IPhone 7 Mini, Apple Watch 2 Release Date On March 2016

The Verge reports that since Apple is keen on planning its events like clockwork”, releasing the new version of the Apple Watch and the rumored 4-inch iPhone in March 2016 makes sense.  Nevertheless, the website does not dismiss the potential that rumors on both the iPhone 7 mini (or iPhone 6c) and the Apple Watch 2 are pretty logical. According to the website, a potential improvement that Apple could add to the new device is remove its dependability of the iPhone and even accommodate Android support. Whether an iPhone 7 mini/ iPhone 6c and Apple Watch 2 will indeed be released on March 2016 remains to be seen. Australia Network News or ANN is a Web site that provides news and updates about what's happening in Australia including business, financial, entertainment, health, crime, technology, gaming, food and lifestyle news. Subscribe to us and receive our news right in your inbox, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter ! The 2016 Honda Accord is revolutionizing the Honda line with its cutting-edge technology, highlighted by the new iPhone CarPlay, a full automobile integration for several iPhone apps. Those eyeing the 2016 Honda Accord will be pleased to know that the Honda Accord is the first in the mass-market to be able to fully use the iPhone CarPlay. As Fortune reported, the 2016 Accord will be the first, after Ferrari, to make CarPlay accessible to the mass-market. What's more with the 2016 Honda Accord is that Siri works just as well when you're driving the Accord. There is less distraction from driving since you can command your iPhone and the Accord by talking to Siri. A second-generation Apple Watch is in the works and could launch in early 2016, while new flagship iPhones, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, are coming in late 2016. Those who love smaller devices will be excited to hear a 4-inch iPhone 6c may be coming early in 2016, and Apple's Mac lineup is expected to gain Skylake chip updates. As we did for 2014 and 2015 , we've highlighted Apple's prospective 2016 product plans, outlining what we might see from Apple over the course of the next 12 months based on current rumors, past releases, and logical upgrade choices. A March event could see the introduction of the device, with shipments beginning in April 2016. The device may be thinner than the first Apple Watch, and it could include features like a FaceTime camera to allow Apple Watch users to make and receive FaceTime calls and an upgraded Wi-Fi chip that may allow the Apple Watch to do more without an iPhone. The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus will come at the tail end of 2016, likely making their debut in September in line with past iPhone launches. Apple is expected to continue offering the phones in 4.7 and 5.5-inch sizes, but we can count on a redesigned external chassis because 2016 marks a major upgrade year. Flagship features like 3D Touch and Touch ID will continue to be available, and Apple likely has additional features planned to make its latest iPhone stand out. Some of these rumors were originally attached to the iPhone 6s, but could have been delayed for later devices especially given the 2015 acquisition of Israeli camera company LinX. The iPhone 7 is rumored to be slimmer with no antenna bands and a new material composition. Apple is expected to continue using in-cell display panels for the iPhone 7, which will allow it to shrink the thickness of the device, perhaps making it as thin as the 6.1mm iPod touch The iPhone 7 is also likely to include a TFT-LCD display as the AMOLED technology Apple is rumored to be working on is not yet ready for use in iOS devices. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts Apple's plans, has said RAM could be a differentiating factor between the two iPhone 7 models. The smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 7 may continue to ship with 2GB RAM, while the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus may ship with 3GB RAM. Other rumors about the iPhone 7 have pointed towards the removal of the headphone jack in favor of headphones that attach to the device using the Lightning port, a change that may also help Apple shave 1mm off of the thickness of the iPhone. Some early rumors out of the Asian supply chain have suggested the iPhone 7 may include a strengthened, waterproof frame that ditches Apple's traditional aluminum casing for an all new material and does away with the prominent rear antenna bands on the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus. Rumors have disagreed over whether the iPhone 6c will include an A8 processor or an A9 processor, but Kuo believes Apple will use the same A9 processor that's used in the iPhone 6s. Other rumors out of the Asian supply chain suggest Apple could also include 2GB RAM in the device, and with an A9 processor and 2GB RAM, the iPhone 6c could be on par with the iPhone 6s when it comes to raw performance. Other features rumored for the iPhone 6c include a 1,642 mAh battery that's somewhat larger than the battery used in the iPhone 5s, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with an ƒ/2.2 aperture, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1. The iPhone 