2016 Accord IPhone CarPlay

With the launch of the Apple Watch , the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus , the new Apple TV , and the iPad Pro , 2015 was a major year for Apple.  Given these positive data points from the last three months, we are surprised by the degree of negative news flow from the supply-chain. We round up the evidence to bring you everything there is to know about the iPhone 7 so far. Bookmark this page for a regularly updated summary of all the information currently available - and all the rumours doing the rounds - related to the iPhone 7: details, clues, hints and rumours, as well as any leaked photos of the iPhone 7 that emerge. We'll update the article whenever we hear worthwhile new information (or scurrilous but interesting gossip) on the subject of Apple's next iPhone. 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. The iPhone 7 isn't the seventh iPhone (the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were the 11th and 12th iPhones respectively, in the product's ninth generation, so that ship sailed a long time ago) but it's what we have been for convenience calling Apple's next iPhone launch. At the moment Apple sells iPhones in three sizes: with 4-inch screens (the iPhone 5s ); with a 4.7-inch screen (the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s) and with a 5.5-inch screen (the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus). We're currently working on the basis that Apple will make at least one new model in the latter two sizes, and for now we're choosing to call those theoretical devices iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. There could be another 4-inch iPhone, though - which we like to call the iPhone 7 mini but could be called almost anything at this point. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus were unveiled on 9 September 2015 (and released to the public on 25 September), iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were unveiled on 9 September 2014 (released on 19 September); the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s were unveiled on 10 September 2013; the iPhone 5 was unveiled on 12 September. The thing is, every S-class iPhone upgrade has been accused of offering only minor upgrades on the previous generation, yet they all still sell well. And if anything the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus represent more significant upgrades than the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s did: Live Photos is fun, 3D Touch has the potential to alter the way we think about smartphone interfaces, and the processor and cameras are much improved. This would mean an iPhone launch event in the spring of 2015 followed by another in the autumn. In this case we would expect less dramatic enhancements in each update: perhaps the full iPhone 7 in autumn, followed by an 'S'-class update in the spring. It's an interesting theory, but if we were betting men and women Macworld would put its money on September iPhone launches for some time to come. Mark this one as 'unlikely', but if Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales gets his way, Apple won't sell the iPhone 7 in the UK at all. Apple usually keeps the same design for two generations of the iPhone (the 4 and 4s, say, or the 6 and 6s), before unveiling a physical redesign on the next update. We expect the iPhone 7 to be fundamentally different in look and design to the two generations of iPhone that precede it. It's possible that Apple will use different materials to make the iPhone 7 more durable. Before the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were unveiled there was speculation that Apple would use Sapphire glass for the display and Liquidmetal for the chassis, and two generations later Apple may be ready to unveil one or both of these upgrades. In late 2015, the Japanese-language site Mac Otakara first reported on a rumour that the iPhone 7 won't get a headphone port at all, enabling Apple to shave a further millimetre from the device's thickness. Apple was not able to announce, in September, that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are the thinnest iPhones ever. For the iPhone 7, therefore, we suspect that the company may like to trim a few millimetres. In mid October, Piper Jaffrey analyst Gene Munster (who is notorious for his Apple Television predictions, which have so far proved to be inaccurate) has suggested that the iPhone 7 won't have a Home button, thanks to the new 3D Touch technology found in the iPhone 6s display. It's even possible that the iPhone 7 could be a bit thicker, if Apple feels it can use this change to incorporate useful new features. Apple has published a patent relating to such displays, hinting that a future iPhone could feature a display that extends on to the sides of the device (or a slim second display sitting on the side of the device). The Weibo source who spills the beans