nbc news Enjoying the feel of that sparkly new rose gold iPhone 6S in your hand, and the joy of 3D Touch? Well, we don’t want to spoil that, but Apple’s already working on the iPhone 7, and rumors about it are
beginning to spread. Here’s what we think we know about Apple’s next major smartphone release so far.
Updated on 12-01-2015 by David Curry: Added in rumors that Apple is testing five different iPhone 7 models with special features like an on-screen fingerprint scanner, wireless charging, USB Type C, dual-camera tech, and more.
Apple might add fingerprint sensor on the display
Reports from inside China suggest that Apple is testing five models of the iPhone 7, all with one major feature that is apparently in the pipeline for future iPhones. Not all of the features will launch on the iPhone 7, we suspect, although Apple might make a huge leap in technology next year to compete with cheaper, high-end Android phones on the market.
Related: Here are all the rumors surrounding the possible release of a 4-inch iPhone 6C
The features include wireless charging, fingerprint recognition on the display, multi Force Touch, dual-cameras, and a USB Type-C connector. Previous patents have suggested Apple is working on
wireless charging
and fingerprint recognition technology on the display, though the patent for wireless charging was filed three years ago.
Multi Force Touch and dual-camera configurations would be new for Apple, but dual-cameras have been
attempted by HTC in the past to middling success. Of course, it’s unclear which of these features — if any — will make it into the iPhone 7.
It may be made of liquid metal and waterproof
As we said before, if Apple follows its own mobile trend the iPhone 7 should come with an entirely new design.
TrendForce published a press release last month asserting that say the iPhone 7 will be waterproof, which would make it the first such device from Apple. An earlier post made to the Chinese social network Weibo, and
reported by Macotakara, also said the iPhone 7 will have a waterproof and dustproof body.
Related:Here’s our comprehensive iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus buying guide
While water resistant phones have existed for a while, the popularity with manufacturers ebbs and flows, with Samsung choosing to add it on the Galaxy S5, then abandon it for the Galaxy S6. Sony continues to make water resistance a feature on its Xperia smartphones, though it became less prevalent
on the Xperia Z5.
Another Weibo post talks about Apple using a new, but unnamed material to make the iPhone 7 case, and it won’t be metal. Rumors have spread in the past about an
all liquid metal iPhone, but have never come true, and this may signal Apple has decided to go in a different direction with the next generation phone.
Apple might be planning to axe the 3.5mm audio jack on the iPhone 7, and replace it with a USB Type-C connector that supports proprietary headphones,
according to sources in China. This would be a smart way for Apple to remove third-party headphones that don’t meet Apple’s standards, though it goes against the company’s move to open standards with the introduction of USB Type-C on the 12-inch MacBook.
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Enjoying the feel of that sparkly new rose gold iPhone 6S in your hand, and the joy of 3D Touch? Wel …
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
says the iPhone 7 will be the thinnest yet at between 6 and 6.5mm thick. That is around the same as the iPad Air 2, and a millimeter thinner than the current generation iPhone.
More RAM and other high-end specs
Up until the iPhone 6S, Apple’s phones only sported 1GB of RAM, even though many Android competitors used 3 or 4GB of RAM in their flagship phones. Now, reports hint that the iPhone 7 will get even more RAM than the 6S, with rumors of 3GB of RAM popping up for the iPhone 7 Plus. The claim has been made more than once, and
TrendForce is the latest to join the fray.
Analyst Kuo also chimed in on the iPhone 7 with another report, claiming it will run on a new A10 chip built entirely by TSMC, a Taiwanese chip manufacturer that has worked with Apple in the past, and built some of the current A9 processors. He also claims the iPhone 7 Plus will have 3GB of RAM, while the iPhone 7 will only use 2GB. Foxconn will apparently manufacture the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and it should launch towards the end of next year, says Kuo.
It’s very early days for the iPhone 7, despite what these rumors may make you think. We don’t even know if Apple will continue with adding an increasing number to the iPhone name, or if it’ll come up with something new for this edition. Whatever the case, we’ll keep you updated with all the news and rumors over the months leading up to the next iPhone’s 2016 introduction.
Article originally published on 09-28-2015
Updated on 11-20-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added in rumors that the next iPhone 7 will have more RAM than before and may be waterproof.
Updated on 11-04-2015 by David Curry: Added in news the next big-screen iPhone may have more RAM than before.
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