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Iphone The Almighty Buck Apple Hardware Technology

Apple To Cut iPhone Production By 10%: Nikkei (nikkei.com) 113

A new report from Nikkei Asian Review says that Apple will cut iPhone production by around 10% in the first quarter of 2017. From the report: This comes after the company slashed output in January-March 2016 due to accumulated inventory of the iPhone 6s line at the end of 2015. That experience led Apple to curb production of the iPhone 7, introduced in September, by around 20%. But the phones still have sold more sluggishly than expected. Information on production of the latest models and global sales suggests cuts in both the 7 and 7 Plus lines in the coming quarter. The larger iPhone 7 Plus, which features two cameras on its back face, remains popular. But a shortage of camera sensors has curbed Apple's ability to meet demand for the phones. U.S. research company IDC forecasts global smartphone shipments in 2016 on par with the 2015 level. Even Apple has had difficulty creating appealing new features, stifling demand from customers who otherwise would look to upgrade to the latest device.
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Apple To Cut iPhone Production By 10%: Nikkei

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  • Who could have guessed: removing features from a product does not make it more appealing! Shocking, I know.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      It's not just that, it's that they didn't add anything. Well, not nothing, they only added something to the iPhone 7 Plus with the dual-camera thingy. But that isn't very compelling since most people who take pictures with their cell phone take selfies with the front-facing camera, which means they upgraded the wrong camera.

      Ignoring things they removed, the iPhone 7 is just an iPhone 6s. Then when you realize that the differences are all in things they removed (the obvious removal of the headphone jack, the

    • by TheFakeTimCook ( 4641057 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @06:58PM (#53581721)

      Who could have guessed: removing features from a product does not make it more appealing! Shocking, I know.

      Apparently, neither does adding or improving features (7 Plus compared with the 6s Plus) :

      MUCH improved CPU (Quad Core, vs. Dual Core for 6s Plus), and MUCH faster, too (40% faster than the 6s Plus). Fastest CPU in the mobile industry

      MUCH improved GPU (50% faster than the 6s Plus). Fastest GPU in the mobile industry

      More RAM (3 GB, as opposed to the 2 GB on the 6s Plus)

      Faster Cellular MODEM (depending on model) (4G Speeds up to 450 Mbps vs. 300 Mbps for the 6s Plus)

      MUCH improved water-resistance. Now IP67 rated (and easily beats that spec in real-world tests).

      Home-button no longer mechanical. (Annoying breaking-point before)

      MUCH improved and DUAL cameras, with better low-light sensitivity, ability to do pseudo depth-mapping, and 2 x optical zoom and 10 digital zoom. 4k rear, 1080p front video recording, vs. 6s Plus 720p recording on front camera. Better flash, too.

      MUCH improved Bluetooth from the industry-leading Apple W1 chip (backwards-compatible w/std. BT also)

      Stereo Speakers

      Extended Battery Life (over 1 hour more vs. the 6s Plus).

      Twice the maximum storage (up to 256 GB vs. the 6s Plus 128 GB max). 25% Brighter Display (over the 6s Plus), with wide (P3) color gamut

      ...and that's just from one model-year to the next!

      And yet, all people want to do is bitch about a damn headphone jack...

      Yeah, nothing new to see here, move along.

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward

        And yet in any test that compares Android phones to the iPhone, Android phones still blow it completely out of the water.

        Want the fastest phone, with the best specs, and the best camera? You're looking for an Android.

        Want the best value for money? Guess what, you want an Android!

        Want a phone you can listen to music on without having to shell out $170 for new headphones? Also Android!

        There's an Android phone that meets everyone's needs. The iPhone, on the other hand, is stuck trying to appeal to some baselin

        • And yet in any test that compares Android phones to the iPhone, Android phones still blow it completely out of the water.

          Coincidence that these test always come out a month before Apple releases their new phone? And "blow it completely out of the water" translates to "comes somewhat near".

