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Apple iPhone 7 release date nears as key specs and feature upgrades revealed?

| Mar 15, 2016 11:08 PM EDT

Apple's iPhone 7 is a rumored device, expected to become the successor of iPhone 6.

Apple's next iPhone might be the 4-inch iPhone SE but the 2016 flagship offering of the tech giant is gradually shaping up thanks to the torrents of leaked images and details that came out recently. The iPhone 7 release date seems fast approaching as the handset is tipped to sport an all-screen front panel and a dual-camera set up. 

The latter shooting feature, according to MacRumors, was revealed if a new story from Chinese-language blog site Bastille Post is to be believed. A picture that came with the post showed off the back plate of what appeared as the bigger iPhone 7 Plus with a new rear shooting mechanism.

Instead of the circular camera lens found on old iPhone models, the iPhone phablet is rendered with an oval or pill-shaped, as described by MacRumors, lens that apparently makes up the device's dual-camera sensor components. And right next to the dual-lens is a dot that likely is a microphone and LED flash.

The same image also echoed the earlier claims that the iPhone 7 will lose the distracting antenna band as proven by the disappearance of the signal lines seen with the iPhone 6 and 6S. The bands instead were pushed on the edge of the device to achieve a cleaner back finish without compromising on signal strength.

Also clearly noticeable are the three found on the bottom portion of the device render. MacRumors speculated that these could be similar to the Smart Connector that Apple had introduced with the iPad Pro last year. However, the exact usage of the additional feature for the next iPhone remains unclear.

As for the new all-screen iPhone front panel, Apple Insider picked up a new set of images that showcased the sequel to the iPhone 6S no longer sporting the iconic Home button. The device also features set of small holes that flank the connectivity port, hinting of stereo speaker set up for the next iPhone but with one glaring omission.

The 3.5mm audio jack will be no more in time for the iPhone 7 rollout as suggested in previous rumors. Apart from the enhanced sound blasters, Apple is likely to replace the feature with a Bluetooth headset and a wired connection via the Lightning port that is said laced with better sound technology.

The release date of both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (the latter rumored to be renamed as the iPhone Pro) is not expected until September 2016 though a new device will be unboxed by Apple next week - the 4-inch iPhone SE.

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