A flurry of leaks over the past few months have nearly confirmed just about everything (including a likely released date) there is to know about the iPhone 7 but looks like Apple will not stop surprising us.
Word has it Apple will replace the physical home button with capacitive susbtitute and make operations feasible through hepatic feedback. Like the trackpad of new MacBooks, the home button will also feature Force Touch. If you didn't see that coming, here is more; the iPhone 7 may not be called that. According to some, it could be called iPhone 6 SE. Bet you didn't see that coming! We think the first rumor is more likely than a name change.
The iPhone 7 is rumored to be water-proof. A physical button is a liability for a water-proof device. So is the headphone jack. It all started with rumors of headphone jack or rather its removal to make way for a thinner (meaner?) phone. That did happen but the iPhone is no thinner than its predecessor though the headphone jack is out of the way.
That said, doing away with these two features has paved in a feature that its competitors including Samsung and low-cost Android device makers have provided for years. As for the naming goes, we think Apple will stick with iPhone 7 as pricing rumors for the device and its time of launch (two years after iPhone 6 and a year after iPhone 6S) and given that it is expected to launch with at least one big screen avatar, an 'SE' tag associated with smaller iPhones may actually harm Apple during a year when its sales have shown a downward trend for the first time since it started selling phones.
According to The Verge, Apple sales this quarter are down by about 15 % compared to sales at this time last year. That means Apple earned 27 % less. It was also revealed that the average price of the iPhone sold was about $595 this quarter, suggesting robust iPhone SE sales.
Predictions for iPhone 7 forecast further slump given the global weakening of smartphone demand and dated design of iPhone 7. However, this year's iPhone could hold its own with a new chipset, better camera and improved storage per dollar.
The Apple iPhone 7 could become available for retail sale on September 16 serial tipster Evan Blass suggests.
Just to clarify, this refers to the retail release, not the launch event. To be even more specific, it should happen on Friday, Sept. 16th.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks)
This could be another break from tradition as Apple could push the iPhone 7 release date to late August or launch the device within a week of unveiling it.
