Apple may be planning a significant upgrade for its iPhone 7 displays, at least according to this latest leak.
A Weibo user called @KK – a reputable mobile industry leaker – has released an image depicting what they claim are screen panels for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7. Both the panels for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are included, with one important titbit of info: the display resolution.
According to @KK, the iPhone 7 will feature a 4.7-inch 1080p display, while the iPhone 7 Plus will feature a 5.5-inch 2K display. So what does that mean?
Well, the iPhone 6S currently features a panel with a 1,334 x 750 pixel resolution. But a 1080p display has 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, which means the iPhone 7 could feature a huge rise in pixel density, resulting in a sharper, more detailed screen image.
The iPhone 6S Plus, meanwhile, features a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel display, but @KK says we can expect the iPhone 7 Plus to move to 2K. But we’re not convinced, because 2K panels are only 2,048 x 1,080 pixels, which isn’t a huge jump, and has a 17:9 aspect ratio – not the conventional 16:9.
However, 2K is often used interchangeably with QHD when talking about displays. And we’d say that a QHD display – that’s 2,560 x 1,440 pixels – is far more likely to feature, especially since it sticks to the 16:9 aspect ratio. What’s more, several flagship iPhone rivals already use that calibre of display, including the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
So what else does the leak tell us? Well, one of the panels is reportedly built by JDI, which is a known Apple screen supplier, and that’s about it.
Apple’s iPhone 6S has a resolution of just 1,334 x 750 pixels
Unfortunately, the main problem with this leak is that we have no way of telling whether it’s legitimate. Weibo’s @KK has often been reliable in the past, but this particular leak confuses us. Firstly, we haven’t seen any other leaks suggesting that Apple is planning a display resolution bump. What’s more, hiking display resolutions creates a number of problems, including forcing developers to adapt their apps, and also increasing the drain on battery life.
That said, the iPhone 7 is expected to be a fairly underwhelming affair, at least in terms of upgrades. Improving display resolution would be an easy way for Apple to woo customers.
Apple is set to reveal the iPhone 7 at a dedicated launch event in September, potentially alongside the Apple Watch 2.
Related: iPhone 8
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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 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.