Apple iPhone 7: Everything we know so far

Note: Article was first published on 30th August 2016 and updated on 4th September 2016.

Apple iPhone 7 rumor roundup

The time has come for the annual iPhone refresh cycle and leaks on the devices have been surfacing for a few months. Here's a summary of what we know so far about the iPhone 7:

1.) Will Apple be introducing two or three iPhone models this year?

Since 2013, Apple has been releasing two iPhone models in its annual refresh cycle. We saw the introduction of the iPhone 5s and 5c in 2013, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2014, and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in 2015. Earlier this year, there were rumors suggesting this year could see the launch of three iPhone models in September.

KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in January that Apple was preparing to launch two models of the 5.5-inch iPhone this year. One model was reportedly coming with a single camera module on the rear while the other was said to have a dual-camera module.  

In March, Chinese sources provided an image of the 5.5-inch iPhone with a Smart Connector, suggesting that this could be the "Pro" variant. Japanese blog Macotakara followed up with similar claims that there would be a Smart Connector on the bigger iPhone which indirectly hinted that a dual-camera setup and Smart Connector could be the differentiating factors between the standard and "Pro" models. 

Just a month ago, French website Nowhereelse obtained photos of three iPhone models to back up these claims. Weeks later, Nowhereelse uploaded a three-minute long video where the three models of the iPhone can be viewed from different angles.

The existence of the third iPhone model was confirmed by Nikkei Asian Review earlier this month when it claimed that Apple made a last minute decision to ditch plans for a third iPhone model. Apparently, fierce competition from Huawei and Samsung forced Apple to make the change "mere months before the launch". Macotakara reversed its earlier report and also confirmed that the third iPhone model was eventually cancelled. 

Safe to say, we can expect Apple to stick to its strategy of releasing two iPhone models in September. 

2.) Will there be a design change? 

Unless you've been living under a rock, you would know that Apple generally introduces a major design update once every two years. The last design overhaul came when Apple introduced the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2014. Going by tradition, Apple should move to a new design language this year with the upcoming iPhones. However, leaked images and blueprints suggest otherwise.

At the start of the year, 9to5Mac reported that Apple was looking at three different designs for the iPhone. Among the three designs include one with a thinner chassis and a backup design which resembles the current iPhone 6/6s. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's report in April lends credence as Kuo believes the 2017 iPhone would receive a major design overhaul - an "all-glass" enclosure with AMOLED display - instead of this year's iPhone.

Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz also reiterated the same findings from his supply chain checks; he stated that there would not be a major iPhone upgrade this year with no "must-have form factor changes". Nikkei Asian Review followed up with a similar report in June that Apple is likely to adopt a three-year refresh cycle for the iPhones due to the lack of innovation in smartphone features and a slowing market. TrendForce's supply chain research also hinted that the upcoming iPhone will look very similar to the current iPhone 6/6s. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, who has a solid track record on Apple leaks, confirmed that the new iPhones will not have a different design. 

These multiple reports are supported by the numerous leaks of purported iPhone 7 dummy units and blueprints, which show a similar design language except for the relocation of the antenna lines and larger camera cutouts. Nowhereelse.fr published one of the clearest photos to date of the iPhone 7 which reveals redesigned antenna lines at the top and bottom of the device. Chinese sources also uploaded photos of the iPhone 7 (1) (2) which look similar to Nowhereelse.fr.

3.) No more headphone jack for the iPhone 7?

One of the most persistent rumors about the iPhone 7 is the 3.5mm headphone jack, which Apple is widely expected to remove in favor of a thinner and probably waterproof design.

The first rumor surfaced in November last year when Japanese blog Macotakara claimed that the headphone jack will be replaced with a Lightning jack so as to achieve "more than 1mm" reduction in thickness. To help consumers transition to the use of the Lightning port, Apple is said to be bundling Lightning connector-equipped EarPods. Chinese media also reiterated the same claim although they added that Apple could bundle wireless "EarPod" headphones instead. In July, the Lightning EarPod headphones were seen for the first time.

