Apple Secretly Kills iPhone 7 While Urging Consumers To Queue Up For iPhone X
Apple has been forced to issue a statement urging consumers to line up on Nov 3rd for a new iPhone X despite manufacturers claiming that Apple is only expected to be able to deliver 2-3 million units globally.
As their new iPhone 8 struggles Apple has also moved to kill off their top end iPhone 7 in a move that was not flagged in any of their press releases.
This means that consumers who do line up and are who are looking to Apple.com for a high-storage iPhone option will now only be able to choose between the iPhone 8 and the X.
In the past the launch of an iPhone has been a gala event now the occasions are more of a whimper.
In a press release obtained by ChannelNews Apple has said walk-in customers also will have a chance to purchase a device at their local Apple Store, but “are encouraged to arrive early.”
This may be an understatement in Australia due to the anticipated shortage in stock of the iPhone X.
Apple made its announcement as Japanese news service Nikkei reported early Tuesday that the tech giant will only be able to move 20 million iPhone X units this year — half of what was expected.
It’s the latest in a seemingly endless onslaught of production delay rumours that have been dogged the iPhone X.
Manufacturers reportedly are struggling to produce components for the iPhone X’s new face recognition technology. Currently, 10 million handsets are produced per month, according to Nikkei.
Apple customers likely won’t need to be reminded to line up in advance. The company’s rabid supporters are notorious for camping out in front of Apple Stores for days ahead of iPhone launches.
A notable exception, however, was the iPhone 8, which hit stores late last month. Lines were small, and in some cases non-existent, for the iPhone 8. Apple did the iPhone 8 no favours by releasing a full month ahead of the iPhone X, which it has dubbed the “future of the smartphone.”
In its latest move, Apple has quietly discontinued the 256GB iPhone 7, the Company failed to issue a press release.
The decision to discontinue sales of the iPhone 7 was made on the same day it unveiled the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, it wasn’t generally known until this week.
This means that consumers who are looking to Apple.com for a high-storage iPhone option will now only be able to choose between the iPhone 8 and the X.
The New York Post said that ‘If Apple’s strategy was to move customers toward a purchase of the iPhone 8, it doesn’t seem to have worked too well’.
The iPhone 7 is still reportedly outselling the iPhone 8 a month after the new model’s release, forcing Apple to slash orders for its iPhone 8 by 50 percent.
Analysts claim that the lack of interest in the iPhone 8 can be attributed to two main factors.
The first is that the iPhone 8 looks a lot like the iPhone 7, and aside from having wireless charging and faster processors, it hasn’t done much to differentiate itself from its predecessor and get customers rushing to upgrade.
The second is the $1,846 gorilla in the room: the iPhone X. With the release of Apple’s “future of the smartphone” looming on Nov. 3, the iPhone 8 was stuck in no man’s land when it hit stores in late September.
