iPhone 7

In this week’s top stories: The latest iPhone 7 leaks, Apple’s Q3 earnings report, how to install the new Pangu jailbreak for iOS 9.2 – 9.3.3, and much more. 
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Since the rumor started back in November, there’s been more and more evidence that the next iPhone will drop the 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of wireless or Lightning audio playback. A report last month claimed that Apple plans to bundle standard EarPods with the new iPhones in September and include a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter in the box. While this would mean all of the claimed Lightning EarPods we’ve seen so far are fake, it does lend credit to a video posted today that shows what appears to be an official Lightning to 3.5mm adapter…

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Back when most people were on plans that saw them offered a new phone every two years, upgrading wasn’t really a decision. Paying typically $0-200, depending on your plan, saw you get the latest iPhone every other year. It would have been silly to turn it down because you’d pay the same monthly amount either way.

So the only decision most people made was whether to be on the main ‘tick’ cycle, with the new designs, or the ‘tock’ cycle that gave you the S model with the same design but new features.

But now that carriers split out phone costs from usage plans, upgrading your phone becomes a much more conscious decision. You could do it every year, paying more but always having the latest model. You could continue on a two-year cycle. Or you could save a decent chunk of money by sitting out a year.

That latter option might once have seemed unlikely for 9to5Mac readers, who typically like to stay up to date, but this year could potentially be very different …

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Earlier today, we shared a handful of videos that gave perhaps the best look yet at the upcoming iPhone 7. Now, a new report from Macotakara reiterates a few features that the iPhone 7 could very well feature, including a capacitive Home button.

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Two dates surfaced over the weekend regarding when the so-called iPhone 7 could be introduced and available to purchase. Evan Blass, better known as @evleaks, tweeted Friday night that the next iPhone would be released during the week of September 12th, then added on Saturday that he indeed meant the actual retail release and that “it should happen on Friday, Sept. 16th.”

We noted in our coverage this morning that a two-week period typically occurs the time between the iPhone announcement and release date, which suggests a late August to early September Apple event assuming the September 16th date is accurate. So how does that date compare to past iPhone releases? Below we’ve compared every iPhone announcement, pre-order, and release date so far…

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As rumors about what the ‘iPhone 7’ update will include have reached wide consensus (similar design to iPhone 6s, redesigned antenna lines, new cameras, removal of headphone jack), news about availability and release date are starting to surface. Evan Blass, @evleaks, said he believes the iPhone 7 will be released week of September 12. Over the weekend, he strengthened his claim by indicating that his claim is referring to the retail release date, specifically that the new iPhone will go on sale on Friday, September 16th …

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In this week’s top stories: The latest iPhone 7 leaks and mockups, Pokemon Go mania continues, and we go hands-on with the latest iOS 10 and macOS betas.

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Evan Blass, prominent leaker and VentureBeat reporter, has revealed what he believes to be the release window for the next iPhone. If his hunch is correct, then we should expect the iPhone 7 and its various iterations to be released during the week of September 12th, 2016.

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A Deutsche Bank research note based on supply-chain sources claims that Apple will sell the iPhone 7 with a Lightning-to-audio dongle, rather than providing Lightning headphones, reports Business Insider.

It also suggests that the iPhone 7 Plus will have 3GB of RAM. All of the note’s other predictions echo things we’ve heard many times before: similar design to the 6s; dual cameras on the Plus, improved camera on the standard model; better sound, possibly stereo; better waterproofing; and a touch-sensitive Home button.

Supply-chain sources aren’t always the most reliable source of information on Apple’s plans, as Tim Cook himself has observed, and there are a couple of reasons to treat this report with some suspicion …

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The iPhone 7 leaks continue in the run up to the launch expected sometime in early September. As has been widely reported by now, both the 4.7 inch iPhone 7 and the 5.5 inch iPhone 7 Plus will include significant camera upgrades with the latter getting a brand-new dual camera system. In a new photo leak from Weibo, the separate cameras (rumoured to be dual 12 megapixel sensors) are clearly visible. The redesigned camera with ~25% larger iris for the 4.7 inch iPhone 7 can also be seen although technical specifications of the new component is unknown.

A separate Weibo post also includes a 30-second clip comparing the Rose Gold iPhone 7 to a Rose Gold iPhone 6s with all the characteristics we’ve come to expect from an iPhone 7 leak. Watch the video below after the jump …

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It seems you can hardly turn a corner in China without bumping into an iPhone 7 mockup these days. With widespread consensus on the expected design, we’re now seeing both physical mockups and renders in a range of colors, so we’ve pulled together a number of them in a gallery, together with a new video …

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Corning, the company behind the popular Gorilla Glass brand, today announced the next iteration of its cover glass for mobile displays, a likely candidate for future Apple devices including the iPhone 7. Corning says that Gorilla Glass 5 survives drops onto rough surfaces four times better than other solutions, noting that clarity of the display and touch sensitivity are not affected.

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An online poll of U.S. iPhone owners found that only 9.3% were planning to upgrade to the iPhone 7 due to the expected design being so similar to the iPhone 6/6s. That contrasts with 25.2% who would upgrade for a brand new design.

At this point, it’s unclear whether Apple is simply holding back significant design changes for a special 10th anniversary iPhone, or is – as a Nikkei report suggested – switching to a three-year major refresh cycle. But the Quartz survey indicates that the latter would be a dangerous move …

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This iPhone 7 “leak” doesn’t claim to show a real iPhone 7 at all, but rather an up close look at the Chinese-made clones of the upcoming device that have recently flooded the rumor mill.

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Update: With version 2 of the firmware, the previous maximum volume is now a recommended maximum. You now get a verbal message that you’re at the safe limit, but can then continue to increase the volume to the same level as typical earphones.

With it now looking all but certain that there will be no headphone socket in this year’s iPhone, demand for wireless headphones is likely to reach a new high. And when it comes to choosing a pair, Bragi’s Dash – marketed as ‘truly wireless smart earphones’ – seem on the face of it to be a very Apple-esque solution.

You can’t get much more minimalist than these. You have an earphone for each ear, and that’s it. No connecting cords, no neckband, nothing.

The earphones can also make a pretty good claim to living up to the ‘smart’ part of the branding, controlled by a mix of touch and gesture – such as nodding to accept an incoming call and shaking your head to reject it. For times when you don’t want to carry your phone, you can load music into the 4GB on-board memory. Which is handy when you’re swimming, as they claim to be 100% waterproof. And the carry-case has a built-in battery for on-the-go wireless charging.

I tried out a pair to find out whether they really do live up to the hype …

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Evan Blass has tweeted what he says are the codenames of two 2016 iPhone models. The tweet implies that the lack of a third codename indicates that only two models are planned. Both names are small towns in California.

The 2 (two!) 2016 iPhone models are codenamed Sonora and Dos Palos.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 19, 2016

From the volume of rumors about an iPhone 7 Pro, it appears likely that Apple has at least explored the idea, but the company of course plays with numerous ideas that never make it to market …

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