The iPhone 7: Everything We Know So Far

Another year, another iPhone. This time, we’re getting the 7th series of Apple’s ever-so-popular smartphone. As reported earlier, the iPhone 7 is set to be unveiled soon at an Apple event on September 7. Here’s what we know so far on the iPhone 7 based on rumors from all over the Internet, thanks to Gizmodo.

Name and Design

No big surprise in the naming department, unless Apple decides to troll its fans. According to most reports, their new phones are most likely going to carry the iPhone 7 moniker, with additional suffixes such as “Plus”, “Pro”, “S”, “SE” or whatever Apple deems fit at that particular moment.

As for the aesthetics, here’s where Android loyalists will surely get hearty laugh or three. Tech blog Nowhereelse.fr published photos of the upcoming iPhone 7 phones and they look very, very similar to the iPhone 6s, which also looked the same as the previous year’s iPhone 6. While Android phone manufacturers usually get flak for “stagnant design choices”, Apple always seems to get away with it without much fuss from its reviewers.

All-metal design, all-glass LCD display, and most likely thinner, the iPhone 7 is bound to have the usual tweaks and improvements that come with modernization.

One of the most spread rumors online is Apple’s removal of the headphone jack for its iPhone 7 line. While these rumors have been reported since 2014, the evidence is mounting that it will become a reality for this latest iPhone series. The Wall Street Journal has even confirmed the lack of the jack.

Japanese site Macotakara, one of the ground zeroes of the rumor, also speculated that Apple will be including the standard 3.5mm Earpods with a converter as the replacement. A second speaker will be replacing the abandoned headphone jack as well.

Gizmodo has collated more iPhone 7 design rumors, albeit somewhat conflicting and confusing, but if you’re interested in more gossip, head over to their roundup article.

Specifications

According to DigiTimes, Apple is going with the ARM-based A10 processor, speculated to be Apple’s most powerful mobile processor yet.

9to5Mac reports that the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models will be sticking with 12-megapixel cameras, but with larger sensors than the current iPhone 6s models. A dual-lens system is also the works, but most likely only for the largest iPhone 7 model only. Alongside the camera improvements, Apple might also be increasing their RAM offerings for the bigger phones to 3GB. The regular iPhone 7 will still have 2GB, though.

Here’s a quote from Bloomberg on how the new camera could work in the new iPhone 7 series:

The dual cameras on the larger new iPhone will produce brighter photos with more detail, according to a person who has used a prototype version of the upcoming device. Both sensors, which each capture color differently, simultaneously take a picture, and the device produces a single, merged photograph, said the person.

The dual system sharpens photos taken in low-light environments, the person said. The combination of the merged photos from the two camera sensors also allows users to zoom while retaining more clarity, the person added.

Famed leakster @Onleaks has also weighed in on possible iPhone 7 specs, noting that it could see a 14% increase in battery size from the iPhone 6s. That’s an increase from 1715mAh to 1960mAh. Given that Apple’s display tech isn’t changing, it should translate into more mileage for the new 7 series, especially when factoring the new, efficient A10 chipset.

The Wall Street Journal claims that the iPhone 7 will start with 32GB expandable, internal storage for its base model. As for its maximum storage capacity, a rumor posted in Weibo speculates that it will be at the 256GB mark. That’s a lot of space.

Macotakara published the possible color availability for the iPhone 7 line: gold, rose gold, silver, space gray, and space black. The Apple Watch colors match these options too.

As for the operating system, it’s no big guess that the iPhone 7 series will be coming with iOS 10.

Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus start at $650 and $750 respectively, so we might be seeing the pricing of the new iPhone 7 series thereabouts. Given the spec boosts and whatnot, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Apple bumped the pricing a bit higher this time. Local price? You know the deal.

Given that the Apple event is on September 7, pre-orders are bound to open shortly, and after a week or two, the actual sale of the units.

Stay tuned to this post for more updates and rumors on the upcoming iPhone 7.