The rumor mill surrounding the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, due out in September, has been running in overdrive. One of the longest running rumors is the fact that the 3.5mm headphone jack will be gone from the next model, allowing for a thinner version of the iPhone. With the removal of the headphone jack, rumors emerged that Apple and Beats were working on wireless headphones dubbed ‘AirPods’.

Other rumors include a bigger 3,100mAh battery for the iPhone 7 Plus and 256 GB of internal storage. While the iPhone 7 Plus is also rumored to have 3 GB of RAM, while the iPhone 7 will stick with the 2 GB found on current models.

Here is a roundup of what else we can likely expect to see from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

Release date

Apple will likely stick to its release pattern of past and launch the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in September. However, with WWDC starting on June 13, we are likely to get more clarity regarding the new iPhones with the release of iOS 10.

In September, we can expect to see the same screen sizes, 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch, which were first introduced with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

A familiar body size and shape

A series of case designs and a glass screen protector made by Cygnett hint at the idea that the iPhone 7’s body shape and size will look almost identical to the iPhone 6s.

Dual-lens camera

The rumors surrounding the cameras for both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have been mixed and varied. Some rumors have the next iPhone model with a flush camera while other rumors focus on a dual-lens camera.

The rumors and design images suggest that the iPhone 7 is likely to continue to have the single-lens camera while the iPhone 7 Plus could get a much-improved dual-lens camera. The dual-lens camera has also been linked with a high-end iPhone Pro model.

Redesigned antenna bands

The antenna bands are likely to be redesigned for the upcoming iPhone 7 models. The bands are expected to remain on the top, bottom and sides of the new iPhone while the thick white antenna bands across the back will disappear.  

Quad speakers seem unlikely

A few days ago, an alleged iPhone 7 prototype casing surfaced that showed an extra pair of speakers. The images of the prototype were posted to French tech website Nowhereelse.com and suggests the iPhone 7 would be much like the iPad Pro with speakers at the top and bottom of the device. As the quad speakers have not been spotted in previous design leaks, it is unlikely to be true.

Possible smart connector

Conflicting rumors emerged in March that the iPhone 7 Plus would come with a Smart Connector, which was introduced with the iPad Pro. What a Smart Connector on an iPhone would be used for is unknown, but could possibly be for battery cases or wireless charging.

Subsequent rumors have since dispelled the Smart Connector rumor with the latest images showing no holes for a Smart Connector.

All-in-one Lightning port

Rumors about the removal of the headphone jack have come from numerous sources. If it does happen Apple are likely to opt for an all-in-one Lightning port that could be used for both listening to music and charging. Headphones will then require a Lightning connector or 3.5mm jack-to-Lightning adapter in order to connect to the Lightning port.

Wireless charging technology

Possible wireless charging technology has been rumored to appear in the next iPhone. The rumors are mainly based on the fact that if the Lightning port is being used to listen to music there is no way  for you to charge your device. Whether the technology will make it into this year’s iPhone or be delayed to next year will be revealed in September.

Next year’s iPhone

We are still a few months away from the launch of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, but that has not stopped rumors emerging of what we can expect from Apple’s 10-year anniversary model next year. Rumors include the introduction of an OLED display, as well as the removal of the home button and integrated Touch ID, which were previously linked to the upcoming iPhone 7.  

Image credit: iphonedigital; Flickr