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Report: Apple testing iPhone 7 models with USB-C, multi-touch 3D Touch, dual cameras, more

iphone6s

The iPhone 6s launched just two months ago, but rumors surrounding its successor are already circulating. Earlier rumors have claimed that the device will feature a waterproof and dustproof design, as well as a new casing material. Now, G For Games reports that Apple is currently in the process of testing five different iPhone 7 models, all with distinct differences.

While the report should be taken with grain of salt, it claims that one model Apple is testing ditching the Lightning connector in favor of a USB-C port. The report also claims Apple is testing various models with wireless charging technology, multi-touch Force Touch, dual cameras, and in-display fingerprint recognition.

Wireless charging has been a feature users have requested often over recent years, but Apple has yet to implement. Our own Ben Lovejoy argued, however, that wireless charging is not on his iPhone 7 wish list due primarily the idea of “charging mats” being too cumbersome. At this point, however, it’s unclear as to how Apple is testing wireless charging.

Presumably multi-touch Force Touch/3D Touch would mean that you could press harder with two fingers to bring up different options than what appears when you press harder with one finger.

In-display fingerprint recognition would presumably allow for Apple to eliminate the home button entirely, something that has been tossed around for a long time now. Apple has been criticized for having too large of top and bottom bezels and removing the home button would allow for the company to finally shrink those.

This report should be taken with a decent amount of skepticism, however. While it’s possible, or even likely, Apple is experimenting with these technologies, it’s hard to say which will actually make it into the final product. Last week, it was reported that the company was looking to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, while earlier this month it was reported that the iPhone wouldn’t adopt AMOLED displays around 2018.

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Comments

  1. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    USB-C would be the best option for ditching the 35 mm jack. It would bypass the MFI program. Sounds like the big bezels will finally go. I just wonder how well a finger printer scanner under the display will work. I would still move it to the back where the Apple logo is.

    I just wonder if they will use liquid metal or something else to get rid of the ugly antenna gaps. The iPhone 6 and 6(s) are the least cosmetically made iPhones made.

    • applewatch20152015 - 8 years ago

      I, for one, would not want the Touch ID sensor on the back. I think it works perfect at he bottom of the phone since it’s a natural position. Also, it’s easier to put other fingers on the Touch ID sensor if say your thumb didn’t work. Switching fingers on the back of the phone wouldn’t be as quick, would be slightly blind, and slightly cumbersome. Not a good user experience so I doubt Apple would ever consider that. Plus…that’s where the competitor’s sensors are at. I doubt they’d follow.

      • iali87 - 8 years ago

        I agree, many times I use the touch id while the phone still laying down on the table. Making the touch ID on the back is stupid. ALso the bezels I think are great and there is no need to make them smaller.

      • But it’s also at a natural position on the back. Your finger would naturally rest there when picking your phone up. Once you get used to it you will get it.

      • yung dad (@BigRedZach) - 8 years ago

        Also, a Touch ID sensor on the back of the phone would eliminate so many variants of cases for next generation iPhones

    • kragom - 8 years ago

      Fingerprint reader on the back would be rubbish from a user point of view. IPhone 6 are the most aesthetically pleasing models they ever made in my opinion.

    • Nolan-News - 8 years ago

      I read somewhere that possibly the TouchID would move to the side on the lock button. Which would make checking your lock screen for notifications unpractical.

    • Marshall Smith - 8 years ago

      They absolutely better not get rid of the 3.5mm jack, anyone that is into audio technics or hifi equipment will not be happy and I am one of them

  2. 2is1toomany - 8 years ago

    It’d be interesting if they made the Lightning port a little wider to accommodate a USB-C cable. I have one and it doesn’t look like much would be necessary to make it fit properly

    • atokosch - 8 years ago

      The Lightning cable is one piece. USB C cables wrap around the inner connection part on the port. I am having a hard time thinking of how to explain it, but there is a clear difference if you look close and lighting is also thinner then USB C. I know it may be hard to tell but Apple would have to build an entirely new port that is bigger to accommodate both cables and honestly I don’t think it would be practical to do so. On the iPad Pro it would be different, Apple could just have both ports, but that would be a little odd and need to be figured out.

