Pacific Crest analysts have added to the growing market consensus that next year’s iPhone will see a significant revamp meriting a more ambitious name than the previously expected “iPhone 7S” moniker.
In a research note issued this week and cited by CNBC, these analysts have indicated the likely adoption of an OLED screen and glass enclosure for 2017’s iPhone – as previously predicted by other sources, including the especially reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The analysts believe that, so sweeping will be the changes, this iPhone could justify a “more emotive” name – with “iPhone Pro” put forward as a strong candidate. Last month, Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz used this line of reasoning to suggest that the handset could be dubbed the “iPhone 8”.
The Pacific Crest analysts opined that dropping the tradition of numbered iPhones “would free up development time and help Apple maintain differentiation through its iPhone product lineup based on marketing and appearance” – which “are more sustainable differentiators than technology, in our view.”
