Expected iPhone 7 unveiling is just days away

Design
In recent years, Apple has alternated annually between major design changes and minor upgrades. That's expected to change in 2016. The overall consensus among analysts and rumor-mongers, supported by many unofficial photos and videos leaked during the past few months, is that for the second year in a row we're likely to see mostly modest, superficial changes -- call it the "iPhone 6SS," if you will.

Perhaps the most dramatic change still in play would be the addition of a rumored third "Pro" model. According to multiple sources, Apple's portfolio, which was already extended to include the new SE model in March 2016, may soon include an iPhone 7, an iPhone 7 Plus -- and an iPhone 7 Pro. Leaked photos that first surfaced in July 2016 on Nowhereelse.fr appear to show three such different models. But recent rumors have suggested that Apple will probably stick with only two models.

The other biggie involves the 3.5mm headphone jack -- which has been MIA in many recently leaked photos. The thought is that Apple, always pushing the envelope on killing off legacy ports and media, is removing the one that even predates the 1979 Sony Walkman.

If true -- and we're betting it is -- it leaves a few options on the table. Apple could bundle new Lightning-tipped EarPod headphones (or sell them separately). Or it could throw in a Lightning-to-minijack adapter, as Motorola is doing with its Moto Z (which has only a USB-C port). And, of course, since Apple owns Beats, you can expect some fancy new wireless PowerBeats to arrive alongside iPhone 7, too. (Like most other phones, you could use the iPhone 7 with any existing Bluetooth headphones or speakers, too.)




Ditching the headphone jack would also leave room for a second speaker grille, which has appeared on other leaked photos. That would allow the iPhone 7 to be the first model with true stereo sound.

A redesigned home button was one of the most active topics in the early iPhone 7 prediction conversation. As late as June, analysts at Cowen and Company were predicting that the iPhone 7 would have a "Force Touch" home button. According to Business Insider's coverage of the report, "Instead of a physical mechanism, Apple will use its 'Force Touch' technology and a motor inside the iPhone to provide the sensation that the button is being physically depressed." And writing for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman reports that Apple has replaced the iPhone's traditional home button with "a pressure-sensitive" variant that features "haptic feedback," similar to the "Force Click" touch pad included on the latest model MacBooks.


Martin Hajek
Otherwise, the exterior changes are expected to be rather minimal -- similar to identical screen sizes and bezels, though it's rumored that it will come in the same Space Black color available on the Apple Watch. Even if Apple expands the line as shown in the photo above, they all look pretty much like clones of the iPhone 6/6S and 6 Plus/6S Plus.

Camera
Many sources are expecting a significant step up in quality with the iPhone 7's camera. In mid-March 2016, Taiwanese site Apple.club.tw posted what it says are images of a dual-camera module that it says will be included on the iPhone 7 Plus. New evidence appears to suggest that both new iPhone 7 models will have optical image stabilization capabilities. But a steady stream of sources have reported that the dual camera would likely be included on the 5.5-inch-screen iPhone 7 Plus and/or Pro and probably not the standard 4.7-inch-screen iPhone 7.



Battery
Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks) of Nowhereelse.fr, who has a good track record of leaking things that turn out to be true, tweeted that a reliable source revealed that the iPhone 7 will receive a healthy battery upgrade.

He reports that Apple will upgrade the iPhone 7 battery to 1,960mAh (from the iPhone 6S's would go from 1,715mAh), which translates into a 14 percent bump in capacity. It's unclear how much of a battery life bump that will ultimately give you, but that translates to 90 minutes more video playback time -- 12.5 hours versus 11 hours -- if you do the math using Apple's iPhone 6S stats.

Everything else
Another possible advantage of the new iPhone may be full waterproofing. (That may be a side benefit of losing the headphone jack and getting a flush home button.) While many Samsung Galaxy phones have been dunk-proof for years, it would certainly be a welcome feature on the iPhone.

On the component front, an analyst firm has predicted that the iPhone 7 will support a whopping 256GB of storage space, matching the iPad Pro and offering lots more room for apps and videos. The firm, Trendforce, also predicts that the phone will get a memory boost to 3GB in the 5.5-inch model.

In June, BGR reported that Chinese shopping site Weibo had posted prices for three iPhone 7 models, with storage tiers starting at 32GB; the current entry-level iPhone models start at a paltry 16GB. That rumor was effectively confirmed by The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern on July 5.

iOS 10
Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June left behind a decent trail of clues, with plenty of new features coming down the pike. Siri, photos, maps, and especially the Messages app have all been upgraded. iOS 10 is available only to developers at the moment; the official release is expected to come this fall, likely coinciding with the release of the forthcoming iPhone 7. (Click here for the complete scoop on iOS 10.)