6c is not expected to include 3D Touch, as it is a flagship feature of the iPhone 6s, but it is likely to include NFC to enable Apple Pay functionality. Recent rumors have suggested that Apple is developing an iPad Air 3 that will launch during the first half of 2016 Little is known about the third-generation iPad Air at this time, but it will include an upgraded processor to improve performance. It may also offer RAM upgrades and camera improvements, but it will not include the 3D Touch feature introduced with the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus due to manufacturing difficulties expanding the technology to a larger screen size. Current rumors suggest Apple will continue producing the MacBook Air, with plans to launch 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air models during the third quarter of 2016 , perhaps unveiling the machines around the annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The MacBook Air's design has remained unchanged since 2010, so a 2016 redesign that focuses on a slimmer chassis with bigger screens and revamped internals is not out of the realm of possibility. Apple has been increasing the sizes of its devices, introducing a larger 5.5-inch iPhone and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, so a 15-inch MacBook Air also seems reasonable. If Apple does introduce a 2016 MacBook Air, it will likely include Intel's next-generation Skylake chips, which will offer 10 percent faster CPU performance, 34 percent faster Intel HD graphics, and 1.4 hours of additional battery life compared to the equivalent Broadwell chips in current MacBook Air models. Skylake U-Series 15-watt chips appropriate for the MacBook Air will be shipping in early 2016. Broadwell chips appropriate for a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro update became available in June of 2015, so Apple could release an updated 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro in early 2016 using these chips. Skylake U-Series 28-watt chips appropriate for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will begin shipping from Intel in early 2016 , as will 45-watt H-Series chips with Intel Iris Pro graphics appropriate for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro. Exact shipping timelines for the chips are not yet known, but with an early 2016 release timeline, new Retina MacBook Pro models could come within the first few months of the year, perhaps being unveiled at the aforementioned rumored March event Should the chips come at different times, Apple could stagger the 2016 MacBook Pro updates as it did in 2015. Given that the design was just introduced in April of 2015, the new machine will undoubtedly use the same chassis, but a Rose Gold color option to match the new Rose Gold iPhone 6s is a possibility. Given that the iMac lineup was just refreshed in October of 2015, another update may not come until late in 2016. New versions of the iPhone ship with new versions of iOS, so it's logical to expect the same thing to happen with the Apple Watch, but thus far there are no rumors about the watchOS 3 update or what features might be included. While it's possible Apple has plans to release an updated Apple TV in 2016, it's highly unlikely such a device is already in production and it's equally unlikely Apple would release it before the fall of 2016. An iPad Pro 2 could potentially debut in 2016 with an updated processor and other improved features, but it's also just as likely Apple will wait until mid-to-late 2017 to introduce a second-generation iPad Pro. With Apple seemingly shifting away from a yearly upgrade cycle for its iPad lineup, we may not see an iPad mini 5 in 2016. Instead, 2016 may see the launch of an updated iPad Air 3, followed by an iPad mini update in 2017. It's quite possible 2016 will be the year Apple will refresh the machine, as potential references to an updated Mac Pro were discovered in OS X El Capitan. Grantley Xeon E5 V3 Haswell-EP processors appropriate for a high-end Mac Pro upgrade were introduced in 2014, but Apple may be waiting on E5 V4 Broadwell-EP chips for the top-of-the-line Mac Pro that are set to launch in the first half of 2016. If this is the case, a Mac Pro launch will happen after the chips become available, with the machine perhaps seeing a mid-to-late 2016 debut. The Mac mini was last updated in 2014, introducing Haswell processors and features like 802.11ac WiFi and Thunderbolt 2. Given that it's now been two years since the update, Apple could introduce new Mac mini models with Skylake processors in 2016. Apple's Mac mini line uses the same U-Series chips that are found in the MacBook Air and the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, and Skylake chips appropriate for an updated Mac mini will be shipping in the first months of 2016. As we did for 2014 ('-next-for-apple-in-2014-iwatch-larger-iphone-6-12-9-inch-ipad-pro/') and 2015 ('-to-expect-from-apple-in-2015/'), we've highlighted Apple's prospective 2016 product plans, outlining what we might see from Apple over the course of the next 12 months based on current rumors, past releases, and logical upgrade choices. Well, the current rumours have said that Huawei will be returning to the Nexus fold, manufacturing