Editors’ note, August 26: This article was originally published on July 29 and we’ll continue to add new rumors and stories as they emerge.
Will the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus be bigger than their predecessors?
Giga.deIt sounds like we are back on track.
The old talk rumors about manufacturing issues, supply chain anxiety, and “panic” in Cupertino have ceased. The new rumors say: new iPhones on September 12. (This is unconfirmed, of course: Apple did not respond to our inquiries.)
And all it took was confirmation from veteran Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that all three models are currently in mass production. Well, that and a very sunny Apple earnings call.
In addition to delivering the reassuring news that we’ll see new Apple phones in early September, Kuo also dropped a few other predictions: the three phones will come in black, silver and gold — and all of them will support quick-charging, though you’ll need Apple’s $49 USB-C power adapter accessory (or something like it).
So, after all of that drama — real or imagined — we once again expect to see the iPhone 8, the iPhone 7S and the iPhone 7S Plus introduced in about 20 days. (We could see the Apple Watch 3 and a 4K Apple TV box, too.) As the rumors continue to emerge, we’ll collect them all below.
iPhone 7S specs we might see:
- Overall, an incremental update of the current generation iPhone 7
- Slightly heavier, thicker, and longer than the current generation
- LCD display with TrueTone
- Apple’s next-generation processor (the A10X or A11)
- Physical home button with support for Touch ID
- iOS 11 (preview)
- Inductive wireless charging
- Aluminum and/or glass case
- Enhanced waterproofing
- Black, silver and gold options
- 2GB of RAM
- Priced around $649 (iPhone 7S) and $769 (iPhone 7S Plus)
Announcement and release dates
True to form, Apple has officially announced nothing about the iPhone 7S or 7S Plus. After months of palace intrigue about Apple’s reported manufacturing issues, we now expect the company to introduce and ship the “S” series sometime during the first half of September. Tech blog Mac4Ever, citing French telecom sources, has pegged September 12, 2017 for the introduction and September 22 for the release.
For months, we heard speculation that Apple might not have the flagship iPhone 8 ready to go until late 2017, and that the “S” series was also in jeopardy of missing the deadline. In mid-July, Economic News Daily (via MacRumors) reported that all forthcoming iPhone models were facing “production delays.” Based on the most recent reports from the supply chain and Apple’s own heady earnings forecast, however, it appears as though all of those issues were either overly hyped or somehow resolved.
They may be a bit bigger
Most reports suggest that phone sizes will remain the same, setting the stage for a 4.7-inch iPhone 7S and 5.5-inch iPhone 7S Plus. German site giga.de reports that this year’s “S” series may be just a tad beefier than the previous generation, though with slightly less of a bulge around the camera lenses.
The two on the left are said to be iPhone 8 components; the two on the right are said to be coming to the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus, respectively.
kamisky via redditThey may be made of glass and steel
There’s no clear consensus on what material Apple will use for the “S” phones. Some expect them to have an aluminum alloy chassis (DigiTimes); others say the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus will be all glass and steel — just like the iPhone 8.
One or both may have dual cameras
The forthcoming 7S Plus is nearly certain to have two cameras on the back, consistent with the current generation 7 Plus, though it’s conceivable that the entry-level iPhone 7S could also get two rear-facing lenses in order to make fuller use of the AR capabilities featured in next generation of Apple’s mobile operating system’s (more on that below).
There have been rumors about Touch ID migrating to the back of the next generation iPhone.
They will probably have Touch ID
Much of the speculation about the iPhone 8, and one of the major factors faulted for delaying production, involves a rumored virtual home button and its integration with Touch ID. The iPhone 7S and 7S Plus, however, are expected to stick with the current generation’s conventional setup: a fingerprint sensor embedded in a physical home button.
They might support inductive wireless charging
Most of the “wireless charging” rumors — technically, it’s called inductive charging — have revolved around the iPhone 8. But the CEO of Wistron, a Taiwanese iPhone assembler, reportedly revealed that that an upcoming 5.5-inch iPhone model — assumed to be the 7S Plus — would be waterproof and support wireless charging. That noted, the iPhone 8 is said to be very similar in size to the iPhone 7 Plus, so this is one of the murkier rumors around. Nevertheless, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next generation of iPhones will support faster USB-C-powered “plugged-in” charges, as well as an Apple Lightning connection.
They may step up to Apple’s next-generation processor
We do hear that the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus will get a performance upgrade; all three 2017 models are said to use Apple’s next-generation A11 chip.
What about the iPhone SE?
Most of the iPhone buzz has centered around the 10th-anniversary model, and, to a lesser extent, the 7S and 7S Plus. There’s been hardly any discussion of the future of the littlest member of Apple’s lineup: the iPhone SE. Of course this, in and of itself, may be a signal of some kind: veteran Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has speculated that Apple will not deliver a new iPhone SE in 2017. And Pan Jiutang, another analyst, says that, given low demand for the smaller form factor, Apple may abandon the product altogether (via Cult of Mac).
The 4-inch iPhone SE debuted in March 2016, a few months after the introduction of the iPhone 6S, upon which it is closely based. Last May, Apple increased the SE’s storage capacity but left the price unchanged — $399 for the 32GB model and $499 for the 128GB edition.
How big a deal is iOS 11?
Potentially pretty big, given what we know so far. Apple delivered a preview of iOS 11 at this year’s WWDC and released the public beta in June (here’s how to install it). AR will be a big part of iOS 11, and both the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus could feature dual lens rear cameras in order to fully capitalize on iOS 11’s potential. Other highlights of the mobile operating system include a smarter, more capable Siri, screen recording, and a new Music app. Read more about iOS 11 in our preview.
Price
Given the dearth of blockbuster features, we don’t expect Apple to tinker with the “S” series pricing too much. Expect the iPhone 7S to start around $649 (£500 and AU$850) and the iPhone 7S Plus at $769 (£580 and AU$980). The iPhone 8, on the other hand, is rumored to start somewhere between $850 and $1,200. (The New York Times just reported a price of “around $999.”)
