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Poll: Will you upgrade to the iPhone 7 if the design is largely the same as the 6s?

iphone-no-headphone-jack-2

While we’re still a ways off from the announcement and subsequent release of the iPhone 7, early rumors have suggested that the device will largely feature the same design as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. This goes against Apple’s general habit of refreshing the design of its flagships every other year, so we’re curious: Would you upgrade to the iPhone 7 if the design was largely the same as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s?

The iPhone 7 is rumored to be a slightly thinner version of the iPhone 6s, but without a headphone port and a few under-the-hood changes. Since the iPhone was unveiled in 2007, Apple has never gone more than two release cycles without radically changing the device’s design.

Earlier today, we saw an iPhone 7 case mockup be shared that showed a thinner design with no headphone port, as rumors have suggested. While some earlier rumors suggested that the casing material used would change, those rumors have been contradicted recently.

The latest iPhone 7 rumor suggested that the device would feature a thinner iPhone 6-like design with a flush camera on the back, stereo speakers, and a thinner Lightning port. Earlier this year, we asked readers what rumored iPhone 7 feature excited them the most, and the possibility of a waterproof/dustproof design. More recent rumors, however, have suggested that Apple does not plan to include that capability with the iPhone 7.

One feature that could sway people to upgrade, however, is the rumored twin-camera system. A twin-camera system could allow for a variety of new features, including optic zoom. By fitting two separate camera modules behind the lens, and creating a single lens with both standard and telephoto sections, you’d be able to switch between two different focal lengths. It could also be possible to potentially be recording video with one of the cameras while the  other takes still images.

iphone-7

Personally, I think it’s an incredibly risky move for Apple to keep the design of the iPhone 7 largely the same as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. The general public is swayed to upgrade largely by the design of a phone, and for Apple to go into year three with the same design, people might be tempted to look towards other options.

I also don’t necessarily agree with Apple’s mantra that thinner is always better, and I know I’m not alone in that opinion either. I would much rather see Apple keep the same overall form factor and beef up the battery. When Apple introduces a new iPhone, it often touts that it offers the “same great battery life” as the iPhone before it, even though one of the biggest complaints people have with the iPhone is its battery life (with perhaps the exception of the Plus on a good day).

Another thing to note is that Apple is also expected to introduce the iPhone SE this year with a design the same as the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s (for which we’ve already seen cases pop up). This means that Apple will release three new phones (the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone SE), all with designs that we’ve seen before. With analysts worried about “peak iPhone,” this is a risky move on the company’s part.

While 2017 looks like it could be a potentially big year for iPhone updates with rumors of a switch to OLED displays and a new 5.8-inch variant, 2016 looks as if it could be rather dull. One important thing to keep in mind, is that we’re going purely on rumors right now. It could be that Apple has a crazy, huge, amazing redesign in store for us with the iPhone 7. As of right now, though, it doesn’t look that way. So let us know in the poll above and in the comments below if your inclination to upgrade this year will be affected by a stale design.

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Comments

  1. iSRS - 8 years ago

    I’m waiting for the S cycle. Finally got on it with the 6s from always having the non s.

  2. tomi2711 - 8 years ago

    I always prefer the non S model, but I was able to purchase an iPhone 6s last year because I had an opportunity. I was still set on getting the iPhone 7, mainly to its redesign, and wait till iPhone 8. But if the iPhone 7 features the same design, and with all the rumors of OLED screens and true wireless charging, I definitely wait.

  3. John B. Abela - 8 years ago

    I wish there was a poll option for “waterproof”. If there had been, I would have voted. Only thing that will probably get me to upgrade from my 6+

  4. viciosodiego - 8 years ago

    I wonder if apple employees reed 9to5mac.

  5. Nik Walzak - 8 years ago

    The design doesn’t matter. Its the internals.
    Don’t be so caught up on bragging about owning new cosmetics when your stuff is faster stronger clearer better..
    It might even have the 1:1 resolution plus screen.

    • twelve01 - 8 years ago

      I think a lot of people just prefer new designs period. The envy or show off factor probably doesn’t apply to most, or at least isn’t the main motivating factor. Especially if you already own a capable phone. Of course internals are important, though gor most, yesterday’s iPhone is as good as today’s or the next one.

    • twelve01 - 8 years ago

      Also, with the resale value being what it is, and the various annual upgrade programs, there’s no monetary disadvantage to upgrading on an annual basis.

