A new lease of life for the handset market
Rising smartphone costs have fuelled a demand for leasing solutions
Manufacturers
September 14, 2016
The new flagship will go on sale this Friday (September 16) and is available in a standard 7 and larger 7 Plus variant
Carphone Warehouse has revealed preorders for the new iPhone 7 is at ‘record levels’, surpassing the interest for the iPhone 6s by more than 200 per cent.
The retailer claimed demand for Apple’s latest flagship had hit unprecedented levels. Matte black was the most popular colour, accounting for 66 per cent of orders. It was followed by rose gold, jet black, silver and gold.
Carphone Warehouse managing director Jeremy Fennell said: “Demand for new iPhones is at record levels as people rush to be amongst the first recipients.”
Apple’s latest handset will be available at the retailer, as well as all four UK operators, this Friday. It is Apple’s 15th smartphone since the first generation launched in June 2007. Carphone is randomly selecting one customer who preorders the product to have it hand delivered to them by British Olympic cyclists Jason Kenny and Laura Trott.
The iPhone 7 was unveiled in front of thousands at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in California last week (September 7). Apple CEO Tim Cook hailed the new device as the ‘best’ the American manufacturer had ever created.
Two variants are going on sale; the 4.7-inch 7 (£599) and the larger 5.5-inch 7 Plus (£719). One major difference is a dual lens camera only available on the Plus. Apple claimed this allows the phone to zoom in closer to subjects without compromising on overall quality. A ‘Bokeh’ effect is also possible, which makes still images appear as if they are 3D.
Reception from analysts and leading B2B dealers across the industry was more muted than Cook’s, however. Full feature in Mobile News issue 623 available from September 19.