on Apple's waterproofing tests in our new features section also reckons that the iPhone 6s & 6s Plus will be the last iPhones to be made of metal. We find it odd that Apple would ditch its metal design so soon after upgrading to 7000-series aluminium, but radical design changes cannot be ruled out for a full-number iPhone update. The iPhone would bend, the screen would bend, the battery inside would bend, everything would be fine. In the continuing march of miniaturisation, one of the elements of the iPhone design that's proved resistant to shrinkage is the bezel below the screen - it can't get much smaller than it already is because it needs to house the Home button. We're still not completely sure what this design would achieve, since (as you can see in the iPhone illustration in Fig. And we've not been blown away by the reliability of the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 5s, which seems to be hyper-sensitive to any quantity of grease sitting on the Home button. Apple was backing a Sapphire plant in Arizona - run by GT Advanced Technologies - that could have been used to manufacture 200 million 5-inch iPhone displays per year, according to reports. Foxconn's planned plant in Taiwan will cost it $2.6bn to set up, but could give it a huge advantage as companies jostle to be involved in the production of the next iPhone. This would enable Apple to keep the bigger iPhone light and thin, despite the bigger screen. Plus, removing the bezels in the bigger iPhone to create an edge-to-edge display would mean Apple could introduce a bigger display without the need to increase the overall size of the iPhone too much. It's also possible that Apple will bring some other elements of the technology used in the Apple Watch to the iPhone 7. For example, the Apple Watch's display can detect finger pressure, so the iPhone 7's display (or perhaps just a portion of it) could be capable of doing the same. Indeed, the most recent generation of iPhone models are the most waterproof yet; but we still wouldn't be pleased if the iPhone 6s fell in a paddling pool. What we're talking here, at any rate, is proper official waterproofing, since brave early buyers have discovered that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are themselves much better at dealing with submersion than previous Apple devices. Whether the iPhone 7, then, will be announced as Apple's first officially waterproof phone (regardless of its true capabilities) remains to be seen. Some commenters to the original Weibo post, indeed, predicted that waterproofing wouldn't be seen until the iPhone 7s… but now we're really getting ahead of ourselves. It's a perennial rumour for upcoming Apple devices, but wireless charging could be a reality this time around: it didn't arrive with the iPhone 6s as some had predicted, but was introduced to the Apple Watch as inductive charging. This came too late for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but the technology may appear in a subsequent generation of Apple smartphone. Wireless charging sounds amazing, but we should stress that at the moment inductive charging has a very short range; so you wouldn't be able to just sit at your desk and have your iPhone (in your pocket) charge from the plug several feet away. It would use a built-in temperature sensor that would monitor the heat of the iPhone and adjust its power usage accordingly. Meanwhile, the next iPhone - or one a few generations down the line, since we're talking patents again - could entirely transform the way we unlock our devices. The FT predicts that this project is more likely to bear fruit in the 2016 generation of iPhones than the ones released in autumn 2015; this year's iPhones (the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, perhaps) are more likely to come with an Apple-branded hardware SIM like the iPad Air 2. The Apple SIM (which we discuss in the next section) works with multiple networks, offering many of the same benefits as a software SIM but requiring less wrangling with the networks. The same source who told AppleInsider about the RAM increase (in the specs section , above) also reckons that the iPhone 7 is likely to come with a pre-installed Apple SIM. Essentially the concept is this: the Home button on the iPhone 7 would be able to 'pop up' on a little spring and turn into a sort of mini-joystick for playing games. In August 2014, rumours about a new iPhone charger emerged, suggesting that the USB part of the charger could be reversible, just like the Lightning connector. Looking closer at Apple's patent portfolio, we can come up with some further iPhone 7 features that could well be on the cards for 2015. It's possible that will see conservative increases in battery life, as we did with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. And it sounds like Apple won't be sacrificing portability to make the iPhone 7 have a significantly better battery