蘋果公司或許是按每兩年一次的節奏推出新款iPhone，但這種情況可能正在發生改變。

日本經濟新聞社報道，自稱了解其計劃的人士透露，這家科技龍頭公司已經決定每三年進行一次機型全面更新。此前iPhone的重大升級換代周期為兩年。

該新聞社稱，蘋果做出上述決定的部分原因是它意識到智能手機市場的變化速度比以前慢了，而且自己每兩年就推出重大創新的能力也受到了束縛。

雖然蘋果沒有馬上對這篇報道做出回應，但這條消息和之前有關蘋果未來計劃的報道脈絡一致。

過去幾周，關于今年蘋果不會對iPhone進行重大升級的消息滿天飛。據報道，蘋果將要推出的iPhone 7將采用和iPhone 6以及iPhone 6s大致相似的設計，只會提升一些部件的性能。

這些報道還指出，蘋果將在2017年推出全新iPhone，采用全玻璃外殼和OLED（有機發光二極管）顯示屏。此前的iPhone都使用液晶顯示屏，它比OLED屏厚，顏色質量卻不及后者。

自2007年問世以來，iPhone一直定期進行更新換代。如果某一年在設計上有重大革新，第二年就會出現“s”機型，它采用同樣的設計，但會更新一些部件。去年是“s”機型年，這讓許多人猜測今年的iPhone，也就是外界相信應稱之為iPhone 7的產品會在設計上有重大進步。

不過，鑒于分析師和未具名消息人士越來越多地指出蘋果已經調整了計劃，再加上近期流出的諜照對新iPhone設計的揭秘，情況看來并非如此。

然而，還不知道這種潛在調整，也就是將設計升級周期變為三年將對蘋果的利潤產生怎樣的影響。以往，所有新款iPhone均銷售火爆，但最暢銷的往往是經過重大升級的機型。將更新周期延長到三年或許會改變iPhone業務的表現，當然有可能變得更好，也有可能變差。

最新的季度業績顯示，iPhone業務出現了歷史上首次滑坡——第一次對這項業務的表現亮起了紅燈。

當然，蘋果從未披露過自身的計劃。這家神秘兮兮的iPhone制造商也不太可能透露今后的計劃有何調整。不過，在6月13日召開的年度全球開發者大會上，預計蘋果將介紹一些iPhone和iOS操作系統的情況。 （財富中文網）

譯者：Charlie

審校：詹妮

Apple might use a two-year cycle to launch its revamped iPhones, but that could be changing.

The tech giant has decided to change its major model shakeups to once every three years, Nikkei is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of its plans. The company previously launched major iPhone upgrades every two years.

According to the Nikkei, Apple’s decision is based in part in the realization that the smartphone market is changing more slowly than it had in the past, and its ability to deliver major innovations every two years has been hampered.

While Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report, it follows earlier reports on the company’s plans for the future.

Over the last several weeks, reports have been flying that Apple will not deliver a major iPhone upgrade this year. Instead, the company will reportedly deliver an iPhone 7 with a largely similar design to that of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s as well as some internal component improvements.

Yet those same reports suggest Apple will offer a fully remodeled iPhone featuring an all-glass enclosure and an OLED screen in 2017. The company has previously only offered LCD screens, which are thicker and don’t deliver the same color quality as OLED.

Since its launch in 2007, the iPhone has come with a regular update schedule. One year, the device has a major new design and is followed the next year by an “S” model that has the same design as the previous version, but comes with component upgrades. Last year was an “S” year, which had many guessing that the 2017 iPhone, believed to be known as the iPhone 7, would come with a major design upgrade.

That said, with the growing number of claims from analysts and unidentified sources that the company has changed plans, and recent leaks of images that purport to show the new iPhone’s design, that appears to not be the case.

What is unclear, however, is how the possible change to a three-year design upgrade could affect Apple’s bottom line. The company has historically had strong sales with each new iPhone, but its major upgrades tend to be its bestsellers. A three-year upgrade could change how the company’s iPhone business performs—good or bad.

For the first time ever, Apple’s iPhone business was down in its last-reported quarter, shining a bright light for the first time on that division’s performance.

Apple, of course, hasn’t said what its plans are, and it’s unlikely that the secretive iPhone maker will reveal any changes to its future plans. Still, expect the company to talk a bit about the iPhone and its iOS operating system on June 13 when it holds its annual Worldwide Developers Conference keynote.