The clock is ticking down to the release of the iPhone 7, with the smartphone standout of 2016 expected at some point in September. As usual, Apple has kept very quiet about the release date of this handset, with murmurings from its supply chain and the usual tech bloggers and leakers giving us some clue as to when this mobile will emerge.
However, with the likely unveiling of the iPhone 7 only a a few weeks away, some relatively concrete information is beginning to materialize. Some of the most prominent technology experts and analysts on the planet have been blogging, tweeting and otherwise commenting on the unveiling, pre-order and release date for the iPhone 7, providing an important insight into when this latest Apple release will hit the stores.
Launch date
Naturally Apple makes a big deal out of its biggest selling product, and the iPhone 7 will be no exception to this rule. What is effectively the seventh generation of this iconic smartphone will be an important release for the Californian company, as it attempts to convince investors that it has a long-term plan to increase revenue and sales. While this may involve diversifying away from the iPhone in time, the fact remains that the handset is responsible for approximately two-thirds of Apple revenue.
It has been known for some time that Apple will probably hold the unveiling event for the iPhone 7 in either the week commencing September 5 or 12. This would enable enough time in the remainder of the month for Apple to follow the September release date which has been adhered to in recent years.
And it has now been reported by Bloomberg that Apple will schedule this event for September 7, meaning that we will get our first glimpse of the iPhone 7 on a Wednesday. Apple will make the event open to Internet streamers as usual, and there is no doubt that there will be a huge amount of attention trained on this event.
Release date
Following on from the latest reports regarding the unveiling of the iPhone 7, there have been prominent media reports about the ultimate release date of the device as well. Most notably, infamous leaker Evan Blass has stated that Apple will release the iPhone 7 significantly earlier than the iPhone 6S, which was made available from September 25, 2015.
Blass suggests that the iPhone 7 will be available in the stores from September 16, meaning that there will be a smaller window between the unveiling of the iPhone 7 and its release this year, if the accelerating rumors about the handset are indeed accurate.
Pre-orders
Other mobile manufacturers allow consumers to pre-order and purchase units of their major releases on the same day as the unveiling, but this is unlikely to be the case with the iPhone 7. Apple has a rigid and strict schedule to which it sticks resolutely, and indeed it can afford to do so considering its dominant position at the apex of the mobile marketplace.
This means that it is unlikely that pre-orders will be made available on September 7, but considering the presumed release date of the smartphone, it seems likely that Apple will enable users to get pre-orders in one week ahead of this date. This would mean that pre-orders will go live on September 9, which falls on a Friday this year.
Conservative handset
While many Apple fans will be hoping that the iPhone 7 is a revolutionary and jaw-dropping device, the likelihood is that Apple will be relatively conservative with the makeup of this iPhone generation. Apple has already predicted itself that the sales of the iPhone unit will diminish in 2016 as compared to 2015, and this will mean that the consumer electronics giant is unlikely to take major risks with the manufacturing of its key product.
So many of the next generation features which devotees to the iPhone would love to see surface may instead be delayed for what is predicted to be an earlier than expected iPhone 8 release next year. Instead, the iPhone 7 will be slicker, sleeker and more attractive, and will also offer some more achievable upgrades over the iPhone 6S release from last year.
Headphone jack
The most enduring prediction about the iPhone 7 is that Apple will eliminate the 3.5mm headphone jack from the device. Apple intends to allow users to access music playing via wireless pods, which will be connectable via the Lightning dock. There has been some opposition to this plan, but it would enable Apple to ensure that the iPhone 7 has a sleeker build, being even slimmer than previous releases.
Dual-camera
Another frequent prediction for the iPhone 7 is that Apple will introduce a dual-lens camera, although it remains unclear which models of the handset will receive this upgrade. It is believed that Apple will instigate this new snapper in order to deliver superior photography in darker conditions, in what would effectively be a direct response to the dual-pixel technology which Samsung released earlier this year.
Home button
There have also been suggestions that the iPhone 7 could include a pressure-sensitive Home button, similar to the 3D Touch display already included in the handset. Rumors have been rife for some time that Apple is looking to either upgrade or completely replace this primary aspect of the iPhone range, and that this could occur with the latest release. The button could utilize haptic feedback, which would enable Apple to make the phone bigger.
New color
Apple may also offer some new color options for iPhone 7 buyers, in line with its general policy of allowing as much customization as possible with its device releases. Reports have particularly centered around a so-called ‘Space Black’ version of the smartphone, which will be significantly darker than the existing Space Gray.
