iPhone 7
ate: We may have seen our first glimpse of the iPhone 7 in the flesh along with more evidence of a larger camera sensor, while Stuff.tv has gathered some iPhone 7 Plus intel that could offer big hints as to what to expect in the larger variant.
Just as some of the rumors speculate, unearthed renders of the iPhone 7 Plus appear to lack a headphone jack. While we won't know for sure if Apple has officially dropped 3.5mm jack support, the latest evidence doesn't look good for those of us who are unwilling to ditch the standard.
Next up, the iPhone 7 Plus render features a Smart Connector port, much like what's found on the iPad Pro and iPad Pro 9.7. Although the latest bit of potential iPhone 7 info lacks the Smart Connector, it's tough to say at this point whether this proprietary port will show up on the smaller device or not.
Original article follows below...
Looking for something smaller? Then you'll want to check out the iPhone SE? While the iPhone 7 Plus should cover all your big screen needs.
With the iPhone 6S, Apple delivered its best handset yet, but aside from sporting some fancy new 3D Touch technology, it was also very similar to the iPhone 6.
That was to be expected – after all, Apple typically only overhauls its handsets once every two years, but that overhaul is due with the iPhone 7, so we're expecting and hoping for big changes: think a whole new design, piles of power and a bunch of new features.
The leaks, rumors and reports are already ramping up, although the iPhone 7 probably won't arrive until late 2016. We've collected all the latest from around the web and beyond for you below, to give you the clearest picture possible of what you can expect from the new iPhone.
- at is it? Apple's next all-new iPhone
- When is it out? Likely September 2016
- What will it cost? Probably the same as the iPhone 6S
iPhone 7 release date
If we were betting people, we'd say the iPhone 7 will probably arrive in September 2016. Apple tends to stick to a schedule and the last few iPhones have all been launched in the month of September.
But according to a 'reliable source' Apple might actually bring it to market earlier. Sadly, how much earlier is unclear, but it will take a while to even finish development and manufacture of the phone, so we wouldn't expect to see it before mid-summer. September is still the best bet for now.
iPhone 7 design
Hottest leaks:
- A super slim build
- Water resistance
- Redesigned antenna lines
The iPhone 6S looked a lot like the iPhone 6, but it's likely to be all-change with the iPhone 7. Exactly what form that change will take remains to be seen, but there are some rumors.
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For one thing, it could be even slimmer than the 7.1mm-thick iPhone 6S; Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities reckons it'll be dropping to between 6mm and 6.5mm thick. That sounds unnecessarily slim to us, especially as it could cause the battery life to take a hit, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 is only marginally thicker at 6.8mm, so it's possible.
If TSMC makes the chips, as has been rumored, then some space could be saved, which might help Apple slim it down without making sacrifices in other areas, while another report claims Apple will use fan-out technology to save space and reduce the thickness of the iPhone 7.
Slimming down the iPhone 7 could mean Apple will have to ditch the bulky 3.5mm headphone jack. That could lead to a great dependence on Bluetooth headphones, but another leak suggests there will also be a pair of special Apple earbuds included in the iPhone 7 box.Don't ditch your headphones just yet though, as an image supposedly showing iPhone 7 circuitry has emerged and the 3.5mm jack is intact in it. Removing the jack could do more harm than good, especially in the short term, so we doubt it will happen.
Another rumor suggests the iPhone 7 will have an all-metal design with a bezel-less display. It would be a big change for the iPhone design, but bringing in a new kind of screen technology would be a sensible move for Apple.
The iPhone 7 could be built to last too, as according to Mac Otakara there are a number of iPhone prototypes with "ruggedized" features, which could mean a water and dust-resistant phone is on the way.
In fact, that's exactly what we'll get according to a supply chain source. Yet another suggestion of a waterproof iPhone 7 comes from the Apple supplier Japan Display. The supplier has come up with a new technology called "Pixel Eyes", that is now in its second generation and makes it easier to use the screen while you have wet fingers.
That's always an issue with waterproof phones such as the Sony Xperia Z line, so the fact Apple's main supplier is looking to stop the problem may be a big hint at what the iPhone 7 will do.
However, another report has suggested Apple will opt for a slimmer phone rather than a waterproof iPhone 7. Apple will likely get a new LCD display technology as well, which could allow the iPhone 7 to be 1mm thinner than before.