life. We might (battery technology is improving all the time), but this probably isn't the mea culpa some iPhone users were looking for. I still believe that most people would rather have a thin, relatively cheap iPhone than a fat, more expensive iPhone with an extra two hours of battery life. We weren't expecting an upgrade in this department just yet; three generations of iPhone (from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus) came with 1GB of RAM, and this was only bumped to 2GB last year for the 6s and 6s Plus. According to new reports , Intel has 1,000 people working to get its 7360 LTE chip ready for the 2016 iPhone. Be healthily sceptical, then, when we report the prediction that the A10 processor in the iPhone 7 will have six cores - a huge leap after sticking with dual-core systems-on-a-chip from the iPhone 4s to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Incidentally, Cult of Mac also reckons that Apple is already ordering supplies of the A10, 10 months ahead of the expected launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. If this does make an appearance in the iPhone 7, it could lead to improved colour and light capture and reduced blur when the camera moves. A dual-lens design offers a number of advantages over the present (admittedly highly acclaimed) iPhone camera setup, including the option to add an optical zoom. It's also been suggested that future iPhone cameras will have better performance in low-light conditions. We're hopeful that this will finally happen with the iPhone 7, and we'd be glad to see the back of the 16GB storage tier, which we increasingly find unrealistically restrictive for the average user. Many iPhone users find that 16GB isn't enough for their day-to-day needs, but the price jump up to 64GB (the 32GB models have been phased out) puts them off shelling out for more storage. Of the three smartphone screen sizes Apple currently sells, the 4.7 inches of the iPhone 6 appears to be the favourite among customers. The iPhone 6s Plus and its 5.5-inch screen strikes many people as too big; the 4-inch iPhone 5s seems too old-fashioned and titchy to many more. And while they have been consistently outsold by the iPhone 6 and 6s, the Plus models haven't been a sales disaster either - and they're important products for Apple in terms of prestige and acquiring a foothold in new markets. For simplicity, therefore, we're predicting three new iPhones from Apple over the next year or so. An update of the iPhone 5s with a 4-inch screen, which could be called the iPhone 7 mini; a 4.7-inch update of the iPhone 6, which we're calling the iPhone 7; and a new phablet, based on the iPhone 6 Plus, with a 5.5-inch screen. We leave this until last, because it's a rumour that apparently affects the iPhone 8 generation rather than the upcoming iPhone 7. Samsung, which supplies components for the iPhone range despite being a major rival in the smartphone market, has reportedly been pressuring Apple into using OLED screens rather than the LCD ones currently included. BGR claims Apple will give in to this pressure and start using OLEDs in 2018, which (assuming Apple continues to follow current traditions) would be the year of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the 7s generation having launched in 2017. For this reason we're treating these as unconfirmed but likely to be genuine images - of iPhone 7 prototypes at least, if not the final design so far ahead of the likely launch date. You can see the iPhone 7's backlight, whose components and connectors look largely the same as the backlight on the iPhone 6s but have changed positions; a few other ports and apertures have also moved around, and AppleClub reckons the 3D Touch 'wafer' is in a different position too. A video by a design firm named DeepMind, shows an iPhone 7 running iOS 10 on a stunning edge-to-edge screen. A slightly older iPhone 7 design concept that Hajek came up with is based on the idea that the screen of the next iPhone will reach all the way to the edges, allowing the phone itself to be slightly smaller than the current iPhone 6 while accommodating the same amount of screen space. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to include next-generation A10 processors produced by TSMC. It's likely Apple will continue releasing two versions of each iPhone, so we may see an iPhone 7 and an iPhone 7 Plus in 2016. