iPhone 7 release date, news and rumors

IPHONE 7 RELEASE DATE, NEWS AND RUMORS 

Update: WWDC 2016 is all finished now, with unsurprisingly no new iPhone to talk about. In fact, no new hardware at all. We've had our first taste of iOS 10 (and we've worked out what that means for the iPhone 7) and we saw a raft of changes to the new software that will give the new phone a big boost. Want to see how it all unfolded? Check out our WWDC 2016 live blog for all the stories segmented up nicely for your delectation.

Whatever the latest rumor is, there's no chance you've not come here to find out if the new iPhone is going to be the one for you, delivering those huge upgrades you've been willing Apple to bring for years.

Obviously, the iPhone 6S was Apple's best handset yet, but there was a sense that it was underwhelming, still not bringing anything amazing aside from sporting some fancy new 3D Touch technology - it was too similar to the iPhone 6.

So an overhaul is due with the iPhone 7, and we're expecting and hoping for big changes: think a whole new design, piles of power and a bunch of new features.

The leaks, rumors and reports are already ramping up, and we've got all the information that you could possibly need about the September iPhone 7 release date.

We've collected all the latest from around the web, sifted through the likelihood of each rumor and given you our expert take on what to expect from Apple's launch - so read on to find the authoritative take on your possible next phone.

• Fancy Android? Here's our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S7. Looking for something smaller? Then you'll want to check out the iPhone SE - while ouriPhone 7 Plus rumors page should cover all your big screen needs.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? A rebooted iPhone, with new powers, features and design
• When is it out? Almost nailed on for September 2016
• What will it cost? Very likely the same as the iPhone 6S

iPhone 7 release date

If we were betting folk, we'd bet the house on the fact the iPhone 7 will arrive in September 2016. Apple sticks to a schedule and the last few iPhones have all been launched in the month of September.

There is a possibility it could be earlier, as according to a 'reliable source' Apple might actually bring it to market earlier. Sadly, how much earlier is unclear, but it will take a while to finish development and manufacture of the phone, so we wouldn't expect to see it before August at the earliest - September is still the best bet for now.

iPhone 7 design

Hottest leaks:

• No headphone jack
• Water resistance
• Bezel-less metal body

The iPhone 6S looked a lot like the iPhone 6 and while we were expecting big changes for the iPhone 7, we've got bad news for iPhans: it might be a little bit similar - but with some big changes.

For one thing, it could be even slimmer than the 7.1mm-thick iPhone 6S; Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities reckons it'll be dropping to between 6mm and 6.5mm thick. That sounds unnecessarily slim to us, especially as it could cause the battery life to take a hit, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 is only marginally thicker at 6.8mm, so it's possible.

If TSMC makes the chips, as has been rumored, then some space could be saved, which might help Apple slim it down without making sacrifices in other areas, while another report claims Apple will use fan-out technology to save space and reduce the thickness of the iPhone 7.

Slimming down the iPhone 7 could mean Apple will have to ditch the bulky 3.5mm headphone jack. That could lead to a great dependence on Bluetooth headphones, but another leak suggests there will also be a pair of special Apple earbuds included in the iPhone 7 box.

• If Apple ditches the headphone jack, you'll want to check out these DACs

Don't ditch your headphones just yet though, as an image supposedly showing iPhone 7 circuitry has emerged and the 3.5mm jack is intact in it. Removing the jack could do more harm than good, especially in the short term, so we doubt it will happen.

Another rumor suggests the iPhone 7 will have an all-metal design with a bezel-less display. It would be a big change for the iPhone design, but bringing in a new kind of screen technology would be a sensible move for Apple.

The iPhone 7 could be built to last too, as according to Mac Otakara there are a number of iPhone prototypes with "ruggedized" features, which could mean a water and dust-resistant phone is on the way.

