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Report: iPhone 7 will lose camera bump and antenna lines with cleaner design

iphone-6-camera

While reports have been circulating that Apple is considering using a rear dual-camera system on the expected iPhone 7 Plus later this year, a new report today claims that there’s another change coming to the iPhone 7 camera as well.

Citing an anonymous source with an apparently reliable history, MacRumors is reporting that the upcoming iPhone 7 will lose the rear camera bump thanks to a thinner camera module being used.

The 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel sensors found on the iPhone 6s/Plus and iPhone 6/Plus models have featured protruding camera lenses unlike previous iPhone models. Like the latest iPod touch models, the design has favored overall device thinness over featuring a flush camera, which has the side effect of not sitting flat on a surface when used without a case as well as visually standing out.

The report goes on to claim that the upcoming iPhone redesign will largely resemble the latest design minus the presence of rear antenna lines found on the iPhone 6 series.

Both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 designs used elements of glass to avoid rear antenna lines while the iPod touch and cellular iPads feature a plastic strip to allow radio waves to travel. The current iPhone 6 design features an all-metal back that is more durable than the glass-backed iPhones of previous generations at the expense of an overall cleaner look.

Of course antenna lines aren’t the only thing that could go away. More controversially, the new iPhone 7 due out this fall is expected to be the first model to drop the 3.5mm headphone jack altogether.

Benefits include even potentially thinner and lighter hardware in the future as well as further water-resistance, although audio to headphones and speakers would need to go through the Lightning port or wirelessly via Bluetooth or AirPlay which could be less convenient for traditional headphone fans.

Apple is also developing a new set of truly wireless earbuds due out this year, as we’ve previously reported. Current wireless Beats earbuds rely on a wire to connect either side as well as microUSB charging. The earbuds currently in development would instead be separate pieces and charge through a carrying case.

Other iPhone 7 rumors include the possibility of a 256GB model, up from 128GB offered now, and the possibility of Li-Fi technology.

But before we totally enter iPhone 7 season, Apple is set to debut an updated 4-inch model using the iPhone 5se name next month on March 15th alongside the iPad Air 3 and new Apple Watch bands.

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Comments

  1. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    No lines? Wow that would be awesome really.
    I can’t wait for an iPhone without a jack port, sim card tray and home button. All those diseases prevent the phone from getting any thinner and the bezels getting smaller.

    • AeronPeryton - 8 years ago

      The whole world would truly benefit from not having to deal with ejectable sim cards anymore. Have you seen the logic board on the latest iPhones? The sim card assembly is literally 1/3 of the entire board! A microscopic, flashable chip with a few Kb of memory is all that is needed to reproduce that function.

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

        Very true. Sim cards are from the middle ages. Let’s hope Governments agree to kill them and allow digital identification for your phone number.

  2. I like that they might be getting rid of the camera bump, the antenna lines never really bothered me. But with the camera bump possible going away, how will that work with the dual camera system, that was mentioned earlier today? http://9to5mac.com/2016/02/02/opinion-iphone-7-plus-divergence/

    I can’t think of Apple getting rid of the camera bump, AND being able to have a dual camera system that both lenses offer different zoom distances.

  3. I think that getting rid of the camera bump is great, I don’t really mind the antenna lines, they never really bothered me. But about the camera bump, how will Apple implement the dual camera system if they get rid of the bump? I think that in order to have dual camera system that they would need the camera bumps in order to have the 2 lenses have different zoom capabilities as mention in an earlier post here: http://9to5mac.com/2016/02/02/opinion-iphone-7-plus-divergence/

    Either way I think that it Apple either has to keep the camera bump for the dual camera system or get rid of the camera bump for one camera system.

  4. Tyler Jon Warnecke - 8 years ago

    I think that getting rid of the camera bump is great, I don’t really mind the antenna lines, they never really bothered me. But about the camera bump, how will Apple implement the dual camera system if they get rid of the bump? I think that in order to have dual camera system that they would need the camera bumps in order to have the 2 lenses have different zoom capabilities as mention in an earlier post here: http://9to5mac.com/2016/02/02/opinion-iphone-7-plus-divergence/

    Either way I think that it Apple either has to keep the camera bump for the dual camera system or get rid of the camera bump for one camera system.