  3. atokosch - 8 years ago

    USB C would not the smart. It’s thicker than the Lightning cable, if Apple added USB 3.0 to lightning then that would be great. With USB C being thicker than Lightning then it would cause Apple to not make a device thinner. We all know Apple wouldn’t do that.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      USB-C is better if Apple ditches the 3.5mm jack. USB-C also offers bi directional power. 8.4mm by 2.6mmIs is USB-c port dimensions. The thickness wouldn’t be much of difference between the 2 looking at this diagram.
      http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5117056fe4b0a31c03600231/t/5504dce5e4b05f2d517789f1/1426382055667/USB-C-vs-Lightning-port-size-dimension-comparison-graphic

      • atokosch - 8 years ago

        It’s not much but apple wants to make devices the smallest it can. Bi-directional power wouldn’t matter, only for lightning connected head phones that need power, but I think it would be enough for Apple to not be worried about it. Also, Apple invested a lot in lightning and they helped create USB C, I don’t see them changing just yet, too much invested in lightning and it gives Apple more money bc of MFI and licensing.

      • USB C is a nested socket, not a female socket. lightning is a female socket, both are reversible plugs. The USB-C pin blade inside the socket is almost as large as the male Lightning plug, which makes the USB-C socket thicker, and take up more real-estate inside the device housing the socket, as well as making the plug a bit larger than a simpler male lightning plug.

        While lightning doesn’t handle the wattage of USB-c, it is bi-directional power, as proven by the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. iPad Pro can accept a charge, as well as distribute a charge to Apple Pencil over it’s lightning port, as well as digitally adaptive signal protocols for data.

      • Smigit - 8 years ago

        Lightening has bi-directional power too. It’s being used to charge the Pencil on the iPad Pro. Also the MFi Program already has headphones that terminate in lightening connectors.

        The lightening Port on the diagram looks to be about half the depth of the USB-C, which could be an issue long term for USB-C. Part of the reason to dump 3.5mm jacks is it makes thinning the device more difficult with it there, so adding a replacement jack of a similar external height may not solve that issue, although it would free up some internal space.

    • USB-C is barely bigger though. They could still make the phone thinner and accommodate the USB-C.

    • I think it would be a good idea to have USB-C, since, it can handle more wattage, voltage and amps (which means that it could charge a phone faster), and can transfer files at 10Gbps (1.25 GB/s). only downside is the size (which, a VERY small price to pay for being so powerful!)

  4. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    I am extremely happy with the rumors of Apple ditching the jack connector. Hence my name. Now if only they could ditch the sim card tray too… It will also be a matter of time before the home button will be ditche, it will happen once touch id embedded in the display will be possible

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Hopefully it gets ditched in the iPhone 7.

    • dcperin - 8 years ago

      Why would you ditch the Sim tray? I’m no expert by any means but SIM cards make switching phones a breeze, you don’t have to call your carrier to swap out phones or go online and go through a setup process. Plus providers that supplied CDMA phones had to switch to SIM cards because of LTE, at least that’s how I remember it. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.

      • kevicosuave - 8 years ago

        Ideally, they would go with a virtual SIM and could even act as a super-MVNO. Imagine taking your iPhone, turning it on and going to Carrier Settings. From there, you see a list of available carriers. You pick one and see the available plans. You can then select a plan and pay for it through your Apple account. At any point, you can go to Carrier Settings and select another carrier. Some plans may have contracts, but they aren’t exclusionary, meaning even if you signed up for a 1 year plan, you could still sign up another carrier and switch between them. You’d still be under contract for payment or cancellation fees, but your device wouldn’t be locked. Most plans would be month to month.

  5. Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

    hopefully we see some of these things in a newly designed 4″ phone this spring with the apple watch update and new wireless headphones. The iphone 7s then adopting some of the design cues like the ipad mini and then ipad air release.

    I’m most excited about touch id behind the screen but I feel like that won’t happen until 2018. I think it opens the door to so many possibilities. You’d no longer need to interact with something outside of the screen to interact with an app. Just force touch on the buy button to authenticate or peek and pop notifications from the lockscreen to jump right in and maybe complications on the lock screen that launch to the app. So much would just make sense.

