Very little is known about Apple’s plans for the next version of its popular iPhone, and none of the rumors we reported on two months ago have been confirmed as yet. Instead, new rumors have surfaced, adding fuel to the fire.

It’s widely expected that Apple will stick to its usual launch schedule and release the new iPhone along with iOS 9 in September. Despite some rumors that Apple may release the iPhone 6s, we are sticking with the iPhone 7 naming as suggested by a well-respected analyst.

A note to investors, spotted by MacRumors, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a respectable track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming plans, revealed several details related to the next-generation iPhone:

It may have Force Touch technology similar to Apple Watch

Kuo believes the new iPhone will include Force Touch technology similar to the new MacBook and Apple Watch. Force Touch on iPhone, notes Kuo, will work differently to the way it does on Apple Watch. Instead of relying on a pressure sensor, the new iPhone will sense the “contact area on which the finger touches the screen to decide how big the pressure is.”

It will be called the iPhone 7

Citing the aforementioned Force Touch technology, Kuo thinks it’s a big enough leap in technology for Apple to call its new smartphone the “iPhone 7” instead of “iPhone 6s,” like some rumors suggest.

Two sizes and no 4-inch iPhone 6c

In the same note, Kuo claims that Apple is sticking to the two sizes, 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch, made popular with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, respectively. He notes that the company is unlikely to release a new 4-inch model this year.

The next iPhone could be available in pink

Last month a report in The Wall Street Journal suggested that Apple was testing a new pink color for its next iPhone. The report centered on a possible “iPhone 6s” variant and noted that the experiment may not make it to production. If it does, Apple fans may have a new color option in addition to the traditional space gray, silver and gold offered.

It will have an SLR-quality camera

Rumors of a better camera in the next iPhone have been around for a while now. In November, John Gruber wrote that the next iPhone will have the “biggest camera jump ever,” thanks to a new two-lens system.

The possibility of an improved camera in the iPhone 7 is made more likely when taking into account Apple’s recent acquisition of Israeli camera technology company LinX Computational Imaging, Ltd. Incorporating LinX’s technology, the iPhone 7 could take better photos in low-light conditions, reduce noise and lend it SLR-like capabilities.

Improved processing power

The next iPhone is likely to have a more powerful processor, dubbed the A9, and manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., according to a report by Bloomberg.

The iPhone 7 could bend – intentionally

In January, reports surfaced of a new patent awarded to Apple for technology that will give phones “flexible touch-sensitive layers and flexible display cover layers.” The patent also details flexible internal components, including “flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components.”

This may suggest Apple is working on either a bendable iPhone or an iPhone with a curved screen. While curved screen technology exists, it is far from mature enough to withstand the wear and tear associated with smartphone usage, so this may be one of the more far-fetched rumors doing the rounds.

photo credit: iPhone 7 Front via photopin (license)