Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 7 [Merged]

F

fonzy91

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 4, 2007
117
167
Let me start by saying that I know we're a year away from both the iPhone 7 and iOS X, but it occurred to me that they will come together, and will definitely bring major innovations.

I don't want this to be a wish list, but more like a considerate debate of what they could bring, based on patents, Apple's history and rumours.

- iPhone 7. I think it might bring a new name such as "The New iPhone" (like happened with the iPad 3) or "iPhone Air" or whatever, just to emphasise the novelty and to avoid confusion with the 7 of the phone and the 10 of the iOS.
Even though the phone and the OS have never been at the same number I think they could restart the count with the advent of iOS X.

Hardware. We know now that Apple tends to keep the same form factor for the S models, so the iPhone 6S will probably look like the 6.
Despite the fact we know absolutely nothing about what it could look like, for the 7, I reckon the screen sizes will remain the same. However, I would expect to see new materials, liquid metal has been talked about for a while? There's also been many patents and acquisitions on Apple's sides regarding optical zoom, so I would be expecting a remarkably improved camera, and obviously more RAM and a more powerful processor.
Does anyone think it's going to get any thinner? Beside that, are we expecting any other futuristic features such as holograms and stuff? lol

I also believe the next true innovation would be having batteries that lasts a week, but as someone highlighted before, most people charge their devices overnight so there's not too much need for that.


- iOS X. Now that's a big one. And there's virtually nothing we know about it. What we do know though, is that iOS 9 focused principally on performances (although in my opinion it brings some really nice new features). Therefore, iOS X should be almost 100% focused on the user side, and do you think it could potentially bring a re-design like iOS 7 did?

We all know how much Apple loves to integrate all its interfaces, could iOS X then be the update that will bring the watchOS interface to the iPhone? (like in this concept
)

I also think the focus on Health and Music within iOS will keep growing.

DISCUSS.
 
If the battery lasted a week, it would be that much harder to sell us a new iPhone the following year. One thing I've found is that almost all phone manufactures release phones with adequate to decent battery life, so that in a year or two it will have degraded enough that makes you want a newer phone.
 
I reckon taptic feedback on iPhone would be more like what it is on the MacBooks. Why not implement a virtual home button, that like the MacBooks, feels like a physical button. Not sure how it would work aesthetically, but an iPhone which looks like one single piece of glass would look absolutely incredible.

The most interesting part of observing what apple does is seeing how they iterate a design over the generations. The past few (4-6) all have a similar (ish) aesthetic. But remember when the 4 leaked? it was such a radical departure from what we new to be 'iPhone design'.

So, Apple could surprise us with something completely different. I do think that simplicity is their end goal, so what ever we end up getting will fit in with that idea (e.g virtual home button, fingerprint sensor behind the screen etc.*)

*Wasn't there a patient filed for that? Can't remember where I saw it, but am sure it exists.
 
geoff5093 said:
If the battery lasted a week, it would be that much harder to sell us a new iPhone the following year. One thing I've found is that almost all phone manufactures release phones with adequate to decent battery life, so that in a year or two it will have degraded enough that makes you want a newer phone.
Click to expand...

Also known as planned obsolescence. They say that Thomas Edison knew how to make a lightbulb that would last practically forever, but of course, there's more money to be made if people have to keep buying replacements.
 
  • Like
Reactions: geoff5093
Apple used to surprise us. We used to be wowed every few years in an amazing way. Tweaking the specs for camera, resolution, screen size, ect. is not surprising. What would Apple add to iPhone 7 that actually makes us say WOW!

My ideas are:
  1. eInk display on the back of the phone.
  2. No headphone port and free Bluetooth headphones.
  3. Waterproof
  4. Shock resistant
  5. Projector
  6. Affordable smart house devices to pair with phone.
  7. Wireless charging
  8. Touch screen responds to hovering over
Let me know your ideas of REAL surprises.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NavySEAL6
There's a reason for that. We went from a brand new infant type of device to one that is mature. Feature iterations will be the norm from now on.

Besides, 3D Touch is a new way to interact with the iPhone in the 6S and 6S Plus. While it wasn't surprising that's only because Force touch was in the Apple Watch and MacBook touch pads first.
 
  • Like
Reactions: undies1993, kappaknight and eastercat
Buttonless. They've already laid the foundation for removing the home button: 3D Touch now can handle the multitasking, Siri is activated with your voice, and they've patented several ways to integrate fingerprint recognition into a portion of the display. All they need to do is relocate CC to the NC and do a swipe up to go home and they eliminate the need for a home button.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dokindo, jimbo1mcm, JaySoul and 3 others
The most wow features fell into 3 categories
1) what tech doesn't a phone already have (simulated reality touchscreen)
2) better way of doing something phones already do (visual VM)
3) something we already need/do but not via phone (like GPS)

What else in your life would you want added to your phone?
 