Fast Company followed up with a report of its own and provided more insights; apparently, Apple is working with audio chip partner Cirrus Logic to modify its audio chipset in the iPhone to work with the Lightning port. A more expensive, noise-canceling Lightning-connected earphones or headphones under its Beats brand may be sold separately. There is also speculation that the 3.5mm headphone jack is removed to make way for another row of speaker grille, hence giving the iPhone its first pair of stereo speakers.

However, images of purported iPhone 7 components posted by a smartphone repair store in China revealed that the 3.5mm headphone jack is still present on the device. Nonetheless, the flood of leaked footprints, casings and dummy units suggest that the 3.5mm headphone jack is likely to be removed. For those who've invested in an expensive pair of headphones, you can likely still use them with converter plugs and cables that will soon follow suit.

Update as of 4th September:- A photo of the purported label from the retail box of the new iPhone points to the existence of the new Lightning EarPods.

4.) Major change coming to the home button?

The circular home button has been a signature feature of the iPhone since 2007 and the last major upgrade it received was in 2013 with the introduction of Touch ID. Well, it seems that Apple is making a huge change to the home button this year.

DigiTimes reported in June 2015 that Apple was working on touch and display driver integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions for the iPhone where fingerprint sensors can be embedded within the virtual home button. One year later, Chinese site Storm claimed that the existing hardware home button would be replaced with a digital touch-sensitive one with haptic feedback motors.

Sources also told 9to5Mac that the home button on the upcoming iPhone would have haptic feedback, which is corroborated by analysts at Cowen and Company. More importantly, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg also confirmed that the new home button will be pressure-sensitive and works in a similar fashion as the trackpads on the latest MacBooks. 

Coupled with the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, this could possibly lead to the development of a waterproof chassis for the iPhone 7. There are multiple reports suggesting the waterproofing feature; TrendForce believes the waterproofing feature will be available for the iPhone 7 Plus while a purported leaked Foxconn slide mentioned water resistance as one of the several new features of the new iPhone. 

5.) Screen sizes and display technology

Apple currently has three screen sizes for the iPhone - 4.0, 4.7 and 5.5-inches. The iPhone maker bumped up the screen size from 3.5 to 4-inches in 2012, followed by 4.7 and 5.5-inches in 2014.

As Apple is not expected to introduce a new design this year, it is likely that the screen sizes will remain. TrendForce's supply chain research suggests that Apple will continue to offer the iPhone in two screen sizes (4.7 and 5.5-inches). Japanese blog Macotakara believes that the True Tone display introduced on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will debut on the iPhone this year.  Leaked blueprints of the two iPhones, and comparison photos and videos of the devices show no change in screen size.

The latest leak through Weibo also ascertains these two display sizes and even the screen resolution which is still identical to existing iPhone 6 devices.

There are reportedly plans by Apple for a switch to OLED as early as next year. Business Korea reported in June last year that major Korean display manufacturers were pitching to Apple to adopt flexible OLED display panels for the iPhone. Samsung, the largest manufacturer of OLED panels, is said to have provided OLED panel samples to Apple for testing purposes. 

The Korea Times claimed in November 2015 that Samsung renewed talks with Apple to supply OLED displays for use in the 2018 iPhone although LG was also reportedly in final talks to be a supplier too. In March 2016, Chinese site Nikkei said that Apple was ahead of its schedule and could ship iPhones with OLED displays in 2017.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo echoed similar sentiments; Apple would be shifting to AMOLED displays in 2017 and could possibly bump up the screen size to 5.8-inches. Bloomberg also reported in May that display suppliers are gearing up for the mass production of OLED panels to meet the demands of Apple next year.

6.) A10 processor and more RAM?

Every generation of iPhone will come with a new processor. The current iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are powered by the A9 dual-core chipset. If history is any indication, the next chipset should be the A10. Apple has reportedly signed a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to supply the next generation chipset for the iPhone 7. The A10 chipset is expected to be built on a 16nm process and TSMC has been doubling its production in anticipation of the launch of the new iPhones.

