IPHONE 7 RELEASE DATE UK & US: WHEN WILL THE NEW IPHONE 7 COME OUT?
Apple has sent out invitations for a launch event on September 7, 2016. If this isn’t for the iPhone 7, we’ll eat our collective hats.
There’s also a good chance Apple will announce a number of other products at the event, including the long-awaited
Apple Watch 2.
The event is set to take place on Wednesday, September 7 at 18:00 (BST). It will be held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. We’ll be reporting on the keynote live as it happens, so stay tuned to TrustedReviews.
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/0000382e0/781d/iphone.jpg
IPHONE 7 FEATURES: 9 NEW IPHONE 7 FEATURES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
Apple’s next smartphone is set to be one of the biggest handset release of 2016. But despite those impressive credentials, the phone is rumoured to boast minimal changes over its predecessor, the
iPhone 6S.
That said, there’s still plenty to talk about, so here are a bunch of supposed new iPhone 7 features to wrap your head around.
1. 2K DISPLAY?
First up is the iPhone 7 screen. Rumour has it that Apple is planning a serious improvement to display quality for its 2016 flagship.
A Weibo user called @KK – well-known in mobile leak circles – recently released an image of what was claimed to be screen panels for the iPhone 7. Panels for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were purportedly included, as well as information about display resolution. According to @KK, the iPhone 7 will feature a 4.7-inch 1080p display, while the iPhone 7 Plus will feature a 5.5-inch 2K display. So what does that mean?
The iPhone 6S currently features a panel with a 1,334 x 750 pixel resolution. But a 1080p display has 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, which means the iPhone 7 could feature a huge rise in pixel density, resulting in a sharper, more detailed screen image.
The
iPhone 6S Plus, meanwhile, features a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel display, but @KK says we can expect the iPhone 7 Plus to move to 2K. But we’re not convinced, because 2K panels are only 2,048 x 1,080 pixels, which isn’t a huge jump, and has a 17:9 aspect ratio – not the conventional 16:9.
However, 2K is often used interchangeably with QHD when talking about displays. And we’d say that a QHD display – that’s 2,560 x 1,440 pixels – is far more likely to feature, especially since it sticks to the 16:9 aspect ratio. What’s more, several flagship iPhone rivals already use that calibre of display, including the
Samsung Galaxy S7 and the recently launched
Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/0000382e3/659a/iphone-3.jpg
So what else does the leak tell us? Well, one of the panels is reportedly built by JDI, which is a known Apple screen supplier, and that’s about it.
Unfortunately, the main problem with this leak is that we have no way of telling whether it’s legitimate. Weibo’s @KK has often been reliable in the past, but this particular leak confuses us. Firstly, we haven’t seen any other leaks suggesting that Apple is planning a display resolution bump. What’s more, hiking display resolutions creates a number of problems, including forcing developers to adapt their apps, and also increasing the drain on battery life.
That said, the iPhone 7 is expected to be a fairly underwhelming affair, at least in terms of upgrades. Improving display resolution would be an easy way for Apple to woo customers.
2. A10 PROCESSOR
The iPhone 7 is guaranteed to use a new system-on-a-chip, and it’s said to be Apple’s own A10 processor. This chip has reportedly been built by TSMC, and is rumoured to boast a clock-rate of around 2.4-2.45GHz.
Interestingly, it’s been rumoured that Intel may be the supplier for the iPhone 7 modem – the bit that connects to the internet. Until now, Qualcomm has been the lead supplier for iPhone modems, but Intel is rumoured to have a 1,000-strong team on the case. However, it’s worth noting that Qualcomm probably won’t be entirely shut out, and could still make a significant share of the modems – perhaps for the US market?
We’ve even seen some (supposed) benchmarks for the iPhone 7. According to the alleged Geekbench results, the new iPhone will be 18% faster than last year’s model. That doesn’t sound like a huge leap, considering last year’s A9 chip was around 43% faster than 2014’s A8 chip. At any rate, it’s still way too early to take leaked benchmarks seriously. Stay tuned for a full review.
