Excitement is building ahead of the launch of the iPhone 7, and leaks are becoming more frequent.
We have heard all sorts of rumors, and watched concept videos imagining what the new smartphone might look like. This time around we have a leaked image which appeared on Chinese social network Weibo, purportedly showing the iPhone 7 with an edge-to-edge screen.
iPhone 7 to feature edge-to-edge screen?
The leaked image shows a new screen, although the top and bottom of the device are unchanged. The Home button and the speaker are also in their normal positions, but it must be said that doing away with the side bezels would be a major departure for Apple.
Other images that have appeared in the Chinese media have reportedly shown the rear of the phone, which is largely unchanged. This time around it must be said that the photos could be very easily faked.
A trickster would only have to Photoshop a black rectangle over the front of the phone in order to cause an online sensation. The fact that there is only one photo of the device adds to the suspicion that it is a fake, however if more photos were released showing the phone from different angles it might be more believable.
Evidence of potential Photoshop trickery not hard to spot
It’s not hard to spot some inconsistencies either. For example the black line between the screen and the bezel is not smooth on the bottom side of the display. The point where the line juts forward suggests a Photoshop regular fill.
If the device really had an edge-to-edge screen, that line would be solid. Further evidence of Photoshop use is the fact that the area is heavily pixellated. That said there is a small chance that the photo is legitimate.
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities believes that Apple is set to make a major overhaul of the iPhone in 2017, with the introduction of a 5.8-inch display and iPhone 4-like styling. As a result expectations are low for the 2016 edition.
The introduction of an edge-to-edge screen would be a radical departure for Apple, which is what makes the image so interesting. Previous leaked images have shown the backside of the iPhone 7, which is largely untouched apart from the antenna lines.
Rumors abound in vacuum of official information
This latest photo marks the first time that the front of the phone has been leaked. Serious doubts remain about its veracity, but it seems that there would be plenty of Apple fans happy to see an edge-to-edge screen.
Among other rumored changes include the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, which would allow the iPhone 7 to be considerably thinner than its predecessors. Apple fans are up in arms over this particular rumor, as they believe the company is effectively coercing them into buying a new seat of wireless headphones.
In addition the next iPhone could see the introduction of the iPhone 7 Pro. This range-topping model would bring the smartphone into line with the iPad and MacBook. It is thought that the new high-end smartphone could feature a dual-camera system.
The system, developed by Israeli company LinX, will apparently provide significant improvements in performance in low light. Other rumors regard the amount of storage, with some analysts predicting a 256GB iPhone that would match the capacity of the Samsung Galaxy S7.