Apple's iPhone 7 line of smartphones -- which are the successors to the iPhone 6S -- should be announced in September 2016. But there are many leaks about the iPhone 7 already surfacing, one of which is about the headphone jack being abandoned. And last month this image of an iPhone 7 Plus rendering was leaked on a Chinese website by an employee at Apple’s manufacturing partner Catcher Technology via AppleInsider:
An alleged iPhone 7 leak featuring a Smart Connector / Photo Credit: AppleInsider
Even though the leak was questionable, the reliable Japanese Apple news blog called MacOtakara said that the “possibility is great” that the image of the iPhone 7 Plus housing and design from Catcher Technology was “the real thing.” The image also indicates that the iPhone 7 Plus will have a dual camera and a Smart Connector that could be used for connecting a Smart Keyboard.
Previous rumors suggested that the iPhone 7 could have the same 6.1 millimeter depth as the iPod Touch. However, MacOtakara said that the iPhone 7 will likely be as thick as the iPhone 6S. And the antenna bands will not be visible on the back of the devices.
As mentioned earlier, the iPhone 7 devices likely will not have a headphone jack. A previous rumor suggested that the space opened up by the removal of the headphone jack would be replaced with dual stereo speakers. But MacOtakara claims the iPhone 7 will actually still have a single speaker. And MacOtakara said the iPhone 7 will ship with Bluetooth EarPods that pairs and charges with the device through the Lightning port just like the Apple Pencil does with iPad Pros.
There is a larger lens on the iPhone 7 rear facing camera which indicates a larger sensor will be used in the upcoming devices. However, previous rumors said the advanced camera would be limited to the iPhone 7 Plus. And if the image is accurate, then you will notice that the camera is protruding on the rear of the device rather than being flat like previous rumors claim.
MacOtakara also pointed out that there will also be a couple of sensors at the top of the iPhone 7 devices that have something to do with the displays -- which has been highlighted in a recent article by Forbes contributor Ewan Spence. Assuming the iPhone 7 has a display that is similar to the iPad Pro, there will be strong contrast levels, bright back lights, minimized reflections and True Tone display which matches the temperature of the ambient lighting within the room.
Business Insider ran the leaked photo through a website that detects whether it has alterations. It was determined that the Apple logo, camera and Smart Connector was added to the shell of an original iPhone photo. But MacOtakara has been reliable in the past in regards to iPhone rumors so the photo could still be an accurate rendering connected to the Japanese blog’s report in regards to the potential iPhone 7 specifications.
None of the rumors I read in the past have suggested that the iPhone 7 will retain the headphone jack so I am confident about the radical design change. And the other design change consistent with all of the leaks is dual cameras. Of course nothing is confirmed until Apple’s executives take the stage during an Apple event later this year.
How much will the iPhone 7 cost? Most likely it will have a starting price of $649 just like the iPhone 6S.
What are your thoughts about the iPhone 7 rumors mentioned above? Please leave a comment!