3. MORE STORAGE
Recent rumours have suggested that Apple plans to finally abandon the 16GB variant with the iPhone 7. The latest analyst to say so is IHS Technology’s Kevin Wang, who said: “Supply chain research shows that the new IPhone’s RAM is 2GB, ROM 32GB onwards.”
Wang’s not alone, mind. Speaking to TrustedReviews, CSS Insight Chief of Research Ben Wood said:
“I think it’s a pretty good bet. I think for the next generation of iPhone, it would make a lot of sense for Apple to offer bigger memory configurations. The cost of memory keeps dropping all he time. So the marginal cost for Apple to put that really huge memory allocation in the phone would be minimal, and it would make a lot of sense.”
A recent report from research firm TrendForce also claimed that Apple has “settled on most of the specs for the next iPhone”, including a 256GB storage option. Speaking to TrustedReviews, Avril Wu, another TrendForce analyst, said:
“We believe 256GB storage being adopted in the next generation of iPhone is really likely to happen. However, even if 256GB is the case, it will only be used in the 5.5-inch model’s ‘premium’ version.”
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/0000382e8/7fdc/iphone-9.jpg
We also heard from James Moar, Senior Analyst at Juniper Research, who told us: “If a 256GB iPhone is to be released, it will be as part of a wider…offering (potentially an iPhone 7 Plus) that can be used in the workplace in the same way as the iPad Pro is intended to be.”
A separate report via industry news site Digitimes, citing supply chain sources, appears to back up rumours of a 256GB storage tier. The report reads: “NAND flash vendors have increased chip prices citing strong demand for new smartphones, particularly the iPhone 7 featuring up to 256GB of storage."
4. CAMERA
There’s been plenty of debate about how much the camera will be changed for the iPhone 7, but the rumour mill (finally) appears to have settled on a conclusion.
Apparently, Apple is going to introduce a dual-lens rear camera on the iPhone 7 Plus only. This is reported to be setting back Apple around $40 per unit, which means we could see a price hike for the Plus model over previous years.
It’s said that Apple is sourcing its dual-lens modules from several different companies, including LG Innotek (South Korea), Alp Electric (Japan), and Largan Precision (Taiwan). Apparently, both lenses will be 12-megapixel, but one will feature a wide-angle camera with larger pixel sizes, while the second will be a telephoto lens.
Apple is also supposedly introducing optical image stabilisation on the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 – a feature traditionally reserved for the Plus model only.
5. SOFTWARE
At WWDC earlier this year, Apple showed off its new iOS 10 mobile operating system.
The software is much smarter than last year’s iOS 9, and features a more powerful lock screen with glance able notifications and advanced widgets. The new OS will also make better use of 3D Touch, with many functions accessible without having to enter apps. Siri will also be a lot more powerful, with third-party app support finally added. The new dedicated Home app, meanwhile, will turn the iPhone 7 into a proper smart home hub.
You can read more about
iOS 10 here.
6. FAST-CHARGING
A recent tip from Twitter leaker @the_malignant suggests we’ll see the addition of fast-charging, which would be a first for Apple handsets. Cited in that particular leak was a hazy image that purportedly revealed the iPhone 7’s logic board. The board supposedly showed that the new phone will support chargers that output 5V/2A, which would be a significant improvement over the usual 1A current. Unfortunately, this leak is extremely dubious – take it with a high degree of caution.
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/0000382e9/3d6f/iphone-10.jpg
Still we’d expect to see at least some improvements to battery life. The iPhone 6S uses a 1,715mAh lithium ion battery, which Apple says offers 14 hours of talk time, 11 hours of video playback, and 10 days of standby time. Can the iPhone 7 beat it?
7. NO HEADPHONE JACK
Say goodbye to the headphone jack.
Yes, one of the new iPhone 7 features is actually the removal of a longstanding feature: the 3.5mm audio jack. That means you’ll know have to connect your headphones in new and curious ways.
The first way to do it is with Bluetooth. There are an abundance of Bluetooth headphones out in the wild that offer seriously impressive audio performance. And Apple already sells a number of wireless Beats products.
