Rumors continue to swirl about the new iPhone 7, which Apple is expected to release in September.
Some leaks have suggested a series of changes from the previous version of the smartphone, but other reports claim that Apple will not make any major additions to the iPhone 7. After poor financial results were reportedly recently, investors are clamoring for strong sales of the iPhone 7 in order to drive growth at the company. Now Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that one innovation will ensure strong sales.
Apple CEO promises indispensable new feature
Cook was speaking to CNBC’s Jim Cramer during a TV interview this week, and said that the company will introduce a new feature that makes the iPhone 7 a must-have device. “We are going to give you things that you can’t live without that you just don’t know you need today,” Cook teased.
Analysts have so far been worried that the proposed upgrades to the iPhone 7 will not be enough to convince owners of the iPhone 6s to make the switch. The rumored changes arguably won’t be enough to drive sales, so what is Cook hinting at?
Here we take a look at the existing rumors to see whether they will be sufficient to make users upgrade from the iPhone 6s to the iPhone 7. It’s important that the company reassure investors after a quarter of decline.
Cook noted that over two-years the company has brown around 70%, even with the reported Q2 decline. This implies that 2015 was an S year for the iPhone, one in which small incremental upgrades are made.
Will the iPhone 7 feature large scale changes over iPhone 6s?
That would suggest that 2016 will be a year of major overhauls for the smartphone. This would fit with Apple’s normal release cycle, but a growing number of analysts believe that Apple is saving the redesigned iPhone for 2017.
Cook’s interview would suggest otherwise. So do you think that the following features would inspire you to buy an iPhone 7 if you already have an iPhone 6s?
Among the rumored features are a thinner overall design, a new dual camera module, a version with 256GB storage, a larger battery and stereo speakers. Some less likely rumors mentioned USB-C connectivity,multi-touch 3D Touch, waterproofing and wireless charging.
One rumor that has gained a great deal of traction is the possible addition of a dual-camera system. It is also arguable the feature that is most likely to encourage people to upgrade.
The idea behind the technology is that the phone will combine images taken from the two cameras in order to produce sharper overall photos. It is also thought that the dual-camera system will improve performance in low light.
Dual-camera system to attract buyers
Jeff Benjam of 9to5Mac believes that iPhone photographers stand to benefit massively if the technology is introduced. He says that other companies such as LG have introduced dual-camera systems without maximizing its potential.
“From my usage of the LG G5, that is a pretty awesome feature, although not perfectly executed on LG’s part. I could see Apple hyping that as the next big thing for sure. It definitely changes the way you look at smartphone photography and composition. It’s like having one of those camera dongles always available, without any needless attachments,” said Benjam.
Another rumor is that the company will continue its obsession with making thinner devices by removing the 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple is more likely to say that it is an attempt to introduce Lightining connector headphones or maybe even wireless earbuds.
Reports in January claimed that Apple was working on cordless Beats headphones that shipped with a charging case. If the rumor is true it will almost certainly be a product that ships separately to the iPhone.
Wireless headphones another rumored change
So what will Apple bundle with the iPhone 7? It could be earphones that connect via the Lightning port, but this would rule out simultaneous charging. Could Apple have a set of wireless earbuds to bundle with the new smartphone?
If we look at the wireless earbud market there are few options. There are a small number of companies making wireless Bluetooth buds without a cable connecting the two units, but they are largely not worth investing in.
The question is whether Apple has managed to develop a high-quality pair of wireless earbuds that can be shipped at the same time as the iPhone 7. If it has it could be a factor in encouraging buyers, although some Apple fans have been up in arms about the potential removal of the headphone jack.
It’s hard to say whether a dual-camera system or wireless headphones will be enough of an incentive for iPhone 6s owners to upgrade to the iPhone 7. Of course there is always the possibility that Tim Cook was talking about some new feature that none of the rumors or leaks have mentioned…
