iPhone 7 Release: Pre-Orders Begin Sept. 9, In-Store Release Slated For Middle To Late September

After much speculation and a few false starts, it can now be reported that the iPhone 7 release is slated for later next month, according to reports.

9 to 5 Mac is reporting that the iPhone 7 release will begin with an announcement, followed by pre-orders before the iPhone 7 itself is released on store shelves.

The information used to confirm the iPhone 7 release dates come from leaked store planning information 9 to 5 Mac obtained from sources connected to AT&T.

“Specifically, the guidance calls out September 9 and September 23 as dates for merchandising resets. This could suggest that advertising for pre-orders could be planned for September 9 as expected and new iPhone models could hit the floor on September 23, a week later than previously expected.”

The Apple blog also reported that an official announcement regarding the new iPhone 7 release is expected a few days before pre-orders, coming on September 7 at an event hosted by Apple.

With the iPhone 7 release all but confirmed for next month, many Apple fans are curious to know what will be in the latest iteration of the iPhone product line. Forbes reported on the iPhone 7 release date and said the biggest change will be the lack of a headphone jack.

“That said I would argue it is crucial Apple ‘sells’ the loss of the headphone jack as a gain overall by arguing it allows the iPhone 7 to take new, appealing steps forward,” Forbes‘ Gordon Kelly said. “These include higher quality sound through the Lightning port, more space for a bigger battery, waterproofing and yes, stereo speakers and (in absence of a design overhaul) the compensation of an upgraded home button and internals.”

While there has been talk of no headphone jack on the latest iPhone model, there has also been talk of a top-of-the-line iPhone model coming to market upon the iPhone 7 release next month. But according to a different report by Kelly, there appears to be no iPhone 7 Pro in the pipeline.

Sourcing reports out of Japan, the Forbes writer said the iPhone 7 release will just focus on the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, its larger sibling.

He went on to explain that the biggest problem with designing a higher-end iPhone 7 Pro was the fact that quantities could have been limited for the high-end model with most production focusing on both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

“This would have seen the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus share the same single lens camera while the iPhone 7 Pro sat above them in limited quantities with the upgraded optics.

“Now Apple believes manufacturing constraints around the dual lens camera have been resolved so it can be fitted into every iPhone 7 Plus and there is no need to expand the range. Such a scenario would also explain why we have repeatedly seen photos of three iPhone 7 models.”

With the lack of a third high-end device upon the iPhone 7 release next month, it remains to be seen how many Apple enthusiasts will invest in the new iPhone 7 models or hold out for the iPhone 8 expected to be released in the United States sometime in Spring or Summer 2017.

As for the iPhone 7 release in September, with AT&T and other stores prepping their stores to stock the unit, it appears Apple is moving forward with plans to roll out a mid-level iPhone that will neither thrill the masses nor make major advances in the smartphone market. What it will do is move the company forward with its eventual rollout of the iPhone 8 and the excitement expected upon the release of a new smartphone 10 years after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and his team shook up the mobile phone world, bringing the world to your fingertips and forever changing the world of computing, dialing, and so much more.

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]