another new handset for Google in 2016. We're not sure on names at the moment, so will have to stick with Nexus 6 2016 or Nexus 6P 2016. As with previous launches, October 2016 seems like a safe bet for these new phones. Not only that, it wants to thrust its flagship handset into the limelight and have it compete against the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7. With last year's Huawei P8 we found that the phone was exceptionally well made and looked fantastic, but the battery life and speed let it down a little compared with the competition. It may be another 8 months away, but because of the way Apple (and indeed, the entire smartphone industry) works, you can bet your bottom dollar that it is already well underway in its development of the iPhone 7. And, while Apple likes to try to surprise us, it's a predictable beast; it's almost certain the schedule for the iPhone 7 will see a launch in September 2016. Rumours of a 4in iPhone for 2016 have been circulating for the best part of a year now. Apparently there is a huge amount of demand for a slightly less expensive 4inch iPhone which is expected to launch later on in 2016, potentially alongside the Apple Watch 2 in April. Interestingly, though, it might not be called the iPhone 6c. According to Chinese leak-masters, MyDrivers, the 4in iPhone will apparently be called the iPhone 5e — with the e” standing for evolved or evolution on from the iPhone 5s, on which it is based. A set of photos has leaked on January 6 2016 showing someone handling what is alleged to be a dummy unit of the iPhone 6c (or iPhone 7c, depending on which rumour you believe). The leaked images show a 4in device which cleary draws design influence from the current iPhone 6s and, it would also appear that rumours of a TouchID Home key on the smaller model are indeed true - at least assuming the dummy is legit, of course. It also appears that the phone is a bit on the chunky side and we can make out what looks like a 3.5mm headphone jack, so even if the rumours of a super-thin iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm port are true, it would seem such things don't apply to the iPhone 6c/iPhone 7c as well. What we're looking at is the backlight panel for an iPhone device, complete with Apple branded wiring. However, although it could be for the iPhone 7 it does lack a 3D Touch mesh for Apple's pressure sensitive features. Either that may be added at a later stage of production, or this is a non-3D Touch model such as the iPhone 6c/iPhone 7c. A new report from China's MyDrivers reckons the Apple iPhone 7 Plus will feature a 3100mAh battery, a HUGE update on this year's iPhone 6s Plus which features a 2570mAh battery inside it and still produces some of the best battery performance we've seen on any smartphone to date. It seems that Apple is still pondering the intricacies of what will feature in the next iPhone handset launched in 2016, as according to a new report the firm has as many as five different prototypes and is deliberating over which one (or ones) will be pushed forward for further development, and ultimately a release as the next flagship (or flagship variant). It's also reiterated that Apple is testing AMOLED displays, although this isn't believed to be part of the iPhone 7 prototype testing program, as the introduction of AMOLED for iPhone isn't expected to appear in the next-generation and could remain unseen until 2018/2019, so around the iPhone 8/8s or thereabouts. It may be over 12 months away but we already have a pretty good idea of when the iPhone 7 will launch. Apple's a creature of habit, and inside 2016 the iPhone 7 (and probably an iPhone 7 Plus), just like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus , will launch late in th year, around September, and feature a completely new design. According to always-reliable analyst-come-tipster, Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 7 will be the thinnest iPhone Apple has ever produced at around 6mm, making it around the same size as current iPod Touch models. But that's not all - Apple will also bump the memory up inside the iPhone 7 Plus model to 3GB of RAM as well, which should translate into super-fast performance when coupled with Apple's next-generation A10 chipset. For the past two generations of iPhones, the only difference between the normal iPhone and the iPhone Plus model, besides display size, has been to do with imaging - the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus both ship with Optical Image Stabilisation. This situation is likely to remain the same on the iPhone 7, as Apple looks to make the larger handset more attractive to its ever-growing base of users.

