When will the new iPhone 7 launch, and what new features can we expect in the next iPhone? We round up all the iPhone 7 release date rumours, clues to design changes, and images of what the iPhone 7 will look like when it comes out. Here's everything we know (or can guess) about Apple's iPhone 7, including exciting reports that production has got underway on Apple's biggest ever iPhone launch
iPhone 7 is an astonishingly hot topic, 10 months on from the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and two months before we're likely to hear any official news from Apple about its new iPhone launches for 2015. The web is full of speculation about the new iPhone(s) that will launch in 2015: rumours about the iPhone 7's release date, its design, specs and features, and even its name.
In 2015 we're sure to see a next-generation iPhone - although not at June's WWDC 2015, where some extreme optimists had hoped for some clues. What will the new iPhone 7 (or perhaps iPhone 6s, iPhone 6c, iPhone 6s Plus or simply 'New iPhone') look like? What new features can we expect in the iPhone 7? And when will the iPhone 7 come out? We round up the evidence to bring you everything there is to know about the iPhone 7 so far.
n our iPhone 7 rumour roundup we cover a lot of ground: you'd be amazed by the clues, hints and general speculation about the iPhone 7 that people have managed to dig up. But for those who don't want all the detail, the following section sums up our verdict on the whole thing. Consider it a sort of TL;DR for the article as a whole.
In a nutshell, then, we reckon:
1) Apple will launch a couple of iPhones - probably two, maybe three - in mid-September 2015, much as it does every year. Rumours have floated August for a possible early launch, but we're not convinced by that.
2) It looks fairly certain that this will be a 4.7-inch phone (called either the iPhone 7 or the iPhone 6s), and a 5.5-inch model (the iPhone 7 Plus or deeply inelegant iPhone 6s Plus). If Apple does make another 4-inch iPhone (which, thanks to the success of the larger iPhones, is by no means a certainty) then we think it'll be called something like the iPhone 7 Mini, although reports suggest we'll have to wait until next year for a new 4-inch iPhone, if we ever see another one at all.
3) Bear in mind that this is Apple we're talking about, and consistent naming conventions aren't its strong suit. The next iPhone could be called New iPhone Max for all we know.
4) The iPhone 7 won't be a fat phone, but we can't see that the iPhone 6 series phones need to be significantly thinner. At all. We expect roughly the same dimensions as the current generation. Tim Cook will probably be able to boast that it's "the slimmest iPhone ever", but the minor reduction in thickness will be exaggerated by favourable lighting. On the other hand, the rumour that the next iPhone will actually be fatter is, in our opinion, just that - a rumour.
5) It's starting to look, indeed, as though this will be a minor update on the physical front - a classic 'S' update. Leaked drawings from a case maker suggest that the new iPhone's design will be externally the same as the current models. This also makes sense given that in 2014 Apple made its most radical design changes for years.
6) Battery life may be a little better (perhaps thanks to the use of contoured battery stacks to make better use of the internal space), but it won't be a lot better. Jony Ive's comments have made it plain that Apple doesn't consider a higher battery life to be worth significant sacrifices in other areas. (And we suspect that, if they're honest, most smartphone buyers would agree.) iOS 9 will improve battery life of all the iPhones, in any case, so there's less need than ever for Apple to make sacrifices in order to squeeze in a bigger battery.
7) Higher screen resolution is a possibility - Apple exploded the 'Retina is as sharp as your eyes can see' myth with the iPhone 6 Plus, and the company is playing catchup against many of its rivals in this department. Apple may well apply the pixel density of the iPhone 6 Plus to all the models in the next generation; it could go even higher. And a harder screen material would play well, whether Apple manages to resurrect the sapphire situation or goes with Corning's new Project Phire.
8) It looks like 16GB will be the lowest storage offering once again; clever space-saving features in iOS 9 mean this will be less of a concern than in the past (until app developers start pushing their luck with even bigger install files). Expect 64GB and 128GB models, too.
9) We find the rumours of a dual-lens camera offering 'DSLR-like' picture quality highly convincing. The camera is a key area for every new iPhone and this new camera tech would be something Tim Cook could build a launch presentation around. The effects of the LinX acquisition probably won't be felt for another generation of iPhone, but the company's 3D camera sensors should make an appearance in future iPhones.
10) A higher megapixel rating (maybe as high as 12Mp for the rear-facing camera) is also possible - Apple hasn't increased the megapixel rating of its iPhone cameras since the iPhone 4s - but the company is known for worrying less about specs and more about qualititative differences in the user experience. Clues in the iOS 9 beta code suggest that the front-facing camera might get a bump to 1080p resolution, though.
11) The iPhone 7 could get a USB-C port, like the new 12-inch MacBook, but we think this is unlikely. The change from 30-pin to Lightning is recent enough (and was painful enough for many users) that to switch again now would be highly controversial.
12) And as for the other out-there rumours? 3D screen: no. Curved display: almost certainly not. Curved or flexible iPhone: nope. Edge-to-edge screen: yes, quite possibly. Spring-out gaming joystick in the Home button: definitely not. Wireless charging: maybe, but probably not yet.
Macworld poll: Which size of iPhone would you prefer?
What do you want from your next iPhone: a 4-inch screen, like on the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s; a 4.7-inch phone, like the iPhone 6; or a 5.5-inch smartphone, like the iPhone 6 Plus? Or something else entirely?
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