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are expected to feature the same 3D Touch feature introduced with the iPhone 6s. There may be some distinguishing features between the iPhone 7 and the larger-screened iPhone 7 Plus. We still have a long wait until the launch of the iPhone 7, but the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus launched in September of 2015. The iPhone 7 is expected to be thinner than the iPhone 6s, with Apple using the elimination of the headphone jack and advances in in-cell panel technology to make the iPhone 7 slimmer, perhaps as thin as the iPod touch. Apple is rumored to be working on AMOLED displays for future iPhones, but the technology will not be ready for the iPhone 7. The iPhone 7 will continue to use the same TFT-LCD display technology used in the iPhone 6s. According to another prediction from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus may have differing amounts of RAM The smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 7 may ship with 2GB of RAM, while the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 7 may ship with 3GB RAM. Apple has included different features in the two devices in the past, with the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus offering different camera technology. The iPhone 6s Plus has Optical Image Stabilization for photo and video while the iPhone 6s does not. Storage space may also be a differentiating factor between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. An unconfirmed rumor suggests the larger iPhone 7 Plus could include a high-end 256GB storage option that would not be available with the iPhone 7. 256GB is a capacity that is not offered in any of Apple's current iOS devices, so it is questionable as to whether Apple would introduce such a high-capacity iPhone. There's not much to go on yet, which isn't surprising given that the iPhone 7 probably won't arrive until late 2016. If we were betting people we'd say the iPhone 7 will probably arrive in September 2016. The iPhone 6S looked a lot like the iPhone 6, but it's likely to be all-change with the iPhone 7. Exactly what form that change will take remains to be seen, but there are some rumors. 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. We haven't seen a C edition of the iPhone since the iPhone 5C so we expected one to launch alongside the iPhone 6S, but sadly there was no news.

The latest rumours suggest we'll see one alongside the iPhone 7, but it's not quite clear whether it'll be called the iPhone 6C or iPhone 7C. Some sources have been whispering about the phone coming with a metal back, unlike the cheap feeling plastic iPhone 5C. There's no news on the battery, but that was one of the greatest failings of the iPhone 6S, so we're really hoping for some improvements here. 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. Given the fickle, impatient nature of the tech industry and our insatiable need for something faster, thinner and with a new design - something the iPhone 6S lacked - the iPhone 7 is already being tipped as one of the most eagerly awaited additions to the 2016 smartphone roster. If you're putting off that overdue upgrade until the iPhone 7 drops, we've some bad news for you; you've got one hell of a wait ahead. As such, there's little reason not to expect the iPhone 7 to formally enter the realms of reality in September 2016. The iPhone 6/iPhone 6S design is now in its second year, the traditional cut-off point for past Apple efforts. Just like the rounded iPhone 6 followed the boxy 5S, and the 4-inch 5 lined up after the smaller 4S, the iPhone 7 will mark a new design direction for the company that has time and again set the standard in smartphone aesthetics. In keeping with the phone's design and screen updates, expect the iPhone 7 to be on the receiving end of a major camera update. While the ins-and-outs of the iPhone 7-bound software are unclear, a couple of early rumours have started to float around. As we're sure you can appreciate, there's no official word on the iPhone 7 price just yet, and there won't be anytime soon. A lofty price tag is a staple feature of all Apple handsets, so don't expect the iPhone 7 price to be anything but wallet-stretchingly high. IPhone 6S prices start at £539 for the 16GB model and we can't expect the iPhone 7 to rock up any cheaper. That's all we know for now, but stay tuned for all the latest iPhone 7 news and rumours as new details emerge. Updated on 12-29-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added in rumors that the iPhone 7 will be waterproof and have new tech to conceal the antenna. As we said before, if Apple follows its own mobile trend the iPhone 7 should come with an entirely new design. Many sources hint that the iPhone 7 could be Apple's first waterproof smartphone. It's unclear if that means the iPhone 7 won't be made of metal, as previously rumored. TrendForce published a press release earlier on asserting that say the iPhone 7 will be waterproof. Another Weibo post talks about Apple using a new, but unnamed material to make the iPhone 7 case, and it won't be metal. 