Apple and rumors are like candy and cavities. Sure the iPhone 7 is still probably ten months away — and the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus don’t even have any scratches on them yet. But the financial decision to opt for the 6s isn’t a small one. And September — the tradition new iPhone season — is always a day closer. As rumors circulate that the new iPhone 7 could be much thinner, possibly waterproof, and even have wireless charging, will consumers that didn’t line up for the new iPhone 6 when it dropped this fall hesitate? Will they wait?
After all, they made it through October, November and part of December with their old phones — and the world hasn’t fallen apart. (At least the iPhone world hasn’t.) Apple manages product release and customer expectation better than any company on earth. Yet it finds itself in a unique position: it’s most formidable competitor is itself. Part of Apple’s iPhone customer base is so satisfied with its products that they can wait for advancements that aren’t merely incremental, but groundbreaking — as the iPhone 7 rumor mill promises. For those who wait, though, there’s always the potential supply chain problems that often accompany innovations such as those rumored to be in store for the iPhone 7. You may not be able to get your hands on a new one come the September launch (if the iPhone 7 even launches then) — and then October suddenly seems nearly a year away. Apple certainly isn’t going to do anything to make you think waiting is a good move.