      • by gravewax ( 4772409 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @07:04PM (#53581751)
        Most of that the average consumer doesn't give a shit about, however their music and ability to plug in their expensive headphones and charge the phone matters. The average person would look at your list and say well their are no upgrades there for me at all. The 6s is more than fast enough for most people, graphics are fine and while water resistence is nice it is hardly a killer feature. Improved dual cameras is really the only step up for the selfie obsessed average user. It is not enough to simply incrementally improve a device when you want someone to spend the best part of a Grand year to year on upgrades.
        • , however their music and ability to plug in their expensive headphones and charge the phone matters.

          They can do that out of the box with the iPhone 7; it includes a legacy headphone jack adaptor.

          • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

            by Anonymous Coward

            AND CHARGE THEIR PHONE AT THE SAME TIME.

            Do I have to spell it out for you?

            OK, see, here's this amazingly common use case. I go to work, and decide I want to listen to music I've got on my phone. But I work in a building with shitty cell reception due to the fact that it's a giant metal box and the closest tower is miles away. This means I want to plug in my phone, while having my headphones plugged in, AT THE SAME TIME.

            Get it?

            Charge AND listen to music.

            At the same time.

            Like literally every other phone excep

            • AND CHARGE THEIR PHONE AT THE SAME TIME.

              I have literally not done that ever. I plug in my phone at night, I use headphones during the day... or I have the phone attached to my car via USB cable, which routes audio.

              Do I have to spell this out for you?

              If you really, really need to charge at the same time there are already multiple [amazon.com] solutions [macworld.com].

              Since the original post said it could not be done - well, the word "bald faced lie" is really not too strong, now is it?

              • by Pulzar ( 81031 )

                If you really, really need to charge at the same time there are already multiple solutions.

                Since the original post said it could not be done - well, the word "bald faced lie" is really not too strong, now is it?

                I don't know, considering that most reviews for those solutions are "it sucks", "it doesn't work", etc., the kickstarter campaign for one of them is suspended, and the $40 gigantic belkin adapter actually needs a second adapter on top of it to plug in headphones... "bald faced lie" seems a bit strong

                • If you really, really need to charge at the same time there are already multiple solutions.

                  Since the original post said it could not be done - well, the word "bald faced lie" is really not too strong, now is it?

                  I don't know, considering that most reviews for those solutions are "it sucks", "it doesn't work", etc., the kickstarter campaign for one of them is suspended, and the $40 gigantic belkin adapter actually needs a second adapter on top of it to plug in headphones... "bald faced lie" seems a bit strong.

                  Yeah, it's possible, but for more money, much more bulkiness to carry around, and, it seems, a lot of luck.

                  BTW, I also keep my phone plugged in while listening to music pretty much all the time -- in car or at work. The only time I don't is when I'm going for a walk. I see a lot of people at work doing the same. I doubt that it's that much of a rarity.

                  I call your bullshit, and raise you two reality checks. For one, using Bluetooth headphones work just fine while charging an iPhone 7 (Plus). And considering "Charging and listening on your expensive headphone" works just fine with any Lightning-Dock sold for 1.5 years before the iPhone 7 was introduced (and most third-party variations since the introduction of the Lightning conector), you don't even have to buy a device specially made for this first world "problem".

            • AND CHARGE THEIR PHONE AT THE SAME TIME.

              Do I have to spell it out for you?

              It would be enough to be right. You fail.

          • sweet, I did not realise they included an adapter that allows both charging and headphones at the same time. This was the blocker that prevented my wife from upgrading as she had to be able to do both.
            • Note that the Apple iPhone Accessory Spec specifically prohibits you from making a cable (or small dongle - there are minimum sizes listed) that could provide charging and audio at the same time. Yes, Apple BANS 3rd parties from providing you with a solution. But you can buy a large (1/3rd the size of the phone) hub from Apple and do it. Which I guess is convenient?
              • well fuck that, my wife will simply wait for something else, she was already eyeing a Galaxy 7, but wanted to wait till next version now. However rumors are that Samsung may do away with the jack as well which would also make it a non starter
                • well fuck that, my wife will simply wait for something else, she was already eyeing a Galaxy 7, but wanted to wait till next version now. However rumors are that Samsung may do away with the jack as well which would also make it a non starter

                  Go onto Amazon. There are at least a dozen charge and listen "Y" cables. MFi rules be damned. LynwoodRoister has been crowing about this "restriction" in the MFi rules for about 3 months now. Meanwhile, thousands of Y cables have been openly sold on Amazon.

