iPhone 6S 2015 Release Date Points to 218M Ship Outs as Apple Works on Internal Waterproofing

Apple is likely to sustain its impressive 2014 showing following the iPhone 6S release date later this 2015 as a new report pointed to total of 218 million smartphone ship outs at the close of the year. And if a patent document is realised soon, one possible killer feature for the next iPhone is internal waterproofing.

A new note from Ben Reitzes of Barclays Capital is predicting of another blockbuster year for Apple, saying that the company will exceed market expectations. Reitzes told Apple Insider that the iPhone maker will clear more than 200 million units in fiscal year 2015. The analyst described his supply chain sources as “broadly positive,” on Apple’s prospects.

The outlook is so upbeat that Apple is set to boost its year-over-year iPhone sales to 24 per cent by the end March 2015. With the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus still leading the market, the tech giant is poised to wrap up the current quarter with overall shipments of 54 million units – all virtually ending up as actual buys.

Repeat of December 2014 quarter

Reitzes noted too that thanks to the overhauled iPhones that Apple rolled out in the last quarter of 2014, the company saw a giant surge in sales by up to 46 per cent. When the holiday quarter last year ended, the tech giant clocked nearly 75 million unit sales, more than half of which comprised of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The same narrative will be seen this year, basing on the forecast provided by Reitzes. Consumers will flock to Apple Stores and its retail partners worldwide right after the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus successors have been deployed. With the combined strength of the 2014 and 2015 flagships plus that of the legacy models, Apple stands beat expectations and write history anew, Reitzes said.

Waterproof finally

Now to maintain or even increase its consumer appeal, the next iPhone has to deliver fresh killer features amidst expectations that upgrades packed with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus this year are largely minute increments. One that could qualify as consumer magnet is device waterproofing.

Apple may be a bit late to the game but according to 9to5Mac, in the event that the upcoming iPhone would include waterproof features the protection will be skin deep. In a report, the tech blog site said that Apple is working on “a method of waterproofing internal components by integrating a hydrophobic coating with the electromagnetic interference shields used to protect sensitive electronics.”

The plan is based on the latest published patent by Apple, added the report. In using the unique waterproofing technology, Apple is looking to preserve the beautiful design that is the signature of every iPhone models introduced since 2007. However as in all patents that passed through approvals and publications, this feature is not a solid addition to the next iPhone.

And that would be the iPhone 6S that possibly would come as well with its phablet twin, the iPhone 6S Plus. Release date of these two devices, as hinted too by the Barclays report, will happen as early as September 2015.

To report problems or leave feedback on this article, email: r.pineda@ibtimes.com.au.