WWDC 2018 takes place June 4 to June 8 in San Jose, California.
iPhone 7 to Include Five Colors, IPX7 Water Resistance, Dual 12MP Cameras on Plus Model
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a very solid track record when it comes to Apple product rumors, has released his most detailed research report yet ahead of Wednesday's iPhone 7 launch. The report recaps a number of claims previously shared by Kuo and others while also introducing several new tidbits about the device.
Kuo notes that there are many upgrades and other changes with the iPhone 7, but because the overall design is similar to the iPhone 6s, "general users may not feel the differences significantly." Details on the iPhone 7 include:
- New A10 chip from TSMC that could top out at 2.4-2.45 GHz, although Apple may clock it a bit lower due to heat and power consumption concerns.
- Storage capacities of 32 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB on both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 Plus will include 3 GB of DRAM to support the dual-lens camera, while the iPhone 7 will continue to include 2 GB.
- Five color options including the usual silver, gold, and rose gold, along with a "dark black" replacing the usual Space Gray. A new fifth color Kuo describes as glossy "piano black" will also be offered. A photo of SIM trays in those five colors surfaced earlier this week.
- No headphone jack, with Apple providing both Lightning EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5 mm jack adapter in the box. Removal of the headphone jack will allow for an upgraded speaker and a new sensor for improved Force Touch.
- Earpiece receiver to become a speaker with the addition of a new audio amplifier. Rather than putting a second speaker at the bottom in place of the headphone jack, Apple is said to be upgrading the earpiece receiver at the top of the device to become a full speaker. The change would provide enough separation to allow for stereo sound when the device is held in landscape orientation.
- Pressure-sensitive click-less home button to benefit water resistance. New haptics to mimic a clicking sensation when the button is pressed will be included.
- Wide color displays in the same sizes and resolutions as the current iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The wide color technology adopted from the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will offer better color quality.
- Dual-lens rear camera on the iPhone 7 Plus, which will increase Apple's costs by about $40 and could make the iPhone 7 Plus more expensive than the iPhone 6s Plus. Both lenses will be 12-megapixel, but one will be a wide-angle camera with larger pixel sizes, a 6P lens, and optical image stabilization, while the second will be a telephoto lens with smaller pixel sizes and a 5P lens.
- Upgraded rear camera flash with four LEDs (two cool and two warm) and a new ambient light sensor for better image quality.
- Possible upgraded proximity sensor shifting from LED to laser for faster response and greater recognition distance, as well as potential gesture recognition.
- FeliCa NFC support in models sold in Japan, as had been previously rumored for either the iPhone 7 or the 2017 iPhone.
Overall, Kuo believes iPhone 7 shipments will be below that of the iPhone 6s through the end of the year, coming in at 60-65 million compared to 82 million last year. Kuo reports that Apple's water resistance requirements resulted in low assembly yields that pushed back the start of mass production until the second half of August.
Make sure to check out our "What to Expect" post for a recap on other announcements expected at Wednesday's event and stay tuned to MacRumors for other last-minute news and rumors. On the event day, we'll have full live coverage here on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account, starting at 10:00 AM Pacific Time.
Kuo notes that there are many upgrades and other changes with the iPhone 7, but because the overall design is similar to the iPhone 6s, "general users may not feel the differences significantly." Details on the iPhone 7 include:
- New A10 chip from TSMC that could top out at 2.4-2.45 GHz, although Apple may clock it a bit lower due to heat and power consumption concerns.
- Storage capacities of 32 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB on both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 Plus will include 3 GB of DRAM to support the dual-lens camera, while the iPhone 7 will continue to include 2 GB.
- Five color options including the usual silver, gold, and rose gold, along with a "dark black" replacing the usual Space Gray. A new fifth color Kuo describes as glossy "piano black" will also be offered. A photo of SIM trays in those five colors surfaced earlier this week.
