It's never too early to speculate on what Apple has in store for its next-generation iPhones. A new render for the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and 7 mini shows off a super-sleek device with no 3.5 mm headphone port, a new 3D Touch home button and wireless AirPods.
In late November, we reported that Apple was already working on a completely redesigned iPhone 7, which is expected to launch in September 2016. The company is reportedly making its next-generation iPhone so thin that it plans to abandon the standard 3.5 mm headphone port for a single Lightning port that will be used for charging, data transfer and audio.
The report suggested that Apple is planning on including updated EarPods in the box with a Lightning connector, which would no longer allow users to listen to audio while charging the smartphone. Apple will reportedly remedy this issue by introducing wireless "AirPods," which will likely connect to the iPhone 7 via Bluetooth, and the company has already applied for a trademark on "AirPods."
An artist has created renders for Apple's rumored "AirPods," in addition to images showing off the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus and 4-inch iPhone 7 mini. The iPhone 7 series will be the first to drop the physical home button in this artist's eyes, and will use a 3D Touch home button with haptic feedback, building off of the technology introduced in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
The images of the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and 7 mini also demonstrate that the antenna strips that currently grace the iPhone 6/6s series will no longer be visible, since they're now embedded directly into the interfaces of the device. The camera has also been reimagined as a 15 megapixel shooter that no longer protrudes from the rear of the handset.
The iPhone 7, 7 Plus and 7 mini will finally do away with the paltry 16 GB entry-level storage option and will be offered in 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage configurations. The artist has rendered the suggestion that Apple replace the Space Gray color option with Space Black, while keeping the current Silver, Gold and Rose Gold color choices.
As we move into 2016, you can bet we'll begin to hear and see what Apple has in store for the iPhone 7. What do you think of the new renders? Let us know in the comments below.