In fact, that's exactly what we'll get according to a supply chain source. Yet another suggestion of a waterproof iPhone 7 comes from the Apple supplier Japan Display. The supplier has come up with a new technology called "Pixel Eyes", that is now in its second generation and makes it easier to use the screen while you have wet fingers.

However, another report has suggested Apple will opt for a slimmer phone rather than a waterproof iPhone 7. Apple will likely get a new LCD display technology as well, which could allow the iPhone 7 to be 1mm thinner than before.

A design tweak rumor which will likely please many is that Apple will ditch the camera bump which has been present since the iPhone 6/6 Plus - with the firm going for a sleeker finish on the iPhone 7. As well as being totally flat the back could also be uninterrupted, as the same report points towards the removal of the antenna bands.

That tallies with an image leak picked up by Nowhereelse.fr, which claims its snapshot shows the iPhone 7 to have no antenna bands and a larger camera.

A few days after that, a leak of the iPhone 7 chassis design showed a new design for the antennas. So it increasingly seems Apple may sort out one of the more controversial elements of the design of the iPhone 6S.

However, the overall size and shape of the iPhone 7 may not change much, as a sketch complete with dimensions shows it as being the same length and width as the iPhone 6S, as well as having similarly curved corners. That would be surprising for a new numbered model though and the sketch could easily be a fake.

A purported photograph of the back panel has emerged on MobiPicker, showing the phone in gold with a rounded design, antenna lines at the top and bottom and a new camera module, which could be a laser autofocus. The image is likely a fake, but the general design is largely in line with rumors so it could also be the shape of things to come.

In fact it's also very much in line with a newer image which seems to show the back of the iPhone 7 itself. It looks like it could have been manipulated, but with most design rumors lining up it could still be close to the truth.

A render, based on supposed technical drawings of the phone, has also surfaced. According to GSMArena the colors and materials may differ slightly in the finished phone, but the placement of the ports, buttons and camera should all be accurate. It's in line with other leaks, though as it's an unofficial render it should be taken with the usual pinch of salt.

We've also seen leaked case images, courtesy of 9to5Mac, which show the headphone jack appears to be missing, as has been heavily rumored. Additionally you can see a dual-camera setup and a Smart Connector, which suggests these are actually for the iPhone 7 Plus.

But just as everything was lining up a leaked case prototype threw it all into question, with four speaker grilles when we're only expecting one or two. As it goes against everything else it's probably fake, but it could certainly make the iPhone 7 a media powerhouse.

iPhone 7 screen

Hottest leaks:

• A sharper screen
• An edge-to-edge display

The iPhone 7 could be in for a big resolution jump if a DigiTimes source is to be believed, as Apple is apparently likely to move to glass-on-glass screens, which in turn opens up the possibility of a QHD or even a 4K display.

A lot of Android phones already have QHD screens, and the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is 4K, so it's possible that Apple will pump up the resolution of its next flagship, but given that the iPhone 6S isn't even 1080p we're skeptical that it'll get anywhere near 4K.

If the iPhone 7 does get higher resolution it might get bigger too, especially as rival phones are growing in size all the time. We're not convinced though – we'd still bet on seeing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models.

Then there's the first image of the LCD backlight on the iPhone 7. It comes from trusted French blog NoWhereElse and shows the panel from the iPhone 7 up against the iPhone 6S.

All the connectors are in different locations around the phone, suggesting there will be a few design changes on the next iPhone.

A jump in resolution might not be the only way the iPhone 7 imitates Android though, as there's also talk that it could switch from an LCD display to an OLED one, much like Samsung uses on most of its phones.

One new rumor suggests the iPhone 7S will be the first Apple phone to feature an OLED display. The rumor comes from Apple telling supply chain sources that it will be switching from LCD panels to OLED panels in the next couple of years.

Sadly it doesn't seem like the technology will be here in time for the iPhone 7 and we'll have to wait for the iPhone 7S. That said, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has dismissed the rumor, arguing that Apple won't likely switch to AMOLED before 2019.

