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iPhone 7 rumor roundup: ‘Pro’ version, OLED displays, more
iPhone 7 rumor season is in full swing and recent reports suggest Apple may introduce a “Pro” version of its 5.5-inch iPhone, finally incorporate OLED displays, and hint at a thinner design with stereo sound.
OLED displays coming in 2017
It may not happen this year, but 2017’s iPhone 7s lineup might have OLED display technology — a year earlier than initial rumors suggested.
A report from Chinese website Nikkei (via AppleInsider) claims that Apple contacted South Korean display manufacturers LG and Samsung in December to arrange increased OLED production in time for next year’s iPhone launch. Apple is also said to have alerted the relevant industry associations of the change in screen technology for 2017’s iPhones.
Why would Apple want to introduce OLED displays? The answer is simple: better battery life (each pixel in an OLED display is self illuminating whereas LED displays are backlit and require more juice) and more flexible and thinner iPhones (no backlight equals a thinner display).
New design: Flush rear-camera, stereo speakers, no 3.5mm headphone jack
These are not new rumors, but a new report adds some validity to them. Japanese blog Mac Otakara (via Mac Rumors) claims that the iPhone 7 will feature a thinner Lightning port, lose the 3.5mm headphone jack as well as the antenna bands and camera bulge on the rear of the device.
In addition, the blog suggests that the iPhone 7 will feature an extra speaker, giving the device stereo sound — a feature already predicted by Barclays analysts earlier this year.
A thinner iPhone 7 was first predicted in September by renowned KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who, at the time, claimed Apple’s next iPhone would be as thin as the iPod touch: just 6.1mm. Mac Otakara’s report bolsters Kuo’s position, claiming the iPhone 7 may be 1mm thinner than the 7.1mm iPhone 6s.
Further supporting rumors of a thinner iPhone 7 are reports that Apple will drop the conventional 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of Lightning connector-enabled EarPods and new Bluetooth-equipped AirPods. Although thinner than the current Lightning port opening, the port on the iPhone 7 will be fully compatible with current Lighting connectors, claims the report.
New ‘iPhone Pro’ model with dual cameras
Rumors of a dual-lens camera system for the iPhone are not new. What is new is the suggestion that Apple may launch a “high-end” iPhone 7 Plus with a dual-lens camera setup, dubbed the “iPhone Pro.”
The dubious report, from Chinese site MyDrivers, claims Apple will stick to a single-lens camera setup for the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus, but create a separate device for its dual-lens camera tech made possible by its purchase of Israeli mobile camera maker LinX Imaging last year.
MyDrivers may be unknown in the Apple rumor game, but their report is corroborated (somewhat) by Kuo. Mac Rumors got their hands on a research report in which the analyst predicts that Apple will release two versions of its larger iPhone, one with a single-lens camera and one with a dual-lens camera system.
Image credit: iphonedigital, Flickr
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