Enjoying the feel of that sparkly new rose gold iPhone 6s in your hand, and the joy of 3D
Touch? We don’t want to spoil that love affair, 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.
Bye Bye Home Button:
The iPhone’s home button is iconic, but it may disappear on the iPhone 7. Analysts
at Cowen and Company United that the home button may not actually be a button anymore,
but rather a flat surface that unlocks the screen with Force Touch tech and your fingerprint.
An earlier report from 9 to 5 Mac stated that the flathome button will offer haptic feedback
to simulate the feeling of having touched a button.
P a r t L e a k s
A photo of a full device said to be the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus was leaked on a Chinese website in March. It features a design similar in shape to the iPhone 6s, but without rear antenna bands. It has a protruding, pill-shaped camera enclosure that includes two cameras inside, as is rumored for the larger-screened device, along with a round flash.
It also depicts a Smart Connector on the back of the iPhone, but rumors disagree on whether this is a feature that will actually be included. It's been seen on the back of this device and in iPhone 7 Plus blueprints, but according to to Japanese site Mac Otakara, Apple has decided not to include a Smart Connector on the iPhone 7., Apple has decided not to include a Smart Connector on the iPhone 7.
It is not known if the device in the images is a genuine iPhone 7 Plus prototype, a dummy based on iPhone 7 Plus specifications, or a completely fake device.
A rear casing said to be for the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 7 was discovered on Weibo in May, matching many of the features rumored for the 4.7-inch device. It includes a larger protruding rear camera and top and bottom antenna bands, but no rear antenna bands and no Smart Connector. Rumors have disagreed on whether the rear camera of the iPhone 7 will protrude, and again, it is not known if the device below is a true iPhone 7, a dummy, or a fake.
iPhone 7 Plus on left, iPhone 7 on right
An image depicting a Lightning cable assembly that could potentially be destined for the iPhone 7 surfaced in early May, which is notable because it features a headphone jack amid rumors the headphone jack is being eliminated in the iPhone 7. The part is similar in design to the Lightning cable assembly for the iPhone 6s, but not identical. While it could be an iPhone 7 part, its origin cannot be confirmed.
If it is a valid part, it suggests reports Apple will eliminate the headphone jack are incorrect or partially incorrect. Apple could leave the headphone jack in place on both the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus rendering rumors fully wrong, or remove it on just the larger iPhone 7 Plus, leaving it intact on the iPhone 7. The component does not mesh with multiple rumors pointing towards the removal of the headphone jack, so it should be viewed with some skepticism until confirmed as an actual part.
Images depicting what could potentially be the dual lens camera component for the iPhone 7 Plus surfaced from multiple sources in the early months of 2016. The part has an "821" number on it, which has been associated with Apple in the past, suggesting it could be a legitimate component and representative of the dual-lens camera that will be used in the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus.
An image of the battery said to be for the iPhone 7 lists a capacity of 7.04 watt-hours. That's slightly larger than the equivalent battery capacity listed for the iPhone 6s (6.61 watt-hours) and almost identical to the iPhone 6 (7.01 watt-hours). Voltage is not visible on the alleged iPhone 7 battery, so the exact charge capacity is not yet available, but should be similar to the iPhone 6 battery.
We've seen a backlight assembly said to be destined for the iPhone 7, which surfaced in January of 2016. We can't really glean any information about the iPhone 7 from the backlight component, but it is similar in design to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus backlight assembly with the exception of relocated LCD flex cables and 3D Touch chip.
An alleged iPhone 7 prototype casing surfaced in May, depicting four separate speakers positioned at the top and the bottom of the device much like the iPad Pro. Because the four speaker layout has not been spotted in other renderings and design leaks, there's a good chance it's fake.
Case Leaks, Design Drawings and Renderings
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus blueprints reportedly sourced directly from Taiwan-based Apple supplier Catcher were leaked in May, appearing to confirm the removal of the headphone jack in both models. The two designs in the blueprints also feature protruding cameras, with the iPhone 7 using a larger single camera and the iPhone 7 Plus adopting a dual-lens camera as has been rumored. There is no second speaker in place to replace the headphone jack, casting doubt on rumors suggesting the devices will have stereo sound.
The first image (above) depicts the blueprint of the iPhone 7, with no Smart Connector located on the rear of the device. There have been conflicting rumors on whether the iPhone 7 will include a Smart Connector, but the second blueprint (below) depicts the iPhone 7 Plus with a Smart Connector, suggesting the larger-screened iPhone will perhaps include the connector while the smaller iPhone 7 will not.
Both devices continue to feature a design similar to the design of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which is in line with other rumors. The antenna bands are not pictured in the images, and previous rumors suggest they will be removed from the back of the device while remaining present on the sides of the device.
A third image also allegedly sourced from Apple manufacturer Catcher Technology featuring the iPhone 7 depicts the same design changes.
The Catcher schematic and blueprint both features a larger camera hole, with a slightly protruding lens that is less pronounced than the protruding lens in the iPhone 6s. The Catcher images do not appear to depict a device that is significantly thinner, casting some doubt on rumors suggesting the iPhone 7 could be up to a millimeter thinner than the iPhone 6s and as thin as the 6.1mm iPod touch.
Japanese magazine MacFan published design drawings of the iPhone 7 Plus, which are also in line with rumors that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will feature largely the same design as the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The schematics, which depict the 5.5-inch iPhone, say the iPhone 7 Plus will measure in at 158.22mm x 77.94mm x 7.3mm, identical to the dimensions of the iPhone 6s Plus.
The design drawings also depict the dual camera setup rumored for the iPhone 7 Plus and no headphone jack. Not pictured is a second speaker to replace the headphone jack, which disagrees with some rumors suggesting stereo sound will be an included feature.
A set of molds said to be for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus include a single-lens camera for the smaller device and a dual-lens camera for the larger device. The iPhone 7 mold appears to depict a larger camera, perhaps to accommodate an improved sensor. Both cameras protrude, a design element rumors have disagreed on.
Neither mold depicts a Smart Connector, casting some doubt on rumors that have suggested a Smart Connector will be a feature included on the iPhone 7 Plus. At this point, it is not clear which Smart Connector rumor is accurate.
A sketch of the iPhone 7 from a French website includes the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the device, again pointing towards an iPhone that is the same length and width as the iPhone 6s (5.44 inches long and 2.64 inches wide). Thickness is not included in the design drawing and previous rumors have disagreed on whether or not the new iPhone 7 will be thinner than the iPhone 6s. The sketch also appears to depict a slightly larger camera, which agrees with rumors suggesting the smaller-screened iPhone 7 will include a larger camera sensor.
The first alleged case for the iPhone 7 surfaced in March, with the overall design appearing to be similar to the iPhone 6s. It features the same pill-shaped volume buttons and side-located power buttons, but it has cutouts for two speakers, in line with one rumor suggesting the iPhone 7 will have stereo speakers.
The two speaker cutouts replace the cutout for a headphone jack, which is said to be eliminated in the iPhone 7 in favor of an all-in-one Lightning port, but later rumors have suggested there will only be a single speaker so the case may be inaccurate.
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