A design tweak rumor which will likely please many is that Apple will ditch the camera bump which has been present since the iPhone 6/6 Plus - with the firm going for a sleeker finish on the iPhone 7. As well as being totally flat the back could also be uninterrupted, as the same report points towards the removal of the antenna bands.
That tallies with an image leak picked up by Nowhereelse.fr, which claims its snapshot shows the iPhone 7 to have no antenna bands and a larger camera.
A few days after that, a leak of the iPhone 7 chassis design showed a new design for the antennas. So it increasingly seems Apple may sort out one of the more controversial elements of the design of the iPhone 6S.
However, the overall size and shape of the iPhone 7 may not change much, as a sketch complete with dimensions shows it as being the same length and width as the iPhone 6S, as well as having similarly curved corners. That would be surprising for a new numbered model though and the sketch could easily be a fake.
A purported photograph of the back panel has emerged on MobiPicker, showing the phone in gold with a rounded design, antenna lines at the top and bottom and a new camera module, which could be a laser autofocus. The image is likely a fake, but the general design is largely in line with rumors so it could also be the shape of things to come.
In fact it's also very much in line with a newer image which seems to show the back of the iPhone 7 itself. It looks like it could have been manipulated, but with most design rumors lining up it could still be close to the truth.
A render, based on supposed technical drawings of the phone, has also surfaced. According to GSMArena the colors and materials may differ slightly in the finished phone, but the placement of the ports, buttons and camera should all be accurate. It's in line with other leaks, though as it's an unofficial render it should be taken with the usual pinch of salt.
But just as everything was lining up a leaked case prototype threw it all into question, with four speaker grilles when we're only expecting one or two. As it goes against everything else it's probably fake, but it could certainly make the iPhone 7 a media powerhouse.
iPhone 7 screen
Hottest leaks:
- A sharper screen
- An edge-to-edge display
The iPhone 7 could be in for a big resolution jump if a DigiTimes source is to be believed, as Apple is apparently likely to move to glass-on-glass screens, which in turn opens up the possibility of a QHD or even a 4K display.
A lot of Android phones already have QHD screens, and the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is 4K, so it's possible that Apple will pump up the resolution of its next flagship, but given that the iPhone 6S isn't even 1080p we're skeptical that it'll get anywhere near 4K.
If the iPhone 7 does get higher resolution it might get bigger too, especially as rival phones are growing in size all the time. We're not convinced though – we'd still bet on seeing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models.
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Then there's the first image of the LCD backlight on the iPhone 7. It comes from trusted French blog NoWhereElse and shows the panel from the iPhone 7 up against the iPhone 6S.
All the connectors are in different locations around the phone, suggesting there will be a few design changes on the next iPhone.
A jump in resolution might not be the only way the iPhone 7 imitates Android though, as there's also talk that it could switch from an LCD display to an OLED one, much like Samsung uses on most of its phones.
One new rumor suggests the iPhone 7S will be the first Apple phone to feature an OLED display. The rumor comes from Apple telling supply chain sources that it will be switching from LCD panels to OLED panels in the next couple of years.
Sadly it doesn't seem like the technology will be here in time for the iPhone 7 and we'll have to wait for the iPhone 7S. That said, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has dismissed the rumor, arguing that Apple won't likely switch to AMOLED before 2019.
On the other hand it's now been reported by the Chinese Wall Street Journal that Apple has ordered 100 million 5.5-inch AMOLED panels for a 2017 iPhone. So all we can say with any certainty right now is that we won't see an AMOLED iPhone this year.
There's also talk of Apple taking a leaf out of Samsung's book and opting for a5.8-inch curved AMOLED display on a future iPhone, although this could be something for the iPhone 8 rather than the iPhone 7.
Hopes of an edge-to-edge display on the iPhone 7 have been raised slightly after an image appeared online claiming to show just that - although having seen hundreds of iPhone leaks over the years we think this offering looks rather fake. ' into, rather than just having static previews.
iPhone 7 rivals
The iPhone 7 is likely a way off yet, but many of its main rivals have already launched. The biggest ones are the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Both of these phones have received five star reviews on techradar - which we hadn't previously given out to a phone for two years - so Apple has some serious work to do.
