iPhone 7 release date, news and rumors
Everything you need to know about Apple's new iPhone
Update: We may have got our clearest look yet at the iPhone 7, while fresh reports say the phone will have a new color option, a larger camera lens, ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack and be thinner - with 32GB the minimum storage choice.
You're here for one thing: to find out what the new iPhone will be like, and whether it's going to be worth buying. It's going to be a big change this year, as the unleashing of a new number (rather than just an S variant) has always brought in big changes - and the iPhone 7 will be no different.
To some the iPhone 6S is underwhelming because it doesn't bring anything amazing aside from fancy new 3D Touch technology. It's just too similar to theiPhone 6, so the iPhone 7 needs to be exciting.
There's a understandable yearning for sweeping iPhone 7 changes when it launches in a few weeks: think a whole new design, piles of power and a bunch of new features.
We've collected all the latest from around the web, sifted through the likelihood of each rumor and given you our expert take on what to expect from Apple's launch - so read on to find the authoritative take on your possible next phone.
- Fancy Android? Here's our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S7. Looking for something smaller? Then you'll want to check out the iPhone SE - while ouriPhone 7 Plus rumors page should cover all your big screen needs.
In a rush? Get the latest iPhone 7 news in our video roundup below:
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A rebooted iPhone, with new powers, features and design
- When is it out? Almost nailed on for September 2016
- What will it cost? Very likely the same as the iPhone 6S
iPhone 7 release date
If we were betting folk, we'd bet the house on the fact the iPhone 7 will launch in September 2016. Apple sticks to a schedule and the last few iPhones have all been launched in the month of September.
Oh, there's a possibility it could be earlier, as according to a 'reliable source'Apple might actually bring it to market earlier. Sadly, how much earlier is unclear and we hear this rumor every year. It never happens.
It will take a while to finish development and manufacturer of the phone, so we wouldn't expect to see it before September. Autumn is exactly when iOS 10 is due. It just makes sense for September.
TechRadar's take: Don't book holiday in the first half of September if you want to see everything about the launch...
iPhone 7 cost
Hottest leaks:
- Prices to remain static
- Smallest storage size to increase to 32GB for same cost
The iPhone cost rarely varies from year to year, and price rumors from Weibosuggest just that.
That means the iPhone 7 price will be around US$649 (£539, AU$1079), but here's the good news: for that money you'll apparently get 32GB of storage rather than 16GB.
At the top end it will be more expensive than the US$849 / £699 / AU$1379 iPhone 6S 128GB, but you'll apparently get 256GB of storage.
There's some confusion over whether there will be a 64GB or 128GB 'middle option': a leak from WeChat, spotted by BGR, agree on the prices for all three sizes, with the middle choice coming in at 6088 yuan, which is the same price as the mid-sized (64GB) iPhone 6S in China, around £619 / US$749 / AU$1229.
The sources can't agree on is whether you'll get 64GB of storage or 128GB for that money - 32GB, 64GB and 128GB options seem the most likely.
TechRadar's take: A larger base storage option, but very little price rise as the iPhone is already at the top end of acceptable cost.
iPhone 7 design
Hottest leaks:
- Water resistance
- Bezel-less metal body
- Redesigned antennas
While we were expecting big design changes for the iPhone 7, we've got bad news for Apple fans: it might be very similar outside of a few tweaks here and there.
We could get a new color option though, with rumors suggesting Apple will add a 'Space Black' shade to the mix, likely similar to the black Apple Watch option. That's not been seen on an iPhone since 2012's iPhone 5.
You can see the likely shape of it in the image below, which could be our clearest look yet at the phone, showing off the redesigned antenna bands and a single lens snapper.
Slimmer model
It's also said to be slimmer than the 7.1mm-thick iPhone 6S; Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities reckons it'll drop to between 6mm and 6.5mm. That sounds unnecessarily slim to us, especially as it could cause the battery life to take a hit, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 is only marginally thicker at 6.8mm, so it's possible.
If TSMC makes the chips, as has been rumored, then some space could be saved, which might help Apple slim it down without making sacrifices in other areas. Another report claims Apple will use fan-out technology to save space andreduce the thickness of the iPhone 7.
