The latest leak on Apple's next iPhones comes from one of the company's suppliers, as the CEO of iPhone assembler Wistron apparently let slip that the iPhone 7s Plus will be waterproof and feature wireless charging.
Wistron is a smaller company compared to more prominent Apple suppliers such as Pegatron and Hon Hai Precision Industry, but it is splitting Apple's orders for the iPhone 7s Plus with Hon Hai, more popularly known as Foxconn.
iPhone 7s Plus Features: Waterproof With Wireless Charging
Speaking to reporters after Wistron's annual shareholders' meeting, company CEO Robert Hwang talked about the increased difficulty in manufacturing new iPhones compared to previous models.
According to Hwang, the assembly process for the new models has not seen much change. However, he added that new features such as waterproofing and wireless charging will require different testing procedures, with the first one causing a slight adjustment in the assembly process.
Fubon Securities's Arthur Liao and Yuanta Investment Consulting's Jeff Pu claimed that Wistron is manufacturing the iPhone 7s Plus with Foxconn, which means that the larger iPhone will come with these two features.
Wistron currently manufactures the iPhone SE, which might mean that the waterproofing technology that will be found in the iPhone 7s Plus will not see an improvement compared to the iPhone 7 Plus. The manufacturer could simply be upgrading its assembly process as it has to incorporate the feature.
Hwang's confirmation of wireless charging for the iPhone 7s Plus, however, is a big leak, especially for users who have long clamored for Apple to introduce the feature into the iPhone.
Will The iPhone 7s, iPhone 8 Also Come With These Features?
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus already received an IP67 rating, which meant that the smartphones could survive being submerged under a meter of water for 30 minutes. Apple will likely not roll back on the feature, and so it is a safe bet to assume that the iPhone 7s and the iPhone 8 will also come with at least and IP67 rating as well.
There have been rumors that the premium iPhone 8 will come with a higher IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. This would allow the smartphone to keep working after being submerged under 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. The feature, however, has not surfaced in leaks for the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus.
Wireless charging, meanwhile, is rumored to come to all three upcoming iPhone models. The claim was made in February by famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, refuting previous reports that it will only be seen in the iPhone 8.
Evidence of wireless charging, however, has only been seen so far for the iPhone 8. A leaked schematic in April revealed that the iPhone 8 will indeed support Qi-based wireless charging. Meanwhile, leaked front and rear panels for the iPhone 8 revealed that the back panel will be made of glass, which is a requirement for wireless charging capabilities.
All the information regarding the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and iPhone 8 will be announced in September. The supply of the iPhone 8, however, may experience some delays.
