iPhone 7 release date rumours

iPhone 7 release date rumours, new features:Space Grey iPhone 7 could be dropped to make way for stunning Deep Blue colour

iPhone 7 rumours are flying, and we've picked up lots of hints about new features that could appear in the iPhone 7, from wireless charging to a touchscreen with built-in Touch ID. It's believed that Apple is going to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, and is working on an 'unhackable' iPhone, after its run-in with the FBI. Plus: iPhone 7 release date rumours, and the latest leaked photos, including some showing quad speakers

Summary: Macworld's verdict on the iPhone 7

In 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:

1) Apple will launch two new iPhones in September 2016, and just possibly three. We expect a 4.7-inch phone (called the iPhone 7), and a 5.5-inch model (the iPhone 7 Plus). If Apple does update its 4-inch iPhone line in autumn it'll be a minor update, after the launch of the iPhone SE at a special press event in March 2016. It seems more likely to us that Apple has now settled on a twice-yearly update cycle: 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhones in the autumn, and 4-inch iPhones in the spring.

2) The iPhone 7 is likely to get a substantial physical redesign after the largely identical iPhone 6/6s generations. It's too early to know what direction Apple will pick, but it's likely to be thinner than ever: removing the headphone jack would be one way to help achieve this, forcing music fans to use wireless Bluetooth headphones, or headphones that connect via the Lightning port, or an adaptor. The 'no headphone jack' rumour is starting to gather momentum, with multiple 'confirmations' via multiple (but anonymous) supply chain sources, although we've yet to see firm evidence ourselves. Other design tweaks could include a flush camera and the removal of the antenna bars.

3) Battery life in the iPhone 7 may be a little better than in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but 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 (we suspect that, if they're honest, most smartphone buyers would agree) and Apple's larger-screen iPhones have decent batteries already. You can always buy the lovely new battery pack case...

4) Higher screen resolution is a possibility - Apple undermined its own '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 terms of screen resolution. Apple may well take the higher pixel density that was exclusive to the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus (401 pixels per inch, as compared to 326ppi for all non-Plus iPhones), and apply it to all the models in the next generation; it could even raise the pixel density further than this, although we fear that this is unlikely. And a harder screen material would play well, whether Apple manages to resurrect the sapphire situation or goes with Corning's new Project Phire.

5) 16GB will surely be phased out as the lowest storage offering. It's nowhere near enough in this day and age. We hope and expect the iPhone 7 to start at 32GB, with 64GB and 128GB options.

6) 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.

7) And as for the other out-there rumours? 3D screen: no. Curved display: potentially. Flexible display: nope. Edge-to-edge screen: yes, quite possibly. Spring-out gaming joystick in the Home button: definitely not. Wireless charging: quite possibly. Better waterproofing: a reasonable bet, although the self-healing ports aren't likely to appear for a while yet.