      • Richard Flapper - 8 years ago

        Exactly! Thank you for bringing it up. That’s pretty much my main motivation to do the yearly upgrade. Upgrading later doesn’t give a financial benefit. So the yearly update gives you the pleasure of having the latest and the newest and no disadvantage financially.

    • pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

      the majority of people just want an iphone — they dont get too bogged down about the innards… they want to be able to say “look…i have the new iphone”…
      But if it looks the same people will say “um… but it’s that the iphone 6plus… whats different”

      When the 5 came out it had a different design to the 4 and lightning… the 5S had the touch ID… the 6 was bigger and thinner… but the 6S you can’t tell the difference (so no bragging rights…you have to tell people rather than people ask you)…
      So with the iphone 7… currently the only difference will be a missing hole replaced by a few more holes… plus the key features such as wireless charging, waterproof, oled screen <— the stuff people are wanting, are almost certainly not gonna make it to the iphone 7… it will probably be just like the 6S with updated processor, possibly a bit more ram, and possible (but not guaranteed) better battery…

      If Apple say "look we have a 12mp camera" — i will be like "oh… 12… just like last year… yay…"
      "look we've kept the lightning port to force you to buy bluetooth or expensive headphones that can only be used with our products… or you can buy an expensive adaptor" — i will be like "say what?? are you serious… i aint buy a lightning headphone just for my phone"
      "look it's thinner" — "go home… 1mm is nothing to boast about…it didnt even need to be thinner."
      "look, no camera bump" — "wow… it shouldnt have been there in the first place"

      Why would i buy an iphone 7 if it is going to be almost the same as the iphone 6 with slightly improved performance???

    • g2-3c6c103d9da1b19c086c89bebdbf23ed - 8 years ago

      Sure, the internals are important but I’ve never met anyone who thought the design on the 6 was so good they shouldn’t change it. Ive thinks everyone’s wrong but that ultimately doesn’t mean anything. It’ll still sell well but all it means is people will see the phone, think it’s largely unchanged and have dampened enthusiasm. Getting rid of two lines on the back won’t make a difference.

      Who’s bragging about new cosmetics? Apple are famously not about the tech specs and all about design, so why shouldn’t it’s customer it’s customer base reflect that?

  6. Neil Quinn (@neilq5) - 8 years ago

    I think I’d struggle to go back to any smaller screen size than the 6. Miss the old shape a little though. I don’t own multiple, or any expensive pairs of headphones so I may be biased here but I’m excited for Apple doing away with the headphone jack. As long as the replacement is suitable and there’s some kind of port available for people who need a headphone jack.

  7. 21ice92 - 8 years ago

    I bought the first iPhone back in October 2007. Waited for a faster phone and bought the iPhone 4s. Waited for a bigger screen, didn’t have enough money for 6 Plus and bought iPhone 6S Plus last year. All I want now from Apple is an iPhone with better battery. To me it’s highly unlikely since they release one every year.

  8. marcbigio - 8 years ago

    Okay. So maybe this could mean the end of then “s” models? Idk but as long as the internals are great then yeah I will

    • Alex Vizzini - 8 years ago

      Thats what I feel like is happening. I hear all these rumors of Wireless charging and OLED displays for next years model. Features that make more sense launching in a non-“S” phone. Also with Apple pushing for the new iPhone plans where you can trade in your iPhone every year and get a new one. Finally, Stockholder have been pushing Apple to do something about iPhone possibly losing sales

  9. cdm283813 - 8 years ago

    After seeing native split screen coming to Android N I’m not sure if I’m going the iPhone route this fall.
    And yes; I would be highly disappointed if the device looks the same. Those cases had me depressed this morning. Apple better bring it big time this fall with both iOS and phone design.

    • tomi2711 - 8 years ago

      Apple software quality has declined abruptly in the past years, but hardware was still awesome. If they start pulling this moves they will havw a hard time.
      At least competition is bad. But the Apple products aren’t perfect products anymore. Are just marginally better than the competition.

      • authorisationrequired - 8 years ago

        I wouldn’t say Competition is bad. Competition is better than it ever has been. The G5 and S7 with the modular design (G5) , amazing cameras, waterproof (S7) features, improved software and gorgeous design (S7) are destroying the lead Apple had. If anything, Apple needs to nail this year with an amazing new design and departure from the classic lazy fake improvements to convince Apple customers to stay on.
        Their recent take on software updates shows they seem to be losing grip somewhat on what they do.