  • Like
Reactions: eastercat, QuarterSwede and Applejuiced
amsimone said:
Apple used to surprise us. We used to be wowed every few years in an amazing way. Tweaking the specs for camera, resolution, screen size, ect. is not surprising. What would Apple add to iPhone 7 that actually makes us say WOW!

My ideas are:
  1. eInk display on the back of the phone.
  2. No headphone port and free Bluetooth headphones.
  3. Waterproof
  4. Shock resistant
  5. Projector
  6. Affordable smart house devices to pair with phone.
  7. Wireless charging
  8. Touch screen responds to hovering over
Let me know your ideas of REAL surprises.
Click to expand...

For me, two things.

1) Waterproof
2) Touch ID embedded into screen

Wireless charging is nothing special. At all. You still need to plug whatever charges the device into the wall!!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: QuarterSwede
triptolemus said:
And what about Touch ID?
Click to expand...
They do have a patent for integrating that into the screen.

My guess is the 7 will either be getting rid of the bezels and buttons to make use of those patents, and possibly get a smaller phone while keeping the same screen size or it will go to being waterproof. Personally I'm hoping for waterproof, and that is the one feature that will get me to update to the 7 vs waiting for the 7S.
 
  • Like
Reactions: coltconnn and triptolemus
Shatterproof scratch resistant screens.
Waterproof
Better battery life.
With new flexible displays it can be folded clamshell style into an easily pocketed size but opened to a large display like we enjoy now on the Plus.

Basically I want innovations that will free me from a need for a case to keep my iPhone perfect enough for trade-in on AT&T Next.

There are camera innovations I want but won't know what they are until Apple tells me. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: coltconnn, eastercat and QuarterSwede
amsimone said:
Apple used to surprise us. We used to be wowed every few years in an amazing way. Tweaking the specs for camera, resolution, screen size, ect. is not surprising. What would Apple add to iPhone 7 that actually makes us say WOW!

My ideas are:
  1. eInk display on the back of the phone.
  2. No headphone port and free Bluetooth headphones.
  3. Waterproof
  4. Shock resistant
  5. Projector
  6. Affordable smart house devices to pair with phone.
  7. Wireless charging
  8. Touch screen responds to hovering over
Let me know your ideas of REAL surprises.
Click to expand...
I still think one of the major selling points for the iPhone 7 will be fast-charging.

Benched08 said:
Buttonless. They've already laid the foundation for removing the home button: 3D Touch now can handle the multitasking, Siri is activated with your voice, and they've patented several ways to integrate fingerprint recognition into a portion of the display. All they need to do is relocate CC to the NC and do a swipe up to go home and they eliminate the need for a home button.
Click to expand...
That was my first thought when I saw the 3D touch multitasking. That's probably why they redesigned the way the multitasking looks (at the time iOS 9 beta was released, we were unsure why). In fact, they talked about something similar in the iPhone 6 keynote about how they designed the iOS 7 gestures (such as swiping to go back) due to the future larger screen. We'll probably hear something similar next year.

CooKieMoNs7eR said:
I'll be happy if the iPhone 7 would include these things:

4K screen
waterproof
wireless charging
built in beats speakers
better battery life
better cpu/gpu
iOS 10
32GB base model
Click to expand...
A 4K screen? That's a bit overkill, I'm expecting higher resolutions but not that high. The last four are very likely, the rest not so much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hal~9000, eastercat and TruthWatcher412
I agree with other posters that there's a good chance the 7 will lack a home button because of 3D touch, which will allow them to shrink the bezels and incorporate Touch ID into the screen.
 
amsimone said:
Apple used to surprise us. We used to be wowed every few years in an amazing way. Tweaking the specs for camera, resolution, screen size, ect. is not surprising. What would Apple add to iPhone 7 that actually makes us say WOW!

My ideas are:
  1. eInk display on the back of the phone.
  2. No headphone port and free Bluetooth headphones.
  3. Waterproof
  4. Shock resistant
  5. Projector
  6. Affordable smart house devices to pair with phone.
  7. Wireless charging
  8. Touch screen responds to hovering over
Let me know your ideas of REAL surprises.
Click to expand...
The only one of those with any chance of happening is wireless charging.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lukkee24
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back