Rumors indicate that the iPhone 7 is big leap from the iPhone 6S in terms of build, design and power. But in a new report, it is the iPhone 7S release date in 2017 that packs more game-changing features - boasting of a nearly all-glass casing back and front, a superior OLED display and the slimmest build ever.
The next iPhone, that is the 2017 version, will again make Apple the envy of its smartphone rivals for the innovative features that the future device will deliver, inside and out. The build and design of the iPhone 7S will be inspired by the iPhone 4/4S but according to Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities the device will represent a redesign that will transmit "a feeling of freshness."
Kuo, Apple Insider said, is predicting "the next year's iPhone to adopt a glass back to stand out from the competition." The decision to rely again on glass as the dominant iPhone material is prompted by the prevalence of smartphones housed in aluminum, the report added.
An iPhone covered by glass back and front is far from fragile as Kuo is convinced that the 7S will be as durable as the past iPhones are with the analyst noting that Apple has proven expertise working with glass on devices. While the report did not mention, it is likely that sapphire glass coating will finally be used on next year's iPhone. The material has been rumored to blanket a device with nearly indestructible protection.
And around the same time that aluminum will give way to glass for the 2017 iPhones, another material will be introduced to the iPhone supply chain - OLED. "The new glass phone will also feature a new AMOLED display panel, which will be thinner and lighter to compensate for the slight weight increase of glass compared with metal exteriors," 9to5Mac reported.
The KGI report did not include a render of an iPhone made mostly of glass but it will be likely similar to that of the iPhone 4 and 4S, which 9to5Mac said had their front and back glass panels "sandwiched together with a stainless steel band."
But with the iPhone 7S touted this early as the slimmest smartphone to come out ever, it is unlikely that Apple will use the same 4/4S mold for the 2017 build.
With the latest forecast from Kuo, known for his mostly accurate predictions on upcoming Apple products, it is now a safe bet that the iPhone 7 on release date will have a build and design similar to that of the iPhone 6S but only with disappearance of the 3.5mm audio jack and a cleaner rear panel due to the ditching of the antenna band.