  10. coolguyme - 8 years ago

    I still have a 6, so I’d probably upgrade for features and speed anyway

  11. Design, so long as it is well design, has always been secondary for me. What internals and corresponding features are available is paramount. However, I think the question is flawed. It does not take into account those with a 6 model. Would I upgrade if I had a 6S? No, probably not unless there was some killer feature but, it would have to be mind blowing. However, instead I have a 6 and by the time the 7 is released it will be time to upgrade anyways. Smart phones are kind of stagnating but, they still need to be updated every two years.

  12. Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

    5C still does everything I want.

    • AeronPeryton - 8 years ago

      How’s iOS 9 on that thing? Seriously curious about performance.

      • excellent

      • Ilko Sarafski - 8 years ago

        My brother had 5C until… 2 months ago. And he had 0 issues. I also “played” with his phone – worked perfectly. I was also amazed by that but it’s true – if you keep it “clean” (not super loaded with stuff, etc) and maintain it properly – it works very, very fine.

      • Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

        Fair question. I’m running 9.2.1 and it is fine. Of course I don’t push the phone too hard, but I haven’t encountered any chronic hangs, or hesitations. I haven’t noticed any slowness or unusual app crashes.

      • distressedcactus - 8 years ago

        It’s good. I only have a 16gb model, and I’m coasting right below the limit. But it works well, there’s some bugs here and there, but not worse then iOS 8.

    • cdmoore74 - 8 years ago

      To be honest the majority of people really don’t need a $500 plus phone. I only upgraded my wife’s 16GB iPhone 5 because Verizon was giving away a $200 trade in while buying a 6S. On top of that Verizon is allowing a yearly update to iPhone 7. That iPhone 5 was constantly running out of space, hu hum camera, small display and slow performance.
      I just couldn’t see her suffering for another year with a 3 year old phone. Me on the other hand I couldn’t last a year with the same phone. Heck, I’m trying hard to fight off the S7 Edge and I have a 6S myself.

      • chris9771 - 8 years ago

        Thats a really broad generalization to say “most people dont need a $500+ phone”. Says who? If thats your position, why stop at $500. who really needs a $250 smartphone? its their money if they want to spend on a phone, who cares.

  13. MJ Bass - 8 years ago

    I slap a case on my phone the moment I take it out of the box, so I only care about the features.

  14. bpbatch - 8 years ago

    Yes, because I have the 6. The other choices didn’t reflect my reasoning, so I didn’t vote.

  15. rogifan - 8 years ago

    So people complain about Apple being obsessed with form over function but then say they won’t buy the new iPhone if it looks similar to the last one? Why even run silly polls like this? We know nothing about the iPhone 7 at this point.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Know nothing? Many rumors turn out to be true from a year-6 months before release. A vast array of the features and design is known in that timeframe.

  16. David Kaplan - 8 years ago

    Conspiracy theory time! Apple knew they weren’t gonna do a major redesign for iPhone 7 so they locked everybody in to upgrade on the iPhone Upgrade Plan so they’d sell a record number of phones regardless of their upgrades. They now have to do less to win over customers.

  17. RP - 8 years ago

    Well, we don’t know anything yet. From the rumors I would guess it would look very similar myself, but it’s too early to know.

  18. proudinfidelusmc - 8 years ago

    I’m on a 6, so I’m def upgrading to the 7 or maybe even the 7 Plus.

  19. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    The 7 has a new casing material, no antenna lines, new camera module, dual camera lens on the back, no phone jack, stereo speakers,1 mm thinner display array, and other new features. Just because it has the same width and heigth does not mean the design as the 6 and 6s.

    Just like you saying the next 4″ phone was the 5SE, because it had the same width and heighth. Rounded edges is a 6 design not the 5.

    These posts about the 7 having no new design and 5se being same as the 5 are getting old and are misleading.

  20. dComments (@dComments) - 8 years ago

    I’m hoping for a new design because my iPhone 6Plus I have is nice, but it’s is so light and slippery without a case that I am terrified to use it without it in a case. I would hope that this new one would be easier to hold, but I doubt they will make something as “grippy” as my old Nexus 5. I never used a case on that thing and it never slid out of my hand.

  21. Dyouper L Hendricks - 8 years ago

    do yo ever look the iphone cameras it’s never change 8 mp f/2,2 from iphone 4 tot iPhone 6

  22. I am pissed as fire about the loss of the headphone port (since I listen to a ton of music on my phone and want to keep using my comfortable headphones with it, also because I use it to display straps when not listening to music) as well as the thinning, for a pretty dumb but important-to-me reason: I love my cases. I pretty much HAVE to upgrade–I need a bigger phone than the 6 I have–so I’m stuck with either losing all this stuff, or having a 2+-year-old phone in my pocket even if I decided to get a larger 6 or 6s.

