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Apple Takes A Hit On iPhone 7 Sales, iPhone 8 May Be Worth Waiting For

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The Apple earnings call made two things abundantly clear. The first is that Apple has a massive stack of cash stored overseas, world domination super villain money  if Tim Cook was to choose that route. Second is that the iPhone 7, as analysts expected, did not perform so hot when lined up against the previous quarter. Of course, for Apple, 50.8 million units sold (a one percent drop year over year) isn't too shabby when it comes to bad days.

Sure, as ZDNet points out, a miss is a miss. Hell, any other phone manufacturer ( Microsoft perhaps) would love to be told that its stock is up and is flush with cash but hey -- phone sales are lagging a bit. Not to mention Apple beat earnings expectations with earnings per diluted share of $2.10 on revenue of $52.9 billion. Yet, what do we care for all that? The crowd just wants to know about phones, phones, phones. CEO Tim Cook is optimistic the iPhone 7 Plus (and probably the coming iPhone 8) will spur sales growth.

"We are proud to report a strong March quarter, with revenue growth accelerating from the December quarter and continued robust demand for iPhone 7 Plus," Cook said in a statement. "We've seen great customer response to both models of the new iPhone 7 Red Special Edition and we're thrilled with the strong momentum of our Services business, with our highest revenue ever for a 13-week quarter."

Also see: Microsoft Windows Phone Is Dead, Long Live The Surface Phone

So about that iPhone 8, (which inexplicably is also being refereed to as the iPhone 7S, which makes no sense to me), it's probably going to be delayed until 2018. Apparently this is due to some parts issues, but that means that Apple is going to skip its own iPhone anniversary? I don't think so. So that's probably why the iPhone 7S terminology has still been floating out there. It's hard to imagine Apple won't release a 10th anniversary phone this year.

Since the traditional 10th anniversary gift is aluminum or tin, might I suggest a healthy can of spinach instead of whatever phone Apple forces out of the production line this year, slapping a 10th anniversary label on it? Considering the iPhone 8 delays, there might actually be an iPhone 7S later this year. No matter which phone gets released this year, it surely won't have an 3.5mm headphone jack.

While the iPhone 8 leaks suggest a completely redesigned phone (except for physical size it seems), it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to think that some of that is for a phone that is actually coming this year and the actual iPhone 8 will be the next phone after the 10th anniversary phone. My point is, whatever comes out this year that doesn't match up to the leaked specs can probably be skipped.

Though, Apple users sure love the appeal of buying the new iteration of a phone every time there is one. How many of you owned an iPhone 7 before trading it in for a red iPhone 7?

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is out there in the wild, along with the LG G6. Of course, that's like telling a shark that a clown fish is also in the ocean. While surely set to be top sellers in the Android crowd, you know that the two phones won't match the frothing excitement when Apple pinches off its next phone.

Maybe it's a heightened level of cynicism but I think the iPhone 8 leaks and the release date of the iPhone 8 might be not related to the same phone. There could very well be a 10th anniversary phone before the delayed iPhone 8. Or I could be totally wrong and the iPhone 8 will be a belated 10th anniversary phone, which is just weird. Tech companies love stroking their own egos, so it's outlandish to think Apple won't milk the hell out of the 10th anniversary of the iPhone.

It would be adorable, albeit out of character, if Apple goes the Nokia route and releases a "classic" iPhone that hearkens back to the original iPhone? It would ship already bricked by the latest iOS.

It's been 10 whole years since the original iPhone. A decade since Apple revolutionized the cellular phone market. If that doesn't make you feel slightly older then you probably just snapped your Motorola RAZR2 V9m into your belt clip, slammed the door shut on your 2007 Mazda Miata and tore off into the sunset. Apple is not ready to go all Shane on us, something big is coming. Is it the iPhone 8? Is it a 10th anniversary phone? We'll have to be patient, or keep hunting down those sweet, sweet leaks.

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