Is this the new iPhone 7? Just as with any leak, we’re not entirely sure – but it’s a good representation of recent rumours by any measure.
An image depicting what could be a dummy version of Apple’s next flagship iPhone has been posted online. The snap comes courtesy of MacRumors, which says: “An anonymous tipster has submitted a photo of a possible preproduction iPhone 7 dummy unit.”
Unfortunately, we can’t verify the image – and neither can MacRumors – so take this report with due caution.
Nonetheless, it’s still worth examining some of the more interesting points about the supposed dummy unit. At the bottom of the phone, there are three dots. That gels with a previously leaked schematic that also depicted three dots at the bottom of the next iPhone. It’s been rumoured that these represent drill holes for a Smart Connector. To date, Apple’s Smart Connector has only featured on the iPad Pro, and is used to attach a Smart Keyboard accessory. If the iPhone 7 does feature a Smart Connector, it’s likely to serve a similar function.
It’s also worth noting that the phone no longer features the notorious antenna bands that have blighted previous iPhone rears. Recent rumours have suggested these visible bands would be banished with the iPhone 7, and the back-plate definitely looks a lot nicer without them.
The third point of interest is the flush camera lens. On recent iPhones, the camera has bulged outward, meaning that the handset never truly lies flat. But on this supposed dummy unit, the camera is perfectly in line with the rest of the chassis. The protruding camera has been a sticking point for Apple, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see it remedied next time around.
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Next up is the headphone jack, which seems to have been wiped from existence on this handset. Or wiped from the bottom of the phone, at least. It’s long been rumoured that the iPhone 7 will abandon the 3.5mm port, instead forcing users to connect headphones via the Lightning port.
Finally, the phone looks very similar proportionally to the iPhone 6S. Recent schematic leaks have suggested the dimensions of the iPhone 7 would match the iPhone 6S millimetre for millimetre. That seems like it might be the case with this latest leak too.
Whether this leak is legitimate or not, we can’t say. But it’s a very good depiction of all of the major iPhone 7 rumours to date. At the very least, this is the best concept we’ve seen for the iPhone 7 so far, even if it is a phoney.
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What would you like to see from the iPhone 7? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.