iPhone 7 features, rumours release date: All we know about Apple’s next handset

he iPhone 6s has broken cover, and it’s easily the best iPhone ever released. Featuring 3D Touch, a brand-new camera and even quicker Touch ID, the iPhone 6s received a 5-star review from Alphr reviews editor Jonathan Bray but we’re expecting so much more from the iPhone 7.

Unlike the 6s, the iPhone 7 will be more revolution than evolution, and should come with a slew of new features, all packaged in a brand-new chassis. Apple has been able to keep most of the handset’s details under wraps so far, but as we gear up to its probable release date next year, we’re slowly learning more about the upcoming iPhone.

iPhone 7 at a glance:

2016 release date

Completely waterproof

Possibly non-metal chassis

Release date

Although there isn’t a confirmed release date for the iPhone 7, we’re now very familiar with Apple’s release schedule. By looking at the release dates of previous iPhones, it’s possible to estimate when we’ll see the iPhone 7.

The iPhone 6s was released on 9 September this year, so it’s likely we’ll see the iPhone 7 released around the same time next year probably alongside the announcement of the Apple Watch 2.

Features

The iPhone 7 represents a full upgrade rather than an incremental one like the iPhone 6s, and this means it’s almost certain to benefit from a complete chassis redesign. We expect it to carry over many of the new features first debuted in the iPhone 6s but also add some of its own. Therefore, we can expect the iPhone 7 to have the 6s’ improved camera, as well as its improved Touch ID 2 sensors. The iPhone 7 should also come with 3D Touch without doubt the iPhone 6s’ standout feature.

But what else could the iPhone 7 bring? A look back at the launch of the iPhone 6 shows it could add some key features just as the 6 added Apple Pay and increased processing power to the mix but we simply don’t know what they are yet.

Screen

The iPhone 6 represented the first time Apple created more than one size of iPhone, and it’s likely it will do the same for the iPhone 7, so we’d expect to see both an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus next year. However, it’s still uncertain whether Apple will stick to its existing screen size, or increase again to compete with the latest wave of Android handsets.

Bezel size is one area the iPhone could certainly be improved. While the iPhone 6s comes with one of the best screens in its class, it’s let down by large bezels ones Apple will be hoping to shrink next time round.

Design

Unlike the 6s and 6s Plus, which brought incremental upgrades, the iPhone 7 should bring an entirely new design and features and new rumours suggest it will be waterproof.

The rumours originate from posts submitted on the Chinese site Weibo, and also suggest that the next iPhone 7 will use a non-metal, dustproof chassis. So, how likely are these rumours to be true?

While waterproof casing would be revolutionary for most iPhone users, it’s a feature that’s already been silently apparent on existing Apple devices. Despite being labelled as water-resistant with a rating of IPX7, the Apple Watch has actually proven to be far more resilient in real-world tests. Although tipped to handle submersion at a metre down for 30 minutes, third-party tests have shown the Apple Watch is capable of withstanding 40 metres of depth for the same amount of time.

It’s not just the Apple Watch that hides its water resilience – recent reports have also suggested the iPhone 6s is far more water-resistant than expected. The iPhone 6s was unaffected when submerged under a few inches of a water for 30 minutes. In the same test, an older iPhone 6 died after only one minute.

And the likelihood of a non-metal chassis? That’s harder to determine. Apple has no problem with tweaking the materials used in its handsets, and only recently made the jump to sturdier 7000 Series aluminum on its iPhone 6s. However, it seems unlikely that Apple would abandon its colour selection of Rose Gold, Gold, Space Grey and Silver which are now available throughout its iPad and MacBook range. Of course, it’s also doubtful Apple would be willing to change to a non-metal, and perhaps less-premium-feeling, material for its phones.

Find out what we thought of the latest iPhone: read our review of the iPhone 6s.