  23. Jim Porter - 8 years ago

    I am going to have to really look at the new i phone this fall and hope there is a compelling reason not to go to the Galaxy 7 Edge. The line is getting stale and I think others are feeling the same. two more days the new Galaxy is in the wild and frankly looking forward to holding it in my hands

  24. NoobianGod - 8 years ago

    I’ll upgrade because I’m on the Apple Upgrade plan, but an improvement (not the status quo) to Battery life needs to be a marquee feature sooner rather than later.

  25. AeronPeryton - 8 years ago

    Going to wait for the “7S” because it will be significant camera and spec bump to make it worth it regardless of the design. I honestly think the design they’ve got now is perfect for the next few models. Maybe remove the camera bump and make the antenna lines not look like ass.

  26. Nikhil Yadav - 8 years ago

    i will be angry then…..i didn’t upgrade from my 5s to 6s and i’m waiting for iphone 7 with new design.

  27. brookslockwood - 8 years ago

    This isn’t out of the ordinary for Apple. They are consistent. Remember the iPhone 4? Well the iPhone 5 retained the same shape and feel, but with a few design changes and material changes.

    This is exactly what they are going to do the for the 7. This is technically the 10th iPhone and iOS 10. And they are going to make both great.

    I expect, thinner and lighter. With additional material changes and enhancements. The 5 felt like an entirely new phone from the 4/4S. This will be similar. Again, Apple pushes the envelope by being disciplined and consistent with design.

  28. Alex Bigelow - 8 years ago

    Apple is COMPLETELY LOST! They are 100% ignoring what users want, and building things that (1) Easy to Market [Thinnest phone] (2) Makes them more money [NEW headphones and adapters]. Users want pretty much DOUBLE battery life of the current line-up, maybe a batter camera, maybe waterproof. No one cares about 3D touch they did, and NO ONE wants a thinner phone that’s hard to handle. COME ON! Also, do NOT give me the BS that they must remove the headphone jack for waterproofin. Samsung S7 proved that it can be done easily.

    I am gonna wait, honestly IF they removed the headphone jack, and IF they made a thinner phone with similar or worse battery life, that’s it for me! Switching to Samsung S7 Edge and will live with the ugly Android UI, as I simply can’t live without my fancy headphones and absolutely need a phone to last me ALL DAY which my current iPhone 6 does not!

    I really couldn’t think of switching but Apple has absolutely ignored all of its users needs and are doing dumb crap no one needs or cares about…

    • chris9771 - 8 years ago

      I don’t believe I have ever read in my entire life a comment which contained more hyperbole and generalizations.

  29. Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

    My suggestion is to voice your opinion on what you want directly to Apple. http://www.apple.com/feedback if enough people submit the same thing, maybe they’ll do it. Sometimes it takes a while for them to do it, but at least you are voicing your opinion directly to the mfg.

  30. jacosta45 - 8 years ago

    Ever since the S7 came out, I’m more intrigued by it after every review. The S7 is like the 6S to the 6. I have a 6S and I don’t find it extraordinary or anything, coming from a 6. Waterproof/dust proof, expandable storage, beefier battery, bigger screen in a marginally bigger phone… Only thing preventing me from switching is the Apple ecosystem. Apple needs to incorporate some nice features into iPhone 7. Otherwise I may be jumping ship.

  31. uniszuurmond - 8 years ago

    “This goes against Apple’s general habit of refreshing the design of its flagships every other year”

    Actually, this statement is incorrect. The iPhone 4/4s and 5/5s had a very similar design, basically replacing the full glass back with windows top and bottom, and changing the dock to a Lightning port.

    Therefore, delivering a 7 which is similar to the 6/6s, cleaning up the back and dropping the audio jack would be exactly how Apple operates, rather than being against their general habit.

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

      The 5 was a different design to the 4, it was uglier and felt cheaper. Still, it was different at lest.

      The 4 represents the high point of Apple phone design. It’s a work of art, a beautiful object which felt good to hold and screamed quality and premium. The 6 is bland, dull, uncomfortable to hold, and as slippy as a bar of soap. And those antenna lines and the camera bump would never have got past Jobs.

