“Taiwanese website Apple.club.tw has shared leaked images of the purported backlight assembly for the “iPhone 7″ display,” Joe Rossignol reports for MacRumors.
“The component draws some similarities to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus backlight assembly,” Rossignol reports, “although the 3D Touch chip and LCD flex cables are relocated on this leaked part.”
“The website speculates the component could also be for Apple’s next-generation 4-inch iPhone, but previous reports have said the much-rumored ‘iPhone 6c’ will not have 3D Touch,” Rossignol reports. “The pictured size of the 3D Touch chip and flex cables also suggests the backlight assembly is designed for larger than a 4-inch display.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Here’s hoping, for iPhone 6c’s sake, that the rumors are wrong an Apple isn’t planning on releasing a new iPhone in 2016 sans 3D Touch. Of course, Apple did release a set-top box in 2015 without 4K support, so you’d think that all bets are off, but 3D Touch needs to become an integral part of the iOS experience. Releasing any new iPhones without 3D Touch would cause developers to take pause, retarding its progress. And, retarding progress is anathema to Apple’s core values and not in the company’s DNA.
If Apple releases a new 4-inch iPhone, we expect it to come with 3D Touch.