• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
TechThe Mobile Executive

Apple Made 2 Surprising Moves With the New iPhone 7

By
Lisa Eadicicco
Lisa Eadicicco
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lisa Eadicicco
Lisa Eadicicco
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 8, 2016, 11:08 AM ET
Apple Event
Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, talks about the pricing on the new iPhone 7 during an event to announce new products Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Marcio Jose Sanchez — AP
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

When Apple chief executive Tim Cook took the stage on Wednesday to introduce its new iPhones to the world, buzzy features like the phones’ new water resistant design, improved camera and, controversially, lack of a headphone jack stole the show. It wasn’t until the company’s two-hour keynote nearly ended that it revealed a crucial detail about its new smartphones: The cheapest version of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will come with 32GB of storage instead of 16GB.

It’s a seemingly insignificant detail. But it’s an unexpectedly consumer-friendly move suggesting that the company is finally listening to observerswho have long lamented Apple’s choice to sell an iPhone with such a small amount of storage.

With one exception, the cheapest iPhones have had 16GB of storage since the iPhone 3GS launched in 2009. Such a paltry amount, critics say, is nary enough given all the photos, videos and other content we record and store on our phones these days. (That the iPhone’s operating system eats away some of this storage space right off the bat only adds to this problem.)

But until now, Apple argued that 16GB was sufficient enough storage for some users thanks to services like iCloud and Dropbox, which help users keep their files in far-away servers rather on than their phones. Here’s what Apple marketing boss Phil Schiller told technology blogger John Gruber last year, according to The Verge:

“The belief is more and more as we use iCloud services for documents and our photos and videos and music that perhaps the most price-conscious customers are able to live in an environment where they don’t need gobs of local storage because these services are lightening the load.”

Apple’s decision to kill off 16GB iPhones shows the company is acknowledging the difficulty of living with that amount of storage space. It’s a doubly sensical move in that the models unveiled Wednesday take higher resolution photos, which demand more storage space. (Apple is still selling a 16GB version of its smaller iPhone SE.)

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Apple (AAPL) made another atypical move during Wednesday’s event. While the latest iPhones lack a standard headphone jack (ostensibly to make the phone more water resistant) the company opted to package them with an adapter allowing shoppers to use their old headphones with the new devices. That’s a surprisingly decision from a company that has a long history of being stubborn with standards, ports and cables. Apple’s 12-inch MacBook, for instance, features only a single USB Type-C port, a technology that promises faster speeds and other benefits but has yet to be widely adopted. Decades earlier, Apple released its first iMac without a floppy disk drive, a risky move in an era before CDs became the dominant medium.

That said, Apple executives sound committed to blowing up standards when they see fit—Schiller cited Apple’s “courage to move on” while explaining the iPhone 7’s lack of a headphone jack. Apple’s choice to remove that jack is no small gesture, given its ubiquity across devices. That Apple ditched the headphone jack while simultaneously announcing a new pair of wireless earbuds may hint the company wants to move towards a future where more of our devices communicate wirelessly, eliminating the need for cumbersome cables. The crucial difference this time is that Apple realizes not everybody is ready to give up their old headphones, even if it thinks wireless is the future. That’s a marked difference from Apple’s approach with the MacBook, buyers of which needed extra accessories to use their new laptop with older gear.

For more: All the News You Need to Know From Apple’s Big Event

Decisions like increasing the iPhone’s minimum storage space and making it slightly easier for consumers to adapt to a changing hardware experience may seem inconsequential. But even these minor moves may help Apple at a critical time. iPhone sales are dropping for the first time in the device’s history, a big problem given the device is Apple’s chief moneymaker. Apple’s rivals, meanwhile, have been offering increasingly attractive devices with features not found on the iPhone, like quick charging and upgradable storage space. Any tweaks that help Apple fend off the competition, however small, may prove helpful down the road.

This post originally appeared on Time.com.

About the Authors
By Lisa Eadicicco
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Dell’s AI boom is real, but so is the profit margin hit nobody is pricing in
AIDell Technologies
Dell’s AI boom is real, but so is the profit margin hit nobody is pricing in
By Mia OsmonbekovJune 30, 2026
34 minutes ago
Image of colored bar charts with one being pushed up.
NewslettersEye on AI
AI is minting billion-dollar companies faster than before
By Beatrice NolanJune 30, 2026
3 hours ago
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei pointing to his head.
AIAnthropic
At the heart of Anthropic’s clashes with the U.S. government, a decision not to play by the new rules of Trump’s Washington
By Jeremy KahnJune 30, 2026
6 hours ago
wb
CommentaryLeadership
I grew BDO from $600 million to $3.4 billion. Here’s the 3-part formula that made it possible
By Wayne BersonJune 30, 2026
7 hours ago
vinod
CommentaryData centers
Vinod Khosla: AI’s energy crisis has a fix — and it doesn’t need the grid
By Vinod KhoslaJune 30, 2026
7 hours ago
Jamie Dimon isn’t giving up the top job. That’s turned JPMorgan into a poaching ground for CEO talent
C-SuiteNext to Lead
Jamie Dimon isn’t giving up the top job. That’s turned JPMorgan into a poaching ground for CEO talent
By Ruth UmohJune 30, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
3 days ago
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
AI
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
By Catherina GioinoJune 29, 2026
22 hours ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 29, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 29, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.