Apple is famous for its ability to keep a secret. But consistent leaks have shown the company’s upcoming iPhone 7 may be both more boring and more controversial than anyone expected. And now it seems Apple’s biggest secrets really have spilled...
This week both myself and MacRumors were approached independently by different Apple accessory retailers who produced iPhone 7 cases that match exactly. The result is enlightening but also disappointing.
- Goodbye Headphone Jack
Yes, news I first broke back in June 2014 now looks certain to happen because both the physical cases sent to MacRumors and renders I attained from Olixar cases through popular online retailer MobileFun show no dedicated cutout for the headphone jack on either the top or bottom of the iPhone 7.
iPhone 7 leaked cases confirm a dual speaker arrangement with no place for the headphone jack when... [+]
Instead what we see is a more symmetrical design keeping the Lightning port in the middle but allowing for a pair of speakers either side. Supply chain contacts tell me Apple is still testing both single and dual speaker variants of the iPhone 7, but it appears the company has now settled on significantly boosting its external audio.
This may prove some consolation for those disappointed by the loss of the headphone jack and prospect of needing a Lighting port adaptor.
- Single Lens, But Boosted Rear Camera
The second aspect both leaked case designs separately confirmed is the iPhone 7 will sadly not be getting the dual camera setup of the iPhone 7 Plus. But on the plus side, it will be getting a much larger single rear sensor than has been seen on either the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S.
Olixar's case renders show a much larger iPhone 7 rear camera sensor on the back. Image credit:... [+]
You can spot this from the cases’ much lower and wider camera cutouts (though one discrepancy is tapering). Given Apple’s reticence to increase megapixel count and the fact the iPhone 6S only jumped to 12MP last year, the smart money would instead be on a dramatic increase in individual pixel size.
Larger individual pixels help take in more light therefore producing better results in poor lighting conditions. The iPhone 6S in particular suffered in this area compared to a number of rival Android handsets (Galaxy S7, Nexus 6P, LG G5) so it makes sense this would be an Apple priority.
Then again the dual camera setup of the iPhone 7 Plus is sure to be the bigger draw.
- Ageing Design
MacRumors’ case shows it fits almost perfectly around an iPhone 6S, so it does indeed appear that Apple will stick with a virtually identical iPhone 6 design for the third generation running.
MacRumors case shows how much larger the cutout for the camera sensor is, but also how perfectly the... [+]
Optimists will say this is because Apple has now perfected its handset design, but I’d argue it needs ergonomic improvements to feel better in the hand and much smaller top and bottom bezels. The company also needs to show investors that its famously innovative hardware division remains on the cutting edge.
Instead it appears we’ll have to wait for the redesigned ‘all glass’ iPhone 8 (yes, 8) in 2017 for that to happen.
One More Thing
What goes without saying is Apple’s software prowess means the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus may still have plenty of tricks left when it comes to usability. This is especially true given the high hopes for iOS 10, which will accompany both phones at launch.
Still, from a pure hardware perspective, the iPhone 7 itself looks like it won’t be the model to reinvigorate slowing sales. Happily the future beyond it looks a lot more exciting...
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