                  So, if that's what's the holdup, check out Amazon, and pick yourself up a cable like this one [amazon.com].

                  • Can you show one that is actually Apple approved? Are you recommending that people use non-Apple-certified components for their iPhones, and to explicitly ignore Apple warnings for their products? In essence - proudly proclaiming that Apple is wrong?
                    • Can you show one that is actually Apple approved? Are you recommending that people use non-Apple-certified components for their iPhones, and to explicitly ignore Apple warnings for their products? In essence - proudly proclaiming that Apple is wrong?

                      Get off your high horse.

                      What are you? The MFi Police? Apple obviously doesn't care about minor violations of the Rules; so relax.

                      Why so Butthurt over this?

                    • So if Apple doesn't care about MFi, why even use it? All MFi does is add a layer of additional authentication over USB. You could eliminate MFi altogether and stuff would still work. It's just a way for Apple to earn $0.50 per product, and to ensure THEY have control over what accessories are offered into the market. I guess if you like handing over more money and having someone else dictate what you are allowed to buy it's a good move, but...
                    • So if Apple doesn't care about MFi, why even use it? All MFi does is add a layer of additional authentication over USB. You could eliminate MFi altogether and stuff would still work. It's just a way for Apple to earn $0.50 per product, and to ensure THEY have control over what accessories are offered into the market. I guess if you like handing over more money and having someone else dictate what you are allowed to buy it's a good move, but...

                      I think if USB-C had come out a year or two earlier, Lightning would have never existed. But it didn't and so it does.

                      But I really think that Apple would just as soon transition to USB-C at this point, and Lightning will likely be eliminated on new products by the iPhone 8 at the latest. Therefore, I frankly think Apple has list interest in the MFi Program in general. They certainly don't need the licensing fees, and it make little sense to be draconian about a program you are about to kill.

              • Note that the Apple iPhone Accessory Spec specifically prohibits you from making a cable (or small dongle - there are minimum sizes listed) that could provide charging and audio at the same time. Yes, Apple BANS 3rd parties from providing you with a solution. But you can buy a large (1/3rd the size of the phone) hub from Apple and do it. Which I guess is convenient?

                Give it a rest.

                Amazon sells about a dozen listen and charge "Y" cables. MFi be damned.

                • MFi - yes, MFi be damned. Until Apple flips the "only legit MFi chips" bit in software and your cable no longer works. Apple doesn't want you to make easy-to-use cables. They still restrict 3rd parties from making USB-C to Lightning cables (Apple exclusive, you know!). But hey - you love it when Apple dictates what can be made as accessories for iPhones, and what you - the common consumer - is allowed to buy...
              • Well, it should be easy to find a citation for that claim.
          • it includes a legacy headphone jack adaptor.

            Yeah it's great, now I need to carry an adapter with me when I go between work and home. Well at least I can still charge wirelessly. Or not.

            • it includes a legacy headphone jack adaptor.

              Yeah it's great, now I need to carry an adapter with me when I go between work and home.

              Or you could use one of dozens of Lightning-headphones. Are one of hundreds of Bluetooth headphones.

              Well at least I can still charge wirelessly. Or not.

              You can charge your phone wirelessly while you go between work and home? Or do you just restrict the boundaries of your first world problems so you can smugly blame Apple for not fixing them?

              • So what you're saying is I need to throw out all my existing headphones of which include a set of $600 Senheisers that no lightning garbage can compare to, as well as tell my company to issue me a different set of headphones at work. As for wireless charging, I think you're missing the point. At least when Samsung in it's blatant copy everything Apple does remove their headphone jack and issue you a USB-C audio adaptor I'll be able to charge my phone rather than have it sit on my desk battery draining becau

                • So what you're saying is I need to throw out all my existing headphones

                  No, I'm saying you are making up a first world problem.

