The latest reports on the iPhone 7 suggests that the forthcoming handset from Apple will paper over the cracks on two of the most irritating design flaws of the last generation mobile.
iPhone 7 camera bulge will disappear
Since Apple first unveiled the iPhone 6 back in 2014, even passionate Apple consumers have been complaining about the camera lens, which is notable for sticking out from the rear of the device by approximately 1mm. Although this may seem to be a relatively trivial issue, it effectively prevents the iPhone from sitting comfortably on a table or other flat surface.
At the time that these devices were released, Apple claimed that the protruding camera in the iPhone range was a necessary trade-off, allowing designers to cram advanced optics into the iPhone 6. Apple asserted at that time that what they had produced was the best smartphone camera ever created, and if this claim may be open to debate, it is nonetheless the case that it performs extremely well.
But considering that Apple has always been associated with outstanding design parameters, it was obvious that the California-based company would want to address this often criticized aspect of the iPhone sooner or later. So it seems based on recent reports from MacRumors that the iPhone 7 will ultimately sit snuggly alongside the rear casing, with a thinner camera module that Apple is including in the device central to this process.
Antenna bands altered
The second change in the iPhone 7 will be an alteration to how the antenna bands work on the handset. The bands on the existing iPhone 6 models create white borders on the rear of the phone, ensuring that the top and bottom of the handsets are divided somewhat awkwardly. This is another physical aspect of the iPhone that has been deemed unappealing by critics, and it seems that Apple intends to address this with the iPhone 7.
Sources close to the Apple supply chain suggest that the antenna bands in the next generation smartphone will remain exposed on the exterior of the device, but that the issue will nonetheless be addressed neatly. The bar dividing the rear of the handset into three sections will be removed completely, and this will enable Apple to showcase an attractive all-metallic finish when the iPhone 7 is released.
Previous rumors have suggested that Apple is not entirely satisfied with the design of the iPhone range. This must be considered particularly serious for the Cupertino-based company as the outstanding design parameters of Apple products have always played a major role in the fashion cache that Apple has acquired. And the level of this should not be doubted; Apple has become so iconic that it ended the 15-year reign of Coca-Cola at the apex of the authoritative Interbrand survey.
Anodized design mooted
So last year it was reported that Apple had filed a patient for a new anodized metal design. In line with many of the other patents that Apple has applied for, we do not know whether this will emerge in the iPhone series, or indeed whether it will see the light of day whatsoever. Apple applies for such patents all the time, and often decides against actually including them in its product range. But this particular form of technology will enable wireless signals to be received more strongly with a fully metallic case, and analysts have suggested it could be an outstanding addition to the portfolio of features included in the iPhone 7.
Reports have also suggested that the iPhone 7 will be significantly slimmer than either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S. This is all part of the ongoing focus on producing ever more compact smartphones; a process that is at the heart of the iPhone ethos.
Headphone jack eliminated
Another major design alteration that is expected when the iPhone 7 is finally released is the removal of the headphone jack from the smartphone. This is an aspect of the device that has been rumored over the last few weeks, with Apple apparently making this decision in order to enable the corporation to reduce the thickness of the phone substantially.
While this may be considered a controversial move, it is expected that Apple will compensate for the elimination of the jack by developing a wireless headphone standard. Far from downplaying the importance of music in the next iPhone, Apple is predicted to make music a much more prominent part of its product range during 2016, in order to make its Beats acquisition pay off more rapidly.
Reports have also emerged which suggest that Apple is making some serious moves towards including a dual-camera setup in the iPhone 7. Sources close to the supply chain suggest that Taiwanese, Japanese and Chinese camera manufacturers have distributed examples of the potential setups for this technology to Apple. And it is thought that the consumer electronics giant is currently in the process of testing and assessing this technology ahead of a possible inclusion in the iPhone 7.
Brand new design
So the overall picture that emerges of the iPhone 7 is of a significantly altered handset that will be something of a departure from previous iPhone units. Apple was criticized to a certain extent for producing an iPhone 6S smartphone that was little more than a minor upgrade on previous models in the series. But it seems that this will not be a criticism that can be reasonably levelled at the iPhone 7, with Apple making serious efforts to address some of the bugbears associated with that handset.
Apple must make these sort of radical decisions, as the company has been forced to endure some relatively poor financial results for the first time in many years recently. The corporation has already been conceded that the number of iPhone units that it sells will diminish in 2016, and the market-leading consumer electronics company will hope to reverse this trend with the iPhone 7 in 2017.
And it seems that the groundwork for this process is being laid as we speak.