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Apple's 2016 iPhone Update to Focus on Headphone Jack Removal, Major Changes Won't Come Until 2017

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Rumors have suggested the 2016 iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will not feature major design changes aside from the removal of the headphone jack, information that has been confirmed in a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus will continue to feature 4.7 and 5.5-inch displays, with only "subtle changes" to the exterior of the devices. Past rumors indicate the two devices will be the same general size as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, but with relocated antenna bands that no longer span across the back of the bodies.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the removal of the headphone jack will make the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus thinner while also improving its water resistance. Just how thin is a matter of contention in rumors -- schematics show little reduction in thickness but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the iPhone 7 could be 1mm thinner than the current iPhone 6s.

iphone7mockupantennabands-800x659.jpg
Mockup of what the iPhone 7 will look like​

While 2016 will mark a minor update, 2017 will bring major changes to the iPhone in celebration of the device's 10th anniversary. Citing sources "familiar with the matter," The Wall Street Journal suggests features could include an edge-to-edge OLED display with built-in Touch ID fingerprint support to allow Apple to eliminate the home button.

Apple is said to be deviating from its standard tick-tock upgrade cycle in order to introduce major new features in the 2017 iPhone, which take time to develop.
At a meeting with an Apple executive last month, one of the company's China-based engineers asked why this year's model lacked a major design change in keeping with Apple's usual two-year cycle. The answer, one person at the meeting recalled, was that the new technology in the pipeline will take time to implement.

People familiar with the matter said some features that Apple hopes to integrate into iPhones, such as curved screens, weren't ready for this year's models.
Click to expand...
It is not known if Apple is permanently moving away from introducing new designs on an every-other-year basis, or if the 2016-2017 shift is a temporary one.

While The Wall Street Journal's report confirms the removal of the headphone jack in the next-generation iPhone, it makes no mention of other feature improvements that are expected, including a larger camera sensor in the iPhone 7 and a dual-camera setup in the iPhone 7 Plus.

Article Link: Apple's 2016 iPhone Update to Focus on Headphone Jack Removal, Major Changes Won't Come Until 2017
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/21/2016-iphone-to-feature-minor-changes/
SMIDG3T

SMIDG3T

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Oh look. Someone else telling us what we know/many others have told us already. It's pretty obvious why Apple aren't making major changes this year with the iPhone 7, if you don't know, well, I'll give you a hint, it's something to do with the 10th anniversary of the iPhone.
 
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bushido

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awesome, saves me the money. at this point i dont even care about hardware specs, smartphones are "smart" and "fast" enough as it is and iOS 10 doesnt seem to introduce anything major that may slow down my iPhone 6 unless Apple does it on purpose. May sound shallow but at this point i just want an actual redesign, especially in this price category. I am not spending over 800 Euro on the same phone again. Oh well, maybe next year
 
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kodos

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SMIDG3T said:
Oh look. Someone else telling us what we know/many others have told us already. It's pretty obvious why Apple aren't making major changes this year with the iPhone 7, if you don't know, well, I'll give you a hint, it's something to do with the 10th anniversary of the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Another reason, "cannot innovate any more". Not that their competition is doing anything interesting either. So, will be interesting to see what happens to the smartphone industry over the next few years.
 
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SMIDG3T

SMIDG3T

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kodos said:
Another reason, "cannot innovate any more". Not that their competition is doing anything interesting either. So, will be interesting to see what happens to the smartphone industry over the next few years.
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No but they can. Did you know get what I was saying? This year we'll see, effectively an iPhone 6ss while next year, we'll see a WHOLE new iPhone. OLED display (possibly curved), embedded Touch ID, true wireless charging etc.
 
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VulchR

VulchR

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I must say I hope for a major update. I tend to hold onto my phones until they wear out (still using a 4S). It'll annoy me if I buy an iPhone only to have it outclassed markedly the following year by something major that could have been introduced earlier...
 
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2IS

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I usually upgrade every two years on the numbered cycle (iPhone 4, 5, and now 6) but the closer the 7 comes to release, the less exciting it seem to be. I may end up keeping my 6 past it's Apple Care coverage, which would be a first for me.
 
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nutmac

nutmac

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I am frankly fine with iPhone switching from 2-year to 3-year cycle. Both iPad Pro and MacBook Pro are based on 4-year old design (iPad mini and first retina MacBook Pro, respectively).

And if you look at competitors like Samsung Galaxy, most have abandoned 2-year major refresh cycle long ago.

Having said that, I am frankly disappointed that 3rd iteration of iPhone 6 may still keep the camera bulge and antenna bands.
 
ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

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Switching to a 3 year cycle instead of a 2 year cycle would increase how often a lot of people are upgrading, I think.

Everyone I know who owns a 6 or 6+ is planning on waiting until the 8/8+ to upgrade. They're aware of how much the new hardware costs (now that it isn't masked with a subsidy), and so they're making it last longer. Rather than waiting for a single tick-tock cycle, they're planning on waiting through 2 tick-tock cycles between upgrades.

But if Apple swaps to doing major upgrades every 3 years instead of every 2 years... they may choose to upgrade every 3 years instead of every 4 years. The alternatives are either buying a phone with no major new features (the equivalent of picking up an S in the past) or to have to wait 6 years between upgrades.
 
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