                  • A first world problem is a problem experienced in the first world. If you want 3rd world problems move to some shithole. I have first world problems to deal with here which include not throwing away perfectly good electronics to appease some company's strategy for selling more Beats garbage.

                    • A first world problem is a problem experienced in the first world. If you want 3rd world problems move to some shithole. I have first world problems to deal with here which include not throwing away perfectly good electronics to appease some company's strategy for selling more Beats garbage.

                      I didn't say "having to throw away perfectly good electronics" is a good is a first world problem, I said claiming "having to throw away perfectly good electronics" is making up a first world problem.

                      Just stop making shit up. It's easier than making shit up.

                    • Never go full retard man.

                    • Never go full retard man.

                      Because I'd end up like you. Let's face it, you can't get more retarded than your argument.

                    • Because I'd end up like you. Let's face it, you can't get more retarded than your argument.

                      Keep telling yourself that man.

                    • Because I'd end up like you. Let's face it, you can't get more retarded than your argument.

                      Keep telling yourself that man.

                      I'm not telling myself, I'm telling you moron. And It's getting boring.

                    • No need to tell me. You're the one who needs to convince yourself that your bullshit doesn't stink. The rest of the internet can smell it from where we sit.

                    • Says the moron who believes he has a "high-end" Sennheiser that needs no adapter to connect to his phone. Damn marketing believing Hipsters.
        • Most of that the average consumer doesn't give a shit about, however their music and ability to plug in their expensive headphones and charge the phone matters. The average person would look at your list and say well their are no upgrades there for me at all. The 6s is more than fast enough for most people, graphics are fine and while water resistence is nice it is hardly a killer feature. Improved dual cameras is really the only step up for the selfie obsessed average user. It is not enough to simply incrementally improve a device when you want someone to spend the best part of a Grand year to year on upgrades.

          No. What you really mean is stuff YOU don't care about.

          There's likely a difference.

          • Given the decrease in production and sales I would say it is stuff MOST people don't care about. My wife certainly doesn't the only thing on that list she cares about is the improved camera, but that is trumped by not being able to charge and use headphone jack at same time.
            • Given the decrease in production and sales I would say it is stuff MOST people don't care about. My wife certainly doesn't the only thing on that list she cares about is the improved camera, but that is trumped by not being able to charge and use headphone jack at same time.

              Solved by a $6 cable.

      • by willoughby ( 1367773 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @07:14PM (#53581823)

        Well, just goes to show how important to people that headphone jack was, doesn't it?

        • by amiga3D ( 567632 )

          I'd love an iPhone with a removable battery, microSD slot, headphone jack and that wasn't so thin I have to worry about bending it. Instead I have a Samsung S5 Activ which I guess I'll hang onto for another year or two.

        • Well, just goes to show how important to people that headphone jack was, doesn't it?

          Actually, I think it is the same thing that is plaguing the PC and tablet markets, too. That being, although the improvements are significant year-over-year, most people by this time have something that is meeting their needs "good enough". That is every OEM's dilemma; not just Apple's.

      • Meanwhile the iPhone continues its slide to irrelevancy as it approaches single-digit market share (apparently accelerating, given the cut in projected production).

        PS: if Apple wanted to provide "industry leading" Bluetooth, they'd support AptX (like they do on Macs and Apple TVs) in the iPhone. But they don't. So they don't provide "industry leading" Bluetooth functionality at all as they do not have a high quality, low latency, or lossless Bluetooth audio solution (all of which are available with AptX).

        • Meanwhile the iPhone continues its slide to irrelevancy as it approaches single-digit market share (apparently accelerating, given the cut in projected production).

          PS: if Apple wanted to provide "industry leading" Bluetooth, they'd support AptX (like they do on Macs and Apple TVs) in the iPhone. But they don't. So they don't provide "industry leading" Bluetooth functionality at all as they do not have a high quality, low latency, or lossless Bluetooth audio solution (all of which are available with AptX).

          Along with licensing fees, short range, connectivity issues, and high-latency. You've tried this sales-pitch already. Do you really want to be embarrassed again?

          Be sure not to read any of the glowing reviews of the AirPods; so you can keep up this fantasy you've created for yourself.

      • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        People are simply keeping phones longer. Apple has it share and Android of various flavours had their share and M$ has fuck all. The reason people are keeping phones longer are, they are simply good enough and do not need replacing and the advertisement that drive egoistic purchases lack the same bite and everyone who wanted to replace a losephone (calling a winphone would be a lie) has done so. Market saturation was inevitable. So time to jump to new markets, Big Screen Computers with tablet remotes (thank

  • I wonder what the Apple cultist fallback is after that one? Hmm, maybe something along the lines of "those grapes were sour anyway".

    • by lucm ( 889690 )

      Maybe next they will brag that iPhone users spend the most time "engaging" with adapters? Or that they "laser focus" on a single task at a time (since they can't listen to music and charge their phone at once)?

  • by bogaboga ( 793279 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @06:54PM (#53581693)

    Even Apple has had difficulty creating appealing new features, stifling demand from customers who otherwise would look to upgrade to the latest device

    While I agree that Apple hasn't really been able to introduce new features, some folks around me have ditched the iPhone for its expense. I guess they are finally "coming to their senses."

    I always wondered why one would pay over US$900 for something that has functionality of other devices at half the cost; and would be "obsolete" in a year.

    • Even Apple has had difficulty creating appealing new features, stifling demand from customers who otherwise would look to upgrade to the latest device

      While I agree that Apple hasn't really been able to introduce new features, some folks around me have ditched the iPhone for its expense. I guess they are finally "coming to their senses."

      I always wondered why one would pay over US$900 for something that has functionality of other devices at half the cost; and would be "obsolete" in a year.

      Um, the GN7 "Fireball" edition was actually MORE expensive than an iPhone 7 Plus.

      • Um, the GN7 "Fireball" edition was actually MORE expensive than an iPhone 7 Plus.

        And it was more of a device too having not only features that Apple removed from the iPhone line, features Apple refused to add to their devices, and features that Apple arbitrarily limit on their devices, as well as features not normally found in a phone in the first place.

        • Um, the GN7 "Fireball" edition was actually MORE expensive than an iPhone 7 Plus.

          And it was more of a device too having not only features that Apple removed from the iPhone line, features Apple refused to add to their devices, and features that Apple arbitrarily limit on their devices, as well as features not normally found in a phone in the first place.

          How about a list. And don't bother with the headphone jack; it's a red herring.

          • Sure just an example of each off the top of my head:

            Features Removed: The Red Herring (and the fact that you asked me to exclude it speaks worlds)
            Features refused to add: Wireless Charging, ANT+ support.
            Features arbitrarily limited: NFC. They have it but fuck you you don't get to use it.
            Features not normally found in a phone in a first place: Stylus with dedicated digitise and palm detection.

            The feature list of the iPhone has more in common with some second tier Android phones except for the usual OMG it ha

      • And it also provides technology that Apple simply refuses to provide: a stylus (I love making sketches and taking notes on my Note 5), split screen apps (two at one time on the big screen), and AptX Bluetooth (for decent audio quality, wirelessly).
        • And it also provides technology that Apple simply refuses to provide: a stylus (I love making sketches and taking notes on my Note 5), split screen apps (two at one time on the big screen), and AptX Bluetooth (for decent audio quality, wirelessly).

          Let's talk about AptX first: Licensing fees for proprietary CODECS and Hardware. Shitty range. Connectivity Problems. MINIMUM of 40 ms. latency (even in the "low-latency" version). Sorry, the W1 chip solves ALL that, plus it supports the industry-standard AAC CODEC (which some other earphone/earbud/headset OEMs also support). So, let's scratch that one off the list.

          Stylus? Ok, there are plenty for the iPhone. Just none from Apple.

          Split screen? On a PHONE??? You know, sometimes just because you can do a

          • LOL - OK. Go off the deep end! We'll see what the latency is for iPhones with the W1 chip - my guess is it will be no better than Bluetooth 5, which is 100 msec. AptX low latency is about the fastest you'll get. And those CSR/Qualcomm AptX chips support AAC, MP3, SBC - and AptX lossless and AptX low latency.

