Apple’s next-gen handset, the iPhone 7, may not have many surprises, at least in terms of size. A sketch obtained by the French-language website NWE suggests that the iPhone 7 will have the same length and width as the iPhone 6s.
Form factor similar to that of the iPhone 6s
As per the sketch, the next iPhone will have the same dimensions as the iPhone 6s: 138.3mm (5.44 inches) length and 6.71mm (2.64 inches) width. It must be noted that the depth of the next-gen handset has not been revealed. However, the sketch does reveal a larger and slightly convex camera housing, indicating that the next-gen phone may be equipped with a bigger sensor and a nearly flush camera cutout.
The sketch is somewhat similar to an earlier iPhone 7 Plus design drawing which suggested that the bigger 5.5-inch smartphone will have the same dimensions as the iPhone 6s Plus. The tech firm is expected to reveal the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September.
Apple’s iPhone 7 is expected to come with waterproofing and dustproofing, wireless charging, a touch-sensitive home button, stereo speakers, a slightly larger battery and repositioned antenna bands. Also the new iPhone could have a redesigned chassis to differentiate it from the iPhone 6s and sport the iPad Pro’s Smart Connector for wireless charging.
It is believed that the tech firm will reserve other features for the 2017 iPhone. According to rumors, next year’s iPhone will be far more compelling with a glass casing, an all-new OLED display, and many more changes.
Will the iPhone 7 end up like the iPhone 6s?
Even if the iPhone 7 comes with the same form factor as the iPhone 6s, its fate may end up being different than that of the latter. iPhone 6s sales were somewhat disappointing as Apple recorded its first year-on-year decline in iPhone sales. However, this might change with the next iPhone, suggests a survey by UBS Evidence Lab.
The survey considered 6,336 smartphone users from Apple’s main markets: the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Mainland China, and Japan. It asked them about their interest in Apple’s upcoming handset for 2016, the iPhone 7. The survey found that users in the U.S. and China are more inclined toward the iPhone 7 than they were toward the iPhone 6s. The survey also found that almost half of the respondents are not going for the new iPhone and are waiting for the next model. It’s not rocket science to guess what has changed users’ interest. The iPhone 6s was an intermittent upgrade with the design staying the same, while the iPhone 7 is expected to come with visual changes like no audio jack, optical zoom, etc.
Based on this data, UBS analyst Steven Milunovich expects iPhone growth to hit 5 to 10% in fiscal 2017. Milunovich believes users who are still to update to a bigger screen phone could go for the iPhone 7.
However, Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities reported previously that Apple’s next-gen handsets may not have “many attractive selling points” and that the company may break away from its usual tick-tock “S” design cycle and keep the same form factor as the 6 series for three years straight.