      • authorisationrequired - 8 years ago

        I felt the 4 was pretty ugly. Fat, tiny, and bulky. The 5 and 5S were the pinnacle of design for me. Gorgeous materials, super lightweight and still very modern, and still the best phone to come out of Apple ever for me.

  32. o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

    Based on the rumors thus far, this will be the worst newly released iPhone, easily.

  33. Matisyahu Gardiner - 8 years ago

    I’m open to upgrading to the iPhone 7 (or what ever Apple decide to call it) however if Apple turn around to remove the headphone jack then I’ll be looking at moving to a Google Nexus or some other Android phone. That being said I have to admit this is part of a larger more concerning trend within Apple where they’re gradually killing off Macs through their neglect of OS X along with rumoured changes to iPhone that makes no sense on any level so keeping in mind that for many the ‘removing of the headphone jack’ might be small for some but there are many who are all in the ecosystem but finding themselves being pushed out of it by Apple’s business decisions.

  34. shawncm217 - 8 years ago

    I don’t care as much about design changes. I care about features. Right now, my next phone and car purchase are waiting for Apple to add Qi-compatible wireless charging and Toyota to add wireless CarPlay. I’m not budging until I get those two things. On the features note, waterproof would be compelling for both the iPhone and Apple Watch.

  35. Povilas Griškevičius - 8 years ago

    What a horrible poll. What about a simple YES? Design does matter, but since it’s awesome in this case i will upgrade regardless of any changes o the outside, but this option makes it sound like either i don’t give a shit about design or design is shit to begin with.

  36. pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

    The iOS is boring me… it’s not really changed much and instead it just feels dated and bloated… worse is that i have a 6+ and still have 1/3 of my screen taken up by a keyboard with a lot of apps not really designed for the larger screen… i feel cheated…

    The rounded design of the phone means holding it isnt comfortable for me nor does it feel like i have a good grip…plus the lightness and metal finish actually makes me think im holding a cheap plastic phone.

    The buttons are in the wrong place for me… the amount of time i try to hold the phone to take a picture by pressing the volume button and because im trying to maintain a good steady grip i end up with my finger in shot – so then i adjust my grip and my thumb catches the power button — on the iphone plus size the power button should be on the same side as the volume buttons but about halfway up the phone.

    rather than have 2 speakers i’d much prefer they use that space to shift things from the top to bottom and make the top bezel smaller — the bottom needs space for the home button, but there is no need for that big black space on top…

    The camera bump has to go.

    If they should change to a more versatile charging port – USB-C… i’m tired of paying a lot more for lightning cables — plus apple cables are crap too…

    But it’s the iOS mostly for me… it has more or less been the same design from the start — with a little make over…

    I do think Apple need new blood — Johnny Ive was good, but he was all about perfecting HIS design — he’s done that, and doesnt want to change… you need new blood to come in and start from scratch.

  37. Michael De Havilland - 8 years ago

    I have always purchased Apple equipment and own the latest phone, laptop, watch and tablet. My whole family also own all these items except the watch. I have been disappointed with Apples latest products and have already migrated to a Samsung tablet. The Apple watch is a total waste of money.

    If the iPhone 7 doesn’t possess new wow! features, I’ll definately be purchasing the new Samsung S7, water resistant smartphone and relegating my iphone 6 plus to my holiday phone (used with local sims or a 3 sim under the fantastic 3 feel at home deal).

  38. John Goering ن (@epaga) - 8 years ago

    This poll is pretty silly – there’s no straightforward “Yes, I always upgrade” nor “No, I’m completely satisfied with my 6s.”

  39. Ilko Sarafski - 8 years ago

    Well, I voted for No, I want a bigger battery even if I won’t upgrade from my 6S to 7 not because of the battery but because I don’t see much of a reason. See, the thing is that year-on-year upgrades are not something you NEED but something you REALLY WANT (and if you have enough money to do it). On the 2-year cycle, the things are becoming mixed – you are starting to need it but still the main reason is that you (this time just) WANT it.
    So I came from 4 to 6S, yeah – imagine the huge leap, – which makes me want to stick with the S cycle I guess and I’ll wait for 7S (or as some might speculate – iPhone 10). We all know that the S cycles are actually better. So my vote goes to 7S. :)

    P.S. Right now Samsung is ahead with their lineup purely in the number counting. And we all know that 95% of the people will think that Galaxy 8 is better than iPhone 7S (due to the 8>7). Which leads me to believe (ok, not to believe exactly but to think I guess) that we might see a huge leap – from iPhone 7 this year to iPhone 10 next year. That way Apple will have the lead, because after only 3-4 years we’ll see iPhone 9 vs Galaxy 11 or so. What do you think about that?

