iPhone 7

Apple won't release its next-generation iPhone until the fall of 2016, so there are still months of development ahead. For the current time, Apple's flagship iPhones are the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, released to the public in September of 2015.

Though it will be several months before the new iPhone 7 launches, rumors about the device started trickling out in January of 2016. We've already gleaned many details about the upcoming iPhone, giving us plenty of information on what to expect when it debuts.

Since the 3GS launched in 2009, Apple has used an alternating "S" naming formula to mark years where the iPhone does not receive a major redesign, saving its numbered upgrades for years where design changes are introduced. Releases have been as follows:

2007 - iPhone

2008 - iPhone 3G

2009 - iPhone 3GS

2010 - iPhone 4 (new design)

2011 - iPhone 4s

2012 - iPhone 5 (new design)

2013 - iPhone 5s

2014 - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (new design)

2015 - iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

The next-generation iPhone is expected to be called the iPhone 7, but there have been some rumors suggesting Apple could drop its standard numbered naming convention, instead calling the 2016 iPhone the "iPhone Pro." It is unclear at this point if those rumors are accurate.

Because 2015 marked an "S" iPhone upgrade year that introduced new features such as an improved camera and a better processor, 2016 will bring an even-year upgrade that will include a new iPhone design in addition to new features.

Apple will continue releasing two versions of each iPhone, so we can expect to see an iPhone 7 and an iPhone 7 Plus in 2016. Apple is said to be planning to stick to the 4.7- and 5.5-inch screen sizes it first introduced with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Apple is still working on finalizing the iPhone 7's body so we don't know exactly what it will look like, but multiple rumors suggest it will be a modest update that continues to use a design similar to the design of the iPhone 6s. It is said to have the same general shape as the iPhone 6s, but it may have a camera that protrudes less (though rumors currently disagree on this point). Antenna bands across the back of the device have been removed, but are expected to remain at the top, bottom, and sides of the iPhone. The front of the iPhone is also expected to see some changes with a longer earpiece cutout and relocated ambient light sensor

Some rumors suggest Apple is aiming to make the iPhone 7 up to 1mm thinner, perhaps through theremoval of the 3.5mm headphone jack and the implementation of a thinner Lightning port, but other rumors suggest the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will have a body that is the same thickness as the iPhone 6s.

With no headphone jack, wired headphones will connect to the iPhone 7 using its Lightning port and Bluetooth headphones will connect wirelessly. Apple is rumored to be working on Lightning-equipped EarPods to sell alongside the iPhone 7. The removal of the headphone jack may also improve water resistance.

Blueprints and an image of a device said to be the iPhone 7 Plus have surfaced depicting a Smart Connector on the back of the shell, suggesting that is another potential feature, but it is not yet clear what it would be used for and other rumors have said it will not be included. If the Smart Connector rumors are accurate, it appears it will be a feature limited to the larger-screened model.

Internal specs for the iPhone 7 aren't yet known, but we can speculate Apple will continue on its path of introducing more powerful, efficient devices with each design iteration. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to include next-generation A10 processors manufactured by TSMC. Internal storage space is getting a boost, with entry-level devices expected to start at 32GB instead of 16GB.

There are rumored to be some distinguishing features between the iPhone 7 and the larger-screened iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 may ship with 2GB RAM, while the iPhone 7 Plus could include 3GB RAM, and there is said to be a different camera system in the iPhone 7 Plus that uses two cameras instead of one with 2-3x optical zoom and improved performance in low-light conditions. The iPhone 7 will likely continue to use a standard single-lens camera as multiple sources have said the dual lens camera is exclusive to the 5.5-inch iPhone.

All in all, the iPhone 7 is expected to feature only minor changes, which has led to speculation and rumors suggesting demand for the 2016 device will be weak due to a "lack of innovation."

 Design

The iPhone 7 may be somewhat thinner than the iPhone 6s, but exactly how thin remains in question. Apple may use the elimination of the headphone jack, advances in chip packing technology, and a slimmer Lightning port to cut down on the thickness of the device. One rumor has suggested the iPhone 7 will be between 6.0mm and 6.5mm, but leaked renderings and cases do not appear to depict a device that thin, and design drawings from Japanese magazine MacFan feature no reduction in thickness at all.

Information obtained by MacRumors and confirmed by additional reports indicates the iPhone 7's body will be similar to the iPhone 6s, adopting the same general design language.

Apple is planning to change the design of the antenna bands on the device, doing away with the thick white antenna bands that are located across the back of the Phone 6s rear shell. The bands located at the top, bottom, and sides of the device are rumored to remain on the iPhone 7, but the rear bands are eliminated for a cleaner look. As for the thinner Lightning port, while Apple plans to slim it down, it will continue to be compatible with existing the Lightning connector and Lightning cables.

A mockup of what the iPhone 7 may look like. It is said to have a design similar to the iPhone 6s, with a slightly thinner body and no antenna bands across the middle of device's rear shell.

Rumors on the rear camera have varied. Some rumors point towards a camera that protrudes less or not at all, while an image of an alleged iPhone 7 Plus features a camera that continues to protrude. The iPhone 7 will feature a larger camera sensor while the iPhone 7 Plus will include a dual-lens camera.

Some unconfirmed rumors about the iPhone 7's design suggest it could have a strengthened, water resistant frame that ditches Apple's traditional aluminum casing for "new compound materials while also incorporating a touch sensitive Home button, but some of these rumors do not mesh with information pointing towards minor design changes. Improved water resistance is expected due to the removal of the headphone jack.

One rumor from the Asian supply chain said Apple will introduce a new deep blue color option, which will replace the traditional Space Gray shade that Apple has used for several years

Japanese site Mac Otakara, the source of the rumor, later said that a mistake was made and the alleged deep blue shade is actually a new shade of Space Gray. The new Space Gray color is said to be "close to black, but not quite black," and "much darker" than the Space Gray used for the iPhone 6s. A rendering of a dark Space Gray iPhone shows what a deeper color might look like

CAMERA

The cameras in the dual-lens iPhone 7 Plus may take advantage of technology Apple acquired through the purchase of Israeli camera company LinX Imaging last year. Image quality in the iPhone 7 Plus could be greatly improved with the introduction of a dual-lens system, narrowing the gap between photos taken with the iPhone and those taken with a more robust DSLR cameras.

LinX dual-lens technology offers several potential benefits for the iPhone 7 Plus, with rumors specifically pointing towards 2-3x optical zoom capabilities, perhaps implemented through the use of two lenses with different focal lengths. With a dual-lens camera system, images captured are clearer and brighter with less noise and truer color, allowing for pictures that include more detail, especially in low light conditions.

There's a possibility that a dual-lens system like the one LinX created could be used for depth mapping, allowing users to do things like take 3D scans of real world items or use depth information to refocus an image. For additional information on what LinX technology could mean for the iPhone 7, make sure tocheck out our in-depth LinX post.

An example of how a dual-lens camera could potentially improve photos taken with the iPhone 7 Plus can be seen in the below video demonstration of similar technology from Corephotonics. Corephotonics' dual-lens system uses a wide-angle lens and a lens capable of 5X optical zoom and aggregates data from both to get a better picture.

.

Posted in: apple,Phones