On the other hand it's now been reported by the Chinese Wall Street Journal that Apple has ordered 100 million 5.5-inch AMOLED panels for a 2017 iPhone. So all we can say with any certainty right now is that we won't see an AMOLED iPhone this year.

There's also talk of Apple taking a leaf out of Samsung's book and opting for a5.8-inch curved AMOLED display on a future iPhone, although this could be something for the iPhone 8 rather than the iPhone 7.

Hopes of an edge-to-edge display on the iPhone 7 have been raised slightly after an image appeared online claiming to show just that - although having seen hundreds of iPhone leaks over the years we think this offering looks rather fake.

The iPhone 7 screen could be hard to smash, as an Apple patent has been unearthed showing bumpers which burst out from the edges of the screen to ensure it doesn't touch the floor when dropped. Patents often don't turn into products, but you never know – and it would certainly be nice to see a stronger screen.

3D Touch is bound to make a return, though it's likely to be improved in some way, perhaps by enabling you to scroll through the previews of content you 'peek' into, rather than just having static previews.

iPhone 7 camera and battery

Hottest leaks:

• A dual-lens snapper
• No more camera bump
• A larger battery

Apple overhauled its camera tech for the iPhone 6S, replacing its old 8MP snapper with a shiny new 12MP one and boosting the front-facing camera up to 5MP.

Given that Apple tends to stick with camera components for a long time we wouldn't expect to see a change in megapixels for the iPhone 7, but there's a good chance it will have performance tweaks and additional features to help set it apart. For one thing the standard iPhone 7 may get optical image stabilisation, as well as the larger iPhone 7 Plus.

A shot of the rear of the iPhone 7 from Nowhereelse.fr suggests the camera lens will be bigger. Images that allegedly show machining plates used in the making of the iPhone 7 have been shared by HDBlog.it and further point to it having a larger sensor.

It doesn't seem to be a dual-camera lens (that's thought to be reserved for theiPhone 7 Plus), but it looks much larger so may mean some big improvements on the camera tech.

The benefit to the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 of not having a dual-camera system is that a smaller lens could remove the camera bump while still packing in plenty of tech.

As for the battery, it was one of the greatest failings of the iPhone 6S, so we're really hoping for some improvements here. Sadly, though, if the phone does slim down further as is being rumored there's not much hope of a big juice pack - or is there?

A recent leak suggests that Apple will increase the battery size in the iPhone 7 while reducing the handset's thickness. If that's true, then great, but we're not holding out much hope.

iPhone 7 OS and power

Hottest leaks:

• A hexa-core processor
• 3GB of RAM
• iOS 10

The iPhone 7 is bound to land with iOS 10, since we're up to iOS 9 on the iPhone 6S. That's likely to include improvements to Siri, an Apple Music redesign and astandalone HomeKit app, among other changes.

WWDC 2016 starts today (June 13) and iOS 10 is likely to make an appearance, so we'll know more about it soon.

The iPhone 7 could be in for a huge performance boost, with whispers on Weibothat the phone will pack a hexa-core A10 chip, up from just a dual-core processor in the iPhone 6S. We're skeptical that Apple would go for that much of a jump, but it's an exciting thought.

We're not likely to see any more RAM in the iPhone 7, as Apple only just pushed the iPhone 6S up to 2GB, so it will likely stick with that for a while yet. However, the iPhone 7 Plus may upgrade to 3GB of RAM to account for its dual-camera image processing.

3GB of RAM is big jump in a short amount of time for the new 5.5-inch iPhone 7. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus just got 2GB of RAM seven months ago, and the 1GB of RAM had been three generations strong in iPhone 6, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5.

iPhone 7 other features

Hottest leaks:

• A pressure-sensitive home button
• Wireless charging
• A smaller headphone jack

While the iPhone 7 is largely expected to look similar to the iPhone 6S it could be a very different beast on the inside, as according to CNBC, the Economic Daily News reported that the iPhone 7 will be "more complex" to manufacture than any previous iPhone, suggesting there could be a lot going on under the hood. What exactly we'll get remains to be seen, but a number of possibilities have been rumored.

