Why the iPhone 7 unveiling will leave people disappointed

"Is that it?"

When the dust settles on Wednesday's iPhone 7 unveiling, this is what people will say.

And I can't blame them.

See also: Can I just ignore the recall and carry on using my Galaxy Note 7?

The biggest problem is that these iPhone launch events are becoming predictable. The tease and build-up and all the self-congratulation has become tedious and repetitive. We know there's an iPhone coming, and a new Apple Watch, and that we'll be getting an official release date for the new iOS, so just get on with it.

We don't need an hour of our lives wasted on a recap of things already covered at WWDC only a few weeks ago.

The other problem with these events is that there's no more mystery. We pretty much know everything about the iPhone 7 that there is to know. Sure, there are a few small gaps, but there's not going to be much that's surprising. The leaks have taken care of that.

Then there are the months of speculation, rumors, fake leaks, and other associated nonsense -- which created an expectation for what the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch 2 could be -- that the devices can't possibly live up to.

The iPhone and Apple Watch that exists in the minds of the fanboys and pundits is several generations ahead of what we are going to see.

Must-have accessories for your iPhone or Android smartphone

At the end of the day, the iPhone 7 is a smartphone, and if you want to know what it looks like, just take a look at the iPhone 6s and the Samsung Galaxy S7.

It's going to be another small, rectangle box with a screen on the front.

Finally, the steam is very much out of the smartphone market (and the smartwatch and tablet markets for that matter). I've spoken to a number of people who were once jazzed about new iPhone launches, who now look at events simply as an indication that their existing hardware is old and that it's time to put their hands into their pockets once again.

And with iPhone sales softening, Apple wants you to dig into your pockets deeper than ever.

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