The images come from self described “serial tech leaker” Steve Hemmerstoffer (who has a good record of accurate leaks), which appear to show a rear-facing plastic case for the iPhone 7.
Whilst pictures of a smartphone accessory isn’t exactly exciting news, the areas cut out for certain ports provides an insight into what to expect from the next flagship iPhone. Two things jump out to me immediately: there could be major changes to sound and battery size.
Headphone jack is almost certainly gone
Endless column inches (including here on Forbes) have been dedicated to Apple’s decision to ditch the headphone jack in favour using the lightning port. The lack of a headphone jack on this case further confirms that the age old connection is destined for the scrap heap.
The debate will rage on whether or not this is a good move for consumers. Do the pros of potentially better sound and a thinner phone outweigh the negatives of a painful transitional period, the initial limited amount of products with a lightning port connector (forcing people to buy new headphones or a proprietary convertor) and the issue of electrical waste? No, in my opinion.
Perhaps the unusually early nature of these leaks have forewarned headphone makers to prepare new designs for the world’s most popular smartphone, which will neutralize some of the teething issues. But there’s no doubt that this will be an awkward sell.
Another speaker will replace the headphone jack
The second thing that jumped out to me is that it looks like another set of speakers will occupy the abandoned headphone connector space.
This obviously means improved external audio, which perhaps is a way of bridging the headphone jack to lightning port transition.
What is a distinct possibility, however, is Apple scaling down its improved speaker technology in the iPad Pro and using it in the iPhone 7. The iPad Pro’s 4 self-balancing speaker drivers and resonance chambers give the Pro a more amplified sound (61% more than previous iPads according to Apple).
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Whilst there’s improved sound output, the downside is that the chambers take up a fair amount of space that could be used for a larger battery instead. If Apple goes with the improved external sound design - and it keeps the iPhone 7 at 4.7-inches - I wonder if the size of the battery might suffer. The Cupertino-based company isn’t without form here: it reduced the battery size in the iPhone 6S to make space for the taptic engine that powers its 3D touch display.
This could all be offset if reports about a larger iPhone are true, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple ported over its new speaker tech given how well it works and how well it was received. We’ll know more later this year.
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