Apple Not Releasing iPhone 7s, 7s Plus Alongside This Year’s iPhone 8

There is now a new report from China claiming that Apple has no plans of releasing its rumored iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus this year. In fact, Tim Cook’s company is said to have abandoned the “s” upgrades to focus solely on two next-generation handsets that will be launched as iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

This Tuesday, Chinese tech blog Micgadget.com stated that new information from Apple supply chain Foxconn is saying that there are only two new iPhone models in the works. The blog learned from insiders that the Cupertino giant is not going to debut three iPhone models as previously rumored. Instead, there would only be two 2017 models that will be unveiled as 10th anniversary handsets.

The Chinese site’s sources also claimed that Foxconn will receive the materials it needs to assemble the phones in the last week of June. Not only that, there is mention of display-embedded Touch ID sensors and the inclusion of dual cameras in both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

READ: Will iPhone 8 sport better display than Galaxy S8?

However, MacRumors says Microgadget.com’s report is questionable since it’s unusual for supply chain insider information to go against what’s already been established by leaks at this point when production is about to start. Furthermore, the blog itself does not have a solid track record for outing accurate details on Apple’s activities.

In March of this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the tech giant is releasing three iPhones: a 4.7-inch model, another with 5.5-inch LCD display and a flagship device that will sport OLED display. This has since been the basis of many other reports from various tech sites, especially when other leaks point to the same idea.

Should Apple really go with releasing an iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus this September, it means the company is ditching its usual “s” upgrades this year. It also means Apple will follow Samsung’s footsteps in debuting only two flagship phones just like what the latter did when it unveiled the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ during its Unpacked event in late March.