Apple Is Making a Big Change to Its iPhone Design Cycle
Business + Economy

Apple Is Making a Big Change to Its iPhone Design Cycle

BECK DIEFENBACH

The new iPhone coming out this fall is going to look a lot like the iPhones currently on sale.

Apple is moving away from its traditional two-year upgrade cycle, in which a complete redesign of the handset is released every two years with subtle improvements released in a so-called S model in the years between, according to The Wall Street Journal.

That means that the completely redesigned iPhone 7 that many were expecting Apple to release as its next big phone this fall will actually be a more incremental update. Ultimately, it will be similar to the current iPhone 6S.

Apple is preparing a device expected to launch in 2017 that would have bigger changes, as has been rumored. That device could feature an edge-to-edge screen and a fingerprint sensor that's built into the screen itself, according to the Journal.

Related: What if Apple Made iPhones in the US? Here’s How Much You’d Pay

But the iPhone coming out in September is unlikely to have major changes from the iPhone 6S.

It will still come in two models - a 5.5-inch version and one with a 4.7-inch screen. The biggest change is that it will lack a headphone jack, meaning that users will need wireless earbuds or new headphones that use Apple's charger.

It will also be 1 millimeter thinner, according to a top Apple analyst quoted by The Journal.

This news largely confirms rumors coming out of the Asian supply chain for the past few months.

The question remains: What will Apple name its new iPhone? If it's another incremental upgrade, consumers could be upset if Apple decides to call it the "iPhone 7."

Related: Apple's iPhone Nightmare Threatens Entire Stock Market

And there are murmurings that next year, Apple's revamped iPhone could be called a "10th anniversary" edition.

So if Apple is ditching its "ticktock" system of upgrades, it might be ditching the numbers as well. Instead of the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, it could simply be called the iPhone and iPhone Pro, and users would fill in the model year.

But one thing is clear: If you desperately need a new iPhone, waiting for the fall seems less attractive, and the current iPhones seem like a better buy.

This article orignally appeared on Business Insider. Read more from Business Insider:

Homebuilder CEO: Welcome to the housing market's frustrating 'new normal'

Why Venezuela is a nightmare right now

This is pretty simple: You want a raise? Get a new job

Here’s where MBA students want to work the most

Apple's design guru wants an iPhone that looks like 'a single sheet of glass'

TOP READS FROM THE FISCAL TIMES