We expect the iPhone 7 to come in piano black, dark black, rose gold, gold and silver. Only the piano black model will have a glossy finish. Given high production barriers, large-storage models may have first priority in adopting piano black casing in the initial stage.- Improved IPX7 water resistance matching that of the original Apple Watch and making the device suitable for splashes, showering, and even brief dips in water up to one meter deep.
- No headphone jack, with Apple providing both Lightning EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5 mm jack adapter in the box. Removal of the headphone jack will allow for an upgraded speaker and a new sensor for improved Force Touch.
- Earpiece receiver to become a speaker with the addition of a new audio amplifier. Rather than putting a second speaker at the bottom in place of the headphone jack, Apple is said to be upgrading the earpiece receiver at the top of the device to become a full speaker. The change would provide enough separation to allow for stereo sound when the device is held in landscape orientation.
- Pressure-sensitive click-less home button to benefit water resistance. New haptics to mimic a clicking sensation when the button is pressed will be included.
- Wide color displays in the same sizes and resolutions as the current iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The wide color technology adopted from the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will offer better color quality.
- Dual-lens rear camera on the iPhone 7 Plus, which will increase Apple's costs by about $40 and could make the iPhone 7 Plus more expensive than the iPhone 6s Plus. Both lenses will be 12-megapixel, but one will be a wide-angle camera with larger pixel sizes, a 6P lens, and optical image stabilization, while the second will be a telephoto lens with smaller pixel sizes and a 5P lens.
- Upgraded rear camera flash with four LEDs (two cool and two warm) and a new ambient light sensor for better image quality.
- Possible upgraded proximity sensor shifting from LED to laser for faster response and greater recognition distance, as well as potential gesture recognition.
- FeliCa NFC support in models sold in Japan, as had been previously rumored for either the iPhone 7 or the 2017 iPhone.
Overall, Kuo believes iPhone 7 shipments will be below that of the iPhone 6s through the end of the year, coming in at 60-65 million compared to 82 million last year. Kuo reports that Apple's water resistance requirements resulted in low assembly yields that pushed back the start of mass production until the second half of August.
Make sure to check out our "What to Expect" post for a recap on other announcements expected at Wednesday's event and stay tuned to MacRumors for other last-minute news and rumors. On the event day, we'll have full live coverage here on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account, starting at 10:00 AM Pacific Time.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tags: KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 8 (Caution)
[ 1537 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
23 months ago
There have been numerous articles posted over the past few months talking about the rumor of Apple removing the 3.5mm jack. If you look back at those articles, the numbers of responses are astounding and the vast majority of responses are from people furious about the potential (probably imminent) 3.5mm jack removal.
The 3.5mm jack is a universal standard across laptops, automobiles, desktops, music players, stereos, mobile phones, tablets, even in-seat audio jacks on most passenger airlines. Removing this standard is a complete slap in the face to millions of consumers who have spent a lot of money on high quality headphones, earbuds, speakers, etc. that all use the 3.5mm standard.
I know people love to compare removing the 3.5mm jack to eliminating the old floppy or CD, but those were upgrades to new standards embraced by the entire computer industry as a move forward in technology and convenience.
If removed, Apple will have taken away a reliable open standard, replacing it with their proprietary standard, and I'm confident virtually no other equipment manufacture will ever embrace Lightning (I'm not talking about headset/earbud manufactures, I'm talking about other desktop, laptop, tablet, stereo, phone, automobile, music player, and aircraft manufactures). You are never going to see widespread acceptance of Lightning on other devices.
With this potential bonehead decision Apple does not move us forward, they lock us into a standard they control/own and move us away from the mainstream into a segregated solution that is not even available on Apple’s own computer line ... which coincidently uses the 3.5mm audio jack.
So what might Apple give us in return, maybe they shave a faction of a millimeter (bid deal) from the phone's thickness, and/or maybe we get a second (or better) speaker because they want us to believe we need some kind of so-called “stereo sound”. It’s pathetic!
Give us back the 3.5mm jack and keep your second/improved speaker. We don’t need a so-called stereo in our pockets.
