After months of iPhone rumors and anticipation, the long-awaited Apple event on Sept. 7 is now just days away. But before the official announcment, the renowned KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared one last 2016 iPhone report that goes over some of the significant changes made to the new flagship phone.
Via MacRumors, here are some of the iPhone 7 highlights:
Earlier rumors have reported the storage capacity of the base iPhone will increase from 16GB to 32GB. However, Kuo claims that the current 64GB and 128GB models will also be replaced by bigger 128GB and 258GB drives, respectively.
The new iPhone will get the latest A10 chip. While the processor is capable of 2.45 GHz, it's likely Apple will clock it more conservatively to avoid overheating and excessive power consumption. While the standard iPhone 7 is expected to continue with 2GB of RAM, memory is expected to increase to 3GB of RAM for the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus' new dual camera.
The iPhone 7 Plus' dual-lens rear-facing camera features two 12MP lenses, including one wide-angle 6P lens with optical image stabilization and a second telephoto 5P lens with a smaller pixel size.
According to Kuo, the physical home button will be replaced with a pressure-sensitive clickless design. Haptic software will mimic a clicking sensation when the new home "button" is pressed. The new design will also improve the water resistance of the iPhone.
This is hardly a secret anymore: the new iPhone will not have a headphone jack. Instead, the new Apple EarPods will feature a Lightning cable and a 3.5 mm jack adapter in the box. Taking away the headphone jack enables Apple to make a thinner and sleeker design. What's more, the extra packaging space also allowed the iPhone to feature an upgrade speaker and new sensors for an improved Force Touch.
Taking away the headphone jack and the physical home button will also improve the new iPhone's IPX7 water resistance rating. According to Kuo, the iPhone 7 should not only handle splashes, but even dips in the water up to one meter deep.
The new iPhone may upgrade its LED proximity sensors to laser for faster response and greater recognition distance. The new sensors may also have gesture recognition technology.
iPhone models in Japan are expected to have FeliCA NFC support, which was initially expected to arrive as late as 2017.
Finally, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the new iPhone should receive five color options. Customers will have a choice between the popular Silver, Gold and Rose Gold. However, the Space Gray iPhone will be replaced by a new "Dark Black" finish. Finally, glossy "Piano Black" will join as the new fifth color for the iPhone.
To learn about the new 2016 iPhone's pricing rumors, click here to see our article from earlier this week.
