We’ve been reasonably sure for some time now what Apple has planned for the iPhone 7 (we’ll get to that later), but it appears that we now have a good idea of the iPhone 7 release date thanks to a piece from Bloomberg News that saw that date buried among rumors of what the upgraded MacBook Pro might feature when it’s released.
iPhone 7 Release Date “leaked” by famed leaker
While the article in question written by former 9to5Mac contributor and leaker, Mark Gurman, was largely written about the new MacBook Pros, those that follow iPhone 7 rumors were quick to note that Gurman pointed out that Apple would unveil the iPhone 7 on September 7th.
The line in question?
“The MacBook Pros aren’t likely to debut at an event currently scheduled for Sept. 7 to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone,” wrote Gurman.
That date coincides with a suggestion by Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) in July who said that pre-ordering of the iPhone 7 would begin on September 9th with units shipping a week later. Blass has gotten iPhone specs and release dates spot on in the past and should never be discounted. As someone who writes a fair bit about iPhone rumors, the aforementioned two have shown a fantastic accuracy with their leaks in the past.
Making this call from Gurman even more believable is that September is a Wednesday and Apple has used that specific weekday to launch new iPhones frequently in the past. In fact, the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S were unveiled last year on a Wednesday.
While we may now know the iPhone 7 release date, that doesn’t change that analysts are not expecting much from the phone more than just a few additions and they are not likely to reverse lagging iPhone sales. As you’re likely well aware, Apple announced declining iPhone sales year-over-year in Q2 marking the first decline in sales since Apple unveiled the first iPhone. That earnings call saw Apple stock take a hammering for a few months before it ultimately recovered those losses.
What to expect from the iPhone 7
Once again, don’t expect too much compared to next year’s iPhone that is likely to see nothing short of a major overhaul to compete with the “winning” Samsung flagship products this year that have truly stolen a good deal of Apple’s thunder.
According to an article written by Gurman earlier this month, Apple is likely to release two models of the iPhone 7 with the larger one (whatever it’s called) featuring a dual-camera system which will be Apple’s first. Most in the know believe that there will be across the board hardware upgrades and that the rumored loss of the 3.5mm headphone jack is not a rumor at all but a reality, something that will surely anger a number of customers.
The problem with the iPhone 7 in the eyes of many analysts is that next year is the 10th anniversary of the iconic iPhone for Apple and its expected that the company will pull out all the stops with that device. That suggests, at least to me, that many will wait another year, but Apple does have a very loyal following of diehards that will consistently upgrade to the new model.
Additionally, the economy is improving (if only slowly) the phone will ship before the holidays, and if you are happy with an iPhone that precedes the iPhone 6S models, the iPhone 7 would be a significant upgrade. Also, those who’ve never owned an iPhone in the past will see it as, perhaps, the time to buy their first.
Apple has another thing going for it with new customers or those using very old iPhones….iOS 10. While there are early indications of what the software that powers both the iPhone and iPad and developers are already playing with beta versions, no one has seen the final product yet.
Additional hardware changes for the iPhone 7
With the dual-camera setup, users who purchase the iPhone 7 will see brighter pictures as well as other functionality that is impossible with a single camera. Nighttime and low-light photos will be given a massive boost
Lastly, it’s expected that Apple will get rid of the physical home button that sees many an iPhone in the repair shop after years of use. Rather, Apple plans to introduce a pressure-sensitive button that vibrates with haptic feedback.
The removal of the headphone jack, will see the addition of a second speaker and should see the iPhone 7 putting out the best sound yet in an iPhone.
But, as always, we’ll have to wait for the iPhone 7 release date to know for sure.