According to new information circulating as of November 20, the iPhone 7 may, in fact, be the first waterproof iPhone. It also reiterates that we'll see a third, 4in display iPhone model launched in 2016 (the rumoured iPhone 6c/iPhone 7c). However, the iPhone 7 could be so readically redesigned, Apple might not want to detract from its marketing launch so much so that they think its worth unveiling the lower powered iPhone 6c (it almost certainly won't be called the iPhone 7c if it comes out before the iPhone 7) mid-year-perhaps May or June. Like the iPad Pro rumours before it, this in itself is perhaps because the product is actually rather likely to appear during 2016 and attack the very real pool of people that still want 4in iPhones. Apple knows this segment exists and it knows it can make a lot of cash from another iPhone C device, just as it did back in 2013 when it released the iPhone 5c (of which 20-odd million were sold). It's claimed that the iPhone 6c will not revive the plastic build of the old iPhone 5c, instead being built from metal like the rest of Apple's line-up. The iPhone 5c was essentially the iPhone 5 repackaged: it had the same display, CPU, memory and internals, save for bumped up antennas and better LTE coverage. Anecdotally, I personally know a bunch of people who would bite Apple's hand off should it release a 4in iPhone in 2016. As of December 7, reports emerged claiming once again that the 4in iPhone variant will not be called the iPhone 6c but will instead be an iPhone 7c model. The report goes on to state that the iPhone 7c will arrive in September 2016 ahead of the main iPhone 7 launch, and will be priced between $400-$500. Ferry Passchier decided to run with the colourful look in his renders of the 4in, iPod-like iPhone 6c. He depicts the new phone as having a very similar design to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6, but naturaly smaller, and in a selection of dark pink and dark blue for the metal bodywork, on top of the existing iPhone colours - space grey, rose gold, silver, and gold. The iPhone 7 WILL be a huge update from this year's iPhone 6s. This is always the case and 2016/17 will be no exception. Apple's iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are at it again, smashing records across the globe and, generally, impressing all those who use them. The handsets are incremental updates on last year's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and feature improved processors, imaging capabilities and the new flagship feature, 3D Touch. But there are also record numbers of Android users flocking to the Apple stable now the company offers a larger, phablet-sized iPhone in the form of the iPhone 6s Plus. In the iPhone 7 this chipset will probably be called the A10 (the one that comes after the current A9 in the iPhone 6s). Except that doesn't mean that the iPhone 7s or iPhone 8 won't have a CPU made by Intel. Updated on 1-11-2016 by Malarie Gokey: Added in rumors that the 4-inch iPhone will launch this March with the name iPhone 5E, the A8 processor, 1GB of RAM, and Apple Pay. Initially, the 4-inch iPhone was rumored to be called the iPhone 6C, but since then, various reports have called it by other names. Alternatives like iPhone 7C and iPhone 5E have been floated around by different sources. Some say iPhone 6C is the logical choice because the last C series iPhone was the 5C, but others contend that iPhone 7C makes more sense because the iPhone 6 series has already launched. A MyDrivers report from China says it'll be called the iPhone 5E because it is an updated version of the iPhone 5S. Regardless of what it's called, most sources agree that a 4-inch iPhone is indeed on its way. Ever since Apple went big with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, rumors have been circulating about the possibility of a new 4-inch iPhone. During a December China Mobile presentation , a slide allegedly mentioned that the iPhone 6C or 7C would launch in April 2016 at the carrier. Noted KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo , who has often correctly divined Apple's plans in the past, said that the 4-inch iPhone could arrive in early 2016. Although the price point isn't too far away from the iPhone 6S's hefty price tag, Kuo's prediction would be in line with iPhone 5C pricing. A report from Chinese news site TechWeb , citing Foxconn insiders, claims Apple might launch the iPhone 6C in February 2016, with an event supposedly set for January 2016. A research report published by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also claims that Apple is still planning to launch a 4-inch iPhone, despite the no-show at Apple's September event Earlier this year, Kuo stated in a note to investors obtained by AppleInsider that Apple won't launch the 4-inch iPhone 6C until 2016. The information published by Kuo correlates with a note from Ananda Baruah of Brean Capital to investors, obtained by Business Insider , stating that the 4-inch iPhone will arrive in the spring of 2016. Baruah and Kuo are backed by a few other analysts who claim the 4-inch iPhone is real and will launch early next year, before the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. An August report from DigiTimes cited supply chain sources who claim that Apple will launch the iPhone 6C in the second quarter of 2016. Arcuri was the first to comment on the 4-inch iPhone, but said the phone had disappeared from Apple's internal networks, perhaps due to the company pushing the launch date to early 2016. Much like the iPhone 5C, the 6C is expected to have less-than-stellar specs for a lower price. The site claims the 4-inch iPhone will sport a fingerprint sensor for Apple Pay and come with two storage options: 16GB or 64GB. A late December report from MyDrivers via AppleInsider claims that the iPhone 6C — or iPhone 7C as