6 interesting things we might already know about iPhone 7

We’re about to turn the calendar over to 2016. A new year brings lots of changes – some are expected, some are unexpected. Apple releasing a new iPhone is certainly expected, although many of the new features might be unexpected.

As with every release of Apple’s flagship device, there are a number of rumors swirling about which features the world might see. Nothing’s going to be official until sometime in September when Apple unveils the device, and the release is still far away enough for the company to be testing multiple models. Still, rumors are usually good indicators of where Apple is going.

Keep reading for some of the most exciting changes that you might see in the iPhone 7.

No iPhone 7 Headphone Jack

Let’s start with what might be the biggest change when it comes to lasting impact. This thinking has been around for a couple years now, and part of it is just logic: As the iPhone gets thinner every year, eventually the 3.5mm headphone jack won’t fit the design. After all, the current 6S and 6S Plus are barely thick enough to accommodate the headphone port, and Apple has signaled it wants to make the new iPhone thinner.

Without a headphone jack on the device, you’d have to use Bluetooth headphones or buy a set built with a Apple’s Lightning connector. This makes sense. Bluetooth headphones have been climbing in popularity and falling in price. The removal of a headphone jack also makes sense when you consider the latest MacBook, which eschews every port except for USB Type-C. With a thinner profile, any iPhone 7 expectations would have to assume the port is on its way out.

LiquidMetal

With all of this talk of thinness, you might be concerned about the durability of the new iPhone. Apple has already thought this through. Since 2010, Apple has maintained exclusive rights to use Liquidmetal in its products. A proprietary alloy, Liquidmetal is smoother than glass but more durable than virtually any metal alloy. With a casing built from Liquidmetal, a thinner iPhone won’t have to be a more fragile iPhone. With many industry analysts confident that the design of the new iPhone isn’t getting any thicker, it makes sense that Apple would look to incorporate such a durable material.

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USB Type-C

On that note, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Apple switch to USB Type-C in the iPhone 7. There is a precedent here in the 2015 MacBook. Apple has made it clear that they see the value that Type-C brings.

From one standpoint, it’s hard to envision Apple abandoning the Lightning standard just a few years after its introduction. Apple has shown that it’s not opposed to abandoning its own technologies, though: Just look at FireWire for an example. USB Type-C would also open the door for more peripherals to feature compatibility with both Macs and the new iPhones.

Three Sizes

For years, Apple stuck with its 3.5-inch form factor. In 2012 they budged a little bit, introducing the four-inch iPhone 5. When 2014 rolled around, Apple switched to 4.7 and 5.5-inch displays in order to better respond to the rest of the mobile market.

Some users find the current devices too large, though, and whispers have persisted that say Apple will release a four-inch model. While they might not have been ready to introduce one alongside the latest releases of the 6S and 6S Plus, it would make sense for the next iPhone. Apple’s had enough time to gauge consumers’ interest as well as their ability to adapt. Many of their users are still using the old 5S, the last of the four-inch iPhones.

By releasing a four-inch iPhone alongside the 7 and 7 Plus, Apple can hedge its bets with offerings at every end the mobile display spectrum

Improved 3D Touch

When Apple unveiled the iPhone 6S models, they compared the impact of 3D Touch to multitouch. It’s an interesting technology that’s still relatively young, meaning there’s a limitless number of untapped uses for it.

With that in mind, improved 3D Touch is one of the most logical iPhone 7 expectations. The technology is impressive in the 6S, but it lacks the level of polish that other features in the devices have. In the next iPhone, expect to see more granular responsiveness for 3D Touch. In addition, iOS 10 should have more fleshed-out support for the feature.

OLED Display

Although Apple has relied on LCD displays for years, there are better technologies available. OLED technology offers much better color and is many times more efficient than LCD technology, but they’ve historically been difficult to source in the volume that Apple requires.

Now it looks as though that might be changing. Analysts have stated that both Samsung and LG are increasing their capacity for OLED display development, and that’s been directly tied to Apple. You’ll want to temper your excitement for right now, as there have been other reports suggesting that Apple will wait until 2018 to incorporate OLED displays. That’s logical, but OLED displays have been around on smartphones for a few years now. It’s difficult to think that Apple wouldn’t be able to source them in large enough volume. However, Apple is well known for being demanding of its suppliers when it comes to component quality. Perhaps the switch will take some time after all.

Conclusion

In any case, 2016 is going to be an exciting year. With the 6S and 6S Plus out of the way, the path is cleared for the iPhone 7. These are always the most exciting years when it comes to iPhones because this is when Apple launches new designs and introduces the most advanced new features.

What do you think? Will these features be enough to satisfy your iPhone 7 expectations when it launches, or is there something more that you desire?

Let us know in the comments!