iPhone 7: Release Date & Five Features To Expect In Apple’s Upcoming Smartphone

It’s that time of the year again. On September 7, Tim Cook will continue a ritual that he has partaken in for several years now. The Apple CEO will be unveiling the latest iPhone on Wednesday.

Now as of yet, it is not clear what Apple’s newest phones will be called. While rumors have been rife that they will most likely be called the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, it could still very well be called the iPhone 6SS. And even though iPhone 6SS doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as does iPhone 7, nothing official has been said regarding the name.

Although Apple has been using a predictable naming cycle, there’s still a chance they could break the cycle, given that this year’s iPhone is said to feature fewer updates than usual and keeping all the big updates for next year, which will be the iPhone’s 10th birthday. It will, however, be referred to as the iPhone 7 through this article. Besides, with the unveiling event set to take place on September 7, Apple could be teasing us with its scheduling.

So, here are 5 features you can expect to find in the iPhone 7.

Design & Size

Rumors have been rife that Apple will be getting rid of the 3.5-millimeter headphone jacks on its new phones. And if those rumors are true, then the iPhone 7 would become a few inches thinner than its predecessors. New black and matte colors are to be expected alongside the traditional colors that the iPhones have been offered in. Regarding the size, Apple looks set to stick to the usual 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display sizes.

Camera

The iPhone 7 is expected to feature dual back-facing cameras, which will effectively improve the camera’s auto-focusing and facilitate low-light photography. And since both phones will come with iOS 10, which was announced earlier this year, it will feature an upgraded Photos App resembling Google Photo’s organization system.

Headphone Jack

The biggest rumor surrounding the new iPhone is that it will ditch the traditional 3.5-millimeter headphone jacks to make the phone slimmer. The rumor, which was first floated by the Japanese blog Mac Otakara, states that the new iPhone will require the use to connect the phone’s headphones either via the proprietary Lightning connector or via Bluetooth. This move has been criticized by many, including the company’s co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Home Button

There have been rumors that Apple could swap the traditional physical home button for a vibration that will provide the illusion of clicking. And even if these rumors are true, a major change such as this will probably feature in next year’s major release. For now, the home button is set to stay as it is.

Waterproof

Not only did Apple recently receive a patent for an editing tool for underwater photos, with the rumored removal of the headphone jack, the iPhone 7 looks set to be a water-proof phone or at least a more water-friendly phone than the previous releases.

Release Date

Well, Apple usually releases the iPhones on Fridays, a week after announcing them. If you’re waiting to buy one, you might be able to get it as early as September 16.

The first generation iPhone was released almost a decade ago, on June 29, 2007. Apple’s co-founder and then-CEO Steve Jobs announced the device that has since gone on to revolutionize the entire mobile phone industry. The most recent iPhone model, iPhone SE, was unveiled earlier this year. A total of nine generations of iPhone models have been released by Apple, each corresponding to one of the major iOS operating systems. The upcoming model will come with the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 10.

The massive commercial success of the iPhone has not only helped Apple become one of the world’s most valuable companies, but it has also revolutionized the entire smartphone industry. The first iPhone, unveiled by Steve Jobs in 2007, was one of the first phones to feature a slate format touchscreen display that could be operated by the fingers, a format that has since been replicated by all modern smartphones.

[Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images]