            Look, Apple must think there is SOME benefit to AptX, why else would it live in Macbooks and Apple TV? But schizophrenic Apple didn't put it into iOS devices. Maybe they couldn't figure out how to

            • LOL - OK. Go off the deep end! We'll see what the latency is for iPhones with the W1 chip - my guess is it will be no better than Bluetooth 5, which is 100 msec. AptX low latency is about the fastest you'll get. And those CSR/Qualcomm AptX chips support AAC, MP3, SBC - and AptX lossless and AptX low latency.

              Look, Apple must think there is SOME benefit to AptX, why else would it live in Macbooks and Apple TV? But schizophrenic Apple didn't put it into iOS devices. Maybe they couldn't figure out how to do it? Or they just wanted to make sure you couldn't use the same great CODECs in your iPhone as you can use in your Macbook.

              So explain, then: is Apple wrong to include AptX in the Macbook and Apple TV, or is Apple wrong to exclude AptX from iOS devices? Because those two positions are diametrically opposed.

              I don't think Apple ever pitched having AptX support in OS X. Don't exactly know why, but I didn't even know AptX support existed in OS X (or didn't exist in iOS), until you started harping about it.

              Does anyone know what the min. Latency for BT 5 is, since the final standard hasn't been released? If not, then the validity of your statement about latency of the "W1 Protocol" is likely not known outside of Apple's R&D dept.

              I think the bigger question is "Why wasn't the W1 chip included in the 2016 Mac

              • Bluetooth 5 spec is out there [bluetooth.com]. No change in latency. Meaning - you'll still have latency in the 100-600 msec range unless you do something custom (like AptX).
                • Bluetooth 5 spec is out there [bluetooth.com]. No change in latency. Meaning - you'll still have latency in the 100-600 msec range unless you do something custom (like AptX).

                  That must have just been ratified. I knew it was close; but last I checked (last month or so) it hadn't gotten final approval.

                  So what, pray tell, could AptX do to improve on the raw latency figure-of-merit (with their alleged 40 ms. low-latency protocol), and still maintain base compatibility with the standard itself? And more importantly, if AptX can do it, why do you discount that Apple can do it, too?

                  BTW, who in the hell ratifies an "improved" standard (BT 5) and doesn't address one of the biggest us

                  • I'm more interested in your take on why Apple includes AptX support in their OSX products - but not in their iOS products.
                    • I'm more interested in your take on why Apple includes AptX support in their OSX products - but not in their iOS products.

                      Well, I don't know; but I can guess that it doesn't have anything to do with the W1 chip. More likely the (Qualcomm?) BT MODEM they used in the Lappies already had AptX support; so it came along for the ride; but the ones they spec-ed for the iOS stuff (likely a different chip than the lappies use, chosen primarily for low current consumption), probably didn't.

                      It might also be that the BT controller they used in the Macs was chosen because it supported AAC, and again, AptX came along for the ride. But I d

                    • AptX is its own proprietary CODEC and transport protocol that allows for low latency (40 msec typical). It is backwards compatible with standard Bluetooth, but you need AptX on both ends (sender and receiver) to be compliant and benefit from the low latency and higher audio quality.

                      Apple pays an actual AptX license on every chip that is sold into the Macbooks - I'm sure they do that with full knowledge, it's not a "standard library" that you can use. You buy the licenses from CSR (now Qualcomm) - just l

                    • AptX is its own proprietary CODEC and transport protocol that allows for low latency (40 msec typical). It is backwards compatible with standard Bluetooth, but you need AptX on both ends (sender and receiver) to be compliant and benefit from the low latency and higher audio quality.

                      Apple pays an actual AptX license on every chip that is sold into the Macbooks - I'm sure they do that with full knowledge, it's not a "standard library" that you can use. You buy the licenses from CSR (now Qualcomm) - just like you do in the MFi program.

                      I didn't mean to imply that Apple didn't know they were paying to license AptX. Just that they really don't give a shit about it. In fact, the "Tech Specs" for the new MacBook Pros just say "Bluetooth 4.2 Technology". No "Click for Details" or anything. That's it. And searching for "Aptx" on Apple's Support site returns NO relevant results whatsoever.