    Then there are the physical possibilities for a port less iphone. no ports means more space for battery and making a less tall device. The home button could be on the side since it’s no longer shackled to touch id. I’m pretty excited since I hate the form factor of iphones now.

  6. SKR Imaging - 8 years ago

    just imagine having touch ID on all the surface of screen.. would be really great… also USB-C is a must for all new iOS devices.. and couple that with a iOS X that allows storage support externally and you have yourself a complete solution… most people deciding to buy surface Pro instead of iPad pro would have less reason to switch to windows.

  7. Don Horne (@DonHorne) - 8 years ago

    I’d love for this rumor to be a reality. It would be nice to be able to standardize across all devices with USB-C integrating with Thunderbolt and now looking be be default across future Macs.

  8. Will Napier (@WPNapier) - 8 years ago

    I found an icon in the springboard’s assets.car file in iOS 9 called “LockScreenExternalChargingBatteryMask@2x.png”. It sits right next to the normal battery icon, “LockScreenChargingBatteryMask@2x.png”. Evidence of USB-C, or at least the ability to charge other devices via your iPhone?

    • saarbh - 8 years ago

      Might related to apple pencil charging via iPad Pro?

    • michael0810 - 8 years ago

      These external battery icons are used for Personal Hotspot in the iOS 8/9 Wi-Fi settings to show how much battery is left on your iPhone when you want to use it as a personal hotspot for your other devices. I think, they also use it for Apple Watch and some Bluetooth headphones in the Battery widget.

  9. Paul Andrew Dixon - 8 years ago

    Wireless charging is just a gimmick and it would mean using space that could be used for a bigger and better battery…
    USB-C would be great because more accessories will become compatible and there will already be plenty of charging cables around… (unlike when the lightning port first launched and cables were very limited and apple only)

    multi-force touch is not needed just yet… maybe in the future once people have got used to it and more developers use it for their apps…

    i would love for them to get ride of the homebutton – it’s not needed considering they could have it on screen…by getting rid of it and putting the fingerprint reader behind the screen will help readuce the top and bottom part of the phone…

    AMOLED would be nice – and i think it is time to get rid of the 3.5mm jack…we need to move forward with tech

    • degraevesofie - 8 years ago

      I’m thinking that if they do move the home button to the screen area, they’d want that to still be visible in sleep state (i.e., the display would still show a circle or something like that). That requires power that would be far less if done with an OLED-type display.

      However, the home button also has important functions when the device is not asleep, and Apple would want a sufficiently obvious replacement UI for that.

  10. khakimzhan - 8 years ago

    First of all, why everybody thinks that they would be ditching lightning. There are TWO ends of the charging cable – they might keep lightning and ditch the usb on the other end (that goes into charger). Second of all, no they will NEVER place the home button on the back! Not until Jony is at Apple

  11. iali87 - 8 years ago

    One reason that will make me consider upgrading, a built in stylus with the iPhone 7 plus.

  12. blockbusterbuzz - 8 years ago

    I bet the USB C port will actually replace the USB end of the cable. Probably the lightning end will stay the same.

  13. avieshek - 8 years ago

    I love Mr. Love Benjoy (maybe ‘coz his name is friendly but he is really active in indulging discussions) I support his argument of wireless charging but with the argument that it really isn’t wireless charging just like unlimited internet plans by carriers. The thing is, how ‘m I supposed to play immersive games like Infinity Blade 3 by putting the phone on the table, it can’t have even a inch gap from the table, it literally has to be touching a surface and some specifically desigined surface.
    Atleast, the charging cable gives me 1 metre of freedom.

    • jacosta45 - 8 years ago

      We all know that kind of wireless charging isn’t coming out for years but the point of wireless charging is to rid the action of having to plug/unplug something from your phone everyday. It is much easier to place your device on a pad to charge, then if you’re in a hurry all you do is pick up the phone and leave, not having to un-plug the lightning cable. Yes you get “1 [m] of freedom” but I think more people would prefer the pad.

      • avieshek - 8 years ago

        So, u’ll leave u’r home without switching off u’r pad than? While teaching u’r children to save electricity, wastage of energy, or the electricity bill even.

        Well, most of us also engage in text messaging and how do u plan to do that, by poking?