A waterproof phone?
The iPhone 7 could be built to last too, as according to Mac Otakara there are a number of iPhone prototypes with "ruggedized" features, which could mean a water and dust-resistant phone is on the way.
In fact, that's exactly what we'll get according to a supply chain source. Apple screen supplier Japan Display has come up with a new technology called "Pixel Eyes", that is now in its second generation and makes it easier to use the screen while you have wet fingers.
However, another report has suggested Apple will opt for a slimmer phone rather than a waterproof iPhone 7. Apple will likely get a new LCD display technology as well, which could allow the iPhone 7 to be 1mm thinner than before.
No more camera bump or antenna bands
A design tweak rumor which will likely please many is that Apple will ditch the camera bump which has been present since the iPhone 6/6 Plus - with the firm going for a sleeker finish on the iPhone 7.
As well as being totally flat the back could also be uninterrupted, as the same report points towards the removal of the antenna bands.
That tallies with an image leak picked up by Nowhereelse.fr, which claims its snapshot shows the iPhone 7 to have no antenna bands and a larger camera.
The lack of antenna bands seems very likely, as other leak shows, a chassis design with a smart new way to hide the antennas - so a smooth back is very likely incoming.
Same shape as the 6S?
The overall size and shape of the iPhone 7 may not change much, as a sketch complete with dimensions shows it as being the same length and width as the iPhone 6S, as well as having similarly curved corners. That would be surprising for a new numbered model though and the sketch could easily be a fake.
Two separate leaked of the back panel have emerged to help corroborate these claims. The first is on MobiPicker, showing the phone in gold with a rounded design, antenna lines at the top and bottom and a new camera module, which could be a laser autofocus. It corroborates the reported changes, but has more than a whiff of fakery around it.
The newer image shows off the alleged back of the iPhone 7 itself. It looks like it could have been manipulated, but with most design rumors lining up it could still be close to the truth.
TechRadar's take: The iPhone 7 will look similar to the 6S, but a more refined, rounded design with no antenna lines and a larger camera sensor.
iPhone 7 headphone jack
Hottest leaks:
- No headphone jack
- 3.5mm adaptor for standard headphones in the box
One thing which no one seems to be able to agree on is whether or not the iPhone 7 will support your headphones. Early rumors suggested Apple was planning to ditch the bulky 3.5mm headphone jack. That could lead to a great dependence on Bluetooth headphones, but another leak suggests there will also be a pair of Lightning-connected special Apple earbuds included in the iPhone 7 retail box, which have since popped up in another image.
A picture from Nowhereelse.fr showed an alleged iPhone 7 chassis with two speaker grilles on the bottom and no headphone jack. It looks like it could be the real deal, though even if it is it could be an early prototype, so it's still not confirmation of anything.
Don't ditch your headphones just yet though, as an image supposedly showing iPhone 7 circuitry has emerged and the 3.5mm jack is intact in it - so there's certainly some deliberation going on here.
Ditching the headphone jack is unlikely to be a popular decision, but it wouldn't be the first time Apple has messed with ports and nor would it be the first company to do it, as the Moto Z doesn't have one either.
And while there's evidence both ways the most frequent (and currently most recent) rumors suggest we won't see a headphone jack, so it's starting to look like that will probably be the case.
We've also seen leaked case images, courtesy of 9to5Mac, which show the headphone jack appears to be missing, as has been heavily rumored. Additionally you can see a dual-camera setup and a Smart Connector, which suggests these are actually for the iPhone 7 Plus.
TechRadar's take: While evidence points to the contrary, Apple jumping to no headphone jack is too soon. There's a good chance that the iPhone 7 will still feature the port, but Apple will start pushing Lightning-powered headphones ahead of the 7S dropping the jack. If it does go this year, it'll be on the iPhone 7 Plus.
iPhone 7 screen
Hottest leaks:
- A sharper screen
- An edge-to-edge display
- No OLED technology... this year.
The iPhone 7 could be in for a big resolution jump if a DigiTimes source is to be believed, as Apple is apparently likely to move to glass-on-glass screens, which opens up the possibility of a QHD or even a 4K display.
