Will there be an iPhone 7 release date? What's for sure is that Apple will issue the 2016 iPhones, likely in September, but the big question is if the devices will be known as they are expected to be. Rumors suggest that the next iPhone will not necessarily get the '7' label.
Evan Blass or better known as @evleaks said in a new tweet that it will be "highly unlikely" for Apple to use the iPhone 7 name this year given that the sequel to the iPhone 6S is seen to mostly mirror the build and design of its immediate predecessor.
Blass, according to Tech Insider, is echoing the recent report from The Wall Street Journal that claimed Apple's smartphone design cycle has been extended to three years. That would mean, the device design template that consumers first saw with the iPhone 6 in 2014 will be seen again this 2016 but with minor revisions.
So the safe bet is the iPhone 7 release will have to wait for next year and holding out for an upgrade until 2017 will be worth if the following rumored feature upgrades would come true:
More firepower and new iOS
The assumption is from A10 SoC, the 2017 iPhone will move up to A11 and supply chain rumors have so far indicated that the latter will certainly overpower and out-clock the former. Likely in the pipeline is the 10-nanometer process for the next iPhone chip that promises increased might and speed. Power efficiency is also projected to gain considerably with the next-generation A-series chip.
And the last time iOS has a huge makeover was way back iOS 7 so a big change should be forthcoming that will coincide with the iPhone's 10th year anniversary.
All-glass, all-screen iPhone 7
Apple-focused analyst Ming-chi Kuo has predicted that an all-glass iPhone will be made by Apple but not this year. It will be for 2017 to mark the first time that the late Steve Jobs had introduced the revolutionary device.
John Gruber, another Apple watcher, chimed in to the same discussion, saying that the iPhone to watch for will sport an all-screen front panel that will do away with screen bezels and physical buttons.
Embedded sensors and keys
As a result of the iPhone redesign, the all-screen device will embed the sensors necessary for its smart functions into the display panel. The home key, along with the Touch ID reader, camera and mic sensors will be invisible and all there is to see is the glorious edge-to-edge iPhone screen.
OLED
Rumors are widespread that Apple will soon include OLED to its device supply chain, starting with the MacBook Pro 2016 function keys. For the iPhone to touchdown in 2017, OLED is seen as part of the major redesign that will lead to an all-glass iPhone 7.
Wireless charging
As more and more flagship smartphones jam the convenience of wireless charging into their feature menus, it is inevitable that Apple will do the same. For this year, the upgrade remains a suspect but for the rumored iPhone 7 release date in 2017 the chance is much higher for the feature to be integrated with the device, software- and hardware-wise.