IDC forecast predicts iPhone to have its worst year yet

IN A grim day for Apple, users have been hit by lengthy outages as a new industry forecast predicts doom and gloom in Apple’s year ahead.

The cheaper iPhone SE is likely to open up new markets.

SOME of Apple’s core services are back online after a lengthy outage that affected the App store and some functions of iCloud.

Services such as Apple TV, Find my iPhone, Mail Drop, and iTunes in the Cloud were also unavailable for some users, according to Apple’s support website, which tracks system issues.

The issues come after news that Apple is set for a very bad year.

IDC’s latest Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker predicts Apple is set to have its first year where the shipments of the Apple iPhone will drop.

The forecast says Apple will ship 227 million iPhones this year, down from 232 million in 2015.

“The expected decline of 2% year over year is a significant change from past years’ growth and marks a pivotal moment for the company,” the report says.

While Apple is set to feel the most pain, the smartphone industry is also facing a grim year, as a saturated market meaning people are no longer as convinced they need the next big thing in smart phones.

The forecast predicts smartphone shipments globally will grow 3.1 per cent this year, down from a growth of 10.5 per cent last year and 27.8 per cent the year before.

The grim forecast for Apple’s key product follows the recent quarterly report by the Cupertino-based tech company which announced its first drop in your-on-year profits in 13 years.

IDC predicts Apple will bounce back in 2017, with growth in new markets powered by the recently released Apple iPhone SE, the smallest and cheapest iPhone in the range.

Originally published as IDC forecast predicts iPhone to have its worst year yet