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. Apple typically reveals the new iPhone in September at a big event, and although rumors always pop up that it'll arrive earlier or later, the new iPhone usually comes out right on schedule every fall. Noted KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, whose predictions are very often correct, said in a note to investors obtained by MacRumors that the iPhone 7 will arrive in September 2016 as per Apple's custom. Rumors about the iPhone 7's special features are widespread and intriguing this year. A December report from Ming-Chi Kuo hints that 3D Touch will still feature prominently in the new iPhone, but so far, Kuo believes the tech will work the same way on the iPhone 7 as on the 6S. Earlier reports teased the possibility of multi-3D Touch, but it's unclear if it will arrive on 2016's iPhone. 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. Of course, it's unclear which of these features — if any — will make it into the iPhone 7. 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. 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. Updated on 12-15-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added in rumors that 3D Touch will work the same way on the iPhone 7 as it does on the iPhone 6S and a report that the iPhone 7 will arrive in September. 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. The iPhone 6C, which has been rumoured for a while could be the long awaited 4-inch compact iPhone that people have been clamouring for since the launch of the iPhone 6, which adopted a bigger 4.7-inch screen. The iPhone 6C has been reported to being similar in design and build to the iPhone 5S. This also means that it will retain a metal body and not adopt a plastic body as did the ill-fated iPhone 5C. Apple had a banner year in 2015 with the launch of the iPhone 6s , iPhone 6s Plus , Apple Watch , Apple TV 4 , iPad Pro and more. One user in Japan knows this all too well, and has what is surely the world's longest iPhone passcode, containing more than 50 digits. Apple has invented an automated iPhone bumper system that doubles as a flotation device, with retractable shock absorbers made from buoyant materials. IHS China research director, Kevin Wang , is predicting so-called iPhone 6C” may debut in mid-2016, according to a post on Weibo. Prior to the launch of the iPhone 6S in September, chatter also surfaced about fall 2015 release for a successor to Apple's plastic iPhone 5C, which has since been discontinued. While initial supply chain rumors pointed to a plastic iPhone in the works, a Nov. But it may not come with a 3D Touch pressure-sensitive screen - unique to the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Kuo expects Apple to ship 20-30 million units of the 4-inch iPhone by the end of 2016. In the meantime the only option for customers that want a 4-inch Apple smartphone is the iPhone 5S - which debuted over two years ago. What isn't expected to change is the timeline for Apple's next rumored full smartphone redesign - the iPhone 7 - which is anticipated to debut sometime during the third quarter of 2016. Digital Trends has also noted that Apple's new smartphone—the iPhone 6c— is expected to have a metal body which is significantly remarkable. It can be recalled that the company has manufactured a plastic body when it released the iPhone 5c. In a related report, according to Digital Trends source KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's iPhone 6c is expected to be released at early 2016 preferably before the month of March which is basically the end of the first quarter. In an interview, Kuo explained that the reason behind why the Cupertino-based company opts to release the iPhone 6c is because Apple wants to meet the demand of its loyal customers. He also predicted that once the iPhone 6c will be officially introduced to the public, there will be 20 million units will be sold globally for 2016. However, some tech analysts disagree with the statements and predictions of Kuo regarding the iPhone 6c. A related report from Techradar said that it is unlikely for Apple to manufacture the iPhone 6c, citing a strong sales of the iPhone 6s. The publication stressed that given the strong sales of the iPhone 6s, there's a high chance of probability that the production of iPhone 6c will be pushed back. In the same report, analysts from Cowen & Company has reportedly observed that clues from the supply chain which earlier suggested that iPhone 6c was already in production, eventually disappeared. Tech analysts from the said company are speculating that iPhone 6c will not be launched and Apple might consider the sale” factor of iPhone 6s. Meanwhile, a high ranking company representative from Cown & Company has noted that one of the reasons that Apple has reportedly cancelled the production of iPhone 6c is because the iPhone 6's sales are swelling and the company is raking a big amount of profits. A second report, from 9to5Mac , says that Apple plans to hold a press event in March 2016 where the 4-inch iPhone — possibly called the iPhone 6c — will get an unveiling. Releasing a smartphone in the first half of the year would be uncharacteristic of Apple, a company that typically hosts one big iPhone launch every