  5. Tyler Jon Warnecke - 8 years ago

    I think that getting rid of the camera bump is great, I don’t really mind the antenna lines, they never really bothered me. But about the camera bump, how will Apple implement the dual camera system if they get rid of the bump? I think that in order to have dual camera system that they would need the camera bumps in order to have the 2 lenses have different zoom capabilities as mention in an earlier post here: http://9to5mac.com/2016/02/02/opinion-iphone-7-plus-divergence/

    Either way I think that it Apple either has to keep the camera bump for the dual camera system or get rid of the camera bump for one camera system. That’s what I think at least. But I would like to see the camera bump go away either way.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      The dual sensor array is more likely to lose the bump. It allows for a significantly thinner module. I’d be surprised if Apple got rid of the camera bump without a drastically new technology, like the dual array camera. Unless the rumors of a much thinner device are untrue, and instead, it gets slightly thicker.

      It will not have zoom levels. They are referring to the sensors. One will have a design that is for more zoomed and one for wider angle. Combining them in a single image results in different possibilities.

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

    This year will be interesting.

  7. ag80911 - 8 years ago

    “Benefits include even potentially thinner” – that’s not a benefit to anybody.

    • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

      Yes it is.

      • Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 8 years ago

        How? The current iPhone is already too thin for human anatomy to hold comfortably.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        A benefit to doctors and hospitals from people cutting themselves with it and repair shops from fixing displays from dropping the thin phones.

      • Chris Cooper (@clcooper) - 8 years ago

        How does the 6s?6s+ cutting Dr’s in hospitals? thats an odd rationale for why the 7 needs to be thinner.

    • tigerpork - 8 years ago

      Well if you use a case, it’s a benefit. There wouldn’t be the extra weight from a case and less bulkier.

    • yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

      Id like a thinner phone

    • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

      the current iPhone 6s /+ is very heavy .. and kind of thick ..
      I really want a thin and light iPhone even it is on the expense of battery life (minor) .. where will they get rid of it by true wireless charging.

  8. o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

    I’m guessing the material used on the iPhone 7’s case, whether it’s liquid metal or whatever, is for multiple reasons, but mainly to allow for distance wireless charging coming to the iPhone 7s which will be its headline new feature. Of course the iPhone 7’s case isn’t changing in the 7s, so it must be prepared for the distance wireless charging in the 7s.

  9. usmansaghir - 8 years ago

    I just hope Apple can improve iPhone front glass. Fingers crossed for sapphire glass! Making it waterproof and having the sapphire front glass. Fingers crossed!

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      It needs more shatter resistance and less reflectivity. The iPad Mini 4 was meaured at the lowest reflectance of any top mobile device at 2%. The iPhone 6 series is around 6% I believe.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        Apple has patents for hybrid sapphire glass.If remember correctly their solution is using ground up sapphire and glass to make a ceramic like glass.

  10. triankar - 8 years ago

    If the 5SE comes out with 3D Touch and a 6S-equivalent camera at 4 inches, I’m buying it.

    • coreylarue - 8 years ago

      I would sacrifice 3d touch and still buy it. I have that now on the 6S+ and I only use it for text editing-it feels half-baked in a LOT of other applications, including Apple’s own, because not everyone has it. I’d be happier if they could just wedge the 12MP back, 5MP front cameras into a phone that fits in my pocket/cup holder.

  11. blockbusterbuzz - 8 years ago

    This all sounds too good to be true… But hopefully it all happens!

  12. RP - 8 years ago

    Well good. classic Apple design is clean and precise. Not whatever the F the 6 series looks like.
    Hopefully the 6 and it’s half baked aesthetic along with a lot of recent Apple half baked design guffaws (ios7) were a blip.in their legacy and not anything more.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      I still say the 4 and 4s were the best externally designed iPhones.

      • RP - 8 years ago

        I think all previous iPhones had a classic elegant aesthetic. All look fantastic. The 6 series sticks out like a sore thumb amongst them.
        I could just imagine how someone as demanding about design would feel about it representing Apple. Chairs flying heads flying. Yes it’s that bad.

      • RP - 8 years ago

        …and that someone being Steve Jobs

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

        iPhone 5 I would say.

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

        +1

    • yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

      Interesting..the 6vand the original iphone are very similar.. With the 6 being much thinner… Yet you hate the 6?

      • RP - 8 years ago

        do you really think that? I can the the original as an exhibit at the MOCA.
        The 6 in a dumpster

    • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

      I trashed the 6 series before I actually spent some time with how it feels in the hand, and I think the curvature of the design is remarkable and incredibly on point. The aluminum feels drastically refined and premium. And with the 6S, I wouldn’t want it any thinner or any thicker. Yeah, nobody likes the camera bump, but I don’t feel the design is a glaring failure by any means.

  13. sword2pen - 8 years ago

    YES! That would be brilliant – those antenna lines are the only negative to such a nice design. Having no camera bump would be even better \m/

  14. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    The backs of the gold and silver models were ceramic not glass. Only the space gray models had glass backs.