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

      I know the naming convention is always a bone of contention. I kind of agree with just calling it a new number each year vs the “S” label every other year makes sense.

      • Ilko Sarafski - 8 years ago

        Yeah, that’s another thing that I have been thinking about lately. Just start calling them 7, 8, 9, 10. It’s ok, people won’t mind to brag about their new iPhone 8, instead of 8S….

  40. Since I’m more of a design person and not too much excited about hardware specs, I wont upgrade until the overall design changes. If the design stays the same, I’m more than happy to save 900 bucks this year…

  41. kajot (@konradjj) - 8 years ago

    It will be the same as it was with Iphone 4 and 5 generation, with the 5 being an evolution of the ip4 design. So it will largely be cosmetics only, the real major change will come with Iphone 8 or whatever the name will be.

  42. Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

    The things I would like to see are as follows:

    1. Quick charge battery
    2. Longer life between charges
    3. Waterproof
    4. Shatterproof screen
    5. Bigger screen, but not a bigger (width or height) case.
    6. 32GB storage as minimum
    7. I think using USB-C connector would be better than Lightning.
    8. Obviously faster processor and more RAM would be nice.
    9. Case that doesn’t flex
    10. It could be a little thicker, but not a lot. Thinner wouldn’t necessarily be better I think at some point it becomes unnecessary.
    11. 3.5mm headphone jack would still be useful, that way I can still listen to headphones while charging or backing up to my computer.
    12. Wireless charging would be nice, but not mandatory.
    13. Built-in IR so we can control stereo, TV, and other IR related devices would be nice.

    • Paul Rubin - 8 years ago

      Quick Charge Battery. Yes that would be a biggie on par with a digital zoom low light camera.
      Waterproof is nice but the 6S is waterproof enough for my needs
      Shatterproof screen not likely happening with current tech
      A bigger screen requires elimination of the separate home button and small or non-existent bezels. I hope so but don’t see it for the 7.
      32 gb as a minimum is a good idea but I wouldn’t buy less than 128 anyway.
      I doubt they’re giving up on Lightning for at least 4 more years.
      True wireless charging… now that would be interesting. Not stupid stuff like place the phone on an overpriced pad.

    • Smigit - 8 years ago

      I don’t think USB-C will happen. The ports larger than lightening so unless it offers Apple some major benefits elsewhere I’m not sure why they’d swap at this point.

    • free19483 - 8 years ago

      👍👍👍

  43. Thomas Massengale - 8 years ago

    To be fair, the design of the 5 and subsequent 5S didn’t differ much from the 4/4S except for a slightly taller screen. My 6S is fantastic, so unless Apple comes up with a must-have feature, I am unlikely to buy a 7 or even a 7S. The phone is mature enough at this point that, as with the iPad, many of us are probably now going to upgrade less frequently.

    • Smigit - 8 years ago

      The entire back of those phones was different too, one being all glass the other being predominantly aluminium with glass panels.

  44. Abedoss - 8 years ago

    I have an upgrade cycle, when time comes I will upgrade to the latest iPhone I could pay for despite the design or the year of release. I think phones has come to it’s peek point, and it will retain nearly the form factor for a few years to come, so the internal hardware and software will make some diferrence.

  45. ryanthewolf11 - 8 years ago

    I heard it was gonna be as big as an iPhone 5s

  46. ryanthewolf11 - 8 years ago

    I heard it will be as big as a iPhone 5s

  47. Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 8 years ago

    The iPhone 6 design is the ugliest iPhone Apple have ever made, so to re-use such a weak design and make it many times worse by removing something vital to daily use – the headphone jack – means this a definite no buy for me.

  48. seanbutnotseen - 8 years ago

    Poor poll design. How about asking how many smart phone users do or don’t protect their phones? In terms of design it is the screen that matters and not so much the rest of the phone. Once phones become drop prof then outer beauty will move back up on the list.

    Next, the poll seems to assume most are 6s users. There were some significant upgrades from the 6 to the 6 s add those with the 7 upgrades and you have more users like me ready and wanting to upgrade.