September. However, considering that the iPhone 5s is the only 4-inch iPhone left in Apple's current handset lineup , it may be wise for Apple to release something more up-to-date for those who prefer smaller phones. The Korean smartphone maker is rumored to release its Galaxy S7 phone as early as January 2016. While the device, which may be called the iPhone 6c, will resemble the iPhone 5s on the outside with its 4-inch display, it will feature all-new components on the inside. Most prominent will be an A9 chip powering the smartphone, along with NFC capabilities to support Apple Pay , but the cameras are expected to be the same as those from the iPhone 5s. Other details mentioned include the possibility of curved-edge glass like the iPhone 6 introduced, along with metal casing — moving away from the plastic used on the iPhone 5c — and two to three color choices. Kuo estimates a price in the US between $400 and $500, making it anywhere from $150 to $250 cheaper than the 16GB iPhone 6s. Interestingly, Kuo's report says that this new iPhone option would be a modest seller, making up around 8-9% of Apple's phone sales for next year. The Apple event is purported to unveil a 4-inch iPhone , which will likely be called the iPhone 6c or 7c, filling in as the successor of the iPhone 5c. IPhone 4G will feature a much faster processor i.e. ARM dual core which would be fastest processor in the mobile phones!

Further grapevines suggest that the 4-inch Apple smartphone to be unveiled during Apple's March 2016 rumored event will run a new firmware, the iOS 9.3. According to Product Review's post, the iOS 9.3 is needed to fix issues that the iOS 9.2 was not able to resolve. Going back to the iOS 9.3 release, other products from the iPhone maker are also expected to arrive alongside the upcoming major iOS iteration. However, tech fans looking forward to get their hands on the 2016 flagship device of the tech giant might not see the iPhone 7 yet this first quarter of the year. The release date timeframe for the iPhone 7 is expected later this year, if Apple's history for its launch schedule is to be followed, Gotta Be Mobile explained. If the iOS 9.3 will officially arrive earlier this year together with a 4-inch Apple phone, the iPhone 7 is most likely to come pre-installed with it or a slightly advanced version of the OS. Now that I have answered that question, next question that arises is 'What's new with iPhone 4G?' A lot of stuff is going to change with iPhone 4G. For starters, it will have a 5 MP camera instead of an existing 3.2 MP. This news can be confirmed as Apple has already placed an order of 40-50 million cams with the manufacturer who earlier used to supply Apple with 3.2 MP cameras. Kuo believes that the 4-inch iPhone will resemble an upgraded iPhone 5s and feature an A9 chip made by both TSMC and Samsung, 2.5D cover glass, NFC, a metal casing with at least 2 to 3 color options, and the same camera specs as the iPhone 5s. The new device is expected to see full year shipments of 20 million units with production beginning in the first quarter of 2016. Kuo also noted that the iPhone 6s may not sell as well as the iPhone 6 with a possible 30%-40% decline in quarter over quarter shipments. Recently slowed iPhone 6s orders validates our prediction six months ago that the model may not outsell iPhone 6, potentially resulting in the supply chain returning to a normal cycle starting 1Q16F, and with shipments declining 30-40% QoQ. While the new 4-inch iPhone may not catalyze shipments, it should still help mitigate slow seasonality for suppliers and a negative impact on share performance. It's becoming more likely that the iPhone 7 is not going to include the mainstream 3.5mm jack - the same jack that you use for your headphones, inline mics, speakers, etc. Rumours that Apple is to remove the headphone jack from its iPhone 7 have been filling the internet for several months now, yet the people with most to fear - headphone-makers themselves - seem remarkably unconcerned. The legitimacy of the images has not been confirmed, but Macrumours highlights how Apple Club has released spy shots of Apple products and components before, such as the protruding camera lens on the iPhone 6 as well as shots of iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2 internals prior to their respective releases. The leaked component bears resemblance to the backlight assembly currently used on the iPhone 6, but with the 3D touch chip and flex cables relocated. Back at Macrumours, the website reports how the original leak suggests the component could be used on Apple's next 4-inch smartphone, likely to launch earlier than the iPhone 7 and to be called the iPhone 6C. However, they say that the size of the 3D touch chip and flex cables suggest that the leaked backlight assembly is for a larger phone. Not much beyond this can be gathered from the leak, but the Daily Mirror asserts that the pictures