Enjoying the feel of that sparkly new rose gold iPhone 6S in your hand, and the joy of 3D Touch? Well, we don’t want to spoil that, but Apple’s already working on the iPhone 7, and rumors about it are beginning to heat up. Here’s what we think we know about Apple’s next major smartphone release so far.
New design: No antenna lines, water resistance, and liquid metal
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Nowhereelse.fr
If Apple follows its own mobile trend the iPhone 7 should come with an entirely new design. So far, rumors indicate that the next iPhone will be water resistant, feature liquid metal, and eliminate antenna lines. In March, Nowhereelse.fr published what it claims is a mockup of the iPhone 7. The image shows a sleek-looking iPhone backplate with subtle antenna lines along the top and bottom edges of the device. Although the antenna lines still exist, they are less prominent than the ones on the iPhone 6 and 6S. The camera bulge seems to have vanished, too. The report also claims that the headphone jack has been removed and replaced by a second speaker.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone 7 will be the thinnest yet at between 6 and 6.5mm thick. That is around the same as the iPad Air 2, and a millimeter thinner than the current generation iPhone.
In February, in the same Macrumors report that discussed making the camera lens housing sit flush with the iPhone 7’s body, it’s also stated Apple will remove the plastic antenna inserts across the body, although the ones on the sides and edges will stay.
One of the more prevalent early rumors concerns a waterproof iPhone 7.DigiTimes reports Taiwan’s Commercial Times discovered evidence that says Catcher Technologies will supply waterproof iPhone 7 chassis components. The company also said “new compound materials” will conceal the antenna bands on he back of the device, which also fits with more recent rumors.
TrendForce published a press release asserting the iPhone 7 will be waterproof. Another post made to the Chinese social network Weibo, and reported by Macotakara, also said the iPhone 7 will have a waterproof and dustproof body.
Another Weibo post talks about Apple using a new, but unnamed material to make the iPhone 7 case, and it won’t be metal. Rumors have spread in the past about an all liquid metal iPhone, but have never come true, and this may signal Apple has decided to go in a different direction with the next-generation phone
Apple might be planning to axe the 3.5mm audio jack on the iPhone 7, and replace it with a USB Type-C connector that supports proprietary headphones, according to sources in China.
No more headphone jack
Apple is no stranger to eliminating ports and forcing users to switch cables and accessories to adapt. For a few months now, the rumor mill has been hinting that Apple will kill the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and opt for a wireless-only standard
In early March, @OnLeaks posted a handful of pictures, showing what may be an early case for the iPhone 7. What’s notable about the case is that it doesn’t have a headphone jack, but rather a row of speakers on either side of the lightning port.
Let the leaks begin!… #Apple #iPhone7 pic.twitter.com/WBphT2zUsJ
— OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) March 9, 2016
In a note, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Christopher Hemmelgarn hinted that the iPhone 7 will have headphones that connect through the lightning port, but they won’t feature noise canceling. The two analysts think that noise canceling will come along with the iPhone 7S, since Apple’s audio component supplier Cirrus Logic is expected to introduce an improved noise-cancellation smart codec. The analysts added that Apple may put another speaker on the iPhone 7 where the 3.5mm headphone jack currently sits. Naturally, these are just the suppositions of analysts and not solid facts.
At first, it sounded like a mad idea, but now, Twitter user Chase Fromm spotted a hint in the iOS 9.3 beta code that hints the 3.5mm headphone jack will bite the dust on future iPhones. The code says, “Headphones.have.%sinput.NO.” However, not everyone is so sure that the code is concrete proof that the headphone jack is dead.
A reputable source says Apple’s plan to kill the headphone jack is real. 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, who often gets Apple scoops before anyone else, reported that Apple is at the prototype stage with a new pair of wireless earbuds for the iPhone 7. They could be called AirPods and be entirely wireless, like the Moto Hint. The earbuds could have a few buttons for taking calls and activating Siri, and would likely include different sized gels for a better fit. Gurman says the earbuds would come in a carrying case to charge them.
An earlier report hinted that the headphone jack might disappear, but headphones could be connected via the lightning port instead. Of course, that would pose problems for those who need to charge their phones while listening to audio with headphones. It’s unclear at this point if the rumors will prove true.
Dual cameras, but only on select models
Apple has always steadily improved the iPhone’s camera, and since the introduction of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, has subtly separated them by making a few features unique to the larger Plus model. This may continue with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, according to rumors.
In a February report, Macrumors says Apple will reduce the size of the iPhone 7’s camera lens so it sits flush with the body, rather than sitting proud like it does on the iPhone 6S. It’s not clear whether this will continue on the 7 Plus, but other reports hint Apple might include a dual-camera setup on the larger phone.