We could be in for a redesigned home button, as according to one source it won't be a button so much as a sensor that you just have to place your finger on. The same source reckons that it might also be pressure-sensitive, so presumably if you press harder something different will happen, such as it taking you to a different screen.

A whole slew of possible features are apparently in testing for the iPhone 7, with five different prototypes being used to test multi-Force Touch tech, a dual camera, wireless charging, a fingerprint scanner in the screen and a USB Type-C connector that's compatible with headsets.

That all comes from a post on Chinese social networking site Weibo, but even if it's true given that there are apparently five different prototypes much of this may not make it into the final phone.

In other rumors, the iPhone 7 could have a smaller headphone jack than the iPhone 6S. We're hesitant to call this a feature, as it's more a likely annoyance which could be necessary in order to further slim the phone down.

There's an Apple patent which points to a 2mm connector, down from the standard 3.5mm headphone jack found on most phones. That would certainly help Apple slim the device down, but would also mean you'd either need special headphones or an adapter. Fortunately a newer leak suggests the iPhone 7's headphone jack won't be changing after all, which is good news as far as we're concerned.

iPhone 7 Smart Connector or no Smart Connector?

One of the weirdest iPhone 7 rumors is that it might have a Smart Connector like the iPad Pro range. On Apple's slates this allows for the connection of a keyboard, which seems an unlikely fit for a phone, but it's possible that one could be used to connect headphones if the 3.5mm headphone jack really is ditched - something which itself seems unlikely.

So far there are conflicting rumors on whether or not it will have a Smart Connector. The first we heard of it was from supply chain sources who revealed a dummy iPhone 7 Plus unit to Mac Otakara. As you can see in the image above it has three tell-tale Smart Connector dots at the bottom.

A few weeks later the same site came back and said that Apple had "shelved" plans for a Smart Connector port on its next phone.

But that wasn't the end of the story. Since then another dummy has popped up, this time from an anonymous tipster at MacRumors. The dummy is likely of an iPhone 7, rather than an iPhone 7 Plus, as you can tell from the smaller camera, and once again there's a Smart Connector present.

It could easily have been faked and even if it wasn't it's possibly an old dummy from back when Apple was apparently considering it. A Smart Connector on the iPhone 7 is still possible, but we'd say it's unlikely, as it never made a whole lot of sense to begin with.

iPhone 7 cost

There aren't any price rumors yet, but in all likelihood the iPhone 7 will cost roughly what the iPhone 6S currently retails for. That would make it $649/£539/AU$1,079 upwards.

Though if Apple finally ditches the 16GB model the starting price might be even higher.

Phones can always be improved, and we've had a few smart ideas for Apple's next generation iPhone.

From a wider selection of screens and a resolution boost, to expandable storage and a speaker shift, here's what Apple should do for the iPhone 7.

1. Three screen sizes

Don't get us wrong, we're thrilled Apple now has handsets which offer more real estate for your apps and games - but there's still a pocket of fans who find 5.5 and 4.7 inches simply too big.

But with the arrival of the iPhone SE and its 4-inch screen we're calling on Apple to repeat the trick with the iPhone 7.

But rather than marking it out as something different we want it to pack the same specs and features as the iPhone 7.

2. A resolution your movies and games deserve

You can now record 4K video on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, but play them back on the handsets and you won't get the full experience.

With the iPhone 7 it's time Apple boosted the resolution of its handsets. We'd take a full HD resolution on the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, but if the iPhone 7 Plus turns up with anything less than a QHD screen then us and Apple will be having words.

QHD is now widespread throughout the top tier of Android devices, and we're even seeing 4K screens sneak onto our smartphones. Don't get left behind again Apple, please.

3. Wireless charging

Wireless charging remains one of the most frustrating technologies around, because while it's here, it works, and it feels like living in the future, it isn't as widely supported as we'd like.

