch was released in 2015, which would mean an April release date.
iOS 9 Release Date
This is one release that can be confirmed pretty solidly. Apple’s WWDC Worldwide Developers Conference will kick off on June 8, and this is typically the venue for iOS releases. So expect news on iOS 9 next month.