  15. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    it has been rumored for months that the casing would be a new material with no lines and also the camera bump would go away do to thinner camera modules.

  16. Jake Becker - 8 years ago

    Good, but no more glass please. People fawn over the 4S, yes it’s the best looking smaller phone, but it weighs a brick and you don’t dare drop it. Glass backed phones are 4 years ago. I love the all metal backs.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      The white backed models were ceramic not glass.

      I dropped the 4 and 5 several times and never had the back glass break. my 6 slipped out of my pocket and dropped about 18 inches when i was sitting on a bench and hit the top of the rounded glass display and splintered the entire display.

      I agree with the weight on the 4, the 5 didn’t feel near as heavy and felt very secure in your hands with its thickness.

  17. Rowland (@rowlandville) - 8 years ago

    iPhone 7: add wireless charging, lose lightning port, lose headphone jack, then make waterproof and add greater battery life.

  18. tigerpork - 8 years ago

    Hopefully the new iPhone 7 design doesn’t look as bad as Apple’s battery case. #rimshot

  19. Heather Lopez - 8 years ago

    I hope this report is accurate. I always hated the HTC antennas, and the ugly, fragile bump from the camera. My last iPone was a 5S.

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

    Wouldn’t this have looked so much better than those ugly ass lines?

    links to mah tumblr

    If they don’t do the no line unibody in the new 4″ but do this I’d be totally fine with it. The 5s is not as nice looking as the 4s but it’s way better than the 6’s solution.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      Man, what the hell happened to my image? does this not support images. This is why I friggen comment on the verge. This shit sucks. I cant put images it takes forever for something with a link to show up and I don’t get notifications when people reply to me with so having a conversation is nearly impossible unless I keep track.

      If ya’ll want to see a dope mockup of a better looking iphone 6s – not those crap ones where some guy color tinted a 6s stupid colors and left the horrible antenna lines – then click the link. Unfortunately it doesn’t show inline. Which sucks.

  21. yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

    No way it will have the same form-factor

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Apple releasing a 4′ model gives me hesitation on Apple changing the form factor.If Apple changes the footprint to something like a LG G2 mini or other 4.7″ display phones with a similar footprint to the iPhone 5 a new 4′ model makes no sense.

      I hope they ditch the home button and shrink the bezels.Moving the Apple logo to the center and including Touch ID into the logo would be a good solution to me. With 3D Touch there is no point to a home button anymore. Apple has patents for Touch ID in the Apple logo and in the display.I prefer the logo centered like on the iPad and would be natural to place finger in the middle on an iPhone to use Touch ID.

      • yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

        Agreed .. Its quite confusing… If all rumors are true about the small iphone and its release date.

        I just think apple will need a new fresh form factor with some truly exciting features , including all those you mentioned , to bring some excitement back to the upgrade cycle.

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

        It’s not confusing.. A 4″ screen in the height of an iphone 4s would be just as dope as a 4.7″ screen in the height of a 5s. Smaller is better for using one handed and this just gives more usable options to poeple.

        totally loose me on that whole other paragraph. that would suck in so many ways. touch id on the apple logo would be so much less intuitive than where it is now. The real solution is touch id built into the screen. BUY buttons would just scan you finger and it would become “Touch to unlock” instead of “slide to unlock.”

        Also force touch isn’t a solution for home functions. No one has thought that through enough. They are much more liekly to move it to the side like the apple watch home button.

        In short, force touch has functions based on where you touch on the screen. using force touch for home screws that up unless they have a dedicated home area. if they have a dedicated home area that wastes screen space than whats the point?

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        @Greg the home button could be a round dip in the glass in the bottom bezel, reduced to its maximum, the round dip would still be sufficiently large. Hopefully you know what I mean by its maximum.

  22. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    My guess for the frame and back of the iPhone 7 is a liquidmetal/sapphire ceramic/metal mixture.If not that then an aluminum frame fused with liquid metal or a sapphire ceramic mixture.

  23. John - 8 years ago

    The camera bump always felt un-Apple like to me. Apple should have gone slightly thicker to avoid the bump and have a bigger battery.

    Removing the bump is a great idea. I just hope they don’t do this just to reduce thickness again and sacrifice battery size and life.

  24. Vinay Aluri - 8 years ago

    I would say that 3.5 mm jack is going to stay. They tried removing it but they have some technical difficulties doing away with 3.5 mm jack. so it stays and i should say that i hate it.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      It definitely isn’t staying. There is no technical difficulty in removing that. Lots of technical advantages though.

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.