14 DAY TRIAL // The next iPhone will feature a design that will be mostly similar to the current iPhone 6 and 6s generations, and this is one of the reasons why many claim that Apple is losing the battle with rivals such as Samsung, which are continuously improving their designs.
But according to new information coming from John Gruber, the 2017 iPhone will bring a complete overhaul of the device, so with the iPhone 7 Apple is only trying to buy some more time until it gets the next model ready.
Everything will be integrated into the display
Specifically, he thinks that the device could come with new design that will eliminate bezels and be based on an all-screen front look. This means that everything on the front of the iPhone will be a touch-capable display, so both the Touch ID sensor and the cameras will be integrated into the screen.
“The Touch ID sensor will be somehow embedded in the display, the front facing camera will somehow be embedded in the display, the speaker, everything,” Gruber explained, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.
While it’s not yet clear whether Apple is also planning new dimensions for the iPhone or other models, such as a Pro version, it’s believed that the 2017 generation would come with an OLED screen, thus helping the company to give up on the ages-old LCD tech. Previously, the switch to OLED was touted to happen in 2018, but it appears that Apple is looking into ways to accelerate this transition and make the 2017 iPhone a complete makeover.
At the same time, Gruber says that he believes that Apple won’t call the next model coming in September “iPhone 7,” adding that the existing leaks pointing to a design similar to the 6s are very accurate. This means that the only visual changes on the iPhone 7 will be antenna lines moved at the top and the bottom of the device, as well as the camera moved slightly closer to the side.
It goes without saying that Apple’s playing a risky game by waiting for another year for such a significant overhaul of the iPhone lineup given the fact that sales have already started declining, so it remains to be seen if these rumors are all true or not.