Apple, much like most tech giants, have had a loyal consumer base for years and their constant release of new devices including the iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple Watch have earned them billions of followers around the world who effectively live to upgrade their technology to the latest specs.
But after disappointing sales figures for both the iPhone 6S and the Apple Watch, and the fact that the new iPhone 7 will undoubtedly post an even bigger price tag without several long-sought after new features, is it time for Apple fans to consider, dare we say it, an alternative?
Disembark the Apple Ship
While spread betting brokers and investors can rejoice that the Apple stock price has recovered to its’ near 1-year highs of 112USD, it may be a short-lived victory if they can’t continue to impress the consumer market.
Rivals like Android can boast of OLED screens which Apple’s new iPhone 7 will not feature, and while the App Store is still streets ahead of its’ closest competitors, it can no longer atone for the shortcomings of the handset by itself. To make matters worse, iPhone sales have declined for the first time in their history* and the rumours of this lacklustre new release will do nothing to bolster them in the short run.
- January to March 2016 – Apple iPhone sales accounted for $50.6bn which was a 13% fall and was the first time since 2003, some 4 years before the release of the iPhone itself, that the company had posted a fall in sales.
- This was also in contrast to the record 2015 that the company enjoyed, when it posted the largest corporate profit in history, with a net income of $53.4bn!
Take for example the Samsung S7 which is likely to be the most comparable of alternatives to the new iPhone 7.
While Apple has opened up its’ Maps and Siri features to developers in an effort to bridge the gap between them and Google Maps and Now, its’ base features still pale in comparison to the Samsung. See below:
Screen Size and Resolution: Samsung – 5.1inch AMOLED 2560x1440px / Apple (both the original and Plus versions) – 4.7inch/5.5inch screen with likelihood of standard 1080p in the base model and potentially up to 1440px in the Plus
Storage: Here the iPhone can boast about the abolishment of its’ 16gb offering and a rumoured and improved 256gb option although this will likely come with a premium price tag. The Samsung S7 only comes with 32gb of available space, however the ability to add a microSim with a hugely lower budget is arguably just as attractive, if not more.
CPU/Ram: Apple is boasting an A10 processor with 3GB of Ram, while Samsung overshadows it with its’ Snapdragon and Exynos processors and 4GB of Ram.
Camera: Both (if rumours are true), will feature 5MP front cameras, with both rear cameras circa 12MP (although Apple may feature a 4K video feature)
Waterproofing: The S7 has been released with IP68 Water and Dust ratings, while the iPhone 7 has not been confirmed as either.
As you can see from all the information above, regardless of the temptation that Apple stock may still yield to the Spread Betting brokers out there, its’ new offering is a step-shy of the industry already and they may struggle to convince new customers to pay premium prices for a phone that realistically isn’t good enough.
However, there may be a glimmer of hope on the horizon for those willing to forego their upgrades this year in favour of the belief that the rumoured iPhone 8 in 2017 will finally live up to expectations. Next year will be the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone and Apple are not the sort of company to let these milestones pass them by.
According to some of the gossip, although this must be taken as nothing more than ‘maybes’ at the second, Apple will be making the leap to OLED next year and intends to make it an ‘all-glass design’ which would not only lead to better battery life and resolution, but offer an integrated touch-ID sensor and altogether a classier offering.
But beware to those looking for a bargain, this may be part of a ‘Pro’ offering that the company were talking about testing this year – subjective to a presumably much higher price tag.
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