  49. paulthefencerfencer - 8 years ago

    I’m really torn. I have a 6. I would have preferred the 6S but I didn’t get it , then later I regretted it. Now I’d probably get the 7S. But now with no headphone jack, that could be a non-starter. I have good headphones so I need the jack. And Bluetooth headphones sound awful. Earbuds of any kind are brutal. So now the rumour is that if there’s no jack they’ll make an adapter for the lightning port. But I won’t be able to charge and listen at the same time. I was an iPod buyer from day one. I love music. And I always have for the last 50 years or so. The only reason I bought the iPhone 6 (my first iPhone), was because it appeared that Apple was ditching the iPod Touch. So I bought the iPhone mainly for music, although it is my only phone, as I don’t have a land line anymore. But now Apple’s making it harder to access my music the way I want to. I have an Apple Watch as well, so I can’t just abandon the iPhone. Sticking with the iPhone 6 for the next 5 years isn’t an option either because eventually the new OS won’t work on it due to it being out of date. So as much as I love my iPhone, and Apple in general, they’re screwing me over and there’s nothing I can do about it.

  50. chopingman - 8 years ago

    It’s wait and see if it really doesn’t have a headphone jack or not. No headphone jack and I have to start looking at other options.

  51. Josh (@533mhz) - 8 years ago

    I always felt the iphone 6 design was a step backward. I am hoping for a new design this time around. Smaller bezels also.

  52. ishan24 - 8 years ago

    I expected atlas bit design changes in 6s but it was exactly the same the “S” would get hidden if you put a case or something but yeah it was ditto same and i want a design change.

  53. If not the same design, At least we need fast charging + 4000mAH battery!

  54. Paul Rubin - 8 years ago

    Stereo speakers won’t matter on a device that small. The jack is meaningless to me. It’s 2016. Get bluetooth already. Thinner is nonsense. It’s already too thin to hold securely unless they go foldable thin. I want more battery life, not thinness. A new design would be great but there’s only so much you can do unless you eliminate the home button, alter bezels dramatically, For me it will be all about the camera. Only two issues really matter to me at this point. DRAMATICALLY better low light, closer to that of a DSLR in this crazy small package which is unlikely but that’s the goal. And some method of doing optical zoom. Beyond that, I can think of nothing the camera can do that makes the 7 critical.

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

      Bluetooth sounds garbage and has no sync with video/games. It’s useful for phone calls and nothing more. Nobody with even the slightest interest in audio would ever use bluetooth headphones.

  55. Interactive Arts - 8 years ago

    An OLED, iPhone same thickness, slightly tweaked new design, absolutely no thinner than current 6s!!!! I’m an iPhone Plus person so make it more compact and not so clunky with same 3000mah battery and dual camera and were good!

  56. Louis Daley - 8 years ago

    If they replace those pos white headphones with lightning port in-ear Beats…I’m sold. Better external audio and better headphones ++

  57. I am undecided. I like the iPhone, but not sure I would upgrade to 7 if it looks just like what I have. The camera is not as big a deal to me personally.

  58. triankar - 8 years ago

    I’m pretty much set on “upgrading” my 6s to the new SE, merely for the fact that the 6s is not exactly holdable with one hand, and I kinda miss that since the 5s days…

  59. Neil (@NeilParkerTX) - 8 years ago

    I think I might be waiting and getting on the “S” upgrade cycle for the 7, especially if there isn’t much more going on with the 7 upgrade. I’m doing just fine without 3D touch and stuff and things.

  60. Graham J - 8 years ago

    Well at the risk of having to dodge various varieties of rotten vegetable, my answer is that I just preordered a Galaxy S7.

    Wait wait, hear me out. I’m a full-on Apple fan boy who not only has had iPhones since the first one came out (I still have it) but I’ve successfully converted all of my and my wife’s family members and all of our friends to iPhones. I work at an Apple competitor yet keep my company-supplied phone in a drawer and chopped up the SIM to fit in my iPhone. I openly mock our own products. I use a Mac in a sea of PCs.

    So why an S7? One word: VR. Ok, maybe that’s two words. Cardboard (or the slightly higher budget Chinese variants) is the best you can get for VR with an iPhone and while I’ve enjoyed playing with that the Vive and Rift have me hankering for more. But there’s no way I’m dropping ~CAD$3k on one of those plus a rig and everything I’ve read says Gear VR is the next best thing due to optimizations that go from the software to the kernel to the hardware. And I want that.

    Now, I haven’t decided to give up my iPhone just yet, the S7 may very well just sit in the headset and only do that, but I can’t help but think, if all I really do on my phone is messaging and Reeder, does it even matter what phone I have?

