The new iPhone 7 release is just around the corner, but will it have the features necessary to steal consumer attention away from Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7? We break down all the rumored features of the new iPhone and which ones are essential to make it a worthy competitor.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 released for pre-order on August 3 and so far the reviews have been raving. Indeed, the mass praise received for the device have led some reviewers to suggest that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 may be hard pressed to keep up.
But while the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 certainly comes with some pretty fancy bells and whistles, a recent survey by Fluent indicates that curvy screens, iris scanners and VR capabilities have little influence over whether or not consumers will be interested in buying the next iPhone.
Based off the survey and rumored features of the new iPhone 7, we’ve drawn up a list of five features the iPhone 7 will need to include at the September 7 Apple reveal event to keep it running alongside the Galaxy Note 7.
5 Must-Have Features Of The New iPhone 7
Waterproofing
Ok, anyone who’s spent a fair amount of time working with iPhones knows spilled liquids are the bane of our existence. Having seen two of my husband’s iPhones rendered completely useless after an accidental dunk in the commuter cup of coffee or the immersive orange soda bath, compliments of our 6-year-old, one of the iPhone’s weakest links has always been its lack of water resistance. It’s not surprising then that both Android and iPhone users alike listed waterproofing as the number one rumored feature they felt the new iPhone 7 needed to make it a worthy competitor.
While a completely waterproof device isn’t likely to make an appearance a more water resistant version may actually be a reality. This entire iPhone 7 rumor season we’ve heard ongoing chatter about the removal of the traditional headphone jack. If the iPhone 7 does move to the Bluetooth only headphone system then the device would be much more waterproof as it would have only a single port connection to protect.
Storage
I found the mention of storage to be slightly odd, seeing as the iPhone 6 models and later allow for a generous 128 GB of storage. But despite this, the second most desired feature by people surveyed was storage. While some rumors emerged earlier this year that the iPhone 7 could include up to 256 GB of storage, there’s been little mention of increased storage in the latest rumor round-ups. However, one expected storage change is the removal of a 16GB iPhone 7 option.
While Apple kept the 16GB option for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, claiming that with cloud storage people should still find 16GB ample, most consumers simply don’t agree and so the removal of this option is expected when the iPhone 7 releases.
Battery Life
I was actually surprised this only comes in number 3 for the iPhone 7 wish list, since battery life seems to be one of the loudest complaints I here from iPhone users. Though Apple has slowly worked to improve the battery life on its devices, there’s still some work that could be done there.
Rumors of a larger battery have been floating around throughout the iPhone 7 rumor season and recent leaks of the iPhone 7 hardware suggest a battery 14 percent larger than the iPhone 6S battery. With a larger battery, we’re almost certainly guaranteed improved battery life as well.
Body Redesign
The fourth most desired features the survey revealed were changes to the iPhone 7 body design – namely in terms of Touch ID functionality.
Slimmer Body, Better Touch ID Functions
According to the survey, many consumers hope to see a slimmer iPhone 7, but even more than a slimmer build, potential iPhone 7 buyers hope the Touch ID will also see a redesign. Devices with the Touch ID capability – particularly the iPhone 6 -- have reported problems with the feature's functionality becoming glitchy over time. The issue has become widespread enough that it’s actually earned the nickname of "Touch Disease" by bloggers at iFixit and repair shops across the country. The problem is thought to be an extension of issues with Bendgate back at the iPhone 6 release.
While there aren’t a lot of details about how Apple might make the iPhone 7 slimmer without sacrificing sturdiness, there are rumors that the Touch ID will indeed see changes.
According to various design leaks we’ve seen, there are indications that Apple is planning to switch the physical Touch ID home button for a solid state capacitive button you would use via force touch motion on the phone’s screen. Changing the design of the biometric authentication tool may be just what the iPhone 7 needs to avoid those glitchy Touch ID issues from resurfacing.
More Color Choices
Besides these changes many consumers are also hoping to see a wider range of color choices for the body of their iPhone 7. Last fall Apple introduced a new "Rose Gold" option that sold like wildfire among iPhone users. This year, the iPhone 7 is rumored to add even more color choices including "Space Black" and "Deep Blue.”
Duel Lens Camera
Rumors that a dual lens camera might make its way to the iPhone expand back to the Phone 6S, but so far we haven’t seen any solid evidence that the feature will be included in the iPhone 7. Still, with our increasingly photo-centric society, it’s not surprising this feature made it onto the list of the most anticipated features of the iPhone 7.
