“Apple is taking a big gamble with the iPhone 7,” Gordon Kelly writes for Forbes. “The headline change will be the controversial removal of the headphone jack (a move I predicted 19 months ago), but it doesn’t stop there.”
“MacRumors has uncovered two more significant changes Apple will make to the iPhone 7 and the good news is they are likely to be very popular,” Kelly writes. “This first concerns the camera and is something Apple has been itching to do for years: kill off the ugly bulge seen on the back of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S. According to MacRumors, the iPhone 7 will feature the first truly flush rear camera since the iPhone 5S in 2013.”
“Also smartening things up is MacRumors’ declaration that the iPhone 7 will do away with the unseamly antenna bands on the rear the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S,” Kelly writes. “This will result in a cleaner look, though I’d wish for some sort of subtle anti-slip texture… On the downside, the antenna bands apparently will still need to be kept on the edges of the iPhone 7 so it won’t be a 100% uniform look.”
MacDailyNews Take: We’re totally onboard with losing the antiquated 3.5mm headphone jack for Lightning. Do it, Apple!
We tried really hard to get excited about the partial removal of antenna bands but found we couldn’t give two shits. A truly flush camera is, however, a meaningful improvement, so bring that one on, too. Now, make the things out of Liquidmetal with sapphire displays and we’ll really get excited!
Below, the back of an iPhone 6s contrasted with an “iPhone 7” mockup. Does that seem like enough of a “design change” for an “all-new” (non-“S”) iPhone generation? We know Jony’s been handing off some projects lately (ahem), but he’s not going to handoff the next gen. iPhone, too, is he?
iPhone 6s rear casing (top) vs. iPhone 7 mockup based on rumors
