Apple is expected to reveal its next-generation iPhone soon. Several reports suggest that the company is expected to launch the next iPhone in September. As we all know by now, Apple usually releases the upgraded ‘S’ model followed by new numbered launches. And it seems the next iPhone will adopt will the same naming convention. With the launch of the iPhone 6S last year, it is most likely that 2016’s release will be called the iPhone 7.
Rumors of the upcoming iPhone have been doing rounds for quite a while, but all point to the same thing – that this year’s iPhone won’t be a significant upgrade compared to the iPhone 6S. That said, there will be minor upgrades in the form of advanced photography capabilities alongside minor hardware upgrades.
Here’s everything we know so far about Apple’s next flagship smartphone:
iPhone 7 Design
Apple is expected to release the device in the same display sizes we saw last year – a standard version with a 4.7-inch screen alongside a Plus sized version sporting a 5.5-inch display.
It is also tipped to get the same aluminum unibody design just like last year’s iPhone 6S, however, with a one or two minor tweaks. For instance, the antenna gets re-positioned on the top and bottom edges instead of the back. Also, the camera gets slightly moved as it’ll be placed more towards the top left corner of the device.
The most controversial design change, however, would be the removal of the classic 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple is expected to ditch the port on the next iPhone for other hardware improvements. Instead, users will have to use the Lightning port to attach headphones or use Bluetooth connectivity.
We might also see Apple ditch the standard Home button. A new report from Bloomberg suggests the upcoming iPhone 7 will ditch the Home button and replace it with a touch-sensitive button. The re-engineered Home button responds to haptic feedback. Similar to the trackpads found on the latest MacBook range, that responds to pressure with a vibrating sensation as opposed to the standard button click.
iPhone 7 Camera
The Plus sized variant of the upcoming iPhone is tipped to get a dual-lens camera setup. It’ll have two sensors which essentially results in better photos. The dual-camera system also enhances photos taken in low-light environments. The dual-lens camera technology is already featured flagship offerings from LG and Huawei. The smaller 4.7-inch version will reportedly not include a dual-lens camera setup.
iPhone 7 Hardware
Reports also suggest that the next-gen iPhone will have more processing power. We could see the iPhone 7 featuring the new A10 processors bundled alongside the M10 motion co-processor. Besides, it could also see the RAM bumped to 3GB compared to 2GB of RAM found on last year’s model. That said, there’s nothing that suggests that these hardware upgrades will apply to the standard 4.7-inch version. It is highly likely that the plus sized variant of the iPhone 7 will see these hardware upgrades, specifically to deal with the demands of the dual-lens camera setup.
iPhone 7 Operating System
The upcoming iPhone models will reportedly run iOS 10, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system unveiled at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference. It gets a slew of new features such as interactive widgets, which let you quickly look at appointments or contacts. iMessage also gets overhauled with new features such as the ability to add animations, new stickers, bigger emojis along with the ability to draw and send sketches.
We can also expect a new lock-screen showing more information, redesigned Apple Music and Maps, along with a new app to control smart home appliances.
Wrap Up
Despite falling sales in recent quarters, the iPhone still forms a significant chunk of Apple’s overall sales across different product categories. The upcoming iPhone models will undeniably play a pivotal role in driving the company’s revenue. As Apple is banking on the device’s sales ahead of a major iPhone overhaul in 2017, which would mark the iPhone’s tenth anniversary.
