iPhone 7 cuts MAY be slowing

Sources report that Apple's production of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be cut by 10% in the first quarter of 2017. Let me be up front about this report right away – we're working with parts production numbers, which could indicate several things. That in mind, pay heed to the sign of the times: this could be another indicator that the public already has a smartphone in their pocket, and they're not quite ready to buy another.

According to Nikkei, Apple is set to trim production of its entire iPhone family "around 10% on the year" in the January-March quarter. This information, they say, comes from calculations done by Nikkei based on supplier data. This might be bad news for Apple's stock – but it might not be all bad, considering the circumstances.

This same source's numbers put Apple's production cuts for the iPhone 6s – at this same time last year – at 20%. That's 20% less production than the year before in the first quarter of the year. This could mean that Apple is inching toward a new normal – not quite as good as it was a few years ago, but still not something to panic about.

Nikkei also suggests that a source "at a major parts producer" said that Apple's production cuts are "within expectations." What they don't say is what they expect parts production to do next year. This is year which could produce an iPhone that's quite a bit different from years past.

For more information on what's possible in the next year for the iPhone, have a peek at the timeline below. Apple is reaching a point at which the tick-tock schedule for the iPhone might not make sense for much longer. This year will still likely make for an easy win with the iPhone 7s, but the year after this – big things.