some are now calling it — will rock an A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 1,642mAh battery. The report also suggests that the 4-inch screen will have a 1,136 x 640-pixel resolution like the iPhone 5S. DigiTimes also reported that the smaller iPhone is said to be powered by the A8 processor, have NFC, and sport the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. The device would supposedly sport similar specs to the iPhone 5S, but include a few low-cost components. This may make the device more budget-friendly, making it sound like a revamped iPhone 5C. Arcuri claims the smaller iPhone will have the same curved edge design as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. In a New Year's Day leak from @OnLeaks , it appears the iPhone 6C will use the same all-metal design as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but with a smaller 4-inch display. That matches with the description given by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo , who said in early December that the 4-inch iPhone will be made of metal and have curved edges like the iPhone 6S. The analyst also said that it'll have 2.5D glass and sport two or three colors. Another report in December from MyDrivers said that the iPhone 6C would feature an all-metal design and look similar to the iPhone 5S. The report says the color options will be the same, too: space grey, gold, and silver. A previous report by TechWeb also quotes industry insiders saying the iPhone 6C won't have a polycarbonate shell like the old iPhone 5C, but an all-metal body like the iPhone 6S. The report correlates with others stating that the iPhone 6C will feature quite a few bold colors, similar to the iPhone 5C. Before this, Jefferies analyst Ange Wu, wrote about a metal iPhone 6C and that Foxconn would build half of the units for Apple, while KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple would retain the iPhone 5S aesthetic for the iPhone 6C, with mass production of a metal casing beginning in January. Even though most new rumors suggest a metal design, earlier in the year Apple itself leaked an image of a colorful iPhone sitting on the lightning dock for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which may have been a hint of the iPhone 6C. Looking closely at the Home button revealed a chrome surround and an absence of a square icon, giving the impression it's a Touch ID sensor — a feature not found on the iPhone 5C. Updated on 12-03-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added in rumors of an early 2016 launch, A9 processor, Apple Pay, and a colorful casing from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Updated on 12-2-2015 by David Curry: Added in rumors of a February 2016 launch date, and an all metal body. As Apple's primary revenue generator, we of course have to start with the iPhone. Apple's iPhone release schedule runs like clockwork and 2016 will likely be no different. It's a safe bet that Apple in September of 2016 will release two new iPhone models, an iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. From what we understand, these two iPhone models will incorporate the same 4.7 and 5.5-inch form factors currently found on Apple's iPhone 6s lineup. As far as specs are concerned, the iPhone 7 may incorporate a number of interesting changes. Other rumors have indicated that the iPhone 7 will be waterproof and be much thinner than its predecessor. The only 4-inch iPhone currently available is the iPhone 5s, a venerable device to be sure, but one that's still more than two years old at this point. In early 2016, in March to be exact, rumor has it that Apple will take the wraps off of a new 4-inch iPhone model that has been prematurely dubbed the iPhone 6c. While initial reports pegged the device as nothing more than a souped up iPhone 5s, more recent reports suggest that the iPhone 6c will be quite a compelling device. In addition to a blazing A9 processor, the iPhone 6c may also come with 2GB of RAM, a slightly larger battery than what Apple used in the iPhone 5s, a metal frame construction, and lastly, support for Apple Pay. Rumor has it that the iPhone 6c will hit store shelves in April, just one month after its unveiling. Whereas the company typically rolls out iPad upgrades on an annual basis, Apple in 2015 opted to release a new iPad Pro rather than an iPad Air 3. That being the case, there's a good chance Apple in 2016 will throw a new iPad Air model into the rotation. Perhaps the most interesting rumor regarding Apple's alleged 2016 MacBook Air is that the company will introduce a 15-inch Air model for the first time. The iPhone 7 (and most likely iPhone 7 Plus) will come in September 2016, and could come with an edge-to-edge display, no headphone jack, a waterproof body and more. The article was last updated on 8/1/2016 to reflect rumours that Apple will ditch the headphone jack with the iPhone 7 and our first leaked images of purported iPhone 7 components. With the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus unveiled on 9 September 2015, and the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on the 9 September 2014, one might think the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will come on 9 September 2016. Our money is on either Tuesday 6 September 2016, or Tuesday 13 September 2016 - probably the latter. That means we could well see the iPhone 7 costing £539 for a 16GB version, £619 for 64GB, and £699 for the 128GB iPhone 7. Rumour has it, though, that there may well be a 256GB model of iPhone 7, although we think that's unlikely. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were the first iPhones to finally get 2GB of RAM, and expect this to stay the same in the iPhone 7. The rumours about Apple ditching the headphone jack for the iPhone 7 don't seem to be slowing in 2016, either. The issue with using a Lightning-port enabled pair of headphones is that a) these are quite expensive, with the likes of the Philips Fidelio headphones costing £184.99, b) it limits the use of the headphones to the iPhone 7, and the iPhone 7 only. Instead of adding armour to the outside of the iPhone to protect it from water, the method would coat electronic components found inside the iPhone in a protective waterproof material that would prevent them from getting damaged should water find its way in. Clever. Another touted feature for the latest iPhone that didn't see daylight and may be reserved for the iPhone 7 is that it will have an e-SIM. According to Economic Daily News, the iPhone 7 could feature a 3D display - but not just any 3D display, but one that doesn't require the use of those annoying 3D glasses. There are some rumours to suggest that the iPhone 7 could have some new design features, though we'd take these rumours with a pinch of salt. Perhaps Apple will decide to introduce the sidewall display to the iPhone 7, offering even more screen estate. The latest rumour comes from a concept video by DeepMind of what an iPhone 7 would look like with an edge-to-edge display. Though it's not clear which devices will be the first to feature this new technology, but we assume it'd either be the iPhone or a flagship Android smartphone. Another rumour circulating the web is that the iPhone 7 will come with a new iPhone charger, with a Lightning connector on one end and a new reversible USB connector on the other end. In January, Taiwanese site Apple Club shared photos of what it claims are iPhone 7 parts that have been leaked from the supply chain. The site has been genuine with some of its leaks in the past so it is possible that this is the real deal, but it really doesn't tell us much about the iPhone 7 just yet. We expect this will be the first of many leaked components as we progress through the year towards the iPhone 7's release, so we'll bring you all of the new images as they emerge right here. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is more often right than wrong with his Apple predictions, has forecast that Apple will release a new, four-inch iPhone in 2016. If Apple were to follow that course, it would continue to sell the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6S next year, alongside the iPhone 7. There wouldn't be a four-inch version of the iPhone left on the market. Kuo said Apple could ship between 20 million and 30 million of the new, smaller iPhones through the end of 2016. He predicts that the smaller iPhone likely won't have some features of the bigger phones, including 3D Touch. That means Apple will not repeat its experiment in 2013, when it introduced a plastic iPhone 5C, which never took off with customers. Shipments of iPhone devices grew by an annual growth rate of over 50% from the fourth quarter of 2014 to the second quarter of 2015 after Apple launched its iPhone 6/6 Plus in late September 2014. Although on-year growth slowed to 36% in the third quarter of 2015, sales of iPhone products accounted for over 60% of Apple's total revenues for four consecutive quarters through the quarter. Digitimes Research attributed the lackluster performance of the iPhone 6s/6s Plus to the impact of their iPhone 6 predecessors, which featured larger screens, and thus attracted high interest among consumers. Consequently, combined iPhone shipments for the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016 are likely to lie within a range of 5% up or down as compared to combined shipments the same period of a year earlier, Digitimes Research estimated. As a result, a total of 13-15 million iPhone 6s devices will be booked as deferred sales by Apple for the fourth quarter of 2015 (Apple's fiscal first-quarter 2016). Here we round up all the latest news on the iPhone 7 release date, price and features ahead of its official launch in the autumn. Speculation that Apple is set to remove the normal jack from its next iPhone started circulating towards the end of last year and has been increasing in intensity. Bill Maurer of Seeking Alpha, meanwhile, has listed several analyst notes from the likes of Morgan Stanley, and Credit Suisse expressing concerns over iPhone sales in both the first calendar quarter of this year and for calendar 2016 as a whole (NB: calendar Q1 2016 is Apple's fiscal Q2 2016). Nevertheless, just how successful this segment is could depend on the release (or otherwise) of a 4in iPhone this year. If true, this would be both the most storage ever offered by an iPhone - twice the previous 128GB maximum - and the largest battery ever, 12.7 per cent bigger than the iPhone 6s.