Apple Reduces iPhone 7 Supplier Orders Amid 'Fading' Demand and 'iPhone 8' Excitement

Apple has reduced its orders for the iPhone 7 with suppliers, following the initial sales influx within the first month of the device's launch this past September. Supply chain sources speaking with Digitimes pointed towards strong demand for the Jet Black iPhone 7 and Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 issues as catalysts for the initial shipping momentum, but both factors have now trailed off in producing more iPhone sales leading up to 2017.

Because of these factors and more, demand for the iPhone 7 in China and other markets around the world has "started fading." The timing aligns with Apple's typical iPhone manufacturing slow down towards the end of each year, and attention by suppliers and customers is now said to be on 2017's much-anticipated tenth anniversary iPhone.

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Demand for the iPhone 7 devices in China and other markets has scaled down significantly since their launch less than three months ago, the sources noted.

Instead of paying attention to sales performance of the iPhone 7 devices, component suppliers and consumers alike have been shifting their focus to the next generation iPhone to be released in 2017, commented the sources.

"High expectations" for the so-called iPhone 8 are also factored into the shipment outlook for the iPhone 7 as the new year approaches. In total, shipments for the iPhone 7 are believed to be five million less in the first six months of 2017 than in the four month period the smartphone will have been available by the end of 2016.

The iPhone 8 already has a plethora of rumors surrounding its design and potential new features, including a glass body, edge-to-edge display, and wireless charging abilities.

Top Rated Comments

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PBG4 Dude

40 months ago

And how about lack of headphone jack on iPhone 7?

Easily the worst part of owning an iPhone 7 for me. The phone is excellent other than this omission. It has bit me in the ass many times now as I don't carry the dongle around with me all the time.

Even at home, the whole, "crap I have to find that adapter" is annoying. As a musician, I knew this could be a problem. Just didn't realize how annoying it was going to be.

Rating: 30 Votes

macduke

40 months ago

It would be really funny if this iPhone 8 was just an iPhone 7s. So funny I would cry!

Rating: 29 Votes

Sevanw

40 months ago

HAHAHAAAAA, riiiiiiight, shrinking demand because of iPhone 8 excitement. Lol. Just no way that the iPhone 7 being meh has anything to do with it.

Rating: 16 Votes

kamalds

40 months ago

Apple might add headphone jack in iPhone 8 to blow our mind! Also I didn't buy iPhone 7 because of lack of 3.5mm jack

Rating: 15 Votes

Mac 128

40 months ago

And how about lack of headphone jack on iPhone 7?

Rating: 12 Votes

bladerunner2000

40 months ago

Bluetooth is here, and has better battery life then it had. If you don't want to embrace it, you're SOL because it's the future, even if you refuse to accept it.

Bluetooth's audio quality still sucks balls. Next, it's another device that you need to remember to have to recharge on a regular basis. It also drains battery life on your main device. Despite all these negatives, for some reason bluetooth headphones are still ludicrously priced.

And you want us to switch from simple 3.5mm jack to this junk? No thanks.

Rating: 12 Votes

v0lume4

40 months ago

Next year is gonna be a crazy year for smartphones. It looks like Apple and Samsung both have some big plans. And who knows, the Google Pixel 2 might be killer as well since Google will have some experience up their sleeves.

Rating: 9 Votes

Dave 1

40 months ago

So, to sum up, Samsung phones explode and Apple Phones implode? ;)

Rating: 9 Votes

HobeSoundDarryl

40 months ago

Bluetooth is here, and has better battery life then it had. If you don't want to embrace it, you're SOL because it's the future, even if you refuse to accept it.

Irony: people pushing Apple for WIRELESS charging, but don't want WIRELESS headphones that are significantly better than the obsolete ones.

Sound Quality. Why ignore the most fundamental benefit of any kind of headphones? Rhetorical. Bluetooth still doesn't compete with the sound quality of wired headphones. Thus, that MUST be ignored to try to rationalize the bluetooth argument. Even Apple doesn't completely buy "bluetooth is better." Else, why include a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter in the box? And why build the "obsolete" jack into the brand new(er) MBpros? And why- per rumors- keep it in next year's iPads?

But if we want to get into secondary benefits and just ignore the most important one, how about latency, ubiquity, no need for batteries or the hassles in charging them at all, maximum audio bandwidth, don't fly out of our ears, less likely to get lost, shorter lifetimes before they fail, etc. In the spirit of "thinner & lighter" how about less to carry in our bags? I don't buy "lighter" if I pretty much need to carry extra stuff in the bag to have utility that used to come inside.

"Better battery life" is missing the point. In fact, my particular wired headphones have a battery in them that outlasts any set of Bluetooth batteries. So if it's all about "better battery life," apparently I have the best headphones in the world.

Rating: 9 Votes

Freida

40 months ago

It would be really funny if this iPhone 8 was just an iPhone 7s. So funny I would cry!

I think you wouldn't be alone :)

Rating: 8 Votes

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