confirm that the iPhone 7 will ship without a headphone jack. Get regular news updates on your iPhone for free here Download our new app The WeekDay from the iTunes store now for a concise twice daily fix of the best news, comment and analysis from across the UK media. The result is a 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus, but built around a significantly smaller chassis than the current 6 Plus. An online petition criticising rumours that Apple will ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 in favour of the Lightning port or Bluetooth headphones has been gathering pace. So far the petition is based on no more than rumours, with no concrete evidence to suggest that Apple will remove the headphone jack from the next iPhone. Forbes reports that a pair of sources within Apple's Chinese supply chain have confirmed that the iPhone 7 will not come with a headphone jack, and also that Apple is interested in adding support for super-high resolution audio output on the smartphone, which would require the use of lightning port headphones. Losing the headphone jack would also allow Apple to make the iPhone 7 even thinner than the iPhone 6 models, as well as open up more space inside for a larger battery. The leak which reignited the iPhone headphone jack rumour mill was originally reported on Monday by Macrumours Two Chinese websites, and Wei Fang, have both said that information they have gleaned from the supply chain suggests that the rumour is true. The iPhone 7 Plus may come with a larger, 3,100mAh battery, a new rumour suggests. When they are released later this year, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be available in the same 4.7- and 5.5-inch sizes as the 6 and 6s phones, say the sources - but the phones will be very different internally. As well as the supposed larger battery, My Drivers says the iPhone 7 Plus will be available with 256GB of memory. On the one hand, increases in processor efficiency and a decrease in the energy requirements of the new operating system could give the iPhone 7 an even larger power boost, but it is also possible that the new components and internals on the next Apple handset could be more power hungry, and battery life could stay the same or even diminish. What a larger battery means in terms of the design of the next iPhone is unclear. Rumours suggest that the iPhone 7 will be even thinner than the 6 models, and Apple traditionally makes new versions of their products slimmer over increasing their size to house larger batteries. The Apple iPhone 7 is due to launch in September 2016 and current rumours suggest that the next model will see Apple conduct a large overhaul of the iPhone formula. The trio of phones currently on offer could be the last iPhones to use a home button according to several prominent iPhone 7 rumours. The entry level iPhone 5S uses a four-inch screen, while the two 6 models both come in two different sizes. The usage of LCD displays on the iPhone is set to continue until 2018, according to rumours. The new Samsung Galaxy S7 is likely to launch early in 2016, months before the new iPhone. Jan-Willem Reusink's iPhone 7 concept design envisages a sharp-edged, all-metal frame. Design-wise, the Android iPhone is not a radical departure, but it adds an edge-to-edge screen, a favourite of Apple concept artists. The feature is likely to stick around on new Apple releases, but recent leaks suggest that it will stay within the iPhone stable for now. It looks increasingly likely that the feature won't be improved upon in the iPhone 7, so it's futureproof on Apple platforms. Again, the Samsung Galaxy S7, which is likely to be the iPhone 7's main competition, is rumoured to be coming with its own version of the feature. While Apple's version of 3D touch won't be developed between the iPhone 6 and 7, the brand new versions coming on non-Apple phones could tempt some consumers to look beyond an iPhone in 2016. Many will use the post-Christmas sales period as an opportunity to get hold of a discounted iPhone 6S, a good plan if you want a 3D touch phone from the start of the year. Improving the battery life of the iPhone is a perennial demand of iPhone users. The smallest iPhone on sale, the 5S, has a talk time of up to 10 hours and a standby time of 10 days. The most innovative - and unlikely - aspect of this iPhone 7 concept from Scavids is that it runs Android, not a move that either Apple or Google would ever countenance. The choices on offer in the iPhone range at the moment can make choosing a handset difficult, especially when the internet is awash with rumours about the release of the iPhone 7 next year in September 2016. The iPhone 5S still represents a great budget option and many will be drawn towards its smaller, 4-inch screen, the site says. The iPhone 6S arrived as Apple's incremental 'S' release, but the iPhone 7, along with the iPhone 7 Plus no doubt, is expected to bring radical