Tired of being a wall hugger? The iPhone 7 may have a bigger battery
By Malarie Gokey —
Enjoying the feel of that sparkly new rose goldiPhone 6S in your hand, and the joy of 3D Touch? Well, we don’t want to spoil that, but Apple’s already working on the iPhone 7, and rumors about it are beginning to heat up. Here’s what we think we know about Apple’s next major smartphone release so far.
Leaked pics may reveal battery size
Battery life on the iPhone has never been extraordinary, but it may get a slight boost on the iPhone 7. A leaked photo from China claims to show a 7.04 watt-hour battery pack for the iPhone 7, which would be larger than the current 6.61 watt-hour battery in the iPhone 6S or the 7.01 watt-hour battery in the iPhone 6S Plus.
If this really is the iPhone 7’s battery pack, that’s good news for iPhone users. However, the source is unknown and its impossible to verify whether the battery is real or not, so treat this rumor with skepticism.
Dual cameras, but only on select models
Apple has always steadily improved the iPhone’s camera, and since the introduction of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, has subtly separated them by making a few features unique to the larger Plus model. This may continue with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, according to rumors.
BOGO Offer: Buy a Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, Get one FREE at Verizon Wireless
A newly leaked image of what may be the iPhone 7 Plus appeared on a Chinese website called Bastille Post. The image appears to show a dual-camera sensor on the back of the device, as well as the small antenna lines along the bottom edges, which we saw in a previous leak.
There’s also some kind of smart connector on the device in this pic, which may be like the one on the iPad Pro, though we’re not sure what it’d be used for on the iPhone. Of course, Bastille Post is an unknown publication, so these could very well be fake images. However, if the iPhone were to have dual cameras, we imagine the setup would look something like this.
In a February report, Macrumors says Apple will reduce the size of the iPhone 7’s camera lens so it sits flush with the body, rather than sitting proud like it does on the iPhone 6S. It’s not clear whether this will continue on the 7 Plus, but other reports hint Apple might include a dual-camera setup on the larger phone.
DigiTimes reported in early February that Apple received dual-lens camera samples from Largan Technology, as well as other lens makers from Japan and China. Apple will supposedly test these samples with the hopes of using one of them on the iPhone 7 Plus or a “premium” version of it. Based in Taiwan. Largan supplies over 60 percent of Apple’s smartphone cameras, but according to the report, Apple might want to utilize dual-lens cameras from other manufacturers to lower its risk.
KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo suggested in a late January report (via 9to5Mac) that Apple will offer a “premium” version of the iPhone 7 Plus, which will feature a dual-camera system. Apple acquired Linx Imaging a while ago, and may use its tech in the special iPhone 7 Plus model, Kuo hints. The tech takes two independent photos and blends them together for an overall better image.
Related: iPad Air 3 news and rumors
The Linx Imaging technology is not the only high-tech feature that may be added to the special edition iPhone 7 Plus. According to Kuo’s note, the camera will also feature an optical zoom with 2-3x magnification, optical image stabilization, and a much larger field of view. The regular iPhone 7 Plus might be downgraded to a telephoto lens and small field of view to make the premium model more valuable to customers who love to take photos. Of course, Apple hasn’t commented on the report, so it’s still firmly in the rumor mill.
It is not the first time we’ve heard of multiple iPhone models, a report last year out of China said Apple was testing five different iPhone models. One of those models apparently featured a dual-camera system, though the report didn’t mention any of the other camera specs.