iPhone 7 deals & rumours: specs & release date
A cavalcade of conjecture. A spree of speculation. That's right. It's the iPhone 7 rumours, deals and specs round-up.
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus blueprints give us best look so far
Leaked blueprints for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have given us our most detailed look yet at the handsets due for release in four months’ time.
Exclusive renders sourced on behalf of uSwitch by @OnLeaks, AKA Steve Hemmerstoffer of Nowwhereelse.fr, confirm that both editions will ditch common-or-garden headphone jacks, forcing customers to use wireless headphones or buy new ones that connect via the Lightning Dock.
The blueprints/renders, which come to us via Apple subcontractor Catcher Technology, also add heft to claims that the Plus edition will be equipped with a superior dual lens camera. Those of you who opt for the standard iPhone 7 will have to make do with a single lens camera.
Both phones’ cameras protrude from their casing, in keeping with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. But this time around, there’s no metal ring around the lens.
To further differentiate the larger model, which has been variously dubbed the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 Pro by tech-watchers, Apple will also equip it with a Smart Connector on the rear. This new port, which debuted on the iPad Pro, will not be present on the standard-sized iPhone 7.
Once again that tallies with long-standing rumours that the iPhone 7 Plus will offer support for a new set of dedicated accessories, as well as existing iPad Pro add-ons such as the Smart Keyboard.
And in news that may disappoint audiophiles and music fans, Apple has opted for a single speaker rather than, as was widely rumoured, a more powerful dual speaker set-up.
We’re also assured by our source that although the top and bottom antenna lines on the rear of the phone are not visible, they will be visible on the edges on the finished model. The lines crossing the back are gone for good.
Dimensions of both models are unchanged from last year, with the iPhone 7 coming in at 138.30x67.12x7.1mm and the iPlus 7 Plus measuring 158.22x77.94x7.3mm.
Apple is set to lift the lid on the iPhone 7 in September. The renders here are 3-4 months old and are taken from Apple's January testing stage, so may differ from the final product.
When is Apple's iPhone 7 on sale?
A number of putative launch dates are doing the rounds right now, but the most credible are probably September 6th and September 13th. Both of which are Tuesdays and tie in with Apple's preference for that day for launch events.
The date the phone will go on sale is also shrouded in secrecy.
However judging by previous years, you'll be able to pre-order your iPhone 7 three days after the grand unveiling.
That's way ahead of the phone's arrival on shop shelves two weeks after the big reveal.
How much will the iPhone 7 cost?
iPhone 7 pricing hasn’t been confirmed. But assuming it’s in line with earlier iPhones, expect to pay about £40-£45 per month from day one.
That should be enough to spare you having to pay an upfront charge. But depending on the network you choose, a small fee may still apply.
Want the phone SIM-free? Once again, the asking price has yet to be confirmed. But Apple usually keeps prices steady from year-to-year.
If so, the entry-level 16GB iPhone 7 is likely to come in at £459 or so. If you want the high-end 128GB edition of the same phone, you’re looking at about £699.
We don’t yet know if they’ll be a Plus phablet version of the iPhone 7. But we do know that the larger screen will definitely cost extra.
The cheapest 16GB model of the iPhone 6S Plus is priced £619 and the top-of-the-range edition with 128GB of storage comes in at £789. So take that as your guide.
iPhone 7 rumours round-up
Breathless iPhone 7 rumours 'R' us; this is where you'll get the juicy gossip to keep you informed about everything the next-generation iPhone has got to offer.
Plug me in
According to reports, Apple will fit the iPhone 7 with a 3,100mAh battery. That's 12.5% larger than the iPhone 6S Plus.
The upside is that ought to mean the iPhone 7 lasts longer. The downside is that it’s likely the phone might be thicker to accommodate the larger battery.
I’d rather jack
Word is that for the first time ever the iPhone 7 will ditch the headphone jack.