However Apple's first move will surely be getting both handsets up to 1080p sharpness, and we'd still bet on seeing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models.
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The first image of the LCD backlight on the iPhone 7 comes from trusted French blog NoWhereElse and shows the connectors in different locations around the phone, suggesting there will be a few design changes on the next iPhone display.
However, there's also talk that it could switch from an LCD display to an OLED panel, just like Samsung uses on most of its phones. So which will it be?
Well, one rumor states it will be 2017's model - the iPhone 7S - that's the first Apple phone to feature an OLED display. The rumor comes from Apple telling supply chain sources that it will be switching from LCD panels to OLED panels in the next couple of years.
It's also been reported by the Chinese Wall Street Journal that Apple has ordered 100 million 5.5-inch AMOLED panels for a 2017 iPhone, so an OLED-equipped iPhone 7 seems highly unlikely.
There's also talk of Apple taking a leaf out of Samsung's book and opting for a5.8-inch curved AMOLED display on a future iPhone, although this could be something for the iPhone 8 rather than the iPhone 7.
What about an unbreakable edge-to-edge display?
Hopes of an edge-to-edge display on the iPhone 7 have been raised slightly after an image appeared online claiming to show just that - but we've seen this kind of 'photo' appear for so many years it's hard to trust its validity.
The iPhone 7 screen could be hard to smash, as an Apple patent has been unearthed showing bumpers which burst out from the edges of the screen to ensure it doesn't touch the floor when dropped. Patents often don't turn into products, but you never know – and it would certainly be nice to see a stronger screen.
3D Touch is bound to make a return, though it's likely to be improved in some way, perhaps by enabling you to scroll through the previews of content you 'peek' into, rather than just having static previews.
TechRadar's take: The screen has to improve in some way, whether that's being easy to use with wet fingers or just increasing in size. The first move has to be 1080p resolution, so that in an LCD screen seems the most likely change.
iPhone 7 camera and battery
Hottest leaks:
- A larger, single-lens sensor
- No more camera bump
- A larger battery
Apple overhauled its camera tech for the iPhone 6S, replacing its old 8MP snapper with a shiny new 12MP one and boosting the front-facing camera up to 5MP.
Given that Apple tends to stick with camera components for a long time we wouldn't expect to see a change in megapixels for the iPhone 7, but there's a good chance it will have performance tweaks and additional features to help set it apart.
For one thing the standard iPhone 7 may get optical image stabilisation along with the larger iPhone 7 Plus.
Multiple recent leaks of the iPhone 7 - including the above from Nowhereelse.fr, suggest the camera lens will be bigger to let in more light and bring more power to the iPhone photographers - but the bad news is that if this is true then the larger sensor will bring the dratted camera bump that blights the symmetrical sensibilities of so many smartphone users.
It doesn't seem to be a dual-camera lens, with most shots, including the leaked image above which supposedly shows iPhone 7 camera modules, displaying just a single lens.
The dual-lens shots we have seen are thought to be of the iPhone 7 Plus or iPhone 7 Pro, but being much larger will give the iPhone 7 a huge camera boost that Tim Cook is sure to talk up heavily.
We all need more battery life
The poorer battery life was one of the greatest failings of the iPhone 6S, so we're really hoping for some improvements here. Sadly, though, if the phone does slim down further as is being rumored there's not much hope of a big juice pack - or is there?
A recent leak suggests that Apple will increase the battery size in the iPhone 7 while still being able to reduce the thickness.
TechRadar's take: A larger camera seems certain - and we're fully expecting the iPhone 7 Plus to take the dual-camera set up. The larger aperture will give great low light and even more power - perhaps a slight boost in megapixels for better marketing. However, the battery will only get a slightly bigger boost... we're talking miniscule, to enable that slimmer chassis.
iPhone 7 OS and power
Hottest leaks:
- A hexa-core processor
- 3GB of RAM
- iOS 10
iPhone 7 is being groomed to launch alongside iOS 10, and it's a tremendous feature upgrade over iOS 9.3. It'll introduce a much smarter Siri that can command third-party apps, new Messaging functionality and an convenient Raise to Wake way of lighting up the phone.
