iPhone 7 News, Release Date Rumors and Updates: Apple To Release iPhone 8 In 2017, Not iPhone 7S

By Peter R - 22 Apr '16 16:53PM

Lending credence to rumors about this year's iPhone being a no-frills release, new reports suggest that Apple will skip the iPhone 7S for iPhone 8.

The iPhone 7 is set for launch this September. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted Apple will not introduce major design changes and keep this year's device similar to iPhone 6S launched last fall. Major changes are likely to be reserved for 2017. Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz corroborated this forecast as he claimed Apple would launch the iPhone 8 next year and skip iPhone 7S.

If these predictions prove true, Apple would be breaking an established production, marketing and launch repertoire dubbed the 'tick-tock' cycle where every 'S' edition follows a launch with major design revamp. Breaking away will cause sales to slightly fall this year but Apple can hope to make windfall gains in 2017, the analyst predicted.

"Silver lining - there might be no "S" cycle in C2017. Our conversations with industry participants suggest Apple could skip the "S" cycle next year and instead jump to IP8," he reportedly said. "The jump could showcase major form factor changes, including OLED, no home button, and wireless charging. In our view, these potential changes could drive a mega cycle, underpinning our C2017 iPhone unit growth estimate of 10.3%, vs. 6.3% previously."

To gain some lost ground and lots more, Apple would need an ace. Interestingly, several reports have already given a glimpse of iPhone 8, courtesy Kuo and Moskowitz. While Kuo predicted next year's iPhone would be cased in metal glass and could feature OLED screens, Moskowitz affirmed the OLED screen bit.

Concepts of iPhone with OLED screens and without the home button have been around ever since the iPhone 6S was launched. With such a screen, Apple could fit a 5.8-inch display in a body as big as the iPhone 6S. Reports in the past have speculated Apple has ordered a large number of OLED screens from its arch-rival Samsung.

While Apple loyalists will wait in eager anticipation until fall 2017 for the next big thing in iPhones, those planning an upgrade in 2016 are going to be disappointed. An online survey by Goldman Sachs analyst revealed nearly half of Apple's buyers this year are likely to be those looking to upgrade their iPhones.