Apple is launching two new smartphones in 2015 to accommodate the launch of the Apple Watch, prompting the early retirement of some older models. The iPhone 6S release date will come in the spring of 2015 alongside the product which fans are popularly referring to as the “iWatch” so as to ensure the maximum potential launch day sales for both product lines. And the iPhone 7 will arrive behind it, meaning the iPhone 5C will be retired swiftly and the iPhone 5S will be discontinued thereafter. But why all the sudden haste?
The accelerated schedule, which our source in the supply chain claims Apple is merely considering at this point, is based around the premise that the iWatch has the best shot at the biggest launch if a new iPhone model is launched alongside it. Cupertino’s concern is that those who are becoming upgrade-eligible in early 2015 may opt to wait until the new iPhone release date in the fall, meaning they could put off their Apple Watch purchase as well. But the arrival of the iPhone 6S in the spring gives consumers a reason to go ahead and purchase both items in tandem. The arrival of the 6S will prompt the dismissal of the 5C, currently Apple’s free-with-contract model, which has never been particularly popular.
Then comes the trickier part: with the iPhone 6S release date coming in the spring of 2015, does Apple then permanently shift the launch cycle to the spring of each year, or does the iPhone 7 arrive in the fall? Apple could go either way, but may be hesitant to stick with the 6S for a full year. The arrival of other ancillary products in the fall of 2015, such as Apple television sets, could further prompt the company to stick with its accelerated schedule.
Apple is currently enjoying unprecedented sales of the iPhone 6, prompting some to question the odds that Apple would be inclined to launch another new model after just half a year. But the primary reason for the jump in sales is that the 6 has been fully redesigned after a few years of similar looking models, and the lesson Apple is taking from it is that consumers want physical redesigns yearly regardless of what the spec or feature boosts may be. That points to the iPhone 7 release date next fall, and in turn, the iPhone 6S in the spring. But again, it’s still too early for anything to be definitive.
Jerry Miller
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