So many leaks. So many fakes. Is the real iPhone 7 one of these designs?
It's spring, which means the flowers are blooming, we've got our light jackets on (or no jackets), and most importantly: iPhone 7 rumors are leaking -- pretty much every day.
Apple's next flagship iPhone(s) aren't expected to be unveiled until September, but the Internet is already awash with lots and lots of purported specs and leaked photos of the devices.
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Which ones are real and which ones are fake? Hard to tell, but we've gathered together the most prominent ones and put on our detective hats to suss out the likely ones.
What the rumors say
Based on rumors, Apple will likely release two versions of the iPhone 7, one with a 4.7-inch screen and a "Plus" (or "Pro") with a 5.5-inch screen. We haven't heard anything about an increase in resolution, which means there's a good possibility the 4.7-inch model will keep its 1,334 x 750 resolution (326 ppi) and the 5.5-inch will remain at 1,920 x 1,080 resolution (401 ppi).
The most controversial change may be the removal of the headphone jack.
Physically, the iPhone 7 is expected to look more or less like the iPhone 6S. Leaked images suggest a unibody aluminum design with the same dimensions with cleaner antenna lines that only run along the top and bottom. Better wireless connectivity could be the result of a potential switch from Qualcomm LTE chips to Intel designs.
The most controversial change may be the removal of the headphone jack. Numerous leaked schematics and cases point to the iPhone 7 not having a headphone jack, but it's also possible those are just experimental models (or decoys) and maybe it will have one. If the headphone jack is going away, Apple will most likely move to Lightning-based earbuds and headphones.
It's pretty much a given the new iPhones will be powered by a new A10 processor. Whether Apple sticks with 2GB of RAM bumps it up is anyone's guess.
For storage, we could see a new model with 256GB capacity, though it may only be available on the larger iPhone 7 Plus. For everyone's sake, we hope Apple finally drops the 16GB entry-level and bumps it up to at least 32GB.
The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus brought improved photos by increasing the rear iSight camera resolution from the previous 8 megapixels to 12 megapixels, and the 1.2-megapixel front FaceTime camera to 5 megapixels. Another resolution increase is unlikely, but the iPhone 7 will probably have improved image quality in areas like low-light performance and autofocus speed.
The most interesting camera rumor is for the larger iPhone 7; it's believed it'll come with two rear cameras. How they'll work is something we don't know. The dual cameras might work like the LG G5, which switches between a normal and ultra-wide camera, or it could be more like the Huawei P9, which takes a color image and a monochrome image and composites them into a single sharper photo. Oh, and that rumor about the camera bump going away? It's probably not gonna happen.
As for colors, it's a safe bet the iPhone 7 will come in silver, gold, space gray and rose gold. It would be cool to see a new color, though. I'd love to see an orange iPhone.
Real or fake schematics?
@OnLeaks posted several schematics and CAD renders for both what could be the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The 3D renders are in-line with pretty much all the rumors we've heard.
{cardId: 38303}, CARD TYPE: SideBySide
iPhone 7?
Images discovered on Chinese social network Weibo show cleaner antenna bands on two separate leaks. Likelihood of them being real: pretty high.
iPhone 7 Plus/Pro?
A dual-camera module that surfaced on Weibo and is said to be from the iPhone 7 Plus certainly matches up with a purported rear shell posted by Bastille Post. Two cameras on the "Plus" model makes sense. The iPhone 6 and 6S Plus both have optical image stabilization where the 6 and 6S don't. Including dual cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus model could make it another differentiator over the regular model.
Quad-array speakers and repositioned LED flash?
These particular shots from Nowhereelse.fr are highly questionable. Thought the cleaned-up antenna lines match up with previous rumors, the iPhone's chassis just doesn't have that much room for two speakers, let alone four. The LED flash's new position is also suspect.
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Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