                      In fact, apparently, you have to use a third-party App [theghostbit.com] to force AptX to be used. Or apparently, there is a Dev. Tool by Apple [digitalaudioreview.net] that allows AptX to be used and

        • And it also provides technology that Apple simply refuses to provide: a stylus (I love making sketches and taking notes on my Note 5),

          How many times did you have to replace a lost stylus?

    • by vlad30 ( 44644 )
      This is what happens when bean counters start running the company products get expensive which no additional perceived value and they fail to recognize the value of additional "Halo" products such as the Macpro or professional laptops beyond the "meagre" sales. Add to that that many people are still happy with their iPhone 5 and even 4 I've seen around and will upgrade when it dies all leads to a fall in sales. Bean counters often don't remember history (before Steve returned) and as a result can't see the
    • by jon3k ( 691256 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @07:30PM (#53581939)

      I always wondered why one would pay over US$900 for something that has functionality of other devices at half the cost; and would be "obsolete" in a year.

      Stability, ease of use, frequency of updates, much better overall security, etc, etc. iPhone is far from obsolete in 1-2 years, they receive updates for at least four.

      • by lucm ( 889690 )

        I always wondered why one would pay over US$900 for something that has functionality of other devices at half the cost; and would be "obsolete" in a year.

        Stability, ease of use, frequency of updates, much better overall security, etc, etc. iPhone is far from obsolete in 1-2 years, they receive updates for at least four.

        The obsolescence is peer-driven. Nobody wants to be seen in a Starbucks with an iPhone 5.

      • by Jaegs ( 645749 )

        I agree. Also, I *always* sell my two-year-old iPhone for at least as much as a new subsidized one costs--I know, I know, I'm still paying for it with contract--so my out-of-pocket cost is nothing every two years, for a brand new phone.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Stability, ease of use, frequency of updates, much better overall security, etc, etc. iPhone is far from obsolete in 1-2 years, they receive updates for at least four.

        Why keep using a 4 year old phone though? It will get slow as they add more bloat to the OS updates and apps themselves start to target newer hardware, and of course it will get physical wear and tear in that time since it's a mobile device.

        Much better to pay $300 for a high end Android phone and replace it every two years. You get stability, ease of use, timely updates, excellent security, $300 in your pocket, a vast choice of models and a brand new device every couple of years.

        • by jon3k ( 691256 )
          Four year old iphone runs great, not sure what you're referring to? What wear and tear, you put it in a $10 case and it's as good as the day you bought it four years later.

          You get stability, ease of use, timely updates, excellent security,

          You can't be serious? What are these $300 android phones with "ease of use" (ie non brain dead skins), "timely updates" that don't take 6 months to make it through the carrier, if ever (at least in the US) and "excellent security" ? you have to be kidding me [techworld.com]. FWIW I'm sitting here with an iPhone SE and an LG Nexus, so I'm far from a f

          • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

            My OnePlus One is more than two years old. Gets updated regularly, easy to use with 99% stock Android. Solid hardware, works world wide. Bought it direct, not through a carrier.

            • by jon3k ( 691256 )
              An anomaly to be sure. What percentage of Android phones in use do you think the OnePlus makes up? 0.1%? It also carried all the horrendous security flaws of Android over the last couple of years and runs CyanogenMod which is now essentially defunct. Oh and ridiculous invite system and long delays. And let's not forget that the iPhone 6 camera was light years ahead of the OnePlus One and it's a 5.5" phone -- thats bordering on phablet, coming in at 20% heavier than the iPhone 6 (it's competition at the t
  • by dpidcoe ( 2606549 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @06:54PM (#53581699)
    Wow! What a courageous move by apple to cut their production like that!
  • They'll have less work to do. Some might even be made redundant. Who'd a thunk their day in the sun would be so short?
  • How is this news? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 30, 2016 @07:18PM (#53581851)

    So not sure why this is a big deal, the holiday season is over, the phone has been out a while, and demand is dropping, and really phones are also no longer special anymore.

