A post on the Japanese blog Mac Otakara — as noted by AppleInsider — says Apple is working to finalize an “iPhone Edition” set to debut alongside expected “iPhone 7s” and “iPhone 7s Plus” handsets this fall.
The article indicates that there’ll be no smartphone dubbed the “iPhone 8” in 2017. Most reports have such a next generation smartphone coming in the September-November time frame with a 5.8-inch OLED display, a screen with an integrated fingerprint sensor (replacing the Touch ID button), and lots more (depending on which rumor you believe).
However, Mac Otakara — quoting an unnamed “source familiar with the matter” — says that, though a prototype is indeed undergoing evaluation in engineering verification testing (EVT), Apple may not manufacture the model this year.
The Sellers Research Firm (that’s me) disagrees. I think we’ll see an iPhone 8, not an “iPhone Edition,” this fall — though it might arrive a month or two later than previous new models have debuted (perhaps October or November instead of the typical September roll-out).
