Iphone 7 to Launch in 2016 - Specifications, Price and Features

Apple Has BIG Plans For 2016's iPhone 7: Specs, Hardware & Features DETAILED

We don't expect to see the iPhone 7 until the fall of 2016, so it's quite a ways off. Apple just released their 2015 models, the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus.

Apple has used an alternating "S" naming formula to mark years where the iPhone does not receive a major redesign since the debut of the iPhone 3GS in 2009. Releases have been as follows:

2007 - iPhone
2008 - iPhone 3G
2009 - iPhone 3GS
2010 - iPhone 4 (new design)
2011 - iPhone 4s
2012 - iPhone 5 (new design)
2013 - iPhone 5s
2014 - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (new design)
2015 - iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

The next-generation iPhone is expected to be called the iPhone 7. 2015 marked an "S" iPhone upgrade year that introduced new features such as an improved camera and a better processor, but 2016 will bring an even-year upgrade that will likely include an all-new iPhone design.

Apple's 2014 iPhone redesign brought the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus

We are too far away from the iPhone 7 launch to know what the new device will look like, but we can speculate that Apple will continue on its path of introducing more powerful, efficient devices that grow thinner with each design iteration. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to include next-generation A10 processors produced by TSMC.

It's likely Apple will continue releasing two versions of each iPhone, so we may see an iPhone 7 and an iPhone 7 Plus in 2016. Apple may stick to 4.7- and 5.5-inches, or take the opportunity to further refine screen sizes, shifting the dimensions somewhat to match the company's design vision for the updated phones.

Though the iPhone 7 isn't expected to launch until September of 2016, we're already hearing some rumors about the device. One rumor out of the Asian supply chain has said Apple will switch to glass-on-glass touch panels for the iPhone 7, potentially allowing for an edge-to-edge display, but a second, more reliable rumor from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, has disagreed with that point, suggesting Apple will stick with in-cell panels.

The continued use of in-cell panels for the iPhone 7 will allow Apple to make the device even thinner, approaching the thinness of the iPod touch at a point between 6.0mm and 6.5mm. Apple's current iPod touch measures in at 6.1mm, compared to 6.9mm for the iPhone 6 and 7.1mm for the iPhone 6 Plus. Like the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, the iPhone 7 will also use 3D Touch technology.

Apple may also be able to decrease the thickness of the iPhone 7 by up to 1mm by eliminating the headphone jack and instead adopting an all-in-one Lightning connector. According to Japanese site Mac Otakara, Apple will nix the headphone jack and instead introduce a Lightning port that will support both charging and music playback with Lightning-equipped headphones.

Apple may release EarPods with a Lightning connector alongside the new iPhone, and it's likely the company will produce adapters to allow existing headphones to plug into the device should it decide to eliminate the headphone jack.

Apple is unlikely to adopt AMOLED displays for the foreseeable future, according to Ming-Chi Kuo. This means the iPhone 7 will continue to use existing TFT-LCD display technology.

Apple has also reportedly ordered LCD display drivers from touchscreen supper Synaptics for its next-generation iPhones, suggesting its work on display driver integration (TTDI) chips may not be on schedule for inclusion in the iPhone 7. TDI chips pave the way towards an integrated display and Touch ID module, potentially doing away with the Home button, but it sounds like the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus will continue to feature a Home button.

Early rumors about the iPhone 7 suggest the next-generation device will have a strengthened, waterproof frame that ditches Apple's traditional aluminum casing for an all new material. The new body may be able to withstand both dust and water, making it better able to hold up when exposed to the elements.

According to another prediction from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus may have differing amounts of RAM. The smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 7 may ship with 2GB of RAM, while the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 7 may ship with 3GB RAM. Apple has included different features in the two devices in the past, with the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus offering different camera technology. The iPhone 6s Plus has Optical Image Stabilization for photo and video while the iPhone 6s does not.

We still have a long wait until the launch of the iPhone 7, but the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus launched in September of 2015.