It won't stop with a software upgrade under the hood. iPhone 7 could be in for a huge performance boost, with whispers on Weibo that the phone will pack a hexa-core Apple A10 chip.
That's a big leap from just a dual-core processor in the iPhone 6S. We're skeptical that Apple would go for that much of a jump though, especially when the Snapdragon 820 chip at the heart of all top Android phones is only quad-core.
Up the RAM
Apple only just pushed the iPhone 6S up to 2GB, so we're not expecting to see more RAM in the iPhone 7. That hasn't stopped multiple rumors from indicating that the new phone will come with 3GB of RAM, but that's said to be exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus to account for its alleged dual-camera image processing.
3GB of RAM is big jump in a short amount of time, even for the 5.5-inch iPhone 7, but then again, Android phones like the Asus Zenfone 3 and OnePlus 3 are launching with 6GB of RAM. For some reason...
TechRadar's take: The iPhone 7 will have a stronger processor, but the most it'll go up to is quad-core processing. The 2GB of RAM will remain as the iPhone 7 should be optimised well enough to only need that much.
iPhone 7 other features
Hottest leaks:
- A pressure-sensitive home button
- Wireless charging
While the iPhone 7 is largely expected to look similar to the iPhone 6S it could be a very different beast on the inside.
According to CNBC, the Economic Daily News reported that the iPhone 7 will be "more complex" to manufacture than any previous iPhone, suggesting there could be a lot going on under the hood.
New home button
We could be in for a redesigned home button, as according to one source it won't be a button so much as a sensor that you just have to place your finger on. The same source reckons that it might also be pressure-sensitive, so presumably if you press harder something different will happen, such as taking you to a different screen.
A whole slew of possible features are apparently in testing for the iPhone 7, with five different prototypes being used to test multi-Force Touch tech, a dual camera, wireless charging, a fingerprint scanner in the screen and a USB Type-C connector that's compatible with headsets.
That all comes from a post on Chinese social networking site Weibo, but five apparent different prototypes mean much of this may not make it into the final phone.
Smart connector?
One of the weirdest iPhone 7 rumors is that it might have a Smart Connector like the iPad Pro 12.9 and iPad Pro 9.7 range. On Apple's slates this allows for the connection of a keyboard, which seems an unlikely fit for a phone, so it's unclear why you'd need this on a phone.
What makes more sense is for this to appear on the larger, more powerful iPhone 7 Plus. A dummy unit shown on Mac Otakara offers the image above with three tell-tale Smart Connector dots at the bottom.
A few weeks later the same site came back and said that Apple had "shelved" plans for a Smart Connector port on its next phone.
But that wasn't the end of the story. Since then another dummy has popped up, this time from an anonymous tipster at MacRumors. The dummy is likely of an iPhone 7, rather than an iPhone 7 Plus, as you can tell from the smaller camera, and once again there's a Smart Connector present.
It could easily have been faked and even if it wasn't it's possibly an old dummy from back when Apple was apparently considering it. A Smart Connector on the iPhone 7 is still possible, but we'd say it's unlikely, as it never made a whole lot of sense to begin with.
TechRadar's take: There are always new features, but beyond the fingerprint scanner the home button hasn't changed in years, so it's unlikely too this time around - it's so iconic. None of the above have been really that heavily foreshadowed - beyond the iPhone 7 Plus-destined Smart Connector - so we'd be surprised if they turned up.
iPhone 7 rivals
The iPhone 7 is still weeks away, but many of its main rivals have already launched, with the biggest ones are the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Both of these phones have received five-star reviews on TechRadar - which we hadn't previously given out to a phone for two years - so Apple has some serious work to do.
- Check out our full reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
The HTC 10 is a worthy alternative to Apple's handset too. Coming from HTC it's as stylish as you'd hope and the audio quality is a cut above.
- Check out our full HTC 10 review
There's also iPhone SE, which has arrived with a palm-friendly 4-inch size, 6S specs and an affordable price tag. For those looking for a phone which is manageable in one hand, this is the one you want.
- Check out our full iPhone SE review
- Next up: Apple Watch 2 could launch at the same time
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