With Apple to release a revolutionary iPhone 7 in 2016, many fans of the iconic smartphone are wondering what major innovations will be included. While Apple experienced relatively tepid sales in the early days of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, things have picked up significantly for the device in recent weeks. This improvement in fortune has been particularly driven by developing economies, with India cited as a major contributor to this trend.
So the success of the iPhone 6s enables Apple to really take some chances with the iPhone 7 during its development and manufacturing. There are many components of the smartphone that consumers would like to see improved, and the consumer electronics giant must now decide precisely where it wishes to focus.
Display
Perhaps the most important area of the iPhone 7 is its display. Apple has fallen behind the competition somewhat in this department, and there are already rumors related to the corporation significantly improving the iPhone 7 screen. One such murmuring has been the suggestion that its great rival Samsung could be recruited to provide OLED displays. But this has recently been denied by the infamous analyst Ming Chi-Kuo from KGI Securities, so perhaps it will not come to fruition after all.
Another major cause for concern for the company is the resolution of the iPhone 7 display. This has been significantly criticized in some quarters, with Apple opting for a relatively basic screen compared its major competitors. To have a smartphone on the market which is not even full HD is certainly somewhat out of date, and Apple must surely improve the resolution of the iPhone 7 display to at least this HD minimum. In addition, we could also see a quad HD phablet accompanying the main iPhone 7 model.
Although Apple made significant changes to the iPhone 6s when it introduced 3D Touch, a significant improvement in display quality would be one of the main ways that the corporation can encourage people to upgrade. One possible early suggestion for the iPhone 7 is that true contrast ratio will be improved. There are already smartphones with LCDs boasting 1800-to-1 contrast ratios, and Apple may look to match this when the iPhone 7 is released.
It has been notable in recent Apple device releases that a much greater emphasis is being placed on screen quality. With 4K & 5K iMacs having already been released, Apple has signalled its intention to produce some of the most impressive desktop computers in the world in terms of screen resolution. The iPad Pro has also been extremely impressive, with the tablet offering a true contrast ratio of approximately 1631-to-1.
Additionally, Apple could decide to incorporate the anti-reflective display coating that has been included in the iPad range recently. Sapphire glass has also been linked with the display, and this must surely be incorporated at some point considering the amount of the material that Apple has in storage.
Camera for iPhone 7
Another major area of innovation that Apple has been particularly strongly linked with for the iPhone 7 is improvements to the camera. This is becoming a particular focus of the smartphone marketplace, with numerous companies attempting to ensure that their products stand out from the crowd via camera innovations.
It has already been suggested that the iPhone 7 could include a DSLR professional quality snapper, while a particularly unique periscope design has also been mooted for the smartphone. Another recent report from Business Insider suggests that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will feature six element lenses as opposed to five that are included in the existing iPhone range. This would significantly improve image quality.
Apple may also boost the megapixel rating of the camera, with the iPhone 7 possibly featuring a 16-megapixel unit. Another possibility is that the corporation could make improvements to the image signal processor found inside the next generation A10 chip. This would enable the consumer electronics giant to deliver even higher quality image enhancements via its iconic smartphone range.
Design
The third key area that Apple will be considering at the moment is the design of the iPhone 7. The inclusion of a new figure at the end of the iPhone name usually indicates that the California-based company will be significantly redesigning the iPhone concept, and this could lead to a radical new appearance for the smartphone.
Apple has become hugely associated with the design quality and style that it delivers in all of its products, and that this should lead to a sleeker iPhone 7 when it is released. There have also been suggestions in some quarters that Apple could release a curved screen variant of the iPhone when the next generation smartphone hits the stores. And indeed, Apple has already secured the patents for such technology, so we can expect to see this appear in the iPhone range at some point in the future.
iPhone 7 will be waterproof
Another new aspect of the iPhone series that is likely to emerge with the iPhone 7 is improved waterproofing. This is seen as being a major potential convenience for the iPhone range, enabling consumers to more adequately utilize the device in rainy conditions. It could also lead to a stronger tie-in with the Apple Watch smartwatch, with the possibility that the iPhone could even be resistant to swimming conditions.
Eye-tracking
Finally, according to a report that has been published on IBTimes, Apple is already working on a unique system that features a gaze detection device. This has already been patented, meaning that the eye-tracking technology could appear in the next generation iPhone 7. Apple has the potential to turn this into a killer feature, providing smarter functionality that makes using the iPhone 7 a more convenient proposition.
It certainly appears that the iPhone 7 will be a major step forward over its earlier iterations when it releases in what is expected to be the third quarter of 2016.
