The annual breath-holding that precedes the months before a big Apple launch is nearly over. The iPhone 7 is only a few hours away from becoming official, and rumours have been circulating thick and fast. At this point, some of these are almost a certainty, and others will only be confirmed when the device makes its appearance. With the launch event upon us, here's what we know so far:
1. We might need new headphones
There have been many reports circulating about the new iPhone, but the one that has dominated the discussion boards is that the company may be abandoning the 3.5mm headphone jack that is the universal standard for personal audio. In the Android world, LeEco and more recently Moto have omitted it in favour of USB-C based solutions, making it even more likely that Apple will do the same. According to research notes from a well-respected Apple analyst at KGI Securities, Apple will include EarPods that use the Lightning port to connect, along with a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter for existing headphones. The removal of the jack frees up space in the body for bigger batteries or additional sensors.
2. Two variants, two cameras
There has been some confusion about exactly how many phones are coming out today. At one point it looked like there might be a regular and a Plus variant as usual, and a higher-speed Pro variant. Recent reports however, seem to indicate the usual strategy of two phones - the normal and Plus versions. Cameras appear to have undergone upgrades, as leaked renders have shown both phones sporting protruding cameras that may indicate larger sensors, with the Plus featuring a dual camera setup, another hardware feature that has been gaining popularity of late.
3. A nifty new home button
So the headphone jack is gone, and Apple has more space to work with. This space is apparently being utilised to add sensors that improve the 3D Touch technology, as well as a home button that uses haptic feedback to simulate a click instead of actually pressing, like the implementation used in the 2015 12-inch Retina Macbook's touchpad.
4. Hardware gets a boost, and so does storage
As expected, the new phone will be powered by a faster hardware. The iPhone 7 may see its A10 processor clocked at over 2GHz, and feature 3 GB of RAM, which brings the numbers to par with Android devices locked in the spec race. More importantly, the much-panned 16GB storage option may finally be removed, with the new iPhone expected to launch with 32GB, along with 128 and 256GB options. As usual, no microSD support to be had here, though IPX7 waterproofing may just be included.
5. Sedate styles
Apple usually refreshes the design language of the iPhone every two years, meaning this year's phone should theoretically sport a new look. This might not be the case, with the 7 expected to retain similar design elements to the last generation, as Apple is said to be holding off on major changes for next year's edition, which will mark the tenth anniversary of the iPhone. All is not lost, as there might be new colours available this time. The ones we've heard most are deep blue and glossy black.
6. Software gets better
There is a lot change on the hardware front, but today's event should also see iOS 10 come out of beta. The latest version of the operating system is set to supercharge iPhones, with the aforementioned improvements to 3D Touch allowing users to perform frequent tasks from the lockscreen. Apple is also building a few new gates to its 'walled garden' approach to software, letting developers include functionality such as integrating Siri with more apps.
7. Watch out for the wearable
The Apple Watch, which has gotten better with software updates, is now facing intense competition from the new crop of Android Wear devices and Samsung's excellent new gear S3. Today's event should also see the new Apple Watch be unveiled, and likely changes include a better processor and support for GPS.
Where and how to watch the event live
The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. PDT (Pacific Daylight Time), which translates to 10.30 p.m. here in India. The live stream from the event can be viewed at >http://www.apple.com/apple-events/september-2016/ .
The stream uses Apple's HTTP Live Streaming optimised for Safari on iOS devices. Windows 10 users can view the stream on Microsoft's Edge browser. The full keynote should be available on YouTube post launch.