  14. Ilko Sarafski - 8 years ago

    I still remember that 2 months prior to the 6S’ release we discussed more or less the same things about the 7. What I predicted and somehow I still stick to it, is: no jack, thinner phone, a little bit bigger battery, and maybe they will get rid off the home button (even if I think it’s still too early for that, maybe they’ll do that in the 8?). On the other hand, they have fingerprint sensors for 3 iterations so far – 5S, 6, 6S, which means that maybe they are ready to implement it into the screen, then ditch the Home button.
    P.S. For sure they will switch from Lightning connector to some USB, probably the C-type since the new MacBook has it. I am pretty confident that Apple will move slowly in the next couple of years completely to USB-C. But wait and see! :)

  15. jramskovk (@jramskovk) - 8 years ago

    Getting rid of the proprietary Lightning connector would be great. It would be quite nice if basically everything started to use the same connector (USB Type-C).

    • avieshek - 8 years ago

      Let me repeat:

      “USB C is a nested socket, not a female socket. lightning is a female socket, both are reversible plugs. The USB-C pin blade inside the socket is almost as large as the male Lightning plug, which makes the USB-C socket thicker, and take up more real-estate inside the device housing the socket, as well as making the plug a bit larger than a simpler male lightning plug.

      While lightning doesn’t handle the wattage of USB-C, it is bi-directional power, as proven by the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. iPad Pro can accept a charge, as well as distribute a charge to Apple Pencil over it’s lightning port, as well as digitally adaptive signal protocols for data.”

      Wait for the next version of Lightning Port. USB-C was co-developed by Apple, so Apple doesn’t need to be educated by everyone

      • tralalalalalala50 - 8 years ago

        USB C can also be bidirectional. The confusing thing about USB C is that the name encompasses a range of standards. I.e. it can technically handle up to 100 W of power, but you need special cables to do so that can handle that current. That is why there is a google employee going on amazon blasting all the cheap USB C cables that are being sold without letting people know that they only handle low power.

        tl;dr: USB C encompasses a range of conflicting standards that can be electrical hazards. Apple wants to avoid this.

  16. Tales (@talessouzam) - 8 years ago

    will change the connector? Shit!

    • degraevesofie - 8 years ago

      Not going to happen. Apple is quite happy with their lightning connector for lower-power devices.

  17. Paul Douglas - 8 years ago

    It’s not “wireless”, it’s inductive.

    • dailycardoodle - 8 years ago

      Exactly! I was glad Apple didn’t refer to the Apple Watch charging as ‘wireless’ – it’s just toothbrush charging tech!

      Makes sense on toothbrushes… and the Watch. It’s no good on a device you want to use while charging, like phones.

  18. rahhbriley - 8 years ago

    The revolving door of commenting platforms the last 8 years has relegated the comments section to mindless drivel. I still prefer your writing 9to5, but the comments section is quite weak now. Full of trolls and void of much quality substance or discussion anymore…I’m just sad about it.

  19. Shehzaad Bhamla - 8 years ago

    Why Cant Apple Just Put All These Features In One! (Except The Indisplay Fingerprint Scanner) *Honestly An Apple FanBoy. If They Do, It Would Be SO COOL! If Not Possible just put multi touch and dual camera’s and also a fast charging option!

  20. Oflife - 8 years ago

    Wireless charging is AWESOME, and should not be discounted. I own a Nexus 5 (best Google phone ever made, grippy, fast and perfectly sized), and just ordered a £6 wireless back from China for my Note 4 – my main ‘thinking’ phone. (Typing this on a MacBook Pro, so there is still some Apple lurrve.) 1. You don’t need mats, so much, but docks, like the nice one from LG that folds up for travel. When you drop you phone onto it, phone is perfectly angled for viewing and use. (I have a mat by my bed, where the angle of the phone doesn’t matter.) 2. NO wear and tear on the Lightning/USB etc port. A lot of faults with electronics is caused by damage to the PCB through repeated plugging and unplugging of connectors – from phones to laptops to PCs.
    I do hope Apple adopt USB-C, it’s very robust and a standard, that Apple contributed to ironically. I look forward to carrying one charger that tops up my phone, tablet and laptop! :)

  21. TWatkins.1986 - 8 years ago

    I sincerely doubt Apple will implement USB Type C especially after only four years with the lightning port.

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Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

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