An iPhone 7 with wireless charging would be great, especially if the same charger worked for the Apple Watch too. And if it could support both wireless standards as well, like the Galaxy S6, then that would be just swell.

4. Curved displays

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge wowed us with its delightfully curving dual screens earlier this year, and it's fair to say we're rather smitten with this futuristic look.

Now imagine such sultry curves on an Apple designed smartphone. We're going weak at the knees already. Go on Apple, wrap that screen round the edges of the iPhone 7 and we'll more than likely be in love.

5. No more 16GB models

iOS 8 adoption stalled and we reckon it was because people with 16GB iPhones didn't have enough free space for the 5.7GB over-the-air update and don't want to use iTunes because, well, iTunes.

iOS 9 improved things be coming in at a smaller size, but it still wasn't tiny and will have been a problem for some. When your software updates are too big for your entry level products, your entry level products clearly don't come with enough storage.

How about starting at 32GB for the iPhone 7? We can't store everything in iCloud, even when it's working properly.

• This is what the iPhone 7 should look like

6. Expandable storage

While we're on the topic of storage - how about actually giving us some expansion potential Apple? It's something we've been craving for years now, yet our request has continuously fallen on deaf ears over at Cupertino.

Expandable storage would allow us to buy the cheapest iPhone and then supplement the poxy 16GB of space with a microSD card of up to 2TB in size. Of course, that means Apple wouldn't rake in as much cash for the 64GB and 128GB models - and thus it's never going to happen.

7. Even better cameras

Apple gave us our first iPhone megapixel camera boost in four years with the 12MP sensor inside the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. But why stop there?

People love using their iPhones to take pictures, Apple can't tell us that enough, so keep on innovating. 12MP is a good start, but spend some time with the 16MP snapper on the Galaxy S6 and you'll be seriously impressed.

Of course it's not all about the number of megapixels, and Apple continues to do great things behind the scenes to improve your snaps.

The Live Photo feature also seems like a little bit of a gimmick at the moment - and similar to the sort of things Samsung was doing on the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5. If Apple can harness these new found abilities into something more productive on the iPhone 7 that would be impressive.

8. Look ID

Touch ID is great, and it's got even better on the iPhone 6S with the second generation scanner tech making it more responsive than ever, but we want more.

The iPhone 7 has the chance to take biometrics to the next level, with iris recognition. It won't be the first to the eye scanning tech (check out theMicrosoft Lumia 950), but you just know if Apple jumps on board it'll be slickly implemented and a joy to use.

Want to unlock your new iPhone? Just give it a knowing glance. Need to purchase a new must-have application? Give the iPhone 7 your best Blue Steel and boom, it's downloading.

Need a name for it? Look ID. You're welcome, Jony.

9. Speaker shift

With the HTC One M9, Sony Xperia Z5 and Moto X Force all rocking front facing speakers, we're becoming increasingly frustrated with manufacturers that still insist on putting a single speaker on the base of their handsets. The sound is poor, it's not projected in the right direction and it's often covered by a hand when the phone is held in landscape.

For the iPhone 7, Apple needs to shift its speaker location to the front so users can enjoy the audio from their games, movies, TV shows and favorite YouTube videos.

10. An unbreakable screen

Motorola has done it with the Moto X Force, and going by the number of smashed iPhone screens we see on a daily basis this is a must for the iPhone 7.

Stick in a four year guarantee and Apple will win the hearts of many who are disgusted at the firm's charges for replacing cracked displays.

• After something larger? Check out the iPad Pro 9.7

Verdict:

Apple's done what we all expected - finely balanced its latest phone. 3D Touch is a genuine innovation, and the phone works fluidly at nearly every task - but it's very similar to 2014's model.

 FOR

• Great design
• 3D Touch impresses
• Stable OS

 AGAINST

• Battery life low
• Live Photos don't always work
• Price high for a low-res screen