The 3.5mm jack is a universal standard across laptops, automobiles, desktops, music players, stereos, mobile phones, tablets, even in-seat audio jacks on most passenger airlines. Removing this standard is a complete slap in the face to millions of consumers who have spent a lot of money on high quality headphones, earbuds, speakers, etc. that all use the 3.5mm standard.
I know people love to compare removing the 3.5mm jack to eliminating the old floppy or CD, but those were upgrades to new standards embraced by the entire computer industry as a move forward in technology and convenience.
If removed, Apple will have taken away a reliable open standard, replacing it with their proprietary standard, and I'm confident virtually no other equipment manufacture will ever embrace Lightning (I'm not talking about headset/earbud manufactures, I'm talking about other desktop, laptop, tablet, stereo, phone, automobile, music player, and aircraft manufactures). You are never going to see widespread acceptance of Lightning on other devices.
With this potential bonehead decision Apple does not move us forward, they lock us into a standard they control/own and move us away from the mainstream into a segregated solution that is not even available on Apple’s own computer line ... which coincidently uses the 3.5mm audio jack.
So what might Apple give us in return, maybe they shave a faction of a millimeter (bid deal) from the phone's thickness, and/or maybe we get a second (or better) speaker because they want us to believe we need some kind of so-called “stereo sound”. It’s pathetic!
Give us back the 3.5mm jack and keep your second/improved speaker. We don’t need a so-called stereo in our pockets.
23 months ago
Sounds not enough to upgrade from iPhone 6s plus
And why do people need to upgrade their phone every year?
23 months ago
Normally I don't chime in on these types of threads but...what sort of things do you expect to be put into a new phone? Lets mention Samsung for example. For how long have galaxy phones all looked about the same? Yet Apple makes a similar design and all of your heads explode. It's going to be a great upgrade and a gorgeous phone like always, and you'll probably buy it too. It's no different than any other year.
Apple puts a lot of time and thought into making things work well, not just throwing stuff together quickly because people might want some new feature. I for one appreciate that because then my phone works without lag and a bunch of garbage eating my battery. If they gave you every single thing you wanted you'd have android.
Apple puts a lot of time and thought into making things work well, not just throwing stuff together quickly because people might want some new feature. I for one appreciate that because then my phone works without lag and a bunch of garbage eating my battery. If they gave you every single thing you wanted you'd have android.
23 months ago
And why do people need to upgrade their phone every year?
Because we can? But on a less snooty response, people like to have the latest and greatest. If they're able to have it, why not? Some people run businesses and their entire lives on their phones (I personally know 2 people who run their business from their phones 90% of the time) so why not make sure you have the most powerful device to be as efficient and able as possible.
[ Read All Comments ]
Apple is closing its Apple Store located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which will affect 52 employees who currently work at the store and will need to be relocated, reports Bloomberg.
Apple has...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with WaterField Designs to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win the company's Atlas Executive Athletic Holdall, a bag that's ideal for...
Apple today launched the latest sale on Beats by Dre products, including markdowns on the BeatsX, Powerbeats3, Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones, and Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones. Make sure...
Twitter is testing a new "Data saver" toggle on iOS devices, as one user shared on the social media platform this morning. For users in the test, the data saver setting is housed at the very...
A special "Decade Collection" range of Beats Headphones are currently being promoted by online retail merchants ahead of scheduled availability on June 4, suggesting Apple will officially...
Apple's AirDrop feature lets you wirelessly send and receive files between nearby Macs as well as to and from local iOS devices. It's usually accessed from the sidebar of an open Finder...
Since November 2017, AT&T has offered customers the chance to get the 32GB Apple TV 4K at no extra cost when they sign up and pay for either four months or three months of DirecTV Now. Since this...
Mophie today announced the launch of the Charge Stream Travel Kit, which is a wireless charging kit that's designed for use while traveling, as the name suggests.
Designed for the iPhone X,...
