In 2016, Apple will be treating us to the iPhone 7, an exciting upcoming chapter in its smartphone book. Rumors are already shaping up a rather clear picture of what the next iOS flagship will end up being. At this point, we are not expecting an exterior redesign - reportedly, this is reserved for 2017, when the Apple iPhone 8 will reportedly get unveiled (yep, it might not be an "s" year). Yet, we are hopeful some intriguing new features will be making the cut this year!
Without further ado, let's summarize all we know so far about next year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which might also be called the iPhone 7 Pro. We are now somewhat convinced that the latter might arrive with an intriguing dual lens camera, dubbed the iPhone 7 Pro, which will reportedly amp up its photography game. How, exactly? Read on to find out!
Design
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iPhone 7 render based on CAD drawing
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iPhone 7 render based on CAD drawing
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iPhone 7 CAD drawing
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However, the majority of rumors that have been hitting us recently suggest this won't be the case. The iPhone 7 is largely expected to look mostly similar to the iPhone 6 and 6s, with certain minor design revisions on board.
Even one of the leaksters with a very good track record, Ming-Chi Kuo, claimed the iPhone 7 won't have "many attractive selling points".
Apple is most likely sticking with aluminum, and judging by the iPhone 6s, that'd be a member of the series 7000 aluminum, which is one of the strongest aluminum alloys around. There are a handful of theories about the next iPhone floating around, and though some are rather unbelievable, we ought to explore them:
Smart Connector
Last year, Apple introduced the large iPad Pro and it arrived with a Smart Connector, which allows you to connect the Smart Keyboard to the tablet. It's speculated that the large iPhone 7 Plus/Pro might also feature this connectivity standard, but as to what accessories might be available for it, we can only speculate. Probably a case or something completely else?Another rumor claims there won't be anything of the kind on board the regular iPhone 7. Go figure.
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Apple iPhone 7, 7 Plus, and 7 Pro spy shots
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Waterproof body
What's more, it is also suggested that Cupertino might finally jump on the waterproofness train and make the iPhone 7 watertight. This was somewhat suggested by the abundance of silicone seals and gaskets that make the current iPhone crop able to withstand a lengthy dunk in the water to some extent. Apart from physical evidence found in the 6s and 6s Plus, we also have a patent that allegedly reveals that Apple is entertaining the idea of making its devices resistant to the water element.
The iPhone 7 might feature a technology that would seal the ports, thus blocking water or any other liquid from getting inside the phone, and consequently damaging its internals.
No 3.5mm audio jack
The iPhone 7 are rumored to come without the universal connector and use a proprietary Lightning one in order to slim down some bulk. This will theoretically allow Apple to slim down the devices a bit, as well as make them waterproof - one less port to worry about is a massive plus, engineering-wise!
Thinnest iPhone ever?
Cupertino is reportedly aiming poised to make its next devices roughly 6mm-thick. As a reminder, the iPhone 6 was 6.9mm thin, while the 6s clocks in at 7.1mm. One of the changes that might unlock the possibility for an even thinner iPhone 7 body is the aforementioned removal of the 3.5mm audio jack.
Liquidmetal or a new custom aluminum alloy build
There's also a rumor claiming that the iPhone 7 could be made of Liquidmetal and not aluminum. Liquidmetal is tougher and sturdier than aluminum with the same thickness, which is a win-win scenario no matter how you look at it.
The nitty-gritty of liquid metal is that it employs metal atoms of different sizes, which form a dense mix with low free volume. This results in an ultra-strong material that has extremely high tensile strength, scratch, and corrosion resistance while remaining easily moldable. Fun fact: Liquidmetal is no stranger to Apple, as the SIM ejector that were bundled with some iPhone 3GS unit were made of liquid metal as a part of a test.
Inductive wireless charging? Count us in!
Wireless charging might also make the cut in 2016 - certain hearsays claim that the iPhone 7 might feature inductive wireless charging, similar to the one on the Apple Watch.
Why no previous iPhones arrived with wireless charging? Well, one of the reasons is that until mid-2015, inductive wireless charging could not transfer power through metal, but thanks to Qualcomm's WiPower technology, announced in late July, all metal handsets can score wireless charging. Qualcomm employed a new wireless charging standard, called Rezence.
And here are the major design rumors, ranked in terms of their likability to become reality:
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