Instead you’ll connect your headphones via the Lightning dock port. That’s the aperture at the bottom of the phone that’s normally used for charging.
Apple is also rumoured to be developing wireless headphones of its own, eliminating the need for any sort of wired connection to the phone.
Space is the place
Even in the Cloud storage era, it’s still far too easy to run out of room for files, photos, videos and tunes on your handset.
Presumably that’s why Apple is reportedly set to double the onboard storage of the top-of-the-range iPhone to a whopping 256GB this year.
Water me
The last iPhone was a lot more resistant to water than anyone realised. But Apple opted not to mention its improved waterproof credentials in marketing material.
But this time it seems the tech-maker will go the whole hog. By boosting the phone’s water-resistance, so it’s even more capable of withstanding an accidental dip in the bath. And actually mentioning that in its ads.
It takes two
Apple is said to be substantially overhauling the iPhone’s camera for 2016 and replacing the current one with an all-new dual snapper that serves up what are described as 'DSLR quality' snaps.
The bad news is that apparently the dual camera is purportedly reserved for the iPhone 7 Plus and won’t be on board the standard-sized handset.
Want a closer look at the dual-camera on the iPhone 7? Here's our quick and easyguide to what to expect.
In the air tonight
Instead of Wi-Fi that uses radio waves to move data wirelessly, talk is that the iPhone 7 will feature so-called Li-Fi tech that uses light spectrum and is much faster.
The upshot? Downloads will zip by, giving Apple a major selling point over its rivals.
Get a more comprehensive look at what Li-Fi could mean for the iPhone 7 here:iPhone 7 Li-Fi: 5 things you need to know.
Remake, remodel
An insider cited by MacRumors claims that designer Jonathan Ive is streamlining the shape of the iPhone 7 and that the thinner phone will ditch the iPhone 6S's protruding camera lens and plastic antenna bands.
However, in what would be a major break with Apple's habit of overhauling the look of the iPhone every two years, apparently the design won't be much changed from the iPhone 6S.
Part of the process
Initial word was that Samsung is manufacturing some of the A10 processors for the next iPhone. However, that's since been denied.
Reports now indicate that the sole supplier for the A10 will be the Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) company.
Whip-smart
Early rumours suggested that Apple would fit the iPhone 7 with a Smart Connector. That’s the same port you’ll find in the iPad Pro and would mean that the handset would likely be compatible with iPad Pro accessories, such as a physical keyboard.
It was also thought that Apple might bring a range of new Smart Connector accessories to market, which were specifically designed for the iPhone.
However, that was thrown into doubt by subsequent leaks.
But that was before blueprints sourced exclusively by uSwitch from leaks specialist @Onleaks cleared up the confusion. These showed a Smart Connector port on the iPhone 7 Plus, but not on the standard model. That seems very plausible to us.
Wired for sound
The other important thing to note about a Smart Connector is that it could mean the iPhone 7 will support wireless charging, thus finally bringing the iPhone in line with rival high-end handsets.
Sizer than sizeway
Our renders, or blueprints, revealed or confirmed a host of things we'd heard about the iPhone 7. Among them was that this year the dimensions are unchanged.
That means that the iPhone 7 standard model will come in at 138.30x67.12x7.1mm. The iPlus 7 Plus will measure 158.22x77.94x7.3mm.
She's leaving home
Conjecture suggested Apple could be dispensing with a physical home button for the first time ever. Instead, the rumours suggested, the iPhone 7 would feature a virtual home button embedded within the screen.
Once again, though, this seems to be just wishful thinking. Every leaked photo or set of blueprints we've seen so far shows the physical home button is right where it always was. Maybe next year?
(Storage) space is the place
For the first time ever it seems Apple will dispense with a 16GB storage option for the iPhone 7. Instead the entry-level model will be 32GB.
The storage space of the other, more capacious versions of the phone have yet to be confirmed. But it's thought they'll be 32GB, 128GB and 256GB.
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