The iPhone 7 is slowly shaping up to be an interesting device if one considers the newest batch of rumors floating around. Several new details emerged in the past few days, and these include bits about the device's display, an additional variant and few radical changes.
A recently popular rumor about the iPhone 7 involves a smaller variant. This is said to be called the iPhone 7 Mini, an entry-level phone that will serve as a replacement for the 5S. This information is aligned with a previous HNGN report about a 4-inch iPhone that Apple will purportedly launch next year. Aside from the smaller body, it is also expected to rock the A8 chip that powers the current 6S, a downgrade to the iPhone 7's rumored A9 processor, according to The Week. This is, however, contradicted by Ming-Chi Kuo, the KGI analyst renowned for accurate iPhone predictions in the past. The Mini will be outfitted with the A9 chip, but it will have stripped-down features. For example, it will not include the 3-D touch technology, Kuo said in an Apple Insider report.
In terms of design, there is a possibility that the iPhone 7 will have a wrap-around screen. This information is based on a patent application filed by Apple with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It involves "sidewall displays" technology, which will allow the device's functionality to extend to more than one surface of the device, according to The Week.
Finally, there is the persistent rumor that the next generation iPhone could sport an OLED display. This is partly due to Samsung's instigation, according to BGR. The display technology that is found in most Samsung phones is better than LCD. Apple currently uses the latter because OLED costs more. This is bound to change, however, as Samsung reportedly expressed a willingness to lower OLED's price, according to the Korea Times.