updates to the firm's smartphone line-up. We've rounded up everything we know about the iPhone 7 so far, and will update this article whenever we hear more. The iPhone 6S was unveiled on 9 September, and it's likely that the iPhone 7 will see a similar launch date next year. Apple has kept the prices the same for its past two iPhone releases, so if this continues the iPhone 7 will start at £539 going up to £699 for the 128GB model. Apple's next iPhone is likely to feature a radical redesign, like the iPhone 6 was to the iPhone 5S , but we don't yet know exactly what to expect from the iPhone 7 in the looks department. The next iPhone is expected to be skinnier than the iPhone 6S too, which could be made possible by ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack port. According to a report out of Fast Company , and previous reports from Macotakara, Apple plans to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from its upcoming iPhone 7, leaving people with the option to either use wireless or Lightning-compatible headphones. Naturally, Apple is expected to launch two versions of its next smartphone: the 4.7in iPhone 7 and 5.5in iPhone 7 Plus. More recent rumours, which we'd advise you take with a pinch of salt, claim that the launch of the next iPhone will also see the return of a 4in model. The display on Apple's next smartphone might be the first on an iPhone to use Samsung's OLED screen technology, according to Korean website ETNews , which should offer a boost in vibrancy and power efficiency. There's the usual chatter that the iPhone 7 will feature a higher screen resolution, but no specifics have yet leaked, and the displays will no doubt feature the same 3D Touch technology that debuted on the iPhone 6S. Thanks to the inclusion of 3D Touch, the next iPhone could also be the first to come without a physical home button. The iPhone 7 could be the first iPhone to feature Intel internals, too , according to reports claiming that Intel has a 1,000-strong team working to ensure that the 7360 LTE modem chip makes its way into the iPhone 7, ousting the Qualcomm 9X45 LTE chip used in the iPhone 6S. Rumours point to Apple phasing out the 16GB version of the smartphone with the arrival of the iPhone 7, despite speculation that the shift was to happen with the iPhone 6S. However, it's likely to be offered in the same colour options as the iPhone 6S: Silver, Gold, Space Grey and Rose Gold. Behält Apple seine bisherige Systematik der iPhone-Modellbezeichnungen bei, dann erscheint im September 2016 das iPhone 7 als Nachfolger des iPhone 6s. Das iPhone 7s wäre demzufolge ein Jahr später an der Reihe - und bisher gibt es keine Hinweise darauf, dass Apple hieran etwas verändert. Auch dürfte mit iOS 10 die nächste Version von Apples Mobile-Betriebssystem im September 2016 erscheinen. Sollte das Unternehmen dieselbe Kalenderwoche und die gleichen Wochentage für die Vorstellung, den Start der Vorbestellung und den Release des iPhone 7 wählen wie beim Vorgänger, würde die große Keynote am 14. September 2016 stattfinden. Die Vorbestellung würde dann wenig später am Samstag, den 17. September, eröffnet werden und der Release auf den 30. September 2016 fallen. Anfang Dezember hieß es, dass fünf verschiedene iPhone 7-Testgeräte mit unterschiedlichen Ausstattungen beim Hersteller unter die Lupe genommen werden. Gerüchte von Anfang November 2015 sprechen derweil von einem völlig anderen Plan: Demnach soll Apple mit dem Gedanken spielen, das iPhone 7 bereits im Sommer 2016 vorzustellen. Bis zum Release des iPhone 4s brachte Apple alle seine Smartphones zwischen Juni und Juli auf den Markt. Noch früher könnte sogar ein iPhone 7c erscheinen Der Staranalyst und Apple-Experte Ming-Chi Kuo ist sich zumindest sicher, dass Apple Anfang 2016 einen 4-Zoll-Ableger des neuen iPhone vorstellen wird. Gleichzeitig soll das koreanische Unternehmen aber auch Testexemplare größerer OLED-Panels an Apple geliefert haben, die sich für den Einsatz in einem iPhone 7 eignen würden. Laut des Apple-Experten Mark Gurman und des Piper Jaffray-Analysten Gene Munster könnte das iPhone 7 sogar komplett ohne physische Buttons erscheinen. Die mit dem iPhone 6s eingeführte 3D Touch-Technologie könnte für diese radikale Design-Änderung den Weg bereiten Konzept-Designs wie dieses zeigen, wie das neue iPhone dann aussehen könnte. Hier war allerdings die Rede davon, dass Apple das iPhone 7 auf diese Weise wasserdicht machen könnte Wie der oben erwähnte neue Chip öffnet dies den Weg für einen Unibody aus Metall. Auch im November 2015 hieß es erneut, dass Apple den Nachfolger des iPhone 6s wasserdicht machen will Und auch ein Patent für einen Lautsprecherschutz deutet darauf hin, dass Apple einen Schutz gegen Wasser erforscht. Die jüngsten Gerüchte sprechen sogar davon, dass Apple den klassischen 3,5-mm-Klinkenanschluss beim iPhone 7 komplett weglässt Dadurch soll das dünnste iPhone aller Zeiten möglich werden.