    The simple reality is both Apple and Android phones originally were able to make huge improvements each cycle, simply because phone technology hadn't moved for so long. The problem is now phones have somewhat caught up to as far as technology can go. You can get a slightly better processor, a bit more ram, a better camera, and better screen but for the most part, perhaps a slightly larger battery, but there is nothing new and nothing that people need in a phone. Phones are now to the point where, they do everything and more that most people want, so the demand for newer and better isn't really as high. While we will certainly see some improvements in the next few years, unless something unexpected comes along that can make manufactures have to swing for the fences again, phones, like PCs before them, have become more boring in their lifecycle, which is just the cyclical nature of products, and anyone thinking the Samsung 8, or the iPhone 8 will bring something new and exciting will probably be rather disappointed.

    Accessories and software will probably see the biggest changes, things like the AirPods will become more available at a large number of prices ranges, as well as we should continue to see improvements in software, but those things don't require a new phone for the most part unless, something changes such as where there is a new chipset say going faster than LTE, and even that will have a harder time getting traction than the 3g to LTE shift since most people are quite happy with the LTE performance.

  • by melted ( 227442 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @07:18PM (#53581855) Homepage

    I believe they do this every year based on their revised estimates for q1 shipments. IOW this is not news.

  • by Bender Unit 22 ( 216955 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @07:38PM (#53581981) Journal

    I have had many iPhones and have been happy with them so far, but I am not going to pay $1000 for a fucking smartphone(my local price for a 7 with 256GB, converted to USD). My iPhone 5 died, so I got a SE for $550, and that's a lot of money too. Like the new MacBook Pro, the latest price hike just became too much.

    I am not using any apps now that does not exist on a android system, so I might as well switch. The MacBook Pro is too expensive, they lack a good upgradable workstation for video editing. Well, it has been a good 10 years since I switched from Windows, when the next computer replacement comes around, I am taking a look at switching back to Windows again.

    • by lucm ( 889690 )

      Well, it has been a good 10 years since I switched from Windows, when the next computer replacement comes around, I am taking a look at switching back to Windows again.

      Fedora 25 is vastly superior to OSX and Windows. This is not 2003 anymore.

      • by cfalcon ( 779563 )

        For many values of "superior", but certainly not all of them. I'm running FC24 on my main box right now, and I have a big list of things I need to pull from third party repos before it is functional for stuff besides development and web browsing. Customization is always possible, but usually difficult, and some peripherals are just a gamble. Vastly more secure, you control your system instead of your system controlling you, better resource usage in almost every case... but still, more hassle than Windows

        • by lucm ( 889690 )

          I'm running FC24 on my main box right now, and I have a big list of things I need to pull from third party repos before it is functional for stuff besides development and web browsing.

          I guess you're talking about RPMFusion. What's the problem with third-party repos? Are you installing all your Windows software from the Microsoft App Store?

          Customization is always possible, but usually difficult

          And what level of customization do you have on Windows? Changing the wallpaper?

          • by cfalcon ( 779563 )

            > What's the problem with third-party repos?

            They can be a bit of a hassle, and they are necessary for a lot of functionality that other OSes would have built in, or that would come along with a download of the relevant program. MP3 playback just became native, but most codecs you still have to pull down from a third party thing. In the case of video drivers, you pretty much need to do everything in the correct order. There's like five ways to do it, and each one you can screw up.

            Ex: if I type:
            dnf ins

          • by cfalcon ( 779563 )

            Oh hey, you can actually help me with a customization problem! When I go to log in (xfce spin, which use lightdm), I have two wacky things I want to change.

            The first is, my leftmost monitor, which is vertical, displays as if it were horizontal. It should instead display as if it were vertical, which it is. It works fine once I'm in xfce proper, but not at the login screen.

            The second is, I don't know how to change the user icon that lightdm or whatever it is displays. It's just that little awful genericm

    • by antdude ( 79039 )

      Yep, that is what I do these days. Upgrade when they become unusable. 4S is fine for now. :P

  • by radarskiy ( 2874255 ) on Friday December 30, 2016 @09:44PM (#53582657)

    1st quarter is always slowest, and they are constrained on parts supply for the Plus.

    Was there supposed to be some news in this article?

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