iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus rumors and news leaks
Apple's iPhone 7 may be waterproof to the core and hide antenna lines for good
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 spread. Here’s what we think we know about Apple’s next major smartphone release so far.
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- Liquid metal, waterproof design
- September release date
- Fingerprint sensor and 3D Touch
- More RAM and other specs
It may be made of liquid metal and waterproof
As we said before, if Apple follows its own mobile trend the iPhone 7 should come with an entirely new design. Many sources hint that the iPhone 7 could be Apple’s first waterproof smartphone.
As reported by DigiTimes, Taiwan’s Commercial Times found a report from a research firm that says Catcher Technologies will supply waterproof iPhone 7 chassis components. The company also reportedly discovered “new compound materials” to conceal the antenna bands on he back of the device. It’s unclear if that means the iPhone 7 won’t be made of metal, as previously rumored.
TrendForce published a press release earlier on asserting that say 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.
While water resistant phones have existed for a while, the popularity with manufacturers ebbs and flows, with Samsung choosing to add it on the Galaxy S5, then abandon it for the Galaxy S6. Sony continues to make water resistance a feature on its Xperia smartphones, though it became less prevalent on the Xperia Z5.
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. This would be a smart way for Apple to remove third-party headphones that don’t meet Apple’s standards, though it goes against the company’s move to open standards with the introduction of USB Type-C on the 12-inch MacBook.
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.
September release date rumored
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.
A fingerprint sensor on the display and 3D Touch
Apple often forges ahead with interesting new technologies and big changes when it releases non-S year iPhones. Rumors about the iPhone 7’s special features are widespread and intriguing this year. A December report from Ming-Chi Kuo hints 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 2016’s iPhone.
Reports from inside China suggest that Apple is testing five models of the iPhone 7, all with one major feature that is apparently in the pipeline for future iPhones. Not all of the features will launch on the iPhone 7, we suspect, although Apple might make a huge leap in technology next year to compete with cheaper, high-end Android phones on the market.
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.
Multi Force Touch and dual-camera configurations would be new for Apple, but dual-cameras have been attempted by HTC in the past to middling success. Of course, it’s unclear which of these features — if any — will make it into the iPhone 7.
More RAM and other high-end specs
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 next year, says Kuo.
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.
Article originally published on 09-28-2015
Previous updates:
Rumors that 3D Touch will work the same way on the iPhone 7 as it does on the iPhone 6S and a report that the iPhone 7 will arrive in September.
Rumors that Apple is testing five different iPhone 7 models with special features like an on-screen fingerprint scanner, wireless charging, USB Type C, dual-camera tech, and more.
Read more: Tech Crunch
