iPhone 7 photos appear to confirm exterior tweaks

iPhone 7 photos appear to confirm exterior tweaks

As we edge closer to the iPhone 7's expected debut in early September, the stream of rumors and leaked photos is quickening to a torrent. This week we have seen an array of new "leaked" photos purporting to show the phone's exterior, with redesigned antennae lines and a significantly enlarged camera lens, and Apple's EarPods, which may now use a Lightning connection instead of the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack.

Then there's this photo, reportedly from a Foxconn presentation, which, according to BGR, appears to confirm three of the more compelling rumors in circulation -- that the iPhone 7 will feature dual cameras, support for wireless charging, and water and dust resistance.

In addition, last week, Apple released the iOS 10 beta, which features an overall refreshed interface as well as deeper integration with 3D Touch, more detailed notifications, improved user interaction with Siri, and voicemail transcription.

Editors' note: This story was originally posted on December 14, 2015 and has been updated regularly

Another "leaked photo" of the iPhone 7. Credit: NowhereElse.fr

iPhone 7: All the rumors about the specs, design and features of Apple's 2016 iPhone

Announcement and release dates

According to Apple's traditional cadence, iPhone models always debut in the fall. That changed on March 21, 2016, with the introduction of the iPhone SE, a new model that combines the look of the iPhone 5S with the soul of the iPhone 6S. That noted, the iPhone SE is a relatively minor, mid-cycle update that brings little to the table in terms of design, features, or specs.

Design

For the past several years, Apple's iPhone updates have followed a predictable cycle: major design changes in even-numbered years, followed by "under the hood" tech upgrades that keep the same basic physical chassis in odd-numbered "S phone" years. For 2016, then, a total redesign is a near certainty -- possibly with some dramatic innovations.

However, the iPhone 7 may buck this trend. According to Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz, supply chain murmurs indicate that the iPhone 7 won't have "any must-have form factor changes," suggesting that we'll see only a few modest refinements and perhaps some newer internal components. In this vein, MacRumors has suggested that the iPhone 7 will have a design that's "very similar" to that of the iPhone 6 and 6S, though without the antenna bands that run across the current generation.

Clearly, Cook's May interview with Jim Cramer was meant to dispel this theory.

Apple may introduce a third variant. According to tech blog site Mobipicker, the company has already begun production of its 2016 iPhone lineup. The portfolio would include an iPhone 7, an iPhone 7 Plus -- and an iPhone 7 Pro or Plus Premium. Apple device makers Foxconn and Pegatron have reportedly bumped up staff to handle all three versions, reported Mobipicker. We shall see.

Given the regularity with which folks drop phones in toilets and other bodies of water, could Apple develop a water-resistant or waterproof chassis? (By the way, here's what to do when it inevitably happens to you.) Other manufacturers have already gone there, of course: Samsung with the Galaxy S5, Sony with its Z5 Premium and Motorola with its entry-level Moto G. Still, the fact that Samsung did not make the Galaxy S6 waterproof suggests that it's not a critical feature for most consumers.

In recent months, multiple sources (of varying reliability) have reported that the iPhone 7 will be waterproof and dustproof. Business Insider reports that Apple has filed for a new waterproofing-related patent. Titled "Electronic Device with Hidden Connector," the application suggests that ports could be covered with a "self-healing elastomer." According to the patent description, iPhone ports equipped with this technology would be covered with membranes, which could be penetrated by a headphone or USB connector, for example, and which would seal back up once the connector is withdrawn.

Building on this narrative, 9to5Mac reported that Apple is developing a new set of Bluetooth earphones that could be introduced simultaneously with the iPhone 7. The fruit of the company's acquisition of Beats Electronics, the new earphones, potentially called "AirPods," are rumored to be completely wireless, similar to the Motorola Hint.

Apple Patent Application Publication (US 2015/0357741 A1).

One of the most active categories of iPhone predictions involves the home button. In June, analysts at Cowen and Company predicted that the iPhone 7 would have a "Force Touch" home button. According to Business Insider's coverage of the report, "Instead of a physical mechanism, Apple will use its 'Force Touch' technology and a motor inside the iPhone to provide the sensation that the button is being physically depressed." Replacing the traditional, slightly concave iPhone button, a new home button would sit flush with the front of the phone, and would capably convey the sensation of pressing a button -- without an actual button.

As CNET reported earlier, recent iPhone innovations -- specifically the pressure-sensitive 3D Touch screen and increasing always-on hands-free functionality of Siri -- have diminished the need for a physical home button altogether. Could Apple unveil an iPhone without a physical home button?

That would also allow the large top and bottom bezels to shrink, effectively allowing Apple to squeeze a larger screen into the same size body. The trick, of course, would be keeping the all-important Touch ID fingerprint sensor somehow integrated into the device.

9to5mac.com reports that in 2015 Apple filed a patent for a transparent fingerprint sensor embedded into a smartphone display. First published in May 2015, the patent application outlines three sensor technologies, including "ultrasonic imaging" that could be embedded into a display and deliver greater accuracy than the current iPhone's Touch ID capacitive sensor.

The Moto Hint.