Apple’s iPhone 7, which many say will be called the iPhone 6SE and 6SE Plus, is just months away now. Though there have been numerous reports and rumors covering Apple’s next-gen phone, there are still questions about its actual release date and price. We have tried to answer them for you based on the latest and most reliable news and rumors.
Release date for iPhone 7?
As of now, Apple has not yet confirmed anything officially, but we could make educated guesses considering that the company hosts a big event at the beginning of September. Also it is widely known that the Cupertino-based firm launches a new iPhone on a Friday, primarily to push weekend shoppers to stores.
The release date for the iPhone 7 family is allegedly set for September 16. This will supposedly be when the new phones hit retail stores and become available online. The same timeframe has been supported by serial leakster @evleaks.
“iPhone 2016 release: week of September 12th,” evleaks tweeted. “Just to clarify, this refers to the retail release, not the launch event. To be even more specific, it should happen on Friday, Sept. 16th.”
Generally, Apple hosts a launch event a week before the launch week, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday. This means an official iPhone 7 announcement could come on September 6 or 7.
However, a September 16 availability date for the new phones is a tad earlier than usual. The iPhone 6s hit stores on September 25, 2015, the iPhone 6 became available on September 19, 2014, and the iPhone 5s debuted on September 20, 2013.
As of now, it would be safe to assume that the company will host an official announcement event for the new iPhones on September 6 or 7 and will officially release them on September 16. It must be noted that all this is based on rumors and not official information, so the final/official date may differ.
Pricing similar to previous Apple models
Coming to the pricing of the new phones, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to cost the same as all new iPhones: base iPhone 7 / 6SE model at $650 and base iPhone 7 Plus / 6SE Plus at $750. As always, the company will likely offer more storage variants for the both models with each next tier up usually costing $100 more.
A separate report based on an unconfirmed leak on Weibo – a site known to leak information from Chinese supply chains – shows the alleged pricing of not only the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus but also of the rumored Pro version. As per the leak, the Pro model costs $150 more than the Plus version, so it can be assumed to have some special features. The rest of the pricing leaked on Weibo puts the iPhone 7 lineup at the same price point as the iPhone 6 and 6s families.
Other rumors surrounding the new iPhone
Previously, the iPhone 7 was expected to come in three versions: the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 Pro. However, a recent rumor claims that Apple may stick to just two models. A new base variant with 32GB of storage is also expected. The shuffled storage offerings are expected to be 32GB, 128GB and a new 256GB variant.
Other rumors surrounding the iPhone 7 claim there will be a new dual camera setup in the Plus variant. A Smart Connector is also expected to be added to the back, which again is expected to be exclusive to the premium version. To accommodate this new hardware, the iPhone 7 Plus could come with 3GB of RAM.
Apple’s next-gen phones are expected to sport a new A10 processor and come with slightly bigger batteries. The Home Button is expected to be Force Touch-enabled and able to perform several functions. Thanks to the new chip and rumors of Apple ditching the 3.5mm audio jack, the iPhone 7 could be at least 1mm slimmer than the previous version. Apple could also introduce a new Space Black color variant this year.
Despite all the rumors, it’s still very early days for the iPhone 7. We have no official information on if Apple will continue to add numbers to the iPhone name or if it will come up with something new altogether this time. Whatever might be the case, be sure that we will continue to keep you updated of all the news and rumors leading up to Apple’s next iPhone introduction.