The second is by connecting headphones through the Lightning port – that’s the bit you plug your charger into. Apple is said to be providing both Lightning EarPods and a Lightning-to-3.5mm jack adapter in the box, which means you’ll be able to convert existing headphones into iPhone 7-ready lug huggers.
It’s said that Apple removed the headphone jack to allow more room for an upgraded speaker and an improved Force Touch sensor.
8. WATERPROOF
It’s widely rumoured that the iPhone 7 will be completely waterproof, which would be a first for Apple.
The most recent evidence is a note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who, in a note to investors, said that we’ll see IPX7 water-resistance (matching the Apple Watch). This would mean the iPhone 7 could contend with splashes, showers, and even a brief dunk in shallow water.
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/0000382d7/f0fa/iphone-7.jpg
We first caught a glimpse of Apple’s waterproofing intentions earlier this year, after a 2013 patent filing relating to underwater photography was revealed to have been granted to Apple.
The filing described new colour-balancing editing software that would “remove undesirable tints from objects in a scene”, ensuring that the water looks blue. The filing stated: “Removing undesirable tints without removing the tint of the water itself results in images with more realistic colouring of people and objects in the scene, without eliminating the colour cues (e.g., blue water) that indicate that the image is a photograph of an underwater scene.”
9. NEW COLOURS
There’s been a depressingly high amount of debate over the iPhone 7 colour options, which undoubtedly marks a low point in human civilisation.
The final verdict appears to be that there will be five different colour options, as follows: Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, ‘Dark Black’ (replacing Space Grey), and ‘Piano Black’. Apparently, only the Piano Black edition will have a glossy finish.
Oh, and we’re expecting less prominent antenna banding, which is good news for overly anal people.
There were rumours of a ‘Deep Blue’ colour option, but these appear to have been cast aside in the wake of more credible leaks.
IPHONE 7 PRICE: HOW MUCH DOES THE NEW IPHONE COST?
The iPhone 7 price isn’t particularly difficult to guess, since Apple tends to stick with a similar pricing plan every year.
Here are the UK launch prices for the most recent Apple handsets:
- iPhone 5 – £529
- iPhone 5S – £549
- iPhone 6 – £539
- iPhone 6S – £539
Based on those figures, we’d expect to see the iPhone 7 price to fall around £539 for the base model. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a slight price hike – perhaps £549? After all, the rival Samsung Galaxy S7 launched at £569, and Apple would be remiss to appear less premium than its South Korean competitor.
It’s also worth noting that this is the first iPhone to launch following the UK’s EU referendum. The currency fluctuations that followed the hallowed Brexit vote have led a number of technology companies to jack up the prices on goods sold in the UK to account for the newly dodgy conversion rates. Apple could follow suit and launch its priciest smartphone ever.
Read more about this here.
SHOULD I BUY THE IPHONE 7?
Most of this year’s flagship smartphones have now been announced, so we already have a good idea of what the iPhone 7 is up against.
Its main rivals are the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, both of which have been superbly received by critics. If you prefer Android over iOS, it’s highly likely you’ll want to pick up one of these Samsung handsets over the new iPhone.
Other Android handsets that might take your fancy include the
LG G5 and the
HTC 10, although we’d still back the Samsung phones with our cash. Google has two handsets supposedly in the works – the Pixel and Pixel XL – but we don’t know how good they’ll be just yet.
If you’re a die-hard iPhone user, you probably won’t find the upgrade from the iPhone 6S to the iPhone 7 very compelling. But if you’re still using the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S then the iPhone 7 is a very reasonable upgrade that you should definitely consider.
And if you’re a fan of iOS but you’re not keen on the large 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch frames offered by flagship iPhones, you might want to consider the
iPhone SE. Announced and released in March this year, it boasts near-identical specs to the iPhone 6S and comes in 16GB and 64GB variants. However, it’s just 4-inches and share the iPhone 5S design.
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/iphone-7-release-date-price-rumours-video-images-features-uk#loPD35gH9qevQPQw.99
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