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Will iPhone go the way of IBM's Selectric typewriter?

Apple's iconic invention is evolving into the digital era's equivalent of a typewriter or washing machine.

Published Fri, Apr 21, 2017 · 09:50 PM

    FOR the iPhone's 10th anniversary, Apple Inc is planning to release new and upgraded models later this year, with updated designs, improved cameras and better screens.

    But a more important product launch actually began in mid-March, when the company quietly reintroduced the discontinued, two-and-a-half-year-old iPhone 6 in several Asian countries and Eastern Europe.

    That might sound dull. But for Apple, which is banking on the developing world for growth, it's actually a far-sighted move. The company is acknowledging that smartphones have transitioned from elite niche products into mature technologies, owned by everyone and upgraded infrequently. And that means that boring reliability - not innovation - will define the iPhone's future.

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