    Which is the post of this post, to point out that while iPhones have always been simply the best smartphone device you can buy, we’ve reached the peak. No feature Apple can add is going to significantly change what you can do with it, and competitors can do all the same things now. Not quite as smoothly or simply, granted, but they’re starting to bring functionality to the table that beats it. Like VR.

    Hopefully Apple will dive into VR too but until then…

    • chrisairspace - 8 years ago

      Valid points!

      Wish you the best of luck though! I recently bought myself a Nexus 6P, because it is as specced and good as an iPhone 6S Plus(in theory).
      Most I do on my phone is check the web, mail, reddit, messaging and calls(mostly), so I figured, why not sell my 6S Plus, buy a 6P and profit from it?!
      BUT, I ended up selling the 6P within a week! I just cannot move away from the (in my opinion) amazing interface that is iOS.

      Suffice to say, I was pretty surprised. But good luck though!

      • Graham J - 8 years ago

        haha ya I’m sure a lot of people who stray into Androidland end up coming back! As I say I’m not convinced I’ll actually switch to the S7 for a phone but we shall see. I’ll report back :)

  61. Michael Harwell - 8 years ago

    The headphone port is going the way of the floppy, which is as it should be – but i’m not ready for it. That’s why i bought a 6s as soon as rumors of the 7 losing the port started to surface. I’ll be on the 6s until I start replacing all my earbuds.

    • paulthefencerfencer - 8 years ago

      You see, I don’t get that. It’s a fact that the best sound is uncompressed analogue sound, and I know that music is compressed for any of these devices. But digital is quite harsh, especially if listened to loud. Listen to, say, AC/DC for long enough at a loud volume and you can suffer digital fatigue and get headaches. So when the iPhone 7 comes out the only way to use headphones without plugging in direct would be bluetooth, and bluetooth audio is absolutely horrible. It’s getting harder to listen to the highest quality audio possible as time goes on. But it seems like the masses don’t really care about sound quality. And those that do are left standing in a corner all alone.

      • Smigit - 8 years ago

        But they aren’t making you unplug? You can use the lightening port which by all reports will have a conversion cable that contains the digital to analog circuitry that is associated with a headphone jack currently.

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

      No, you’re talking nonsense. Pure analogue audio will always, I repeat, always sound the best. Why do you think vinyl is making a comeback? Because people are sick of crappy digital sound. Bluetooth is especially bad, even for digital.

      There is a very good reason why all premium headphones are analogue and wired. Same principle with ethernet vs wifi – the wire always wins for quality.

  62. I pay for the ability to upgrade every year with Verizon by trading in my phone so yes. Not really for any of the reasons listed, but just because I can. Went from 6+ to 6s+ and will do the same for the 7.

  63. Smigit - 8 years ago

    Why is there such a fixation on offering 10 responses to polls that could be better answered with a simple yes or no?

    I’ll upgrade but it’s not necessarily for the features listed here, and I think design does matter. In fact id say it’s the sum of multiple features along with waterproofing etc that would lead me to update in the end of the day, and I assume that’s the case for most users.

  64. PJ (@D00mM4r1n3) - 8 years ago

    If it has a better camera, maybe. If it has support for lossless 24bit/192KHz audio, hell yes!

  65. JBDragon - 8 years ago

    Where’s the questions of it’s been 2 years and now it’s time for a upgrade!!! Where’s the questions of it’ll be 2 years but I’m going for 3 or 4 years? I had my iPhone 4 for 4+ years before I upgraded to the iPhone 6. I’m still not sure if I’ll get the iPhone 7 or not. It’ll really have to WOW me, or I could just end up going another 2 years. That’s a lot of money saved.

    I really need to get a new iPad. my iPad 3 is really, really, SSLLLOOOOWWW. Currently it crashes for no reason! I plug it in to charge, look over later and see the Apple Logo of when it’s booting up?!?!?! It crashed and I wasn’t even using it. When I go to enter Text, but it take at least 20 seconds or so before the keyboard pops up. It’s no wonder Apple replaced it 6 months later with the iPad 4. and it’s faster processor!!! I hear the iPad 2 is faster because it at least doesn’t have the retina screen.

  66. free19483 - 8 years ago

    We need quad hd display and less bezels new design

  67. distressedcactus - 8 years ago

    Sitting here with a 5C, I’m all about the 7. Regardless of whatever it has (it should only improve upon the 6S), I’m getting one.

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

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

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com