INQUISITR.COM / Science & Tech

iPhone 7 Leaks Continue To Fuel Camera Rumors Ahead Of Release Date

By Chris Crum
Published on: 03:37 PST, Jun 26, 2016

iPhone 7 leaks and rumors continue as consumers anticipate Apple’s new device ahead of its expected September release date. The latest comes from Rock Fix, a repair shop in China, which shared a picture of what is allegedly the rear casing of the upcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 7 model.

Engadget, which reported on the leak earlier, points out that fewer plastic antenna bands are shown, and that the main camera has been said to include a bigger CMOS sensor.

There have been contradictory rumors about the presence of a headphone jack on the upcoming iPhone models (the Inquisitr reported on this last week), but based on the newest reports, it sounds like the jack will be present on one of two 4.7-inch versions. According to Engadget’s report (citing Rock Fix), the cheaper version of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, which is most likely the one that will still have a jack, will replace the iPhone 6 in Apple’s iPhone offerings, while the iPhone 7 Plus offerings are expected to not have headphone jacks. In these models, users would most likely use the Lightning port or Bluetooth for audio.

The report also indicates that the models without the headphone jack will feature a dual-lens camera and that both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will have dual-SIM slots.

There’s a common theme throughout much of the media coverage of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus releases, and that’s the narrative that the company is bringing little to the table in terms of interesting new features that will help it combat a much-reported slump in sales.

According to BGR, Apple shares hit a 52-week low last month as a result of said sales slump and investor worries that Apple’s iPhone line has peaked. Last quarter, Apple reported a drop in iPhone sales for the first time since introducing the initial device in 2007. The company reported 51.1 million devices sold, compared to 61.2 million iPhones sold in the same quarter last year.

Apple faces more competition than ever, and seems to be doing little to demonstrate to consumers that it still provides an unmatched smartphone or that its updates are significant improvements over what is already available.

Of course this mentality may still be premature as we still have several months before laying our eyes on Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models.

Apple did recently give consumers a glimpse into what they can expect on the software side of things. Earlier this month, the company held its Worldwide Developers Conference in which it showed off the latest version of its operating system — iOS 10 — which will power the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The company called the update its “biggest iOS release ever.”

iOS 10 includes updates to the Messages, Photos, Music, and News apps, and features a new Home app.

“iOS 10 adds Siri intelligence into QuickType and Photos, automates your home with the new Home app and opens up Siri, Maps, Phone and Messages to developers — while increasing security and privacy with powerful technologies like Differential Privacy,” said Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi upon introduction of the update.

With iOS 10 users can utilize a new “Raise to Wake” feature, which automatically wakes the iPhone screen as the device is raised. According to Apple, the feature makes it easier to view notifications from the Lock screen. Notifications, the Today view, and the Control Center can be accessed with a swipe or a press in iOS 10, which also includes deeper 3D Touch integration with iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and likely the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

The Phone app in iOS 10 adds third-party VoIP call integration as well as voicemail transcription, and a new caller ID extension for spam alerts. Additionally, there’s a split-view feature for Safari on iPad. Apple Pay for iOS 10 adds payments on websites using Safari, while the Bedtime Alarm feature in the Clock app will now enable you to set a regular sleep schedule and get bedtime reminders.

iOS 10 will be available in public beta in July. It will be available as a free software update for iPhone 5 and later, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, iPad 4th generation, iPad mini 2 and later, and iPod touch 6th generation in the fall. Again, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 7 models in September.

[Photo VCG/Getty Images]

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