There are plenty of analysts and pundits out there commenting on what the next iPhone should bring to the equation, but here's what you, the readers of this column, have told me you'd like to see Apple release in September.
Over the past few months, I've had a lot of feedback from readers as to what they'd like to see from the next iPhone. And with the next iPhone now only days away from being unveiled, it seems like as good a time as any for you, the readers, to have your say.
What follows is a distillation of that feedback. This list, rather than being one person's views or wishlist, is more of a compilation based on the overall feedback I've received.
As always, I'm keen to hear your views, so feel free to leave a comment below or hit me up on Twitter with your thoughts.
WANT: CHEAPER IPHONE
Yes, people want a cheap(er) iPhone. But before you start yelling at me that Apple sells a variety of iPhones in a range of prices, let me expand on this further.
When it comes to cheaper iPhones, you have options. There's the 32GB iPhone SE, which will set you back $349 off-contract, or the 32GB iPhone 6s, which has an off-contract price tag of $449. These might be cheap compared to an iPhone 8, which starts at a hefty $699 for the 64GB variant.
People seem to have two problems with Apple's current crop of cheap iPhones. The first is that $349 isn't really all that cheap, and the second issue is that it's even less of a bargain when you consider that this handset is coming up to two-and-a-half years old (Apple has bumped up the storage capacity since launch, but the underlying hardware is otherwise unchanged).
What readers seem to want is a cheaper version of the latest release. This might seem like a bit of a reach, but given Apple's immense profit margins, combined with the fact that Apple could make savings when it comes to things like displays and the like, it is possible to do.
WANT: BETTER HARDWARE PERFORMANCE
The iPhone might have the highest consumer satisfaction rating of any handset, but that doesn't mean that people aren't complaining.
One of the top complaints I see from buyers is performance issues, both with new handsets at the time of release (before Apple fully optimizes iOS for performance), and after Apple rolls out a new major iOS release for the handset.
WANT: MORE EXPENSIVE "PRO" iPhone
Yes, there are some who would like a super-high-end, super-priced iPhone "pro," along the lines of the $2,000 iPhone I outlined a few days ago.
The additional revenue from this iPhone would offset Apple's losses in selling a lower-priced handset (and right now it does seem like buyers are naturally gravitating towards higher-priced units).
Yes, I bet you were wondering where this one was. This has been on the list since the first iPhone was released, and it's a feature of the iPhone that Apple has done very little to address over the years.
Now that Samsung has released the Galaxy Note 9, which boasts an "all day battery," the pressure is now on Apple to up its battery game.
WANT: SMALLER DISPLAY
Believe it or not, there are people who still hanker for an iPhone with a 3.5-inch display.
Don't hold your breath.
WANT: BRING BACK TOUCH ID
Again, progress isn't for everyone. There seems to be no shortage of people who either don't like the idea of Face ID and as a result, didn't buy an iPhone X, bought an iPhone X and tolerate Face ID, or bought an iPhone X and hated Face ID enough to switch away from the iPhone X.
While I think it's nice to want things, I think that the days of Touch ID are numbered.
WANT: INCLUDE A FAST CHARGER/WIRELESS CHARGER IN THE BOX
Many people are understandably a bit annoyed to find out that a $1,000 smartphone doesn't come with a fast charger or wireless charger in the box.
DON'T WANT: THINNER/LIGHTER iPhone
DON'T WANT: TOO MANY MODELS/VERSIONS
Buyers understand prices, screen sizes, and storage capacities, but beyond that the differences between different models sort of blurs into a sea of incomprehensible tech specs.
DON'T WANT: GET RID OF THE LIGHTNING PORT
I suggested that the Lightning port was on the way out. Readers hated that idea.
I still think it will happen, and sooner rather than later.
Hello, my name is Mohd Azahar. I'm a self-employed Pivrate from the India.
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