As for the RAM, the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus is expected to come with 3GB RAM to support the image processing of the dual-camera module. The 4.7-inch iPhone 7 will come with 2GB RAM. TrendForce also shared similar predictions for the iPhone 7 Plus. The latest leak through Weibo also concurs with this information.

7.) Two is better than one 

This year could see the biggest jump in imaging technology for the iPhone as Apple is expected to match the Android competition with some long overdue camera enhancements - not that it's quality needed help, but there have been a number of new phones like LG G5 and Huawei P9 that enable more creative photography. 

Using technology acquired from Israeli camera tech firm Linx, Apple is said to have overcome obstacles in camera module algorithms and fit a dual-camera module on the bigger iPhone 7 Plus. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the dual-camera setup consists of two 12-megapixel Sony image sensors where one supports optical image stabilization (OIS) and a wider view when the other has 2-3x telephoto lens. In case you're wondering if this is some tech geek's wish list, Apple did actually submit a patent application for a multi-camera optical zoom system. 

There are also leaked images of purported dual-camera modules for the iPhone 7 Plus (1) (2).  Dummy units of the iPhone 7 Plus reveal a protruding dual-camera module on the back. Promotional ad of China Unicom in August teased the dual cameras of the iPhone 7 Plus. The dual-camera module of the iPhone 7 Plus is expected to deliver great improvements in mobile photography; it is said to be able to take brighter photos with more detail especially under low light conditions. 

As for the 4.7-inch iPhone, it is likely to come with a single and bigger camera module. Leaked cases, blueprints of the rear chassis and renders for the iPhone 7 show a larger camera cutout. The iPhone 7 is also rumored to come with a 21-megapixel image sensor. And for the first time since 2014, Apple may finally include OIS for the 4.7-inch iPhone. 

The very latest purported leaked specs however indicate the iPhone 7 will come with a single 12-megapixel 1/2.6-inch sensor with f/1.9 aperture, while the larger iPhone 7 Plus will sport two 12-megapixel 1/3-inch sensors with f/1.9 aperture.

8.) 16GB gone for good?

Despite many phone makers moving to 32GB as the base storage capacity, Apple insisted to offer the iPhone SE, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus with 16GB storage options. The limited storage capacity becomes more apparent when 4K video recording was introduced in the new iPhones, software updates and apps taking up storage space. Fortunately, it seems that Apple will be doing away with 16GB internal storage and offer a higher capacity option.

Based on his supply chain checks, IHS Technology analyst Kevin Wang claimed that the base storage option for the iPhone 7 would start from 32GB. TrendForce also reported that storage options would be expanded for all models. 

For power users, the maximum storage capacity is reportedly doubled to 256GB. Chinese site MyDrivers reported in January this year that the maximum storage capacity for the new iPhones could be increased to 256GB. Steve Hemmerstoffer, editor of NowhereElse.fr, managed to obtain images of a 256GB memory chip alongside the dual-camera module for the iPhone 7 Plus. DigiTimes also stated that the new iPhones could have up to 256GB storage capacity.

9.) When can you get the iPhone 7?

Well-known tipster @evleaks shared two important dates in September - 9th and the third week of the month. @evleaks claimed that pre-orders for the new iPhones would start on 9^th September while retail availability is slated in the week of 12^th September. 

The official launch is on the 7^th September and based on previous iPhone launches, retail availability is likely to be on the 16^th or 23^rd September. Apple has reportedly started mass production of the iPhone since June.

Here's how much the new iPhone 7 phones are expected to retail.

There are also rumors about new color options; Japanese site Macotakara claimed that Apple could be replacing the space gray option with a deep or dark blue shade. The site reversed its claims and stated that the space gray would be updated to a darker tone to match the space black Apple Watch. Photos of the space black iPhone 7 Plus were leaked on Chinese social networking site Weibo. Days later, several photos of a deep blue, fully functional iPhone 7 Plus surfaced on Chinese site tech.ifeng.

We reckon that Apple would update the space grey to a darker tone and add the deep blue shade as a new color option for the iPhone 7.

If you wish to find out more about the rumors on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, here is the full list of reading material:-

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