The iPhone has typically been witness to spectacular launches – people queuing outside Apple stores for hours to be the first to grab the latest iPhone. For many, owning the latest iPhone right upon launch is about making a statement, for the iPhone is not a mere smartphone – it is a lifestyle accessory that mirrors how well you’re doing for yourself in life. A recent tweet by the usually reliable Evan Blass states that this year’s iPhone, the Apple iPhone 7 (and iPhone 7 Plus, possibly) will be launched in the week starting September 12, 2016. Buckle up and save the dough, people, it’s only about a month-and-half till the big day.
This is what a recently leaked photo showed the iPhone 7 to be
The iPhone has been one of the most reliable and stable smartphones in the world, ever since its launch nine years ago. It has been known for bringing newer technology to the world of mobile computing and make it commonplace even before other smartphone-makers using different operating systems had even thought of implementing it. Of late, though, OEMs have closed down the gap on Apple in terms of innovation, and Google’s advancement with Android OS has played a major role in it. Look at the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, for instance – to have a phone that looks light years better than the iPhone, alongside being nearly equal in terms of performance and smartphone photography, is testament to manufacturers worldwide taking cues from Apple and stepping up the innovation scale. With 3D Touch practically being the only ‘innovation’ per se seen in last year’s iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the onus is on Apple to present something dramatic and silence the critics about Apple having lost the magic touch that Steve Jobs had brought to the table.
To match up with such requirements, Apple must have taken a number of steps, although reports and sources state that the major rework and innovation on the iPhone will be undertaken in 2017, its 10th anniversary. Nevertheless, this year’s iPhone 7 is expected to have redesigned antenna bands that remove the broad plastic strips from the brushed metal back panel, a dual-camera setup with newly engineered optics to present smartphone photography like never seen before, a complete absence of a 3.5mm audio port, waterproofing (about time, actually), and the usual set of incremental upgrades that should include the Apple A10 processor, one extra gigabyte of RAM, and a long-overdue upgrade from the base storage of 16GB.
The iPhone's future: 3D Touch Home button, no TRS port
We have also read about other reports and rumours over time, about Apple using a 3D Touch panel to replace the physical Home button and fuse it beneath the glass, moving back to a glass-and-metal build instead of only metal, and even an OLED display can be on Apple’s research lab charts. While none of these are really expected in the iPhone 7, we cannot help but wonder if the iPhone’s Anniversary Edition will be what many long-term Apple fans and enthusiasts hope for. Surely, the scope for innovation in smartphones have drastically narrowed over the last decade, but we hope that it certainly isn’t over.
Pricing leaks from Chinese listings have suggested that the iPhone 7 may debut with its base variant priced at around Rs. 55,000, going up all the way to about Rs. 95,000 for the most premium variant. The iPhone 7 may also get 256GB of storage, but will that be enough to command such a hefty price tag?
We’re all set to see.