Apple has always steadily improved the iPhone’s camera, and since the introduction of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, has subtly separated them by making a few features unique to the larger Plus model. This may continue with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, according to rumors.
In a February report, Macrumors says Apple will reduce the size of the iPhone 7’s camera lens so it sits flush with the body, rather than sitting proud like it does on the iPhone 6S. It’s not clear whether this will continue on the 7 Plus, but other reports hint Apple might include a dual-camera setup on the larger phone.
DigiTimes reported in early February that Apple received dual-lens camera samples from Largan Technology, as well as other lens makers from Japan and China. Apple will supposedly test these samples with the hopes of using one of them on the iPhone 7 Plus or a “premium” version of it. Based in Taiwan. Largan supplies over 60 percent of Apple’s smartphone cameras, but according to the report, Apple might want to utilize dual-lens cameras from other manufacturers to lower its risk.
KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo suggested in a late January report (via 9to5Mac) that Apple will offer a “premium” version of the iPhone 7 Plus, which will feature a dual-camera system. Apple acquired Linx Imaging a while ago, and may use its tech in the special iPhone 7 Plus model, Kuo hints. The tech takes two independent photos and blends them together for an overall better image.
The Linx Imaging technology is not the only high-tech feature that may be added to the special edition iPhone 7 Plus. According to Kuo’s note, the camera will also feature an optical zoom with 2-3x magnification, optical image stabilization, and a much larger field of view. The regular iPhone 7 Plus might be downgraded to a telephoto lens and small field of view to make the premium model more valuable to customers who love to take photos. Of course, Apple hasn’t commented on the report, so it’s still firmly in the rumor mill.
It is not the first time we’ve heard of multiple iPhone models, a report last year out of China said Apple was testing five different iPhone models. One of those models apparently featured a dual-camera system, though the report didn’t mention any of the other camera specs.
3D Touch and Touch ID get more useful
A December 2015 report from Ming-Chi Kuo said that 3D Touch will still feature prominently in the new iPhone, but so far, Kuo believes the tech will work the same way on the iPhone 7 as on the 6S. Earlier reports teased the possibility of multi-3D Touch, but it’s unclear if it will arrive on this year’s iPhone.
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Hard press on the Notes app to initiate Quick Actions.
Jeffrey Van Camp/Digital Trends
The report from inside China suggested that the five iPhones being tested all had one particular feature of interest. The features include wireless charging, fingerprint recognition on the display, multi Force Touch, dual-cameras, and a USB Type-C connector. Previous patents have suggested Apple is working on wireless charging and fingerprint recognition technology on the display, though the patent for wireless charging was filed three years ago.
Will the iPhone 7 go OLED (and other specs)?
Apple could make some big changes on the iPhone 7’s spec sheet. The biggest rumor that’s come out has to do with a move from LCD screens to OLED screens. Some reports say the iPhone 7 will get an OLED screen, but others say the new screens won’t be ready in time and will arrive on later iPhones. You can read all those rumors here.
Up until the iPhone 6S, Apple’s phones only sported 1GB of RAM, even though many Android competitors used 3 or 4GB of RAM in their flagship phones. Now, reports hint that the iPhone 7 will get even more RAM than the 6S, with rumors of 3GB of RAM popping up for the iPhone 7 Plus. The claim has been made more than once, and TrendForce is the latest to join the fray.
Analyst Kuo also chimed in on the iPhone 7 with another report, claiming it will run on a new A10 chip built entirely by TSMC, a Taiwanese chip manufacturer that has worked with Apple in the past, and built some of the current A9 processors. He also claims the iPhone 7 Plus will have 3GB of RAM, while the iPhone 7 will only use 2GB. Foxconn will apparently manufacture the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and it should launch towards the end of this year, says Kuo.
A traditional September launch date
Apple typically reveals the new iPhone in September at a big event, and although rumors always pop up that it’ll arrive earlier or later, the new iPhone usually comes out right on schedule every fall. Noted KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, whose predictions are very often correct, said in a note to investors obtained by MacRumors that the iPhone 7 will arrive in September 2016 as per Apple’s custom. It is early yet, though, so expect to hear a lot more speculation on the launch date.
It’s very early days for the iPhone 7, despite what these rumors may make you think. We don’t even know if Apple will continue with adding an increasing number to the iPhone name, or if it’ll come up with something new for this edition. Whatever the case, we’ll keep you updated with all the news and rumors over the months leading up to the next iPhone’s 2016 introduction.
Source: Yahoo
By Malarie Gokey
For Digital Trends
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