Ahead of the September 7 launch of the iPhone 7, a new research report that detailed what to expect from Apple on the flagship iPhone 7, and 7 Plus has been outed. The report is the brain child of KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who is reputed as having a very strong track record when it comes to Apple product details. This happens to be his most detailed research report on the iPhone 7 which would be launched on Wednesday. The report features some earlier rumors about the iPhone 7 and also introduces some new titbits about the expected smartphone.
According to the trusted analyst, the iPhone 7 will feature quite a number of upgrades and changes from its predecessors but the design is similar to the iPhone 6s which might not be significantly noticed by most users. Here is a summary of all the expected changes the iPhone 7 is said to bring;
- New A10 chip – The iPhone 7 is said to feature new A10 chips manufactured by TSMC that could top out at 2.4-2.45 GHz, although Apple may clock it a bit lower due to heat and power consumption concerns. Already, a very recent GeekBench data of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus has revealed the power of the A10 chips even though the clock frequency posted is incorrect.
- Five color options – This isn’t the first time we are getting rumors that the iPhone 7 will come with a fifth color variant which Kuo gave as Glossy Piano Black. this would be in addition to the usual silver, gold, and rose gold, along with a “dark black” replacing the usual Space Gray. A photo of SIM trays in those five color variants had made the rounds on the internet just recently.
- Three Storage Memory Versions of 32 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB – The analyst also hinted that there will likely be three storage versions on both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 Plus will include 3 GB of DRAM to support the dual-lens camera, while the iPhone 7 will continue to include 2 GB.
- Dual-lens rear camera on the iPhone 7 Plus – The iPhone 7 Plus is expected to be Apple’s first device to feature a dual rear camera setup and the analyst corroborated this claim. this would likely increase the iPhone’s cost by about $40, likely making the iPhone 7 Plus more expensive than the iPhone 6s Plus. Both lenses will be 12-megapixel, but one will be a wide-angle camera with larger pixel sizes, a 6P lens, and optical image stabilization, while the second will be a telephoto lens with smaller pixel sizes and a 5P lens.
- Improved IPX7 water resistance – matching that of the original Apple Watch and making the device suitable for splashes, showering, and even brief dips in water up to one meter deep.
- No headphone jack, with Apple providing both Lightning EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5 mm jack adapter in the box. Removal of the headphone jack will allow for an upgraded speaker and a new sensor for improved Force Touch.
- Earpiece receiver to become a speaker – Instead of putting a second speaker at the bottom in place of the headphone jack, Apple is said to be upgrading the earpiece receiver at the top of the device to become a full speaker, with the addition of a new audio amplifier . The change would provide enough separation to allow for stereo sound when the device is held in landscape orientation. The closed up speaker grills shown in a leaked back casing of the iPhone 7 seem to confirm this rumor.
- Pressure-sensitive click-less home button – The round custom home button will be pressure sensitive and click-less to aid the water resistance. However, Apple has included new haptics to mimic a clicking sensation when the button is pressed so you would know it is working.
- Wide color displays – Although the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus come in the same sizes and resolutions as the current iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The wide color technology adopted from the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will offer better color quality.
- Upgraded rear camera flash – The rear camera flashlights are said to be upgraded to come with four LEDs (two cool and two warm LEDs) and a new ambient light sensor for better image quality.
- Possible upgraded proximity sensor shifting from LED to laser for faster response and greater recognition distance, as well as potential gesture recognition.
- FeliCa NFC support in models sold in Japan, as had been previously rumored for either the iPhone 7 or the 2017 iPhone.
Read More: New 4K Video featuring iPhone 7 and 7 Plus leaks
Furthermore, the Analyst projects that shipments for the iPhone 7 will be lower than that of the iPhone 6s posted last year. iPhone 6s shipped up to 82 million units between September and December last year but the analyst says the iPhone 7 might be lower than that with about 20 million units within the same period. This he attributes to the new water resistance feature which resulted in low assembly yield, thus pushing back the start of mass production until the second half of August. The units shipment between now and December is projected to come in at 60-65 million.
As always, Gizmochina will keep you updated on latest rumors on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus until they drop. Also keep a date with us for live update of the September 7 launch event.
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